The Pahalgam attack in Kashmir has left the entire nation heartbroken. On Tuesday, April 22, a group of terrorists attacked tourists, killing 26 innocent people who were vacationing with their families. At that time, TV actors Shoaib Ibrahim and Dipika Kakar were also holidaying in Kashmir with their son, Ruhaan. However, that very morning, the couple, along with their toddler, flew back to Mumbai and shared an Instagram story updating everyone about their safety and mentioning their upcoming vlog.
Shoaib Ibrahim gets hate messages
Shoaib Ibrahim faced severe backlash for what many called a tone-deaf and insensitive announcement about his vlog, especially during such a tragic moment.
Three days later, on Saturday, Shoaib posted a video on YouTube where he addressed the issue. In the video, he condemned the killing of the 26 innocent victims and demanded that the culprits and masterminds be severely punished so justice could be served.
He also spoke about how the tragedy had taken a communal angle after reports claimed that terrorists had targeted Hindu men. Shoaib revealed that some people even told him to "go to Pakistan."
He said, "The issue that was created—or rather made into an issue—was about the story I posted. We flew from Srinagar to Delhi on April 22, and the Pahalgam incident occurred while we were in the air. We had no network access because prepaid SIM cards do not work in Kashmir. When we landed and finally got a signal, we started receiving messages asking if we were safe. At that point, we had only heard that one or two people had been injured. Based on that limited information, I thought it was best to inform everyone that we were fine, so I posted that story."
Shoaib further emphasised, "No religion is wrong; only a few people are wrong. Because of the actions of a few individuals, the entire religion of Islam is facing hatred. Many people tell me to go to Pakistan. But why should I? My forefathers have lived and died on this land. This is my country."
He also questioned the selective criticism directed at him and Dipika, stating, "Even if I had uploaded a video, why only me? Why are Dipika and I being singled out? Are we special to you? Other vloggers continued posting content, movie promotions went on, and music videos were being released. Even you are living your lives — eating, working, listening to music. Then why are we being abused? Why is there so much hate directed only towards us?"
