Pakistani cricket superstar Shahid Khan Afridi faced controversy after a pro-Israel Instagram account claimed he supported a “Friends of Israel” event in the UK on Wednesday.
Nice try NWFOI. This was just a selfie with what I thought was a fan. I do not endorse your Tweet. As a Muslim I pray for peace across the world. Please delete this post as it's not accurate!
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) June 19, 2024
Afridi quickly addressed the issue on his X handle after the account posted his photo as an “endorsement” of the event in Manchester.
Read more: Counterfeit Titanium Found in Boeing and Airbus Jets
“Imagine strolling down a street in Manchester (UK) and so-called fans approach you for a selfie. You oblige, and moments later, they upload it as some form of Zionist endorsement…,” Afridi wrote. “Unbelievable! Please don’t believe everything that is uploaded.” He emphasized that the photo does not signify his support for any situation where “human lives are at stake.”
“Seeing innocent lives in Palestine suffer is truly heartbreaking. Any photo or association shared in Manchester does not reflect my support for any situation where human lives are at stake,” he added.
Read more: Boeing sued over deaths of US Marines
“I take pictures with fans from all over the globe, and this situation was no different,” Afridi explained.
The “NW Friends of Israel” Instagram account had shared Afridi’s picture with two of its officials, claiming: “Pakistani international cricketer @SAfridiOfficial stopped to offer his support for our call to release the hostages at our NWFOI vigil last Sunday in Manchester.” The post included Afridi with NWFOI co-Chair Raohi Bloom and deputy Chair Bernie Yaffe, expressing thanks for his support.
Fatima Bhutto, granddaughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, also expressed her astonishment, tweeting: “Waiting for a comment from @SAfridiOfficial on what he was doing at a Friends of Israel event.”