Janaza (Interlude)

from AZLI by Ahmer

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about

Janaza [Funeral]: The pain and anguish that accompanies the loss of a loved one and the impact that the event has on one’s own sense of purpose is often overlooked. A critical component of this journey is the opportunity for loved ones to experience closure - often via religious rituals that the community holds dear. In Kashmir, this closure is denied to the loved ones of thousands of young men who have disappeared, or killed in fake and actual encounters as part of the armed struggle for freedom. Ahmer explores how this lack of closure exacerbates the already fragile health of the Kashmiri community on Janaza [Funeral].

lyrics

Feels like I’m stuck in throat,
Like a soul trying to get out while they take my pictures,
They piss on my face and are trying to have a conversation with my dead body,
Fresh blood on my school bag, my school is too far today,
I feel like my life is slipping away from me,
As my dreams turn to dust,
They have kept a gun right next to me, their alibi,
Don’t be suspicious, their lies become truths, a river that is too deep,
My mother must be waiting to see me, happy that I will return home soon,
Only those who have wrapped a body in a shroud, know what is feels like,
Only those who have lost their own, know what it feels like,
Another funeral today, but the body hasn’t been returned,
I heard gunshots but they wanted you to believe no bullets were fired,
I have gotten my own killed for my personal gains,
I have promised people a better tomorrow and only used their blood,

VERSE 2:

Now that I’m up in the sky, my father hands are filled with my blood,
His eyes can’t unsee me, I am still alive, he says,
He doesn’t speak much ever since my dead body came home,
We have searching for justice, like beggars,
Your laws are hypocritical, my killers are still free,
Where nothing is pure and true,
I guess everything is permitted,
How many do actually remember us, all the innocents who got killed?
It’s your misconception, ignorance, this is a desert, not garden of paradise,
Another funeral today, but the body hasn’t been returned,
I heard gunshots but they wanted you to believe no bullets were fired,
I have gotten my own killed for my personal gains,
I have promised people a better tomorrow and only used their blood,
One more taken away,
One more killed,
One more martyred,
One more maimed,
Another house burned,
Another guy hanged,
Who will pray at the funeral?
Who is innocent?
Who is not guilty?
Who is ill?
Who is a tyrant?
Everything is cold as ice,
I am about to lose my mind and I want to vent out!

credits

from AZLI, released June 27, 2022

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about

Ahmer

Ahmer is a prolific rapper & producer from Srinagar, Kashmir. Since a young age, he has been acutely aware of the violence that plagues that valley, & his lyrics reflect a self-critical & self-aware artist that is trying to make sense of one of the most complex issues of our time.

Ahmer manages to introduce to people to the complexities of the Kashmiri people & the conflict that defines them. ... more