Ushna Shah didn’t mince words when she took to her Instagram stories to call out YouTube star and vlogger Rosie Gabrielle, labeling her a ‘white saviour’ that Pakistan can do without.
The drama unfolded on social media over the weekend, when a post by the Canadian social media star – who is travelling across Pakistan and is currently in Hunza valley – caught the attention of Shah and piqued her anger.
In the Instagram post, Gabrielle was pictured holding a bag full of trash while calling out entitled tourists who leave their rubbish behind and destroy nature. In her post titled ‘Keep the north pure’, Gabrielle wrote: “YOU WILL DESTROY YOUR COUNTRY. As tourism rises in Pakistan, especially local tourists, there is a growing problem that needs to be IMMEDIATELY addressed before it’s too late. Since covid happened & travelling outside the country has decreased, there’s been an influx of people flocking north.
“But instead of bringing just their smiles & leaving only good memories, they are bringing bad behaviours, drugs, vulgarity, rave parties & leaving a lot of TRASH!”
Gabrielle continued further: “I understand that people need to express themselves, release pent up energies & get out of their suffocating lives. But coming to a sacred land, feeling privileged & entitled to destroy it, bringing your toxic habits to innocent communities is NOT okay!”
While many responded to her post with notes of appreciation for highlighting the issue, Shah saw red. Putting up a message on her Instagram Stories, the ‘Balaa’ star wrote: “You know what we don’t appreciate? Judgemental, condescending, ‘white saviour’ wannabes. We don’t need you to ‘fix us’. Govt. of Pakistan needs to stop handing out YouTube visas [sic].”
Gabrielle, who claimed in her post that she was speaking on behalf of the locals affected there, later put up a response of her own to the backlash, saying in her Instagram Stories: “I am not going to comment on what’s happening right now. I think everyone needs to take a couple of deep breaths.”
She also requested people to abstain from sending harassment messages of threats to anyone, while requesting everyone to act like good human beings.
