Ushna Shah has found herself clarifying her stance on social media as she remains outspoken about the Palestinian cause. Recently, the actress shared a list of Hollywood stars to boycott and urged her followers to unfollow and disengage from them on all platforms.
Today. Begin your celeb boycott. Start with Hollywood stars, unfollow everyone on this list on all social media, vow to never pay to watch their movies, stream their music or buy anything they’ve endorsed. You are their power, take it away & spread the word. (Some names you’ll… pic.twitter.com/Pt1ERA5tTv
— Ushna Shah (@ushnashah) November 12, 2023
However, a user on the platform responded by accusing her of befriending an alleged “wife beater.”
lol dude you literally befriended a wife beater. Look around and start with your own country first
— Aiman Sohail (@aimansohaill) November 12, 2023
In response, Ushna addressed the claim in a detailed post on the microblogging website. “I prefer focusing on the issue of Palestine, and I apologize for engaging in any distractions. To clarify, Feroze and I had a falling out before completing our drama shoot, even unfollowing each other, which is the modern-day equivalent of a ‘friendship end announcement,'” Ushna shared.
“This occurred well before his scandal, and we were not in touch when it came to light. Months after publicly expressing support for his wife, I requested people to stop severe online bullying, especially during Ramzan.”
I hate to address anything except Palestine. I apologise for responding to another distraction. What people don’t know is that Feroze and I had a falling out before finishing our drama shoot; we even unfollowed each other, which is the modern day equivalent of “friendship end… https://t.co/HTpZsqEaY5
— Ushna Shah (@ushnashah) November 12, 2023
She continued, “Having experienced trolling myself, I empathize with its impact on families, and I was particularly sensitive to this issue at the time. This isn’t the first time I’ve faced criticism for defending someone with opposing beliefs or who has hurt me; the irony hasn’t escaped me. Now, calling for a boycott against celebrities opposing a ceasefire in bombing children is a different matter, in my opinion. I don’t think the two should be mutually exclusive.”
Ushna elaborated, “Drawing the line on online bullying is challenging, deciding who deserves it and who doesn’t is tough. My motivation was the belief that families and children don’t deserve to read horrendous things about their loved ones online. I stand by this belief. Some have concluded that this makes me unworthy of supporting Palestine; at a time like this, I find it counterproductive.”
2/2 Also, for those upset by my post criticizing pseudo-liberals (focus on the word pseudo) who back movements like LGBTQ and BLM but stay quiet on this issue: focus your anger on those who are exploiting these movements, not me for calling them out. They exist! Many people whose…
— Ushna Shah (@ushnashah) November 12, 2023
She added, “For those upset by my post criticizing pseudo-liberals who support movements like LGBTQ and BLM but stay quiet on this issue: focus your anger on those exploiting these movements, not on me for calling them out. Many people, dependent on multinational or foreign connections, remain silent on this issue while being vocal on others. I understand constant triggering is exhausting and counterproductive to real issues, such as the ongoing genocide.”
Ushna concluded her message by saying, “I suggest not being unnecessarily triggered. I understand fixed perceptions may not change, and my responses distract from what’s currently important. I urge you to let anyone speaking for Palestine, even those you dislike, do so in peace.”
Ushna Shah criticizes selective activism regarding Palestinian genocide
