“Mars should come forward and condemn the Israeli government because there have been many cases where the Israeli military has committed atrocities against Palestinians.
“Being silent on this means you are either ignorant or complicit,” the 24-year-old said.
An analogous sentiment was expressed by mental health therapist and company trainer Alia Alias, who said she refused to purchase tickets despite being an enormous Mars fan.
“I didn’t think much about the concert at first until I saw BDS Malaysia’s statement.
“I know this organization is conducting research, so I decided not to go,” said Alia, 35.
She said canceling the Mars concert would not be a giant deal.
“We have [English-Albanian singer] Dua Lipa and [American pop rock band] Lany will come and I’m sure they may compensate for it,” Alia said.
However, she doubted whether the concert could be canceled simply because there are people who find themselves outraged by Mars.
“These things take a whole lot of planning. But I would not be surprised if there was a mini-protest in front of the venue,” she added.
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia, a peaceful Palestinian-led movement promoting boycott, divestment and economic sanctions against Israel, called for a boycott of the concert.
The band said Mars has maintained silence on the continued Israeli aggression against Palestine and even performed in Tel Aviv last October.
However, a university student who desired to be often known as Matt said the concert should go ahead because Mars has never expressed support for the Israeli military.
“I believe that the boycott should only apply to public figures who actively support the Zionist regime,” he said.
Matt said that the cancellation of Mars’ concert could be an even bigger loss for Malaysia than for the artist himself.
“She’s a extremely big star. Canceling this concert could be a wasted opportunity for our country,” he said.
On June 21, concert organizer Live Nation announced that Mars would perform a one-day performance on the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
Mars – known for hits like Grenade, Just as you might be AND Versace on the ground – last performance in Malaysia in 2018.
