Tag: social media

  • 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.

  • ‘Thomas Shelby from Daraaz’: Hasan Raheem’s new look has the internet divided

    ‘Thomas Shelby from Daraaz’: Hasan Raheem’s new look has the internet divided

    Just when we thought Hasan Raheem couldn’t be any more adorable, he takes it a step further.

    The ‘Joona’ singer shared a fit check from a concert where he looked like a hippy dada from the 60’s who is going to a club to play sudoko with his friends. Twitter users were in fits and soon came up with hilarious tweets.

    Fans made all kinds of comparisons, from calling him the sarial physics teacher in college, Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders to our new nana abu.

  • Celebrating Fawad Khan’s birthday with five of his hottest roles

    Celebrating Fawad Khan’s birthday with five of his hottest roles

    Happy Hearthrob Day Pakistaniyon! Fawad Khan is turning 42 today and will remain the reason why we keep winning the dilf game against India. But aside from his good looks, the actor has won over audiences with his performances. Whether it is playing a swoon-worthy prince, a ferocious warrior, or even a dorky villager, he’ll pull you in and keep you glued to your screen. Aap haar man lo bas.

    Chalien phir aaj National Heartthrob Day hai aka Fawad Khan’s birthday, we’re celebrating it with our favourite five roles that prove he will keep ageing like fine wine.

    Khoobsurat (2014)

    Yes we know, the film was a flop. But holy moly Fawad outshone like nothing else. He had limited screen time compared to Sonam, but created a cult following on the internet that has Indian fans, to this day, pleading with their government to give this man an exception and cast him in another Bollywood rom com. And yes, we’re also adding in a TikTok that proves why the film established a cult following online.

    Kapoor and Sons (2016)

    If critics thought Fawad only had the ability to work as eye candy on the screens, this film singlehandedly proved them wrong. The actor played a closeted writer Rahul Kapoor, who arrives back at his home to celebrate his grandfather’s birthday and also navigate fragile relations with his family.

    Dastaan (2010)

    Dastaan is celebrated today as one of the best dramas to come out of Pakistan, and Fawad cemented his role as a promising actor with his performance as Hassan. He plays a man who is deeply in love with Bano (played by Sanam Baloch), but both are tragically split apart due to the partition when she is forced into a marriage with a Sikh man.

    Akbari and Asghari (2011)

    Don’t call yourself a Fawad stan if you don’t remember this hilarious gem of a drama. Fawad had a small role as Akbari’s dorky husband from the village, but he still wins hearts for his comedy skills and hilarious acting.

    Humsafar (2011)

    Yes yes coming to the drama that made Fawad into the household name he is today. Ashar will continue to tower over all the leading men on our screens, and the reason behind this entirely is how Fawad enlarged the role with his seductive looks and charm. We were all Khirad every single time he stepped into the screen. And just to keep the fans happy, here is a TikTok of him in the serial.

  • #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.

  • Afghan migrants barred from supporting or funding elections

    The Ministry of Interior announced on Monday that Afghan migrants are barred from supporting candidates in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8 next year.

    The caretaker government, citing security concerns, has initiated a nationwide campaign to expel millions of illegal foreigners, predominantly Afghan citizens, residing in the country.

    The Ministry of Interior specified that both illegal and “legal” Afghans residing in Pakistan are prohibited from funding political and electoral activities, including providing funds to any candidate, in the upcoming polls.

    “Any Afghan citizen involved in such activities will be deported regardless of his or her legal status in Pakistan,” it stated.

    Pakistanis were also cautioned not to provide employment to illegal aliens or assist such individuals in obtaining employment.

    “Information about any such illegal alien or the person providing employment to him should be provided to the Ministry of Interior for legal action on the helpline available on the website of the Ministry.”

    Of the over four million Afghans in Pakistan, an estimated 1.7 million are undocumented, many having fled their war-torn country during decades of internal conflict, with another exodus occurring after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.

    While the government asserts that its policy targets all illegal aliens, irrespective of nationality or ethnicity, human rights organizations, including the UN, have expressed concerns, emphasizing the importance of a “voluntary” return.

    Amidst the ongoing efforts, several Pakistani politicians and Human Rights activists have approached the Supreme Court, seeking judicial intervention against the caretaker government’s deportation of illegal foreign nationals, including Afghans.

  • Merub Ali shut down criticism on her visit to a gurdwara

    Merub Ali shut down criticism on her visit to a gurdwara

    It’s 2023, can we please stop prying into religious beliefs? On Sunday, actress Merub Ali shared pictures on Instagram of her visit to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

    Some users responded with hateful rhetoric. Instagram commentators trolled the actress by claiming she wasn’t Muslim enough and that she wasn’t supposed to visit a Sikh temple. And honestly, we love the way Merub responded to a troll.

    “News flash: ANYONE can go to a gurwara!! You should go to. The people were really kind there. Maybe you can learn a thing or two.”

    We also have to appreciate how some users responded warmly to Merub’s visit, and encouraged others as well to visit the temple.

  • Imam-ul-Haq’s wife’s bridal look: all we know, including the price

    Imam-ul-Haq’s wife’s bridal look: all we know, including the price

    Pakistani cricketer Imam-ul-Haq has become the latest member of the Green Shirts to sign off on bachelorhood and settle down with his sweetheart. The cricketer made social media swoon with the wholesome dedication he wrote to his “best friend” and his forever home, Anmol Mehmood. Rumi who?

    “Today, we’ve not only become partners for life but have also solidified the bond of best friendship, which has always been the foundation of our love story. Today, I not only married my best friend ,but also found my forever home in your heart. Forever grateful for a love that feels like a friendship and a friendship that is our greatest blessing. This journey is uniquely ours, a beautiful symphony of love, laughter, and endless dreams, In Sha Allah. Keep us in your prayers,” wrote Imam.

    Looking back at the lavish three day celebrations, we are in awe of Anmol’s taste in clothing. Here we will break down every look the bride wore for her four day celebrations.

    Starting with the Mehendi, which was held in Norway, Anmol donned a maroon farshi gharara adorned with gold patterns, that had splashes of green, purple and yellow to add colour to the look. The outfit was from HSY, reportedly costing more than Rs 1.5 million.

    For the Qawwali night, Anmol left social media awestruck, once more picking HSY’s lilac gown adorned with silver designs paired with silver bangles. According to GEO, the price of the outfit was Rs 850,000.

    On her Valima, Anmol wore fashion brand Lajwanti. She wore a pastel gharara, detailed with gold designs, and a matching dupatta. Speaking to GEO, a spokesperson for Lajwanti revealed that the ensemble cost Rs 17 lakhs.