Tag: Ethnic Cleansing

  • ‘Painful to watch’: social media horrified after Congress votes to censure Palestinian-American politician Rashida Tlaib

    ‘Painful to watch’: social media horrified after Congress votes to censure Palestinian-American politician Rashida Tlaib

    On Tuesday night, the US House voted to censure Palestinian-American Representative Rashida Tlaib over comments she made on the situation in Gaza.

    Among the voters were 22 Democrats who backed a resolution saying Tlaib has been “Promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for destruction of the state of Israel.”

    The death toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes has soared to 10,000 civilians. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder has called Gaza “a graveyard for thousands of children”, urging world leaders to call for a ceasefire.

    Tlaib provoked ire by using the slogan ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, which Republican politicians claimed was anti-Semitic.

    Speaking on the House floor, Rashida defended her stance and urged fellow lawmakers to end USA’s complicity in the genocide of Gaza.

    “I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib responded. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”

    Social media users were horrified by the censure, hailing Rashida as the bravest politician for having the courage to speak truth during a time of censorship.

  • EU parliament urges Indian PM Modi to protect minorities

    EU parliament urges Indian PM Modi to protect minorities

    On Thursday, the European Parliament urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end ethnic violence in Manipur, and to do more to protect ethnic and religious minorities in India. Modi is currently on an official visit to France, having been invited to attend the country’s annual Bastille Day national festival as a guest of honour. 

    However, between the ceremony and the diplomatic courting, EU parliamentarians in Strasbourg approved a motion that urged India to end violence in the country’s northeastern Manipur state, and to protect the minorities there. 

    The motion also criticised the ‘national rhetoric’ of the local state government, run by Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). EU parliamentarian Pierre Larrouturou released a statement on his Twitter, with an accompanying video.

    In his tweet, Larrouturou stated that Modi and Macron can “pretend that everything is going well in India”,however, the EU parliament is recalling facts, and strongly condemns the human rights violations that take place in India.

    “Every day in India, thousands of Muslims, Christians, and members of ethnic minorities see their rights repressed,” the statement read. “To remain silent on the situation would have been a humiliation for all those who fight for their fights and suffer every day from the Hindu nationalism imposed by the Modi government.”

    In May, CNN reported how residents of Manipur say there has been a breakdown of law and order. This was after a spell of violence that left at least 58 dead and tens of thousands more homeless.

    In a speech to the public, Larrouturou went on to point out, “In Manipur, for the past two months, we have seen monstrous violence. Over 120 people have died and 1700 homes have been devastated, 250 churches have been destroyed, 40,000 people have fled for their lives.”

    Despite differences over the war in Ukraine, namely India’s continued support to Russia, as well as tensions over human rights violations in the country, Western democracies are courting Modi and what is currently the world’s most populous country, as a counterweight to China’s influence in Asia.

    India is also one of the largest global buyers of French arms. On Thursday, India approved in principle the purchase of 26 French marine Rafale jets and three Scorpene-class submarines, news agency ANI reported. 

    During Modi’s last visit to Paris in 2015, he announced a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets worth around €4 billion ($4.48 billion).

  • Shahid Afridi shares heartwarming poem for Palestinian children

    Shahid Afridi shares heartwarming poem for Palestinian children

    Former Pakistan Cricket team captain Shahid Afridi has shared a heartwarming poem for the Palestinian children in solidarity.

    Read more – Asim Azhar, Shahid Afridi, Farhan Saeed call out Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians

    Afridi took to his social media and expressed his support for the victims of the deadly Israeli bombardment in Gaza City. He assured them that they are not alone amid this oppression.

    The poem read: “This message is for you, children of the land of Palestine. We are far away here, but our hearts beat with you, in the same way that the hearts of our fathers and their fathers, beat with your ancestors. All the knots of sorrow, anxiety, fear and worry are temporary. All avenues of grief are temporary!”

    Afridi shared two pictures with his daughter, in which they can be seen holding Palestinian flags in their hands.

    Israeli fighter jets continue to pound the Gaza City on Thursday. The death toll has increased to 227 Palestinians, including 64 children, in 11 days of violence.

    The United Nations Security Council’s effort for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza remains stalled, with the United States continuing to veto action on the issue.

  • Sheheryar Munawar urges people to speak against ‘injustice’ in Palestine

    Sheheryar Munawar urges people to speak against ‘injustice’ in Palestine

    Sheheryar Munawar has urged his fans and followers to speak for the people of Palestine.

    Taking to Instagram stories, Munawar wrote: “I have never asked you anything for myself, but today I ask you not to stay quiet. To open your minds and hearts and speak for the people of Palestine. Speak against the injustice.”

    Read more – ‘Use your influence for the right thing’: Hania Aamir, Zara Noor urge people to call out violence in Palestine

    The actor urged his followers to educate themselves on the current situation in Palestine and further educate others.

    “Take some time to first educate yourselves, not only about what’s happening now in the region but what has been going on for the past 70 odd years,” he added.

    Munawar said: “And then if it feels right to you, educate those around you.”

    In another post, Sheheryar went on to say, “There are 14.7 million Jews in the world – and a total of around two billion Muslims in the world. How many narratives (films) each year do we consume on the holocaust? Now compare that to the number of films, documentaries, shows about the ethnic cleansing, genocide in Palestine? Or for that matter, what’s happening in Syria, Yemen (I could keep going but you get the point), exactly right?”

    “We need more narratives, we need media agencies to start talking, we need people to start talking,” he concluded.

    With the constant airstrikes pounded on Gaza, at least 212 Palestinians, including 61 children, have been killed since the attacks began. About 1,500 Palestinians have been wounded.