Tag: Free Palestine

  • ‘Free Palestine’; Macklemore reinstates support for Gaza

    ‘Free Palestine’; Macklemore reinstates support for Gaza

    Rapper Macklemore, a vocal supporter of the Palestine cause, has again reiterated support for Gaza during a concert in Seattle on December 21 at the Climate Pledge Arena. Before this, Macklemore had been on a successful tour in the United States and Europe for his new album ‘Ben’.

    He began with his famous song ‘Thrift Shop’ and another one from his latest album. Then, he talked about the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza and expressed his support for a free Palestine. Macklemore has been supporting this cause throughout the war. During the concert, he dedicated about four minutes to speak about the situation, using a style that resembled a poem.
    This isn’t the first time Macklemore has spoken out about the Gaza conflict. He had addressed the issue during a large protest in Washington D.C.

    “There isn’t a drop of antisemitic thought in my head or my blood. Never again means never again for all. Have we not learned the lessons?”
    “I love my Jewish brothers and sisters so much and my perspective is one that’s saying ‘Free Palestine’ is also rooted in your protection.”

    Macklemore didn’t hesitate to say that the attacks in Gaza are a genocide.
    “I want every soul in this arena to feel the reflection of love, but there’s innocent humans out in Gaza getting murdered with our dollars and those precious human lives are an extension of us.

    “The word genocide is such a point of contention for some. And it’s more hurtful than seeing dead babies getting pulled out of the crumbled cement and the dust. Comparative suffering leads to believing the lie: there’s a them and there’s a us.”

    He continued,
    “At some point, we drew lines in the mud based on the color of our skin, the Gods we worshipped, and the Divine up above. And historically, we’ve exploited black and brown bodies to climb up the rungs, but the ladder doesn’t work when it depends on the oppression of some.”

    Macklemore’s speech had even more significance because he spoke at the end of a big world tour and in his hometown of Seattle, in front of a huge crowd.
    “When I say ‘Free Palestine’, it’s not because I’m against anyone, it actually means we should protect everyone. It means equality for all, respect, peace, and love. It means a right to exist regardless of what sector you’re from,” Macklemore said.
    At the end of his speech, the artist shared a simple message, and the thousands of fans in the 18,000-capacity arena cheered loudly.
    “And imma say it till I die, with my chest to the sky. Free Palestine, the message is love.”

  • Angelina Jolie slams global hypocrisy on human rights

    Hollywood A-lister and human rights activist Angelina Jolie, has talked about the hypocrisy in the world when it comes to human rights application.

    “The world is suffering from ambivalence on the issue of human rights,” she remarked in a recent interview.

    Jolie lamented the duplicity and discrimination of the world regarding human rights, saying that the scale of human rights is different for everyone, the fact is that the world works on business interests. Her comments come on the heels of her unequivocal demand for a ceasefire of Israeli attacks on Gaza.

    “Human rights can be for some people and some people can never be. Accountability for some people’s crime and not at all for some people, this is the ugly face of the world.”
    The actress said that she does not know of any country in the world which is free from these things.

    “Some people think that the colonial system has ended but the fact is that the control and exploitation of developing countries is still going on,” the actress observed.

    In her statement about Gaza, the Hollywood actress said that what happened in Israel cannot be a justification for bombing the civilian population of Gaza, pointing out that a few trucks cannot meet the aid needs of the besieged population, more than 20,000 of whom have been killed by Israel while the rest are at risk of starvation and disease.

    Angelina Jolie added that Gaza has a total population of two million, half of whom are children, who have been living under siege for two decades.

  • Social media users criticize Kim Kardashian over Christmas gift wrapping choice

    Social media users criticize Kim Kardashian over Christmas gift wrapping choice

    In a recent Instagram post, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, 43, ignited a controversy surrounding her Christmas gift-wrapping choices.

    Kardashian showcased her gifts wrapped in cotton jersey fabric T-shirts from her brand SKIMS, highlighting their potential for reuse.

