In a reel uploaded on Instagram, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd sent an open message to award-winning Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda, ridden with despair over the ongoing genocide.
Addressing Bisan directly, he logged in the time at which he was making the video. He then mentioned attending a webinar, during which he spoke to students about the genocide in Palestine. “We talked and talked, doing whatever we could. But we’re not there with you in Northern Gaza. And I don’t know what to do now,” he sorrowfully admitted.
“Hope you’re still there in the morning,” he continued. “I think about you a lot, and all my brothers and sisters in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and all over the world. I’m sorry to go slightly political, but it’s the only way to go. We love you.”
Roger’s sentiments didn’t reveal themselves out of the blue. The musician is known for being unapologetically vocal on the matter, even condemning Israel in an interview debate with Piers Morgan, back in July. Backing the events of October 7, he said, “Well, to use the word ‘terrorism’ is really dangerous and difficult. You have to remember that the people fighting on behalf of Palestine liberation have a legal and moral, not just a right, they have a right to fight back against the oppressor.”
Further elaborating on the perspective, he added, “If someone invades your country, kicks all the people out of their home, steals everything and is stealing all your land and occupies all your land for 75 years, you have an absolute right to armed resistance against that invader.”
An Emmy was awarded to Bisan for her AJ+ documentary It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive, Al Jazeera reported. The feature tracks Bisan’s survival against war and under the recurring threat of bombardment from Israeli forces. Due to the 27-year-old journalist being in Palestine, the award was received by Supervising Executive Producer of AJ+, Jon Laurence.
The eight-minute documentary is set in the vicinity of the Al-Shifa hospital, which is flanked by tents of displaced Gazans. In it, Bisan documents the routine of those who have been forced to evacuate from the safety of their homes, including their struggles with basic necessities like food and water.
“I know that I seem to be energetic and smiling, but it’s not the truth,” confessed Bisan in the documentary. “We’re just trying to be positive because we felt death hundreds of times, so we appreciate that we are alive until now.”