We cannot be silent: Arooj Aftab among thousands of musicians calling for cease-fire in Gaza

Thousands of artists have joined hands to sign a letter from a collective that calls itself Musicians for Palestine demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. The signatories include Arooj Aftab, Pulp, Bikini Kill, Kid Cudi, Kali Uchis, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Lucy Dacus, Vijay Iyer, Nicolás Jaar, Helado Negro, Raffi, KeiyaA, Mandy, Indiana, among so many others.

“We cannot be silent,” the letter reads. “This is a moment of truth for millions worldwide who prize human dignity, and as musicians we are no exception,” it adds. “We stand for life, for love, for justice, and for peace. We mourn with all in Palestine/Israel who have lost loved ones. We share their grief and their pain.”

The letter goes on to acknowledge that the “unfolding human catastrophe for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, half of them children, is ‘a textbook case of genocide,’ in the words of both the prominent US-based Israeli scholar of genocide Raz Segal and leading former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber.”

On that note, the musicians declare; “We cannot be neutral in the face of such injustice. We cannot be silent as 17 years of Israeli blockade, now a ‘complete siege,’ have made Gaza extremely unliveable. Almost all of its water is unfit for human consumption. Its healthcare system has largely collapsed. The majority of its children are anaemic, with many suffering from severe malnutrition.”

Amplifying the voice of the oppressed, the musicians “unflinchingly condemn oppression in all forms,” no matter their identity. The letter goes on to quote Brazilian philosopher Paulo Freire; “To end all violence we must work tirelessly to end its root cause, oppression.”

Openly calling out “75 years of Israel’s military occupation and system of apartheid against Palestinians,” as described by leading international, Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations, the musicians assert, “We stand firm against all forms of racism, including anti-Blackness, antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism. Those who dehumanize, demonize or collectively blame entire communities or peoples can only hinder our collective liberation.”

In solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom and equal rights, the musicians declare, “We cannot be silent. We draw inspiration from Artists Against Apartheid that helped end apartheid in South Africa.  We refuse to let our music be used to whitewash oppression and human rights violations anywhere. We insist that all governments stop sending weapons and military funding to Israel and to any other state involved in crimes against humanity.”

To conclude, the letter states, “Today, we demand an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza, and an end to the siege. The day after, our vision of a just and peaceful future for all must be our most urgent task. We urge everyone who shares that vision to join us.”

The letter is the latest call for a cease-fire from the entertainment world. Previously, an open letter was signed by Dua Lipa, Michael Stipe, Caroline Polachek, Run the Jewels, and multiple celebrities.

 Read the full letter, and see the full list of signatures.

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