Current Final

Tag: social media

  • Who are the celebrities siding with Israel as onslaught on Gaza continues?

    Who are the celebrities siding with Israel as onslaught on Gaza continues?

    The bombing on Palestine continues with latest reports showing that more than 5,600 Palestinians have died in Gaza at Israel’s hands. In these past few days, many celebrities have voiced their support for Israel, some of them using misinformation as justification for the bombardment of civilians. Social media users have expressed outrage on the way the slaughter of Palestinians is being shown as a positive thing rather than a war crime.

    Here are all the public faces who have so far expressed their support for Israel.

    More than 700 Hollywood entertainers have signed an open letter with Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) voicing their support for Israel as the bombing of Gaza continues. This included former IDF soldier and actress Gal Gadot, comedian Amy Schumer, actors Chris Pine, Mark Hamil and Debra Messing.

    The letter described the war as “terrorism. This is evil. There is no justification or rationalization for Hamas’ actions.”

    The letter ended by urging on other members of the entertainment industry “to speak out forcefully against Hamas and do whatever is in their power to urge the terrorist organization to return the innocent hostages to their families.”

    ‘Stranger Things’ actor Noah Schnapp released a statement that riled up social media.

    Kim Kardashian shared a statement on her Instagram account expressing her support for Israel.

    Harry Potter writer J.K Rowling shared a video clip of journalists claiming the Hamas had beheaded 40 babies from Israel with the caption: “Now let the snivelling apologists for rape, murder and torture explain how this, too, was justified.”

    Since then, the news has since then been debunked by journalists, as well as the IDF who said no such confirmation was given by them. However, Rowling has not taken down her post.

    Jamie Lee Curtis shared and then deleted a picture of children looking up at the sky in terror, along with the Israeli flag in the caption. This picture is actually from war-torn buildings in Gaza.

    Justin Bieber shared a picture of war-torn Gaza with the caption ‘Pray for Israel’ on his Instagram stories, and twitter users criticised him for spreading misinformation.

  • ‘Actors are not prostitutes’: Mariyam Nafees slams stalker sending vulgar messages

    ‘Actors are not prostitutes’: Mariyam Nafees slams stalker sending vulgar messages

    Actress Mariyam Nafees has had enough with stalkers assuming it’s their right to be lewd to actresses.

    Nafees shared a screenshot on her Instagram stories of a message she recieved from an unknown person, who was trying to solicit a meeting with her after seeing her at the Lux Style Awards. The stalker tried to persuade Mariyam to hold a meeting, and asked her to name an amount.

    To which she had responded: “Bet your mom is ashamed to have a child like you. Not every woman is ‘bought-able’ you s****. Good luck dealing with my ‘friends’!”

    Mariyam shared the screenshot of the conversation and wrote in the caption: “Married or not- this never stops! Actors are not prostitutes!”

    In her next post, Nafees shared the complete contact information of the stalker, writing that she plans to expose the harassers this way.

    Another woman messaged Mariyam, whose conversation screenshots the actress shared in her Instagram stories. In the conversation, the woman solicited the actress to agree to take a photoshoot with a Pakistani magazine which innvolved “political level parties and bold shoots.”

    In 2021, Mariyam shared pictures of the indecent messages she recieved on Instagram from a man who asked her to visit his friend for a few hours and in return she’d recieve three lacs. Sharing the messages, the actress wrote in the caption:

    “The point of putting this up is because I truly want to put a stop to this.
    I don’t know who’s responsible for these morons to think this way and who’s entertaining them but no! Absolutely not! I and my esteemed co-actresses respectfully work for twelve hours (sometimes more) everyday and we refuse to tolerate this mentality. We come from educated backgrounds to make a name for ourselves, nobody and I mean NOT A SINGLE PERSON is allowed to disrespect us.

    Actresses are not prostitutes!”

    Her outspoken message was applauded by Adnan Siddiqui who defended her in a tweet, pointing out that actors were professionals like everyone else and were not for sale.

    “For those who think otherwise, let me put the record straight. Actors are NOT for sale. We work hard and work honestly as much as any other professional. No one’s allowed to disrespect us. Atta girl MariyamNafees”, Adnan tweeted.

  • Israel paying YouTube to put false news in children’s videos

    Israel paying YouTube to put false news in children’s videos

    As the genocide of Palestine’s continues to go on, Israel is now paying streaming platforms to put out misinformation on children’s content. Journalist Ahmed Eldin shared a clip on his Instagram account of a children’s animated video on YouTube. Before the video starts, a message pops up on screen giving parents misinformation about the conflict.

    “Israel has dropped 6,000 bombs on Gaza, killing more than 500 innocent children. And they paying to brainwash kids and parents into believing they are somehow justified in this war crime,” writes Ahmed. “International law is clear, a war crime doesn’t justify another war crime.”

    The news of Hamas beheading 40 babies was debunked by several international journalists and the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) itself.

