Tag: Gaza Strip

  • BBC edits out multiple calls for ceasefire during Scottish BAFTA awards

    BBC edits out multiple calls for ceasefire during Scottish BAFTA awards

    At the Scottish Bafta awards, multiple actors who took the stage to call for a ceasefire were edited out by the BBC, sparking criticism from audiences. An exclusive piece written by The National reveals that the media giant edited out the producers of ‘A Long Winter’ who won the award for Best Short Film And Animation. In their speech, Eilidh Munro and Finlay Pretsell urged audiences to pressure institutions and governments to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

    The speech was shared widely on the livestream produced by BAFTA Scotland, but removed from BBC iPlayer’s edit.

    Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry was also censored in the BBC coverage. Before announcing the nominees for the Best Actress category, he said: “Before I start, I just want to echo the sentiments earlier in saying my heart goes out all women, men and children who are suffering right now in Gaza. Let’s hope and pray that we see peace in the region and an imminent ceasefire.”

    Speaking to The National, Munro revealed he was deeply concerned at how mainstream media censored peaceful protests in this manner

    “It is deeply concerning that the BBC decided to cut the entire segment of our award acceptance speech from their coverage of the Bafta Scotland Awards.

    “October was the deadliest month for Palestinian journalists and filmmakers in the last 30 years and the scale of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region is horrific.

    “Awards ceremonies have always been a platform to express solidarity and humanity, and we wanted to use this opportunity as filmmakers to call for peace. For the BBC to cut this, as well as actor Amir El-Masry’s appeal to a ceasefire, is simply shocking.

    “It is also somewhat surreal that an event which celebrates artists and filmmakers for using their voices and creating work to speak out against injustice can also be censored.

    “In my opinion, the BBC’s editorial decision to omit these peaceful signs of solidarity is neither neutral nor impartial.

    “As an emerging director creating and celebrating independent documentaries, it’s also disappointing to have this platform taken away from a sector that is already largely underrepresented in mainstream media.”

    The censorship of pro-Palestinian voices by the BBC has caused outrage on social media.

  • ‘Glaring double standards’: Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera pay the price for speaking up for Palestine

    ‘Glaring double standards’: Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera pay the price for speaking up for Palestine

    Two pro-Palestinian voices in Hollywood had to pay the price for speaking up for the cause. Hollywood legend Susan Sarandon, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian people, was dropped by her talent agency UTA.

    X (formerly Twitter) users were horrified, given Susan’s impressive career as a Hollywood leading lady.

    ‘Scream’ franchise lead actor Mellisa Barerra was fired from the series after she took to Instagram to voice criticism against the genocide of Gaza. The actress had written:

    “I too come from a colonized country. Palestine will be free.”

    witter users pointed out how genocide supporters like Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer continue to have careers in Hollywood but it takes one pro-Palestine post that gets actors fired from their jobs.

  • Cardi B announces she’s dropping support for Biden for funding wars in Ukraine, Israel

    Cardi B announces she’s dropping support for Biden for funding wars in Ukraine, Israel

    Grammy winning rapper Cardi B has announced that she is no longer endorsing Democrat President Joe Biden for the 2024 elections, citing him funding wars in Ukraine and Palestine, leading to cuts in local budgets. Speaking on a live stream with her 169 million followers, the ‘Bodak Yellow’ rapper criticised the President for initiating budget cuts in library spending and sanitation, while sending massive aid packages to Ukraine and Israel.

    “I don’t give a f*** the résumé they send,” Cardi responded. “I’m not endorsing no presidents no more.”

    “Joe Biden is talking about, ‘Yeah, we can fund two wars.’ Motherfucker’s talking about, ‘We don’t got it, but we got it, we’re the greatest nation.’ No the fuck we’re not. We’re going through some shit right now. We are really, really, really f****d right now.”

    Cardi criticised the budget cut she said will worsen the sanitation in New York City “In New York, there is a $120m budget cut that’s going to affect schools, public libraries and the police department. And a $5m budget cut in sanitation … We are gonna be drowning in … rats.”

    Cardi had previously endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 elections as a strong candidate against Republican president Donald Trump.

