Firass Dirani, an actor known for his role in “Underbelly,” has been removed from the cast of “The Office Australia” due to his controversial pro-Hamas statements, according to recent reports.
Dirani’s dismissal came after he expressed support for Hamas amid the ongoing conflict between the Palestinian group and Israel. Tensions escalated after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, leading to retaliatory actions by Israeli forces, who vowed to transform the Gaza Strip into “rubble.”
The conflict has had devastating consequences, resulting in over 700 casualties and 4,000 injuries, primarily in Gaza, after Hamas breached the Gaza border, taking hostages and causing significant destruction.
The situation has escalated, claiming more than 1,700 lives and displacing over 187,500 individuals in the Gaza Strip and neighboring areas. Israel has issued evacuation orders to 1.1 million civilians from the northern region, halting the supply of food, water, electricity, and fuel to Palestinians.
In response to Hamas’s attack, Firass Dirani posted a video on social media expressing his support for the group. In the video, the 39-year-old actor questioned the portrayal of Hamas as a terrorist militant group and drew comparisons to the Ukrainian conflict, suggesting that Hamas’s actions were a form of resistance against oppression.
Dirani shared his thoughts with his 63,000 followers on Instagram, saying, “Seeing some people posting about in support of the Israeli flag and in a way that Hamas has been propagated against as if they’re a terrorist militant group.”
He continued, “Not too long ago, the Ukrainian people were armed and were fighting against Russia, and they were called heroes and people that were resisting, resisting the oppressors, and now when the Palestinians resist the oppressors, that has been going on for 75 years, they’re labeled something else.”
“They’re labeled as terrorists or militants, savages,” Dirani said, emphasizing that they have every right to defend themselves. He criticized those supporting Israel, stating, “you are supporting apartheid, you are supporting apartheid, period.”
It has now been revealed that he has been removed from the cast of “The Office Australia,” a sitcom inspired by Ricky Gervais’ UK version. The show features a female “modern-day David Brent” named Hannah Howard, portrayed by Australian comedian and actor Felicity Ward. The eight-part series also stars Edith Poor, Steen Raskopoulos, Shari Sebbens, Josh Thomson, Jonny Brugh, Pallavi Sharda, Susan Ling Young, Raj Labade, and Lucy Schmit.
Sources from Amazon Prime Video, the production company behind the sitcom, have confirmed that Firass Dirani is no longer part of the series. They revealed, “We won’t be making a comment. Firass was announced as being cast in ‘The Office Australia,’ but he didn’t make it to production. There were ‘differences’ before production started. Production has wrapped up, and he isn’t in the show.”
Firass Dirani’s removal from the show comes at a time when freedom of speech, controversial statements, and media portrayal of conflicts have sparked debates and tensions worldwide. These events serve as a reminder of the influence of words and terminology in shaping public discourse and opinion.