    Read more: Did Hamas actually decapitate Israeli children and women? No, they did not

  • ‘Treaty of Versailles for stan Twitter’: Beyonce, Taylor Swift pose together at Eras Tour movie premiere

    ‘Treaty of Versailles for stan Twitter’: Beyonce, Taylor Swift pose together at Eras Tour movie premiere

    Taylor Swift debuted a gorgeous bob and blue gown as she posed on the red carpet at the premiere of her Eras Tour movie, but what shook stan Twitter to it’s core was Beyonce showing up to the event.

    Beyonce and Taylor Swift were pitted against each other by media as the former led her ‘Renaissance World Tour’ around America, while Taylor was performing in concerts under the Eras tour. The duo have publicly praised each other in interviews over the years, and Beyonce was even seen attending Taylor’s 25th birthday celebrations, while Swift has publicly expressed her love for Beyonce’s songs and congratulated her over Grammy wins.

    Stan Twitter was overjoyed to witness the display of solidarity as the two women leading the music industry were seen posing together at Taylor’s film premier, shutting down all the haters.

    Taylor shared a boomerang with Beyonce at the cinema where she praised the ‘Formation’ singer for breaking all the rules and defying industry norms.

    “I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce‘s influence. The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break rules and defy industry norms. Her generosity of spirit. Her resilience and versatility. She’s been a guiding light throughout my career and the fact that she showed up tonight was like an actual fairytale. “

  • Fatima Bhutto has advice for celebs and their ‘hot takes’ on Palestine

    Fatima Bhutto has advice for celebs and their ‘hot takes’ on Palestine

    As the Palestine seige continues to rage on, several celebrities expresses their opinions, however, most of them received backlash. Rapper Talha Anjum and former wife to Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith were slammed by social media for releasing statements that were taking a neutral stance.

    Writer and columnist Fatima Bhutto has taken it upon herself to advice celebrities that it’s okay for them to refuse to comment on the Palestine war, because sometimes it’s better to stay silent than bombard others with unverified facts!

    “Will celebrities and their PR teams please stop issuing statements on Palestine? They are incoherent and dishonest. When you have no courage of conviction it shows . There is slaughter taking place,” Bhutto wrote.

    In the next slide, Bhutto shared the irony of whether these celebrities would give the same ‘all side’s matter’ monologue during gruesome sieges including the Warsaw Ghetto or Rwanda.

    “All I can say is thank god these celebs weren’t asked for their solidarity during Jim Crow (they’d find ways to ‘hold space for both sides’), the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, Rwanda, the Bosnian war or any other massacres and gross injustices of our times.”

    Yesterday Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was criticised by social media users for her statement on the Palestine-Israel war, with several users questioning why the Pakistani activist was quick to condemn the Ukrainian war, but not this.

  • There is a painful history behind why supermodels Gigi, Bella Hadid support the Palestinian cause

    There is a painful history behind why supermodels Gigi, Bella Hadid support the Palestinian cause

    Supermodels sisters Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid have consistently been vocal about supporting the liberation of Palestine on their platforms, even going to the extent of attending public marches and donating to causes providing aid to war-torn cities in Palestine. Bella has also revealed in a 2021 podcast interview that her activism has cost her jobs and even relationships, but refused to abandon her support for a liberated Palestine.

    “I had so many companies that stopped working with me…I have friends that completely dropped me…I know my family enough, I know my own history enough. And that should be enough.”

    But there is a painful history behind why the Hadid sisters have continued to advocate for a free Palestine, even at the risk of losing their prolific careers. It involves their own family members who were expelled from Palestine during the 1948 Nakba. During this period, more than 70,000 Palestinians were removed or expelled from their homes located in the area that was to be declared the state of Israel.

    Bella and Gigi’s father, Mohammad Hadid spoke at the #ABtalks podcast about his experience, sharing that he was born in Nazareth, the city where Jesus Christ was believed to have been born. In the interview, the real estate developer said that his family had taken in Jewish refugees who came on a ship from Poland, who were rejected from several countries before arriving at the Haifa port, that Hadid said his great-grandfather had rebuilt during the Ottoman Empire.

    The Jewish refugees lived with Hadid’s family for two and a half years, after which Mohammad was born. The senior Hadid recalled when his mother came back to their home in Safad, they were told by guards to leave, and weren’t even allowing his mother to get a blanket to wrap her baby.

    Mohammad Hadid is the descendant of the Arab ruler of Northern Palestine Zahir al-Umar al-Zaydani, the Prince of Nazareth from his mother’s side.

    According to an article, the monarch was the first Arab ruler of Nazareth, Haifa and Jabba of Palestine to introduce a mandate that allowed Muslims, Jews and Christians to live in harmony under his rule. Today, his ancestors still live in Northern Palestine, where he is celebrated as a national hero.

    Alongside Mohammad Hadid, his children have spoken about the trauma of Nakba and called for a liberated Palestine. In 2022, Bella reshared a clip by Al-Jazeera detailing the significance of Nakba Day, and wrote that it was heartbreaking how elders are still not allowed to return to their homeland today.