    Previously, the ‘WAP’ rapper went viral for shutting down an Israeli supporter who claimed Cardi was pro-Israel because she followed her TikTok account. To which the rapper responded ‘I DON’T LIKE YOU’ and unfollowed her.

    Cardi B’s criticism follows a fall in Biden’s support among American voters, with the latest poll by NBC showing the Democrat’s public approval has sank to 40 per cent now. Among the voters aged between 18-34, 70 per cent said they did not approve of Biden’s handling of the genocide of Gaza.

  • In the face of indescribable cruelty, Palestinians continue displaying love for animals

    In the face of indescribable cruelty, Palestinians continue displaying love for animals

    Despite hardship and violence, Palestinians keep proving their hearts are as big as the sea. As videos go viral of displaced civilians forced to leave behind their homes and belongings during the Israeli airstrikes, one thing remains consistent: the Palestinians will never leave behind their pets.

    Several videos show Palestinians living in refugee camps and surviving with meagre rations, but still doing everything to provide for the cats and dogs being left behind. An animal rescuer by the name of Salula Animal Rescue has been going viral on Twitter, with the platform applauding him for providing shelter and food to the cats whose owners did not survive or who got lost.

    In several videos, he can be seen housing injured animals found under the rubble of bombed homes.

    In many other videos, Gazan children can be seen cuddling their cats as they take them along to escape the bombing by Israeli airstrikes.

    A man from Gaza went viral when he was seen taking his cat along with him to escape Northern Gaza.

    At a time when many experts have compared what is happening in Gaza to hell, Palestinians keep on proving they have bravery and resilience in spades.

  • ‘Player of the tournament’: Protester hailed for wearing ‘Free Palestine’ shirt, halting India vs Australia match

    ‘Player of the tournament’: Protester hailed for wearing ‘Free Palestine’ shirt, halting India vs Australia match

    A protester is winning praise on social media for running onto the field during the India vs Australia World Cup final while wearing a shirt that said ‘FREE PALESTINE’. The protester was seen standing next to Indian cricket player Virat Kohli and waving the Palestine flag.

    In a clip released by Indian media publication ANI News, the protester revealed his name was John, and that he was an Australian citizen. He supported the Palestine cause.

    Twitter users hailed John as the real ‘Player Of The Tournament’, congratulating him for taking a defiant stand.

    Indian users have announced they are willing to fund legal aid to help John if he is arrested.

  • X user wins hearts by sharing story of inter-faith marriage of Palestinian parents

    X user wins hearts by sharing story of inter-faith marriage of Palestinian parents

    An X (formerly Twitter) user, Beisan, is winning hearts on social media by sharing the love story of her Palestinian parents. Beisan revealed her parents, a Muslim man and his Christian wife, have been married for over 40 years.

    In her next post, Beisan shared that inter-faith marriages were not permitted in Israel, where under the law, interfaith unions are not legally recognised. Because of this, her parents had to move to Canada in order to legalise their union.

    Twitter users were moved by Beisan’s dedication to her parents, a reminder of the enormous love Palestinian men hold for their families.

    A user shared: “In high school I went on a trip to Nippissing & the weather was colder than I packed for. When I got home & told my father he was furious that I didn’t call him to bring sweaters, it was only a 3 hour drive. It’s hard to describe the intensity of a Palestinian father’s love.”

  • Filipino Catholic nun chooses to stay behind in Gaza, defying mandatory evacuation

    A 63-year-old Filipino nun is making international headlines by defying the Philippine government’s evacuation attempts and choosing to stay in Gaza. Since the genocide began on October 7, the Philippine government has successfully evacuated 111 civilians from the region. However, the unnamed nun who is from the Missionaries of Charity, has chosen to remain as the last Filipino in Gaza.

    Most of the evacuees were forced to leave family residents behind.

    The Philippines Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega spoke to Arab News about the nun and how her defiance of the Filipino government makes her a symbol of “Filipino spirituality”:

    “She’s with the Missionaries of Charity… they will not leave. After all, they believe…that (what they are doing) is spiritual,” he said.

    “She will be the last Filipino left in Gaza, (and) is a symbol of Filipino spirituality and how we pray for solidarity with those suffering, and for world peace.”

