Original Banksy artworks recovered from Gaza go on display in Dubai
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Khaleej Times
14 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Huda Beauty to donate 100% of campaign proceeds to medical aid in Gaza
Huda Beauty recently announced it will donate 100 per cent of sales from its recent Kalamantina collaboration to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), in support of life-saving medical work in Gaza. The campaign, created in partnership with Palestinian-French musician Saint Levant, whose real name is Marwan, was launched to help preserve Palestinian agriculture. However, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and access to food and aid remains limited, the beauty brand has chosen to redirect the full amount raised, totalling $210,000 (Dh771,000), to support the life-saving work on the ground of Doctors Without Borders. 'Support on the ground has become even more crucial,' the company said. 'At a time when we are witnessing genocide in Gaza, we are trying to find a way to make an impact where we can. Please continue to use your platforms to spread awareness. You are making a difference.' The decision to redirect funds comes in the wake of public backlash over the visual direction of the Kalamantina campaign. Named after Saint Levant's track released earlier this year, the Kalamantina lip oil also features a clementine scent. 'This is for the homeland,' Kattan wrote on the brand's Instagram page, alongside orange and Palestinian flag emojis. 'In honor of this collaboration, Huda Beauty will make a donation to organisations supporting Palestinian agriculture and cultural preservation.' While the clementine-themed imagery was meant to celebrate Palestinian citrus farming, many found the abundance of fruit depicted in the marketing — such as an overflowing car trunk and fruit labelled 'Grown by Huda n' Saint Levant' — tone-deaf amid widespread hunger and food blockades in Gaza. In the promotional clips, Huda Kattan, Huda Beauty's founder, and Saint Levant are seen dancing next to a vintage car filled with clementines and posing with the product. The visuals sparked criticism online, with many calling it "heartless" in light of reports of starvation and blocked aid in Gaza. Watch the campaign below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by HUDA BEAUTY (@hudabeauty) 'As an art director, I think the concept could have been handled better than using tons of fruit—even if it's fake—for a cause that is literally about the lack of food,' one commenter wrote. 'Being conservative and empathetic is way more good-looking than this.' Another user said, "I wish those kids could have these fruits..." Another user added: 'Forgive me, but having a photo op with this much fruit while Palestinians in Gaza are starving is Arabs keep missing the point.' Despite the backlash, Huda Beauty reiterated that the campaign's intention was to raise both awareness and tangible support. The redirection of funds to MSF has been seen by many as a meaningful step, with one commenter even saying "this level of sensibility is what the world needs". Both Huda Kattan, Huda Beauty's founder, and Saint Levant have been vocal advocates for Palestinian rights, using their global platforms to highlight the crisis. Saint Levant, who is of Palestinian, Algerian, Serbian, and French descent, took to the Coachella stage in 2024 to speak directly about the war in Gaza. Kattan, meanwhile, has frequently shared videos, infographics, and updates about the situation in Gaza on her personal and brand platforms. In 2023, she donated $1 million to humanitarian organisations including Human Appeal and Doctors Without Borders. Just days before the recent announcement, Huda Beauty posted a stark message on Instagram: 'Gaza is being starved. Open the border now." On a separate post, she also posted an infographic warning of a 'man-made famine.' Celebrities supporting Palestine While Kattan and Saint Levant have been consistent in their public advocacy, they are not alone. A growing number of celebrities around the world have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and called for an end to the violence in Gaza. Among them is Bella Hadid. The Palestinian-Dutch supermodel has long been one of the most vocal celebrities on the issue, regularly sharing updates, commentary, and historical context to her millions of followers. Veteran actress Susan Sarandon has also consistently expressed support for the Palestinian cause, even facing backlash for her outspoken stance. Dua Lipa has also publicly spoken out against Israeli aggression and called for Palestinian liberation. Canadian artist The Weeknd has also donated to relief efforts and previously posted in support of Palestinian civilians caught in the conflict. Oscar-nominated Mark Ruffalo has also condemned Israeli airstrikes and advocated for Palestinian human rights in multiple interviews and social media posts.
