LONDON: British Moroccan actor Laila Rouass made a bold statement in a dress printed with the Palestinian keffiyeh as she attended the premiere of “The Edge of Everything,” a documentary about her partner, seven-time World Snooker Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Rouass, who also appears in the film, used the occasion to express solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
She told Arab News that she had been deeply affected by the Israeli violence in the Gaza Strip.
She added: “There’s not a minute in the day where I don’t think about it, where it doesn’t cut me. I’m looking at the news, hoping these journalists and doctors that we’ve fallen in love with haven’t been bombed or murdered.
“I don’t feel like dressing up and putting a fancy frock on; that’s the truth. I don’t feel like doing that. But I have to support my partner, so this is about how I can make it meaningful for me. How do I make my own protest when I have an opportunity?”
She called Israel’s violence in Gaza “repulsive, heartbreaking, and wrong on every humanitarian level,” and criticized world leaders for their support of Israel’s actions.
Rouass acknowledged the personal risks of speaking out, including the potential loss of work, but spoke of the necessity for standing up for what she believed in.
She also noted the positive outcome of increased global awareness and education about the Palestinians’ plight.