    Dr Vega reported the nun is safe right now. The Philipine DEmbassy of Jordan has remained in touch with her, to whom she had simply asked to ‘pray for her’.

    Several other Filipino’s in Gaza have expressed uncertainty in leaving because of their attachment to the place, while others have refused because their Palestinian spouses would not be able to join them.

    “We are still trying to convince them to leave,” De Vega responded. “We hope we can evacuate them all.”

  • Beloved Gazan Christian music teacher bled to death after Israeli troops shot her

    Palestinian music teacher Elham Farah bled to death in Gaza after she was shot by IDF soldiers and left alone to bleed on the street for hours. Her family members and students are recalling her as a woman known for her smile.

    Fareh, the daughter of the Palestinian poet Hanna Fareh, lived in the al-Rameh neighbourhood of Gaza, teaching music for decades before retiring. She had been sheltering inside a church during Israeli airstrikes, and had stepped outside to check if her home was bombed when she was shot.

    Hammam Farah, her relative, posted on X that during his aunt’s last moments, her phone battery ran out so she couldn’t reach out to relatives for help. Other civilians or rescue personnel couldn’t rescue her because of intense shooting in the area. Hammam said that IDF snipers shoot civilians in the leg in order to bait fighters who might try to rescue the injured person.

    Since her death, Gaza residents have flooded social media with tales of Farah’s resilience, warm heart and good nature.

    “Oh my love, Miss Ilham, my love!!!! The music classes we took with you at Cairo School were some of the best. We used to love when you would play for us and sing: ‘I write your name, my country, on the sun that never sets, neither my money nor my children, for your love there is no lover.’”

    Another user shared a video of Elham playing the piano at Kamaliyah School, which was the oldest school in Palestine.

    “Martyr teacher Elham Hanna Farah in 2021 returns to her childhood memories and plays inside the Kamaliya School in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the Old City of Gaza, which is the oldest school in Palestine. The activity was a celebration of restoring and cleaning the place in an initiative by the Iwan Center for Cultural Heritage of the Islamic University of Gaza.”

  • Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ is going viral on TikTok

    Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ is going viral on TikTok

    Almost 12 years after he was killed, Osama Bin Laden is back in the mainstream discourse after an essay he wrote in 2000, titled ‘Letter To America’, went viral on TikTok. Users began sharing a link from The Guardian on the social media platform, which the website has now removed. In the widely circulating letter, Osama addressed the American public to explain Al-Qaeda’s militant philosophy. Notably, he talks about Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

    Read the full letter below:

    The letter has since then gone viral on Twitter and TikTok with users declaring the letter has changed their perspective of 9/11 attacks. Users reported the hashtag had gained over 9 million views on the social media platform

    TikTok has said in a statement that they have removed the videos as the trend violates rules about “supporting any form of terrorism.” But the letter and excerpts from TikTok videos are still available on Twitter.

  • Muslim dating app ‘Muzz App’ offers to pay legal fee of woman detained for calling Rishi Sunak coconut

    Muslim dating app ‘Muzz App’ offers to pay legal fee of woman detained for calling Rishi Sunak coconut

    A woman in England went viral on social media when she was spotted at a pro-Palestine protest in London with a poster that labelled British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and now-sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman ‘coconuts.’ She was arrested by the Met Police and charged with passing ‘hateful remarks’.

    Coconut, commonly used by people of Asian descent, is an insult used to describe a person of colour who may be brown on the outside, but his personal views and political alliances are always with the oppressor. It is not a racist slur.

    Twitter users were outraged by the Met Police’s remarks by pointing out racism is rife within pro-Israel supporters, but pro-Palestine supporters were relentlessly targeted for their beliefs.

    The CEO of the Muslim dating app Muzz App, Shahzad Younas, has appealed to followers to send them the details of the arrested woman and announced that they will be paying her legal fees.

    “I believe she has been arrested and charged. If anyone knows her please ask her to get in touch with me.

    @muzz_app will pay her legal fees to defend her. This action by the

    @metpoliceuk is outrageous. The double standards around free speech to Muslims is baffling.”