    Kim Kardashian posted, “Wrapping gifts in our family is always such a fun family tradition to see what each family member did and their vibe for the year. Each represents us so well! I did all-white SKIMS cotton jersey t-shirt fabric. I’m excited to reuse it and make other things.”

    However, social media users were quick to point out the striking similarity between the packaging style and Muslim funeral shrouds.

    The controversy gained momentum when users pointed out the striking resemblance between Kardashian’s wrapped gifts and the traditional Muslim practice of wrapping dead bodies in white cloth.

    This practice is a significant aspect of Muslim burial rites, and users were quick to express their disapproval of Kardashian seemingly mimicking this solemn tradition for festive gift wrapping in light of the aggression Palestinians are undergoing.

    Palestinians mourn relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in front of the morgue in Deir al Balah on October 31. Fatima Shbair/AP

    A social media user said on X (former Twitter) “first the zombie football jerseys to mock little palestinian injured kids and now wrapping her christmas gifts in a a white cloth to mock dead palestinians. @KimKardashian has constantly proven that she’s inhumane. this is not a mere coincidence. Cancel her.”

    https://twitter.com/e_crimina1/status/1738437969277792563?s=20

    Another user said, “Kim Kardashian hosting a Coke sponsored Christmas party. You can’t convince me this sh*t isn’t deliberate. You’re a billionaire, maybe pay for your own parties. Ones that aren’t funding a ge-no-cide.”

    https://twitter.com/ZunairaInam/status/1739216258372182463?s=20

    This is not the first time Kardashian has faced criticism for her choices related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Previously, she had attracted negative attention for her children’s Halloween costumes resembling injured Gaza children.

    In addition to cultural insensitivity, critics also highlighted the perceived incongruity of Kardashian’s sustainability efforts, contrasting her eco-friendly gift wrapping with her frequent use of private jets and the resulting environmental impact.

    It’s worth noting that Kardashian publicly expressed her support for Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attack, issuing a statement that has not been revisited since.

    This controversy echoes recent incidents involving fashion brands such as Zara and Marks and Spencer, where insensitivity to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sparked public outrage.

    Zara faced backlash for a campaign featuring a model draped in fabric resembling shrouded bodies, while Marks and Spencer drew criticism for an advertisement depicting the burning of Palestinian flag-colored papers.

  • ‘Massive dissapointment’: Malala’s failure to mention genocide in Gaza during lecture has Twitter angry

    ‘Massive dissapointment’: Malala’s failure to mention genocide in Gaza during lecture has Twitter angry

    Girls education activist Malala Yousafzai was selected to give the 21st Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg. In her speech, the Noble Prize Winner spoke at length about the gender apartheid in Afghanistan against women and girls, with no mention of the genocide of Gaza where the death toll has now crossed 15,000 civilians.

    In an interview with The Associated Press, Malala urged for a ceasefire in Gaza, pointing to attention to the countless schools and homes that have been bombarded in the war, and for war criminals to be held accountable.

    Nelson Mandela was a staunch pro-Palestine supporter, who famously said during his visit to Gaza in 1999 that he “felt at home among compatriots”.

    “There is an apartheid state committing a genocide at the moment which you’ve been disappointingly silent on. If you take away anything from this trip, it should be the courage to speak up about what is happening in the here and now,” wrote a user.

    “Ironic that she mentioned apartheid, reason for Mandela’s struggle, yet not a word about Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians, brutal human rights violation and the ongoing genocide. Nothing but just a mouthpiece can’t be my inspiration anymore,” wrote another user.

    “She’s visiting South Africa, a country with apartheid history and she chooses to stay silent on an ongoing genocide. Mandela would have hated her bigotry if he was alive, his resistance was against the same mindset,” said a tweet.

    Previously Malala released a statement on October 10 grieving for the Palestinian and Israeli children who were caught in the war. Many were quick to slam the feminist activist for failing to recognise that this was a genocide where more Palestinian lives were being lost everyday.

