Latest news with #FreePalestine
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Calling it what it is
"When someone comes out of an attack like this, in a war like this, what do you expect a kid to feel?" Eyad al-Sheikh Khalil said to Al Jazeera, after his six-year-old niece emerged from the flames of a school fire, seemingly unscathed yet mentally charred, knowing that the rest of her family wasn't so fortunate. A video circulated online recently, capturing Ward Sheikh Khalil's silhouette as she escaped the inferno after the attack on the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City. Her father and brother also survived the aerial attack, though both are hospitalised. But the air strike launched by Israel killed her mother, two of her siblings, and 33 other people as they were seeking refuge in the school. "I walked in the fire so I could escape. I was in the fire, and the ceiling fell on me. The ceiling fully collapsed. The fire was blazing," a distressed Ward recalled, as she flashed her burn injuries to the camera. Sobbing in memory of the deceased, she said, "They were martyred. May God forgive them." Across the world, the little girl's prayer was elevated by Pakistani actor Sarwat Gilani, who penned her own heartfelt prayer for the people of Palestine on Instagram Tuesday. "O Allah of mercy, hear our cry from the depths of sorrow. In the shattered streets and broken homes, where children weep and mothers mourn, let your presence be a balm to the wounded," Sarwat began. Sarwat prayed for the innocent to find shelter, for the hungry to be fed, and for the broken to be healed in body and spirit. Praying for the guidance of those in power, she continued, "Let the cries of the oppressed rise to heaven and stir the hearts of those with power to choose peace over war, justice over vengeance, and compassion over cruelty." In her prayer, the Mann Pyasa actor envisioned a world where hands would rebuild homes instead of weapons, where despair would turn to hope, and mourning would transform into the courage to rebuild a devastated homeland. "Grant strength to the peacemakers, wisdom to the leaders, and comfort to the grieving. Let no more blood be spilled. Let no more lives be lost. Let Gaza live. Ameen," she said, punctuating her caption with the ever-resonating hashtag #FreePalestine. Echoes around the world Sarwat is just one of the many Pakistani artists who have spoken out in inexhaustible favour of Palestine. Recently, playback singer Shuja Haider condemned the genocide in Gaza on social media. He wrote, "What's unfolding in Gaza is a devastation of our collective humanity. The unimaginable suffering of those innocent lives is a harsh reminder that the loss of innocent lives can never be justified. Humanity knows no bounds of religion or country. May justice be served to those accountable and may peace ultimately prevail." Meanwhile, author Fatima Bhutto's Instagram feed packs information about Israel's atrocities towards Palestine and its people. "Every day they commit more and more obscene crimes. Speak out now," she urged in a new thread post, which contained news about reinforced starvation in Gaza, the United States' funding of the Israeli military, forceful imprisonment of Dr Hussam Abu Sufiya among other health workers detained by Israel, and more. But that's not all. From Imagine Dragons waving the Palestinian flag at the end of their concert in a clip shared by Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza to Saint Levant quoting Nelson Mandela on Instagram Stories to declare that "no one is free until Palestine is free," the cause resonates with artists all over the globe. In a statement shared by charity Choose Love, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan - another avid supporter of the Palestinian cause - announced that she was donating her Peace Lily gown to raise funds for Gaza. "It was an honour to wear this custom gown from the inimitable Robert Wun. The message behind it is a rallying call for peace. I'm delighted to donate this gown to the prize draw to support Choose Love's work in Gaza." Sealed in writing Writers have also been playing a part in protesting against Israel by signing a joint letter in favour of the ceasefire. As per The Guardian, three hundred and eighty writers and organisations including Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Elif Shafak, Russell T Davies, and Hanif Kureishi banded together to put a firm name to Israel's war crimes. "The use of the words 'genocide' or 'acts of genocide' to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organisations," stated the letter. Organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations human rights council condemned the brutality of the Israeli Defense Forces in the letter, adding that the public statements of Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir "openly express genocidal intentions". The letter further urged the UN to provide immediate unrestricted distribution of food and medical services to the people of Gaza and pushed for a ceasefire to guarantee "safety and justice for all Palestinians, the release of all Israeli hostages, and the release of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners arbitrarily held in Israeli jails". The signatories hoped for sanctions to be imposed should Israel not comply with the demands put forth. The letter stressed that Palestinians "are not the abstract victims of an abstract war. Too often, words have been used to justify the unjustifiable, deny the undeniable, defend the indefensible. Too often, too, the right words — the ones that mattered — have been eradicated, along with those who might have written them." The signatories also voiced their refusal to approve of those standing by as the brutality prolongs. "This is not only about our common humanity and all human rights; this is about our moral fitness as the writers of our time, which diminishes with every day we refuse to speak out and denounce this crime." It concluded on a firm note: "This genocide implicates us all. We bear witness to the crimes of genocide, and we refuse to approve them by our silence."
