Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:05am on 07 Nov 2023,Tuesday International
Renowned Indian-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur has declined an invitation to celebrate Diwali at the White House in solidarity with Palestine. In a strongly-worded statement, Kaur criticized the Biden administration for funding Israel's bombing of Gaza which she called a "genocide against Palestinians". She said attending would whitewash the administration's actions which don't align with the spirit of Diwali. Kaur urged the South Asian diaspora to hold the US accountable and call for justice rather than be tokenized by photo-ops. She said the privilege lost by speaking up is nothing compared to what Palestinians lose daily as the US rejects ceasefire. (Image Courtesy: Rupi Kaur on Facebook)