    Many have drawn comparisons between Malala’s silence and climate change activist Greta Thunberg’s outspoken resistance against the genocide of Gaza. Greta published an op-ed for The Guardian where she criticised Israel as the death toll grows in Gaza, with more children passing away from Israeli airstrikes.

  • While bombs rain down on Gaza, viral videos show Israelis dancing to Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance tour’ film

    While bombs rain down on Gaza, viral videos show Israelis dancing to Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance tour’ film

    Social media has been outraged after several videos went viral on the internet where Israelis can be seen dancing to Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance Film’, playing in theatres this week. At the same time, Gaza is being bombarded with severe airstrikes.

    In the videos, Israelis can be seen dancing to ‘Break My Soul’, claiming it was the IDF’s new fight song against the Hamas. Twitter users expressed outrage at Beyonce’s silence on the on-going genocide, after several X (formerly Twitter) users have pleaded with her to pull the film from Israel.

    “THIS is why Beyonce not allowing her film to screen in Israel mattered . This is why- even if the location of screenings was out of her control (debatable) she should have at LEAST made a Pro-Palestine statement. Now a song about Black liberation is tied to a GENOCIDE.”

    Many expressed outrage on how Beyonce had the power to refuse this, but chose to let this happen.

  • ‘Dangerous and irresponsible’: Ushna Shah calls out Maria B for misusing Palestine activism

    ‘Dangerous and irresponsible’: Ushna Shah calls out Maria B for misusing Palestine activism

    Actress Ushna Shah took to her X (formerly Twitter) account to call out controversial fashion designer Maria B for misusing her tweets and photos from the Palestine march in Karachi to malign the transgender movement.

    “Maria B’s collaboration with questionable low grade bloggers and use of my tweets and photos from the Palestine March — where I was incidentally standing with a transgender rights activist — for her agenda is dangerous and irresponsible. She’s misusing edited content to stir controversy, exploiting trending topics like Palestine in a way that’s beneath even her.”

    “I am not aligned with her extreme right-wing or any extreme left-wing views,” continued the ‘Habs’ actress. “I have a diverse social circle, like most actresses working in showbiz, and I don’t subscribe to any political agenda. I value all life, from minorities to even animals. I urge Maria to realize the harm and potential risks to my safety her actions cause. In layman’s terms: please keep my name out of your mouth & don’t drag me in a war that has nothing to do with me.”

    “I am not pushing any agenda except the liberation of Palestine, do not use me to push yours.” Ushna wrote. “I’m sorry I rejected coming to your march, but this was a sick retaliation which has endangered me. Me not wanting to associate with Maria and her march doesn’t make me an LGBTQ activist. It has nothing to do with that. She has made me uncomfortable since her stunt with the covid patient working in her home, I see her as an irresponsible person who weaponises religion to push her brand & her recent stunt proves just that. Using the photo from a *Palestine* march in which an activist Shahzadi came next to me for a while & posing it as an LGBTQ March is again highly irresponsible of her, not to mention spreading lies online to endanger someone is illegal.”

    In the next tweet Ushna wrote: “To the fundamentalists threatening me: I’ve written this in Urdu. Simple words “meri dosti SAB ACTRESSES ki tarah SAB sey hei, meinay Palestine ke ilawa koi agenda push nahi kiya, Jo sawal mujhse karney hein woh sab actresses sey karein. LogoN ko mazhab Matt istemal karney dein sales banaaney ke liye. Mere Falasteen make stance ke baad haath sey endorsements jaa rahi hein, matlab high paying multinational waqfay, Jo ke aap sab ko patah hei mujhe bohot miliey thee alhamdulilah, Aur yeh logue Falasteen ko Aur mujhe istemaal kar rahey hein ratings ke liye”. I am at Umrah, let me get back to it without fearing propaganda. Jo masla mera hei hee nahi uss mein mujhe mutt ghaseetein. Aur meri avaaz falasteen ke haq mein Jo uthee hei ussey chup Matt karwayein.”

