Bigotry and colourism is a worldwide epidemic. Haider Ali’s most recent wall painting is evidence.
A truck artist from Karachi, Ali has painted a representation of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was killed by cops in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a capture for purportedly utilizing a fake bill. His demise prompted Black Lives Matter fights all around the world.
The mural has been painted on one of the walls in Ali’s home in memory of Floyd’s untimely demise. Made in traditional Pakistani truck art style, it’s accompanied by slogans: “Hum kaalay hain toh kia hua, dilwale hain (So what if we’re dark-skinned? We’ve got big hearts),” and “Goron ki na kaalon ki, dunya dil walon ki (This world doesn’t belong to white or black people, it belongs to the ones with heart).”
The base of Haider Ali’s piece is the dark night sky.
“Black is an essential colour of the universe. It’s due to the black colour of the sky that we are able to see the stars. Every artist in the world realises the importance and beauty of the black colour”, explained the truck artist. “Allah Almighty has made every human equal. Islam too discourages all kinds of racism.,” he added.
“This act of barbarism makes me think of also the Muslims living in Indian Occupied Kashmir, Palestine, Myanmar and elsewhere, what they have to go through every day? They are subjected to injustice and cruelty on the basis of religious bias, tortured and killed. They are living their lives in fear every minute. I plead that the world must raise voice for them too, “concluded Haider.
