TORONTO – Zayn Malik of the British pop group One Direction sparked a firestorm late Sunday when he tweeted “#FreePalestine” to his 13 million followers.
By early Monday, the 21-year-old’s message had been retweeted more than 150,000 times.
Malik has been getting both kudos and criticism for his position.
“I’m so proud of you. You’re so brave,” tweeted one fan. Another posted: “I’m proud of you standing up for what you believe in.”
But other tweets include “YOU CAN GO TO HELL” and “Seriously disappointed. You don’t have a clue of what’s rly goin on.”
Malik, who was raised in a Muslim household, is not the first pop star to weigh in on the conflict.
Rihanna tweeted “#FreePalestine” but deleted it only minutes later. She later tweeted: “Let’s pray for peace and a swift end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict! Is there any hope?”
On July 18, Selena Gomez posted a message on Instagram that read “It’s About Humanity. Pray for Gaza” but a day later added: “And of course to be clear, I am not picking any sides. I am praying for peace and humanity for all!”
Here’s a sample of the reactions Malik got to his tweet:
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