    Ushna Shah ended the thread by writing: “Maria, I am not new to cheap made up controversies by bloggers but a woman in your position should know better than to use me and to use this genocide. You are old enough to be my mother. Since you decided to address me online and open me up to threats, even though you have my number, I’ve decided to do the same. What you have done is dangerous, irresponsible & illegal, and if I had time to visit FIR offices, I would.”

    Maria B has yet to comment on Ushna Shah’s statement.

  • Number one song in Israel calls for murder of Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa

    Number one song in Israel calls for murder of Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa

    A hip hop song ‘Charbu Darbu’, trending on Israel’s Youtube and Spotify charts, is advocating to kill Palestinians in Gaza, and saying supermodel Bella Hadid, singer Dua Lipa and adult film star Mia Khalifa, all vocal supporters of Palestine, should be killed.

    Written and performed by Ness Van Stilla, the title means ‘swords and strikes’ in Syrian Arabic, referencing to raining hell down on the Hamas.

    The song refers to Hamas as the Binlical Amalek, promising to obliterate them. The chorus calls for the IDF’s combat units to destroy all of Gaza.

    The song ends with a list of names whom the singers promise to obliterate as they are enemies of Israel including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Mia Khaifa.

    “Every c*nt’s last day will come/ Bella Hadid, Dupa Lipa, Mia Khalifa!”

    Journalist Ahmed Eldin shared a clip of an article by The Times Of Israel on his Twitter account.

  • The Weeknd donates $2.5 million to Gaza for aid

    The Weeknd donates $2.5 million to Gaza for aid

    Singer The Weeknd has made international headlines after his XO Humanitarian Fund is sending $2.5 million to Gaza to provide four million meals for civilians. Israel is again bombing the vulnerable population where already more than 15,000 civilians have died. Currently, the death toll after the ending of truce is 160 Palestinians.

    The artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaya, stepped into the role of the Goodwill Ambassador in 2021 in October 2021, and set up the XO Humanitarian Fund with the United Nations World Food Program.

    “WFP is working round the clock to provide aid in Gaza but a major scale up is needed to address the desperate level of hunger we are seeing,” said UN WFP’s director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern European Region,  Corinne Fleischer. “Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access, and continued support from donors to reach as many people as we can. We thank Abel for this valuable contribution towards the people of Palestine. We hope others will follow Abel’s example and support our efforts.”

    On November 23, Tunasian Egyptian actress Hend Sabri announced on her Instagram account that she was resigning from her role as Goodwill Ambassador from the UN World Food Program because of the organisation’s inability to condemn the ongoing genocide of Gaza.

    “Over the past weeks, I have witnessed and shared the experiences of my dedicated WFP colleagues. Their frustration at being unable to do what they do best towards children, mothers, fathers and grandparents in Gaza. They could only do so much in the face of a grinding war machine that would not stop and would not spare civilians the agony and anguish as war encircles them.”

    “I had faith,” the actress wrote to her 3.3 million followers, “that WFP – which was named Nobel Peace Prize Laureate only three years ago after championing UN resolution 2417, against using hunger and starvation as a weapon of war – would use its voice forcefully as it had done in multiple emergencies and human crises. However, hunger and starvation have been used as weapons of war for over the past 46 days against more than 2 million civilians in Gaza.”

  • Oscar winner Olivia Colman among 1,000 artists signing petition slamming institutions for censoring Palestine

    Oscar winner Olivia Colman among 1,000 artists signing petition slamming institutions for censoring Palestine

    British acting giant Olivia Colman and ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Derry Girls’ star Nicola Coughlan are among the 1000 artists who have signed a petition slamming Western institutions for aiding and abetting the “repressing, silencing and stigmatising of Palestinian voices and perspectives.” The letter includes signatures from ‘Sex Education’ star Aimee Lou Wood and multiple Emmy-award winner Harriet Walter.

    “This includes targeting and threatening the livelihoods of artists and arts workers who express solidarity with Palestinians, as well as cancelling performances, screenings, talks, exhibitions and book launches.”

    The letter shed light on the ongoing genocide of Gaza, where the death toll has crossed 15,000 civilian lives, with members of the Israeli government now openly calling for ethnic cleansing, and using starvation as a war weapon.

