The Indian-Canadian author has refused a govt Diwali invitation because of its support of Israel\u2019s attacks and called for other South Asians to do the same
\nCanadA
\nIndian-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur shared a powerful message on why she will not be attending a Diwali event being held by the US government, a government that continues to fund and support the bombardment of Gaza.
\nKaur, most famously known for her poetry collection Milk and Honey, received an invitation from the Biden administration for a Diwali event being held on November 8 by the vice-president. \u201cI\u2019m surprised the administration finds it acceptable to celebrate Diwali, when their support of the current atrocities against Palestinians represent the exact opposite of what this holiday means to many of us,\u201d she wrote in a lengthy note on Instagram.
\n\u201cDiwali is celebrated by people of South Asian heritage worldwide. In the Hindu and Jain traditions, Diwali is the celebration of righteousness over falsehood and knowledge over ignorance. In the Sikh tradition, during the time of Diwali, our sixth guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, helped free 52 fellow political prisoners from unjust imprisonment. We call this day Bandi Chore Divas. I have always used this day to reflect on what it means to fight for freedom over oppression,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cToday, the American government is not only funding the bombardment of Gaza, they continue to justify this genocide against Palestinians \u2014 regardless of how many refugee camps, health facilities and places of worship are blown to bits,\u201d wrote Kaur, slamming the government for rejecting the call for a humanitarian ceasefire and highlighting Israel\u2019s war crimes and atrocities in Gaza.
\n\u201cI implore my South Asian community to hold this administration accountable. As a Sikh woman, I will not allow my likeness to be used in whitewashing this administration\u2019s actions. I refuse any invitation from an institution that supports the collective punishment of a trapped civilian population \u2014 50% of whom are children.\u201d
\nSpeaking to the South Asian community at large, the poet said \u201cwe cannot remain silent or agreeable just to get a seat at the table\u201d.
\n\u201cIt comes at too high a cost to human life. Many of my contemporaries have told me in private that what\u2019s happening in Gaza is awful, but they aren\u2019t going to risk their livelihood or \u2018a chance at creating change from inside\u2019. There is no magical change that will happen from being on the inside. We must be brave. We must not be tokenised 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,\u201d Kaur said.
\n\u201cWhen a government\u2019s actions dehumanise people anywhere in the world, it is our moral imperative to call for justice. Do no be afraid. Stand with the world and demand a humanitarian ceasefire. Many voices will join you when you speak. Let us sign petitions, attend protests. Boycott. Call our reps and say \u2014 stop the genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Indian-Canadian author has refused a govt Diwali invitation because of its support of Israel\u2019s attacks and called for other South Asians to do the same CanadA Indian-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur shared a powerful message on why she will not be attending a Diwali event being held by the US government, a government that continues […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-369072","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n