British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed has expressed his strong disapproval of the ongoing Israeli actions in Gaza through a social media platform.
The Emmy Award recipient shared his thoughts on Instagram, urging Israel to cease its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza’s civilian population and condemning what he considers morally indefensible acts of war.
“We often hear that there are two sides to the situation in Israel and Palestine. However, in my view, there is only one side – the side of our shared humanity,” wrote the Oscar-nominated actor.
“The recent events in Israel were deeply distressing and wrong. The suffering and fear experienced by so many are profound and genuine. The ongoing situation in Gaza, as well as the decades-long occupation of Palestine, is deeply distressing and wrong. The extent of suffering in these circumstances cannot be disregarded.”
Ahmed went on to say, “If we focus our attention in only one direction, we risk descending further into darkness, and regrettably, that is what is occurring now. We are being called upon to avert our gaze while the civilians of Gaza, among them many children, face an increasingly critical situation. If we stand for humanity, we must urgently raise our voices to prevent the loss of innocent lives. This entails advocating for an end to the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza’s civilians and essential infrastructure, the provision of food, water, and electricity, and the cessation of forced displacements from their homes. These actions are regarded as morally indefensible war crimes.”
He emphasized, “We must try to empathize with the people of Gaza, as of now, before we reach a point of no return,” he wrote. “If, like me, you have struggled to find the right words, there may be none that suffice. Words cannot fully encapsulate the pain, mend the divisions, or adequately address all these injustices. What is crucial is that we speak out. Remaining silent is not an option.”
In light of the conflict, there has been a notable show of support for Israel from numerous figures in the Hollywood entertainment industry. Over 700 individuals from the industry signed an open letter on Thursday condemning Hamas and demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza. Signatories included Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer, Michael Douglas, Jerry Seinfeld, Debra Messing, Ryan Murphy, Greg Berlanti, Haim Saban, Irving Azoff, Ynon Kreiz, Mark Hamill, Howie Mandel, Bella Thorne, Antoine Fuqua, and more.
Riz Ahmed and Deepika Padukone set to present awards at Oscars 2023
