Dawn Images

Adnan Siddiqui, one of Pakistan's biggest stars, took to social media in a truly fiery outburst recently as he expressed his outrage and disappointment at Israel's violence and human rights violations, calling out world authorities for not doing anything. When an Indian fan shared his pro-Israel sentiments in the comments, Siddiqui fired back unforgivingly.

Uploading a video of a distraught 10-year-old Palestinian girl standing in the rubble of a target of Israel's indiscriminately fired missiles, the actor shared his sheer dismay at the Palestinian reality. In the video, the young girls is seen in shambles, tears running down her face, as she helplessly repeats the phrases "I'm a kid," and "I don't even know what to do," and "I'm just 10."

The video is a truly gut-wrenching insight into the terror-ridden life of Palestinians.

"Something died in me when she sad this," admitted Siddiqui. Saying her eyes say it all, the actor noted her sheer helplessness, saying he understands why she wants to become a doctor. "That is the only way she sees to help her people," he said.

The girl mentioned how she was taught by her parents that she's hated because she's Muslim, that the aggressors thinks she deserves to die for the religion she was born into. This didn't sit right with Siddiqui either. "Imagine living in a world where the scales are always tipped against you," he said.

"You are made increasingly aware of that, day after day, till you die, maybe to a bomb attack or shot by a sniper."

Calling the happenings "full blown tyranny", the Meray Paas Tum Ho star said no child should be made collateral damage in manmade acts of cruelty.

He called out the UN and Muslim countries of the world for their silence and inaction, begging the question, "Why this apathy by the world?"

"Are business interests and diplomacy more important than the future of these kids? You don't need to be a parent to feel their pain, you just have to be a human being," he added.

Criticising the Israeli state for its crimes against humanity, he said he wanted to tell the Zionists today that "they are today the spitting image of people they despised the most: the Nazis."

Soon after the post went up, one of Siddiqui's several fans from across the border popped into a comment section with a especially distasteful take. The comment was deleted by the user before we were able to read it but from their later comment it is apparent that the comment was in favour of Israel. Several Indians have expressed support for Israel on social media. Even in the follow up comment, the user pledged his support for the Zionist state.

Siddiqui had a harshly worded response to the original comment and made sure his feelings were heard fully.

He brought into question the user's view of humanity, calling it opaque and lopsided, using the same words for their knowledge of Israel's cruelty. That, Siddiqui believes, explains why the support for oppression comes so easy for them.

"The suffering of mankind is collective," he established. Using it to justify why he stands with both Palestinians suffering at the hands of Israel, and Indians suffering at the hands of the novel coronavirus. He stands for humanity.

The user then felt a response was in order, and after deleting his original comment, he issued a new one.

It didn't get much better.

He explained why he deleted the comment, saying its because he misidentified Siddiqui as Pakistani-born Indian musician Adnan Sami.

"You have all the right to support Palestine, and we Indians will always stand with Israel," the user reiterated his unmistakable position, reducing the conversation to a difference in opinion. Admitting that he's a fan of Siddiqui's work, having followed his dramas, but maintained he has his own reasons to side with the destructive ideology, and oppressive state.

Cue massive sigh.

In a world where hate, prejudice and violence can find justification, there is little room left to navigate our joint humanity. We are glad Siddiqui met the genocide-justifying-hate-monger with a befitting reply and wish for the day when standing with and for humanity won't need any explanation.