Arundhati Roy backs Iran in its conflict with Israel/US, criticises India, warns of nuclear, economic risks
Indian author Arundhati Roy attended an event in New Delhi on Monday to mark the release of her new book, Mother Mary Comes to Me, where she voiced her strong support for Iran amid its conflict with Israel and the United States.
Roy criticised her own government, calling it “spineless” for backing what she views as the wrong side in the conflict. During her speech, which was shared by Zeteo on Thursday, she reflected on the destruction in cities like Tehran, Isfahan, and Beirut, saying she couldn’t “end the day without talking about those beautiful cities… that are up in flames.” She added that she hoped her book could serve as a platform to discuss these broader issues.
She described the attacks on Iran as “a continuation of the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza,” warning that the world is teetering on the brink of nuclear disaster and economic collapse.
“The same country that bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki could be readying itself to bomb one of the most ancient civilizations in the world,” Roy said, before making her position clear: “Let me simply say that I stand with Iran. Unequivocally.”
“Iran is not Gaza”, she says. Roy went on to describe the tragedy as yet another genocide, where the same old playbook is used to murder innocent women and children. To bomb hospitals, carpet bomb cities, and then play the victim.
Her remarks came alongside criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to Israel, India’s trade ties with the US, and the deployment of Israeli workers to displace Palestinians.
She questioned, “Who has put us into this absolutely humiliating, shameless, disgusting place in the world?”. She then went on to compare them to the Chinese communist term: “running dogs of imperialism”.
Roy has a history of taking outspoken positions on issues she cares about. She recently withdrew from the Berlin International Film Festival in February, after the jury president suggested cinema should “stay out of politics” when asked about Gaza. She also signed a pledge not to work with Israeli cultural institutions.
