Tag: Save Palestine

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • #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.

  • 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.