The internet has mixed reactions to Malala’s renewed support of Palestine (and her starring in a TV show)
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai is once again the recipient of mixed reviews from the jury that is netizens, after she reiterated her support for Palestine during an interview with British Vogue.
“For me at this time, I feel like humanising people is so important. It’s one of the biggest challenges we face. Oftentimes, when we look at conflicts, wars, oppression against people, it always begins with dehumanising another group,” she said, and later announced a scholarship at Oxford University for Palestinian students.
However, the internet now believes Yousafzai can do no right, as they slammed her for her delayed support and for doing “too little too late”. One X (formerly Twitter) user, told the Nobel prize winner to sip blood with her “war mongering bestie Hillary [Clinton]”, alluding to her decision to co-produce a Broadway musical with the former US secretary of state. In the past, Clinton has defended Israel and argued against a complete ceasefire in Gaza in an op-ed for The Atlantic.
Users on Instagram commented on British Vogue’s post, calling Yousafzai a “sellout” and a “genocide enabler”. Others dubbed her newly announced scholarship “calculated activism”.
X users highlighted the plight of Palestinians in Rafah and maintained that Yousafzai was “worried about TV shows”, and that the “average person” had done more to help the people in Palestine.
Few netizens were defending the Nobel laureate, however, one pointed out that social media users were “keyboard tappers in comfort” and urged them to “be quiet and have a real life”.
Others called her performance in the musical drama We Are Lady Parts “iconic”. Yousafzai starred in the second season of the show and was sat atop a horse while a Muslim punk-rock band performed their song ‘Malala Made Her Do It’.
While Yousafzai’s stance on Palestine was certainly delayed and perhaps not as staunch as someone in her position could be, at least she is raising some awareness and taking concrete steps to work towards the betterment of Palestinian lives. Maybe the digital guillotine could be a little more forgiving and accept progress.
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