Rasti Farooq slams ‘despicable’ Amy Schumer for anti-Gaza words

Joyland star Rasti Farooq recently took to X to resoundingly condemn comic actor Amy Schumer for the polarising statements she made regarding the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. In an interview with Variety published on April 30, Schumer had gone on record to say, “The focus is so razor-sharp on Jewish people but not on Hamas. It’s very strange." 

Coupled with the accompanying Variety cover photograph of Schumer clad in a black dress hoisting up a curled bicep in an obvious show of power, a furious Farooq lambasted the actor for her stance on the ongoing decimation of Palestinians. Posting a link to the provocative interview, Farooq called Schumer “despicable”, and was left awestruck by the celebratory view of the publication in light of the latter's remarks, both in the interview and on her social media.

“The truly unparalleled power of a despicable white woman who posts all “Gazans are r*pists”, provokes and condones the dehumanisation and wholesale slaughter of Muslims and Arabs, walks away scot-free and is celebrated as some bastion of white feminist strength,” wrote the furious Joyland actor. 

The celebrated Pakistani actor and filMMAker has used her international platform to post regularly on social media in support of Palestinians trapped in the war. The most recent post on Farooq’s Instagram handle advertises a demonstration outside the US consulate to mark solidarity with the Palestinian people, with the poster headed by the words “Protest for Palestine”. 

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Schumer has been publicly called out for divisive comments regarding the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip. Last month on her Instagram handle, the Trainwreck actor reposted comments made by British historian and television presenter Simon Sebag Montefire, which likened Palestinians to rapists. However, the comments section of Schumer’s post was abundant with followers uniting to condemn the actor for persistently portraying just one side of the issue. 

According to Variety, such feedback does not bother Schumer. In her interview, Schumer noted that she had been called a Zionist on the streets of New York, but added, “It didn’t even raise my heart rate.” With Schumer’s zen attitude over the matter, it seems all but inevitable that Farooq’s condemnation will not be the last time the actor will be castigated in public for her remarks.

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