American Muslim actors Jameela Jamil and Riz Ahmed have pulled out of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ceremony for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give him an award for the Swachh Bharat Mission, aimed at cleaning the entire country.
“Jameela Jamil and Riz Ahmed are no longer participating in Goalkeepers,” the foundation told HuffPost India.
While Ahmed has not made any comment on pulling out of the event, the actress has said that she would “not be commenting on any of this”.
The Indian premier will attend the event during his visit to the United States next week.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is facing a barrage of criticism from prominent lawyers, human rights activists and philanthropists after it announced that it would honour Narendra Modi, India’s controversial Hindu nationalist prime minister, with an award later this month in recognition of his work to improve sanitation in the country.
Also Read: Gates Foundation under fire over award for Narendra Modi
Over the last few days, an increasing number of rights advocates and organizations have called for rescinding the award, citing Modi’s dismal human rights record in India and Kashmir.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is facing a barrage of criticism from prominent lawyers, human rights activists and philanthropists after it announced that it would honour Narendra Modi, India’s controversial Hindu nationalist prime minister, with an award later this month in recognition of his work to improve sanitation in the country.
Over the last few days, an increasing number of rights advocates and organizations have called for rescinding the award, citing Modi’s dismal human rights record in India and Kashmir.
Author Saira Rao expressed sorrow in a tweet over the news, the Indian PM “is committing genocide of Muslims in India and Kashmir but is receiving an award in a few weeks here in the United States from the super liberal Gates Foundation”.