    Alana shared a picture with her father holding the Palestinian flag and wrote they were remembering the trauma of 1948. Gigi shared the image and added hearts.

  • ‘Sometimes cramps, sometimes I’m acting’: Rizwan’s hilarious quip is leading a meme storm

    ‘Sometimes cramps, sometimes I’m acting’: Rizwan’s hilarious quip is leading a meme storm

    Pakistanis celebrated all night long after their cricket team’s stunning victory against Sri Lanka on Tuesday night, successfully chasing down a 345 runs target with six wickets to spare. The win created history as the highest successful chase in the World Cup. Cricketers Muhammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafiq paved the way for the team, leading it to a comfortable victory with their stunning centuries.

    Now, Rizwan’s hilarious quips after the match have taken center stage. Addressing a press conference, he talked about the cramps that plagued him while he was playing, limping on the pitch.

    Addressing the moment, Rizwan cheekily replied “Sometimes it’s cramps, sometimes I’m acting.”

    The one-liner soon led to a meme-storm on the internet, as if there weren’t enough reasons to love Muhammad Rizwan, he just gave us another one.

    With that, we just found a new way to get off from hectic work schedules thanks to Rizwan

    Not just an ace in the field, but also an ace in the meme game.

    Us next time Mama says guests arahay hain kamra saaf karo

    Bas give him an Oscar because he just gave the internet a gold star meme

  • Malala issues statement on the Israel-Palestine war

    Malala issues statement on the Israel-Palestine war

    Nobel Prize winner and education activist Malala Yousafzai has issued a statement on Israel’s war on Palestine.

    In her letter, she called for both sides to hold a ceasefire and prevent innocent lives from being lost, writing that it is cruel how Palestine and Israel children have been caught in the middle.

    The Nobel Prize winner reflected on her own upbringing during a wave of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkha, writing “We woke up to the sounds of mortar shells, saw our schools and mosques destroyed by bombs. Peace became something we could only dream about.”

    “War never spares children,” Malala further wrote. “Not those kidnapped from their homes in Israel, not those hiding from airstrikes or without food and water in Gaza.”

  • ‘Mayi Ri’ ends with mixed responses from fans

    ‘Mayi Ri’ ends with mixed responses from fans

    The drama ‘Mayi-Ri’ attracted widespread controversy on social media after it depicted an underaged girl being forcibly married to her cousin, later giving birth to a baby girl. However the drama has ended now, with main leads Ainy (Aina Asif) and Fakhar (Samar Jafri) choosing to end their relationship as he decides to go abroad for studies.

    Social media had mixed reactions to the ending. Many fans were happy to see a Pakistani drama deciding not to stigmatise divorce, showing Ainy empowered by her family to chase her dreams and complete her education on her own. In the last scene, Ainy gives a college graduation speech where she strongly advocates for the right of women to chase their dreams, revealing that she has set up a house with her mother called ‘Ayesha Home’ to help young children escape abuse.

    As pop culture writer Sadaf Haider wrote: “Mxed feelings about #MayiRi ending Congratulations on understanding Divorce can be be a blessing Allah has allowed it for a reason Big thank you to The writer for allowing Aini & Fakhir to move on from a child marriage And women supporting each other.”

    Social media users defended Ainy for divorcing Fakhir, working on her independence and following her own dreams. Users shared the clip of Ainy speaking at her college graduation ceremony, applauding the powerful stance the show took against child marriage.

    However, other social media users were disappointed at how Fakhir chose to run away from his responsibilities for wife and child to study abroad, calling this twist, “heartbreaking.”

    But for us, the best part of the drama was how divorce was not treated as a taboo, but as an empowering a step towards a woman’s future. We’re incredibly happy with the direction the show took, and hope more writers and producers take a page from their book, to show that it’s better to live alone than to live in an abusive marriage.

  • ‘Show empathy’: Mia Khalifa defends Malala Yousafzai over response to Palestine genocide

    ‘Show empathy’: Mia Khalifa defends Malala Yousafzai over response to Palestine genocide

    As Israel launches full scale war on Palestine, many celebrities, including prominent faces in Pakistan, have expressed outrage and sent solidarity to the Palestinian people. Among the Pakistani public figures, a few social media users were critical of Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.

    Former adult star Mia Khalifa defended the activist after a Pakistani twitter user praised Mia on Twitter for vocally sending her support to Palestine, and commented on Malala’s silence on the issue.

    ‘You spoke more than our Noble Peace Prize winner Malala and earned huge respect for this act,” the user wrote.

    To which Mia had responded:

    “I appreciate your sentiment, but I don’t agree with this rhetoric. We need to be more empathetic to people’s traumas and ability to absorb and digest things unfolding in real time. Freezing is a trauma response, feeling overwhelmed is common, and we need to give people time to speak on their own time. Malala is a trailblazer for human rights, she’s an inspiration and a guiding light for many.”

    Many applauded Mia’s empathetic response.