    “The wholesale destruction of civilian infrastructure, the bombing of hospitals, schools, churches and mosques, the killing of 14,500 people in a matter of weeks, amount to a policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian people. The United Nations and hundreds of legal scholars have called on the international community to prevent genocide.”

    The letter then proceeded to criticise the ongoing censorship and repression of voices, including Susan Sarandon, who was dropped by her agency, and actor Melissa Barrera, who was fired from the ‘Scream’ series for her vocal pro-Palestine posts.

    “As artists and cultural workers,” the petition points out, “we stand in solidarity with those facing threats and intimidation in the workplace. The arts sector must urgently align its actions with its stated values of justice and inclusivity, and to refuse the dehumanisation of Palestinian people.”

    The petition states that for artists to stay silent in the face of mass injustice and humanitarian crisis “would be an abrogation of moral duty”. It also pointed out that more artists are refusing to work with those institutions that are complicit in this heinous act.

    The petition also shared four demands from the signatories which were:

    – Publicly demand a permanent ceasefire.
    – Promote and amplify the voices of Palestinian artists, writers, and thinkers.
    – Stand up for artists and workers who voice their support for Palestinian rights.
    – Refuse collaborations with institutions or bodies that are complicit in severe human rights violations.

  • Twitter users outraged after Gigi Hadid apologises for Ahmad Mansara story, calls it ‘wrong example’

    Twitter users outraged after Gigi Hadid apologises for Ahmad Mansara story, calls it ‘wrong example’

    On November 25, Gigi Hadid shared a post using the example of Palestinian child Ahmed Mansara to point out how Israel beats and rape’s children and uses them as captives of war. She criticised Israel as the only country that does this, however now has walked back on her claims. In a new post, the model apologised for using Ahmad as an example, writing that was misinformation.

    “This weekend I shared something that I did not fact check or deeply think about prior to reposting…Unfortunately I used the wrong example to make that point and I regret that.”

    Ahmad Mansara was kidnapped by IDF forces at the age of 12, with videos showing that he has developed severe mental health issues during captivity. Amnesty International reports that he was 12 when his cousin Hassan was shot dead in front of dead, and Ahmad received severe head injuries after being hit by a car. He was sobbing on the ground and footage shows Israeli soldiers shouting at him. He was sentenced to nine years in prison for attempted murder.

    Khulood Badawi, Amnesty International’s Campaigner on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, reported that Ahmad was tortured and abused by Israeli authorities to the point where he has developed severe schizophrenia and depression, and his life remains at risk while being in prison.

    “Israeli authorities have treated Ahmad Manasra with inhuman cruelty, intent on pushing him past breaking point. He is now so gravely unwell that he could not attend his own hearing. Yet when Ahmad is discharged from the clinic, prison authorities will return him to solitary confinement and reschedule the court hearing. Ahmad’s nightmare goes on and on.

    “Ahmad Manasra has been diagnosed with serious mental health conditions, including schizophrenia and severe depression, for which he has been hospitalized before. Israeli authorities continue to ignore the warnings of independent psychiatrists, who have said that Ahmad Manasra’s life is at risk if he remains in prison. Worse still, they have condemned Ahmad to spend years in isolation despite his conditions, demonstrating once again their contempt for Palestinians’ rights, wellbeing, and lives.”

    Twitter users were horrified at how Gigi slandered the struggle to free Ahmad Mansara, and called it a betrayal of the Palestinian movement.

    “Gigi Hadid is apologising for using Ahmad Manasra as an example??? Does she even know his story or the torture he’s had to endure since he was a child? I’m so sick of her, idc if she’s Palestinian. This is a disgustingly huge betrayal of her people that won’t be forgiven.”

    “Gigi Hadid just slandered Ahmad Manasra & expressed regret over sharing his story. I will never forgive you, Gigi, especially with all your influence & affluence, for how you harmed those most noble & oppressed in our community,” wrote a user.