British actor Riz Ahmed, who starred in Disney’s Rogue One and was Oscar-nominated for Sound of Metal, has condemned Israel’s bombings in the Gaza Strip, as well as its blockade measures cutting off water and electricity, calling them “indefensible war crimes.”
In an Instagram post Monday, Riz Ahmed made no mention of Hamas or the funding that the terrorist organization receives from Iran. Nor did he describe the brutality of Hamas’ attacks, which included the gruesome murder of children, babies, and the elderly.
The actor initially appears to play both sides before concluding with an all-out condemnation of Israel’s response to Hamas’ attacks.
“What happened in Israel last week was horrific and wrong,” he began. “The pain and fear so many are feeling is deep and real. What’s happening in Gaza now, and has been happening in Palestine under the Occupation for decades, is horrific and wrong. The depth and reality of this suffering cannot be ignored.”
He continued:
“If we look only in one direction, we will go even deeper into darkness. But that is exactly what is happening right now. We are being asked to look away while the civilians of Gaza, half of them children, are running out of time. If we are on the side of humanity we must urgently speak up to try and avert the loss of innocent life. This means calling for an end to the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza’s civilians and vital infrastructure, the denial of food, water and electricity, the forced displacement of people from their homes. These are morally indefensible war crimes.”
Ahmed, who is Muslim and of Pakistani descent, said “we need to put ourselves in the shoes of the people of Gaza, now, before we all walk past the point of no return.”
View this post on Instagram
Ahmed played the role of Bodhi Rook in Disney’s standalone Star Wars movie Rogue One. He also played the villain in Venom, opposite Tom Hardy.
He received a best actor Oscar nomination two years ago for Sound of Metal, in which he played a rock musician losing his hearing.
Ahmed’s production company signed a TV production deal with Amazon Studios in 2021.
As Breitbart News reported, hundreds of Hollywood actors and executives have signed a letter condemning the terrorist attack in Israel at the hands of Hamas.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at
