More than 1500 personalities from the fields of culture and art, including Oscar winner Olivia Colman, Olivier Award winners Harriet Walter and Juliet Stevenson, and BAFTA winners Aimee Lou Wood and Siobhan McSweeney, have criticized Western cultural institutions for suppressing Palestinian voices and perspectives.Over 1500 Cultural Figures Criticize Western Institutions for Suppressing Palestinian Voices
The signatories expressed concern over the “suppression” which includes “threatening the livelihoods of artists and art workers who express solidarity with Palestinians, as well as the cancellation of shows, talks, exhibitions, and book launches.” They emphasized that “thousands of artists continue to freely express their opinions, governed by their conscience.”
Highlighting the importance of freedom of expression as enshrined in the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights, they asserted it is the backbone of creative life and fundamental to democracy.
The statement cited examples of cultural and artistic events canceled due to comments supporting Palestinian rights or criticizing Israel, such as the last-minute cancellation by the Folkwang Museum in Essen, Germany, and the termination of a Hollywood actress’s role unrelated to her professional side.
Published on the “Artists for Palestine” platform, based in the UK, the letter emphasized that the violence in Gaza requires collective attention and action. The letter addressed to the cultural and art sector mentioned that the right-wing government in Israel explicitly calls for ethnic cleansing and noted the use of hunger as a weapon, describing the cutting off of water and electricity in Gaza as indescribably cruel.
The letter reported that over 14,000 people were killed, and civilian facilities such as hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches in the Gaza Strip were bombed as part of a policy of “collective punishment against Palestinians.”
The United Nations and hundreds of human rights advocates have called for an end to this “genocide,” the letter stated. As artists, the signatories said they could not remain silent in the face of such severe violations of international humanitarian law.
The letter criticized Western cultural institutions for not only failing to join their calls to end violence but also systematically suppressing and silencing Palestinian voices and viewpoints. Despite these pressures, thousands of artists continue to listen to their conscience and raise their voices, the letter concluded, reminding cultural institutions and their funders of their responsibility to protect the right to freedom of expression and adhere to their commitment against discrimination.
Source: Al Jazeera + Anadolu Agency
