Ushna Shah slams silent bystanders to Palestine | The Express Tribune

Since Hamas’s surprise attack targeting Southern Israel on October 7, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have become sites of unrelenting violence by Israel’s military forces. As Israel continues its military offensive against Palestinians, people across the world are increasingly taking to the streets and digital forums to voice support for Palestine.

Pakistani actor Ushna Shah is among celebrities using their large audiences to raise awareness about Palestine’s occupation. In a recent series of posts on X, Ushna criticized ‘woke’ people who cherry-pick what humanitarian causes to support.

“Look at how woke I am. I will march for LGBTQ+ rights! Nazi symbolism offends me, and I will physically assault anyone who wears it. Microaggressions trigger me. I will criticize Andrew Tate and Trump because I am a feminist; how dare anyone consider their perspectives,” the actor wrote.

She further added, “I am Hamrambe. Know my pronouns, okay! I identify as a Unicorn. Yas, queen! It’s giving BBW Barbie! I hate Republicans and I will publicly mock anyone on that political spectrum. Freedom and liberation for all! I will support BLM even though I’m not black, but solidarity means everything to me! I am extremely concerned about everything that is offensive in the world!”

Influential figures in entertainment industries in particular are facing public expectations to declare a position on Palestine-Israel tensions. Many pro-Palestine supporters have reported being subject to doxxing, rising discrimination and surveillance, and online censorship with platform reach to audiences massively cut down.

While many supporters are rallying for Palestinian liberation despite attempts to silence, celebrities and netizens are calling out instances of ‘selective outrage’, condemning silent bystanders for lending support to genocide to protect themselves. 

Addressing these hypocritical stances, Ushna mocked, “Yeah, so the current genocide in Palestine is terrible, but I can’t really take a stand against it because I might get cancelled and lose my job. So I’ll just keep posting about my mental health and the hope for both sides to find peace. The feminist & human rights issues I scream about don’t really apply there. Anyway, my armpit hair is long enough to braid now.”

The Cheekh actor concluded her long diatribe with a short note clarifying her target audience. “This doesn’t apply to people who stand for their principles, only to those who are hypocritical. You all know who you are and you’re not fooling anyone with your pseudo-activism and you’re a crock of sh*t.”

The post garnered mixed reactions with many critics accusing her of ignoring the plight of Afghan refugees in Pakistan as well as long-standing troubles experienced by Baloch and Pashtun segments. In response, the actor replied to her post with pictures detailing her advocacy with local actors.

“Me with trans rights activist Shahzadi at Karachi protest. Me at Left Democratic Front protest in Islamabad yesterday. Don’t you dare Israel (gaslight) me & turn it into an Ushna against liberals narrative. This is an Ushna against frauds with selective activism tweet & if you feel attacked then ask yourself why,” she stated.

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