Tag: save gaza

  • Suspect who ran over activists in Islamabad turns out to be serving lieutenant

    Suspect who ran over activists in Islamabad turns out to be serving lieutenant

    In a new development, the driver who crushed two activists of the ‘Save Gaza’ campaign to death on Monday turned out to be a serving lieutenant of Pakistan Army and also the son of a brigadier.

    The suspect has been handed over to the Military Police for legal proceedings, the police said on Friday.

    Four people, including a police inspector, were also injured as the vehicle ran over the participants of a protest being held just outside the Red Zone in solidarity with Gaza.

    Subsequently, a case was registered at the Kohsar police station under sections 322, 337-G, 427 and 279 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the driver.

    Police said that the car involved in the accident was registered in the name of the suspect’s father.

    After the driver’s arrest, his father reportedly also reached the police station and attempted to influence the police for the release of his son.

    However, after the MP and other departments of the army learnt about the incident, they arrived at the police station and took custody of the lieutenant.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • #BoycottStrangerThings trends as news emerges of Netflix not firing Noah Schnapp

    #BoycottStrangerThings trends as news emerges of Netflix not firing Noah Schnapp

    Noah Schnapp was under fire after he promoted several racist messages undermining the genocide of Gaza and later a video went viral from his Instagram stories where he was distributing stickers labelled ‘Zionism is sexy’. Now news reports have revealed that Netflix is not considering the option of firing the actor from ‘Stranger Things’ season 5, and fans are rallying for the show to be boycotted.

    BoycottStrangerThings is now going viral on X (formerly Twitter) as fans are outraged with the way Zionist actors like Noah who shared racist and inhumane messages applauding the genocide can keep their jobs, while actors like Susan Sarandon and Melissa Barrera are fired for calling for a ceasefire.

    “So spyglass fired an actress for being anti-genocide and a crew member from stranger things was fired for denouncing the violence committed by Israel but when Schnapp says that zionism is sexy (which is the new form of nazism) he gets nothing? Fuxk off,” a user wrote.

    Many users are calling for a boycott on Netflix until Noah is fired from the series.

  • Cynthia Nixon launches hunger strike outside White House to demand ceasefire in Gaza

    Cynthia Nixon launches hunger strike outside White House to demand ceasefire in Gaza

    Former ‘Sex And The City’ star and politician Cynthia Nixon has joined progressive lawmakers to announce a hunger strike in order to end the genocide of Gaza and enable a permanent ceasefire.

    The hunger strike comes after official reports reveal that more than 15,000 Palestinians, including 6,000 children, were killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 7. A temporary ceasefire was declared on November 24 to facilitate the exchange of Israeli and Palestinian hostages.

    Speaking outside the White House, Nixon, along with Democrat state congressional lawmakers Abraham Aiyash, Zohran Mamdai, Sam Rasoul, Mauree Turner and Madinah Wilson-Anton, urged US officials to act fast and prevent more bloodshed.

    “The deaths that we have seen are largely due to the bombs, but so many Palestinians now are on the verge of starvation. Only 7 per cent of the nutrition they need is being let in on a daily basis,” Nixon spoke. “So we are here hunger-striking, just to sort of mirror to Biden the kind of deprivation that is happening in Gaza, and how he has it within his power to make a cease-fire happen and to allow humanitarian aid in.”

    The hunger strike will go on for five days, with Nixon taking part on Monday and Thursday due to work commitments.

    “Israel has killed more civilians on a tiny strip of land than were killed in 20 years of war in the entire country of Afghanistan, and this is not normal,” Cynthia said addressing the crowd. She, along with other DSA members and interfaith activists read aloud the names and ages of the Gazan children killed by Israeli airstrikes.

    Cynthia spoke to The Cut about how her Jewish son inspired her to take such a strong stance in order to shed light on the atrocities of Palestine.

    “Two of my three children are Jewish. My oldest son in particular is extremely involved in the movement for justice for Palestinians and has been very active in Chicago, where he lives and was arrested for his protest about a week and a half ago,” Cynthia opened up.

    Speaking on how her son was the descendants of two Holocaust survivors, Cynthia revealed he urged her to remember ‘Never Again’ means never again for everyone.

    “When this was starting, we spent a lot of time on the phone with him. He was doing everything he could in terms of protests, speeches, speaking in articles. He said to my wife and me point-blank, “You have a much bigger megaphone than I do. And I just implore you at this moment to do everything you can to bring attention to this.” His Jewish identity is very central to him. He’s the grandson of two Holocaust survivors. He said, for him, “never again” means never again for everyone. As a Jew, he feels he has a particular obligation to make sure this doesn’t happen again to another group of people. For everyone in our family, antisemitism is not a joke. It’s a serious and terrifying thing. In a recent article, my son said, for him, having antisemitism thrown about like a political football for warmongers is particularly upsetting. I couldn’t agree more.”

  • Gaza’s main public library destroyed by Israeli airstrikes

    Gaza’s main public library destroyed by Israeli airstrikes

    Gaza’s main public library was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on Monday, during the humanitarian truce held between Israel and Palestine. Authorities in Gaza City have condemned the destruction, and revealed the library was regularly used by school children and other members of the community before the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

    Municipal authorities in Gaza have criticised the Israeli army for destroying countless books and historical documents. They have appealed to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to “intervene and protect cultural centers and condemn the occupation’s targeting of these humanitarian facilities protected under international humanitarian law.”

    Writing on the attack, acclaimed literary website Literary Hub slammed it as Israel’s attempt to “erase all evidence of Palestinian life, Palestinian humanity, from Gaza. To turn the besieged enclave—with its ancient mosques and archeological sites, its labor-of-love bookstores and meticulously-curated libraries, its pesky health care workers and journalists and sole survivors—into an empty soccer field.”

    Social media users were outraged at the attack that happened during the humanitarian pause declared by Israel.

  • Rage Against The Machine, Kid Cudi, Arooj Aftab among 2000 musicians calling for ceasefire in Gaza

    Rage Against The Machine, Kid Cudi, Arooj Aftab among 2000 musicians calling for ceasefire in Gaza

    A petition formed by ‘Musicians For Palestine‘ features 2000 signatories calling for an end to the genocide of Gaza and a ceasefire. The letter describes “a textbook case of genocide” happening to the 2.3 million population of Gaza, half of whom are children.

    “We cannot remain silent in the face of such injustice,” the letter notes. “We cannot be silent as 17 years of Israeli blockade, now a “complete siege,” have made Gaza extremely unliveable. Almost all of its water is unfit for human consumption. Its healthcare system has largely collapsed. The majority of its children are anaemic, with many suffering from severe malnutrition.”

    The letter further says it drove inspiration from the acclaimed Artists Against Apartheid that helped end the apartheid in South Africa. “We refuse to let our music be used to whitewash oppression and human rights violations anywhere. We insist that all governments stop sending weapons and military funding to Israel and to any other state involved in crimes against humanity.

    Among the 2000 signatories who have signed the letter are acclaimed rock band Rage Against The Machine, rapper and actor Kid Cudi, and Grammy winning Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab.

    Tom Morello was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, where he posed with his award along with a slogan that said “Ceasefire”. The gesture was widely applauded by social media.