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Milan's La Scala theatre fires usher who shouted 'Free Palestine' at gala event
MILAN (Reuters) -Milan's famed La Scala opera house has fired one of its ushers after she shouted a pro-Palestinian slogan at a gala event attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this month, two trade unions said on Thursday. The woman shouted "Free Palestine" as Meloni was taking her seat in the Royal Box at a May 4 concert in honour of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Milan, the theatre's trade unions said. Contacted by Reuters, La Scala had no immediate comment. "In the dismissal order, signed by superintendent Fortunato Ortombina, it is emphasized that she betrayed trust by disobeying service orders, but we believe that she listened to her conscience," the CUB union said in a statement. "We will deploy all trade union actions to defend this brave girl who has our utmost solidarity," CUB added. Italy's government has been a vocal supporter of Israel, but its foreign minister said on Wednesday Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip had become unacceptable and had to stop immediately. Israel launched its campaign on the Palestinian enclave in response to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, and left the enclave in ruins. In Italy, opposition parties are planning a rally on June 7 calling for an end to the war in Gaza, while unions at La Scala have asked for a banner to be put up before performances on June 6 and 11 saying "Ceasefire, stop the massacres".
Asharq Al-Awsat
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Milan's La Scala Theater Fires Usher Who Shouted ‘Free Palestine' at Gala Event
Milan's famed La Scala opera house has fired one of its ushers after she shouted a pro-Palestinian slogan at a gala event attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this month, two trade unions said on Thursday. The woman shouted "Free Palestine" as Meloni was taking her seat in the Royal Box at a May 4 concert in honor of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Milan, the theater's trade unions said. Contacted by Reuters, La Scala had no immediate comment. "In the dismissal order, signed by superintendent Fortunato Ortombina, it is emphasized that she betrayed trust by disobeying service orders, but we believe that she listened to her conscience," the CUB union said in a statement. "We will deploy all trade union actions to defend this brave girl who has our utmost solidarity," CUB added. Italy's government has been a vocal supporter of Israel, but its foreign minister said on Wednesday Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip had become unacceptable and had to stop immediately. Israel launched its campaign on the Palestinian enclave in response to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, and left the enclave in ruins. In Italy, opposition parties are planning a rally on June 7 calling for an end to the war in Gaza, while unions at La Scala have asked for a banner to be put up before performances on June 6 and 11 saying "Ceasefire, stop the massacres".
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Milan's La Scala theatre fires usher who shouted 'Free Palestine' at gala event
FILE PHOTO: People stand outside of the La Scala opera house on the day of the season opening of La Scala theatre in Milan, Italy December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo/File Photo MILAN - Milan's famed La Scala opera house has fired one of its ushers after she shouted a pro-Palestinian slogan at a gala event attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this month, two trade unions said on Thursday. The woman shouted "Free Palestine" as Meloni was taking her seat in the Royal Box at a May 4 concert in honour of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Milan, the theatre's trade unions said. Contacted by Reuters, La Scala had no immediate comment. "In the dismissal order, signed by superintendent Fortunato Ortombina, it is emphasized that she betrayed trust by disobeying service orders, but we believe that she listened to her conscience," the CUB union said in a statement. "We will deploy all trade union actions to defend this brave girl who has our utmost solidarity," CUB added. Italy's government has been a vocal supporter of Israel, but its foreign minister said on Wednesday Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip had become unacceptable and had to stop immediately. Israel launched its campaign on the Palestinian enclave in response to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, and left the enclave in ruins. In Italy, opposition parties are planning a rally on June 7 calling for an end to the war in Gaza, while unions at La Scala have asked for a banner to be put up before performances on June 6 and 11 saying "Ceasefire, stop the massacres". REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Milan's La Scala theatre fires usher who shouted 'Free Palestine' at gala event
MILAN, May 29 (Reuters) - Milan's famed La Scala opera house has fired one of its ushers after she shouted a pro-Palestinian slogan at a gala event attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this month, two trade unions said on Thursday. The woman shouted "Free Palestine" as Meloni was taking her seat in the Royal Box at a May 4 concert in honour of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Milan, the theatre's trade unions said. Contacted by Reuters, La Scala had no immediate comment. "In the dismissal order, signed by superintendent Fortunato Ortombina, it is emphasized that she betrayed trust by disobeying service orders, but we believe that she listened to her conscience," the CUB union said in a statement. "We will deploy all trade union actions to defend this brave girl who has our utmost solidarity," CUB added. Ital government has been a vocal supporter of Israel, but its foreign minister said on Wednesday Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip had become unacceptable and had to stop immediately. Israel launched its campaign on the Palestinian enclave in response to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, and left the enclave in ruins. In Italy, opposition parties are planning a rally on June 7 calling for an end to the war in Gaza, while unions at La Scala have asked for a banner to be put up before performances on June 6 and 11 saying "Ceasefire, stop the massacres".
