Riz Ahmed and Jameela Jamil pull out of ceremony awarding Modi

British-Pakistani actors Riz Ahmed and Jameela Jamil boycott the Gates Foundation ceremony where Indian PM Narendra Modi will be presented with the Global Goalkeeper Award.

“Jameela Jamil and Riz Ahmed are no longer participating in Goalkeepers,” the foundation told HuffPost India on Monday.

Apparently the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has confirmed that Riz Ahmed and Jameela Jamil have both withdrawn from the award ceremony as a protest to the Indian Prime Minister Modi receiving an award even though he is responsible for millions of people being under house arrest in Kashmir.

While Riz hasn't made any public statement, Jameela did take to Twitter to reveal that she will not "be commenting on any of this".

https://twitter.com/jameelajamil/status/1173631078340280320

The Gates Foundation has drawn major flak for their decision to award Modi by peers and critics alike, with the South Asian Americans and Allies in Philanthropy writing an open letter regarding the issue.

"Given the Gates Foundation’s global influence and impact on the needs of vulnerable communities, the decision to honor PM Modi sends the message that the lives of Kashmiris, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, Christians, and other minority populations in India who are under siege are of less value."

The Gates Foundation, however, stands by its decision, saying the Indian PM is being presented with the award for "the progress India is making in improving sanitation, as part of its drive toward achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

According to their statement, "Before the Swachh Bharat mission, over 500 million people in India did not have access to safe sanitation, and now, the majority do. There is still a long way to go, but the impacts of access to sanitation in India are already being realized. The Swachh Bharat Mission can serve as a model for other countries around the world that urgently need to improve access to sanitation for the world’s poorest."

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