Alicia Keys and Pharrell Williams are facing severe backlash for their decision to perform at the Saudi Grand Prix in Jeddah.
Amidst swirling criticisms, human rights campaigner and former politician Peter Tatchell has specifically criticized the artists for lending their star power to an event in a country known for its harsh stance against human rights.
The critique centers around Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women, LGBT communities, and various minority groups.
#AliciaKeys & #PharrellWilliams take 30 pieces of silver to perform in #SaudiArabia. SHAME!#Saudi is a dictatorship that persecutes women, LGBTs, ethnic & religious minorities. It murdered Jamal Khashoggi. Free Saudi political prisoners! Boycott!@aliciakeys @Pharrell https://t.co/u6tUMP3mOV
— Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) March 8, 2024
Saudi Arabia, a nation often in the spotlight for its human rights issues, including the imprisonment of women under strict laws and the heinous killing and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has attracted negative attention with the involvement of global music icons in its Grand Prix event.
Tatchell’s condemnation extends to Alicia Keys’ role in hosting Jeddah’s Women To Women, an event pegged to International Women’s Day, labeling it as “total hypocrisy” given the country’s oppressive regime against women advocating for equality.
“I’m shocked that Alicia Keys is colluding with this whitewashing of Saudi misogyny,” Tatchell expressed, outlining a broader disdain for any celebrity engagements with the Kingdom without a clear stance against its human rights abuses.
The call to action from Tatchell suggests that artists should either decline performances in Saudi Arabia or utilize their platforms to advocate for significant changes, including demanding the freedom of women and the release of all political prisoners.
As the story unfolds, both Alicia Keys and Pharrell Williams have yet to respond to the criticisms of their participation in the Saudi Grand Prix, leaving many to ponder the implications of international figures participating in events sponsored by regimes with questionable human rights records.
In spotlighting the intersection of entertainment, politics, and human rights, the controversy raises important questions about the responsibilities of celebrities in acknowledging or challenging the socio-political contexts of their engagements.