Association for Feminist Anthropology Statement of Solidarity Against the Banning of Resisting Disappearance

The Association for Feminist Anthropology (AFA) condemns the banning of Resisting Disappearance by Ather Zia, recipient of the AFA’s 2021 Senior Book Prize Honorable Mention, in Kashmir, alongside 24 other works by Kashmiri, Indian, and international authors. Although the Zubaan South Asia edition has been named in the ban, the ban threatens access to the work more broadly and undermines its vital contributions to public memory, truth-telling, and human rights documentation.

Resisting Disappearance is a landmark work of feminist ethnography, documenting enforced disappearances in Kashmir through the voices of families, especially women,who resist the erasure of their loved ones. Its scholarly rigor and deep ethical engagement exemplify the transformative role of anthropology in bearing witness to injustice and amplifying marginalized voices.

Book bans are tools of repression. They silence communities, sever solidarities, and erase historical truths. This act is part of a broader pattern of censorship and isolation targeting those who speak against state violence, especially in militarized and occupied regions.

The AFA stands in unequivocal solidarity with Ather Zia and Kashmiri writers, journalists, and scholars facing similar censorship, and with all communities resisting the suppression of truth and memory. We call on academic, literary, and human rights communities to defend the freedom to write, read, and share critical work. When truth is under attack, solidarity must be loud, clear, and unwavering.