Canadian poet and illustrator Rupi Kaur has released a statement on her X account, announcing that she rejected an invitation from the White House for Diwali. In her statement, the ‘Milk And Honey’ writer said she rejected the invite because of USA’s active participation in the genocide of Gaza.
The Palestinian death toll has risen to 10,000 since Israel begun it’s bombardment of the Gaza strip.
“Today, the American government is not only funding the bombardment of Gaza, they continue to justify this genocide against Palestinians- regardless of how many refugee camps, health facilities, and places of worship are blown to bits. They reject the call for a humanitarian ceasefire- a baseline action being demanded by the United Nations, organisations like Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross and a majority of countries. The UN says 70% of the dead are women and children. We have seen Israel use phosphorus bombs, which Amnesty International says must be investigated as a war crime. We’ve seen footage on CNN of Israeli settlers kicking out and occupying the homes of Palestinians in the West Bank.”
“As a community,” Rupi further urges. “We cannot remain silent or agreeable just to get a seat at the table. It comes at too high a cost to human life. Many of my contemporaries have told me in private that what’s happening in Gaza is awful, but they aren’t going to risk their livelihood or “a chance at creating change from the inside”. There is no magical change that will happen from being on the inside. We must be brave. We must not be tokenized by their photo-ops. The privilege we lose from speaking up is nothing compared to what Palestinians lose each day because this administration rejects a ceasefire.”
Social media users applauded Rupi’s heroic stance against the White House. With many Gazan’s like Palestinian academic Refaat writing:
“Thank you from Gaza.”
Thank you from Gaza
— Refaat in Gaza(@itranslate123) November 6, 2023
I’m sorry Rupi Kaur for all of the slander these past few years https://t.co/cTS7hLsqb0 pic.twitter.com/UYeatxmD8M
— Three-Eyed Raisin (@GulagJamun_) November 6, 2023
Academic poets loooove making fun of people like Rupi who are bringing younger + QTBIPOC folks into the poetry world out of jealousy & bitterness
— George Abraham
Meanwhile, she has ten times the backbone, with the stakes of an infinitely larger platform, than most of y'all
THANK YOU RUPI! https://t.co/UV1o6TW0Huجورج إبراهيم (@IntifadaBatata) November 6, 2023
“This is principle, solidarity, and love in action. If only other writers, actors, “activists” and public figures from South Asia and the Middle East had Rupi’s courage and heart,” Fatima Bhutto wrote.
This is principle, solidarity, and love in action. If only other writers, actors, “activists” and public figures from South Asia and the Middle East had Rupi’s courage and heart https://t.co/d9rjJ4VtLk
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) November 6, 2023
amazing to see rupi kaur has a spine that many many many of these alleged "poets" do not have… maybe miss "our backs tell stories no books have the spines to carry" was right!!! https://t.co/Xz1X6Y2COO
— L (@laurieurl) November 7, 2023
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