Zain, a Kuwaiti Telecommunications firm has produced and released a powerful video plea for Peace for the Ramadan Holiday, though not without some controversy. The video has gone viral, eliciting more than 50,000 comments and 3 million views on You Tube.
The controversy comes as a result of using a young boy portraying Omran Daqneesh, the five year old victim of Syrian President Bashar Assad's bombing campaign against Aleppo, whose image provoked much sympathy and outcry last year …
...as if blaming terrorists for his injuries.
As the child’s image and the attacks on Aleppo are so widely known I see his inclusion as an acknowledgement that “terror” can as easily be employed as a weapon by state actors as well as rebels.
In any case I agree with Tahaab Rais, quoted in the linked article, who said on Facebook:
“Tahaab Rais, an advertising executive from the U.A.E., said on Facebook that Zain had made "a brave statement" by "taking on an issue that's affecting everyone's lives in this region (and around the world). Respect for taking this topic on."
Replying to a critic who said it was misleading not to note the Syrian distinction, Rais wrote, "Execution is definitely not perfect. Broader message and pov is worth respecting!"