Fahad Shah

Fahad Shah
فهد شاه
Born Srinagar
Alma mater SOAS, University of London
Occupation Journalist, Writer and Political Commentator
Notable credit(s) Founder of The Kashmir Walla
Website www.fahadshah.info

Fahad Shah (Arabic: فهد شاه) is a Kashmiri journalist and writer. He is also the founder and editor of The Kashmir Walla. He is the editor of the anthology Of Occupation and Resistance: Writings from Kashmir (Tranquebar, 2013), which was listed by Hindustan Times among "ten most thought-provoking and intellectually satisfying books" of 2013, calling it "a remarkable book."[1]

Education and personal life

Shah was born in Srinagar, Kashmir. After studying journalism from University of Kashmir, he was one of the six Felix Scholars at SOAS, University of London to study critical media and cultural studies in 2013.[2] He lives between New Delhi and Kashmir.

Career

In 2009, Shah started his career as a trainee reporter in Jammu and Kashmir's leading daily, Greater Kashmir (newspaper) and worked for several other newspapers and magazines. After two years, he launched an online magazine, The Kashmir Walla, which has been internationally acclaimed for credibility and courage.[3]

He has written for Foreign Affairs, The Diplomat, The Christian Science Monitor, Socialist Worker, Hindustan Times, Scroll, Tehelka,[4] Dawn,[5] Firstpost,[6] among several other publications worldwide.[7]

Shah has delivered lectures at several universities worldwide, including University of Iceland,[8] University of Warwick,[9] University of Westminster,[10] and Humboldt University of Berlin.

He is the director of the documentary film, Bring Him Back, which was released in London in 2015.[11]

The Kashmir Walla

He launched a website called The Kashmir Walla in 2010, during the 2010 Kashmir Unrest and later turned it into an online magazine in April 2011.[12]

Shah has been featured in Al Jazeera, BBC, NDTV, The Indian Express, The Sunday Guardian, and several other publications for starting The Kashmir Walla. While talking about the magazine, in 2011, Shah told an Indian national newspaper, The Sunday Guardian: “We wanted a breathing space, wherein the reality of Kashmir and the incidents that occur in the valley would get honestly reported.”[13]

Rewards and recognitions

In 2011, Fahad Shah was finalized for the South Asia's Manthan Award 2011 for his contribution in media by laying down the foundation of The Kashmir Walla magazine.[14]

Detention

On 18 June 2017, Shah was questioned/detained for eight hours by Jammu and Kashmir police for his work. He had left from home at 11 am for work when a group of policemen stopped his car close to his house. He was put into a police vehicle and taken to a local police station. After a few hours, he was told that he needed to be questioned for something and asked to bring his laptop and iPhone also. Later he was taken to a Special Operations Group of the police infamously known as "Cargo" where a group of officers questioned him for several hours.[15]

As per a news report, City Police Chief Imtiaz Ismail Parray said they were verifying certain things. He said there was no question of arresting a journalist and admitted the computer is with police and will be returned.[16] Shah was later released at around 7.30 pm, and his belongings were returned next day. Shah later told a news agency that the police were questioning him about his recent travels and work.[17]

Bibliography

References

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