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Ziad Rahbani, icon of Lebanese music and theatre, dies at 69
Ziad Rahbani, one of Lebanon's most influential cultural figures and the son of Arab music legend Fairuz, has died at the age of 69. A playwright, composer, and political commentator, Rahbani shaped the landscape of Lebanese theatre and music with his biting wit, leftist and secular politics, and sharp portrayals of his country's fractured society. "On Saturday at 9:00 am [6am GMT], the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating," said a statement from the Beirut hospital where the artist, who has long suffered from health problems, was being treated. The son of Fairuz, who turned 90 last year, and the late composer Assi Rahbani, Ziad first rose to prominence in the 1970s. He broke away from the romanticism of his parents' work to create art rooted in social critique and everyday struggles. Tributes poured in for the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, whose theatre productions and songs left an enduring mark on generations of Lebanese - many of whom know his lyrics and playscripts by heart. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Rahbani was a versatile composer and a pioneer of oriental jazz. He mixed traditional Arabic melodies with jazz, funk and classical influences, creating a unique and instantly recognisable sound. Rahbani composed for Fairuz in her later years, bringing political depth to her repertoire. Throughout Lebanon's civil war (1975-1990) and in the decades that followed, Rahbani's plays became spaces where Lebanese audiences confronted their harsh realities. He often highlighted the hardships of Lebanon's working class. His characters were disillusioned citizens, ex-revolutionaries or everyday people caught in the complexities of Lebanon's political and sectarian struggles. Lebanese diva Fairuz talks to her son, Ziad Rahbani, and Armenian conductor Karen Durgarian during rehearsals prior to their concert in Dubai on 23 January 2003 (AFP) One of his most influential plays, Nazl el-Sourour (Happiness Hotel), is a political satire set in a run-down hotel, where two laid-off workers take the guests hostage in a failed attempt at revolution. Through humour and absurdity, the play critiques class divisions and the hollowness of political slogans in pre-war Lebanon. Another one of his landmark works, the 1980 production Film Ameriki Tawil (A Long American Film), is a satirical portrayal of the civil war, set in an asylum where the patients represent different segments of society. Rahbani articulated a collective frustration and longing for change. For many in Lebanon and across the Arab world, his death marks the loss of a singular voice that never stopped asking uncomfortable questions.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Huda Kattan and Saint Levant donate $210,000 from Palestine-inspired lip oil to Gaza medical relief
Huda Kattan and Saint Levant have redirected all proceeds from their recent Huda Beauty product campaign to support emergency medical relief in Gaza. In a statement released on Friday, the two said the full amount raised, $210,000, will be donated to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) due to the worsening humanitarian situation and the need for life-saving aid on the ground. 'From the start of this partnership, we committed to donating 100 per cent of all sales from this collaboration to support the preservation of Palestinian agriculture,' they wrote. 'However, as the crisis in Gaza continues to worsen – with food and aid blocked – support on the ground has become even more crucial. 'As a result, we've made the decision to redirect the full amount of $210,00 to MSF (Doctors Without Borders) to support their life-saving medical work. 'At a time where we are witnessing genocide in Gaza, we are trying to find a way to make impact where we can. Please continue to use your platforms to spread awareness – you are making a difference.' Shift after backlash The pair recently launched a new shade of Huda Beauty 's Faux Filler Lip Oil and named it Kalamantina – a reference to Palestinian clementine oranges. A promotional photoshoot featured Kattan and Saint Levant posing in front of a car overflowing with the fruit. Pulitzer Prize-winning Palestinian writer Mosab Abu Toha publicly criticised the campaign's messaging, questioning the decision to use clementine oranges, while people in Gaza endure starvation and continued Israeli attacks. 'Do you really care about Gaza?' Abu Toha wrote in a widely shared Instagram comment, which has since been removed. 'My people are being killed while trying to get food.' While some fans praised the campaign for its cultural messaging and commitment to Palestine, others echoed Abu Toha's concerns. They called out the imagery as 'tone deaf'. The Kalamantina release, named after Saint Levant's single of the same name, was described by Kattan's brand Huda Beauty as a tribute 'for the homeland'. The announcement stated that a donation would be made to organisations supporting 'Palestinian agriculture and cultural preservation'. The brand did not, however, specify the amount or whether it would reflect a percentage of the product's proceeds. Friday's announcement marks a shift from cultural investment in the occupied West Bank to direct humanitarian response in Gaza. MSF has been active in the enclave throughout the Israel-Gaza war, operating under difficult conditions with limited supplies and damaged facilities. The pair's statement did not directly address Abu Toha's comments, which came as suffering in Gaza ' reaches new depths ', according to more than two dozen countries. At least 59,587 Palestinians have been killed and 143,498 wounded since the war began in October 2023. According to a report by Unicef in May, more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured in the enclave. Saint Levant (real name Marwan Abdelhamid) has Palestinian roots and has long been a vocal advocate for Palestine, including during a widely praised Coachella performance last year. Kattan donated $1 million to aid efforts in Gaza in 2023. Both reiterated the importance of public pressure. 'Please continue to use your platforms to spread awareness,' they wrote. 'You are making a difference.'
