Why 300+ Paid Subscribers Have Cancelled

And why I am doubling down on my human rights advocacy anyway

Dear Friends -

I need to write a brutally honest piece. Here’s the thing — I’ve been resolute since Day 1 to condemn Israel’s genocide on Palestinians, with detailed updates along the way citing every receipt and aspect of human rights law. I’ve raised my voice at every opportunity, in fact, during my last 15 years working in human rights law—and even before then. And I’ve especially elevated my platform these last three months as the assault on Gaza has reached beyond a breaking point. Let’s Address This.

Honesty requires me to show vulnerability, because after all my human rights advocacy is also my livelihood. Thus, today I can report that over these last 3 months, more than 300 paid subscribers have cancelled their subscriptions to my human rights newsletter, Let’s Address This with Qasim Rashid. Yes, 300+ Paid Subscribers, with a significant number of people citing my advocacy for Gaza as the reason.

When subscribers cancel, Substack asks them to share their reason for cancellation. Here is a screenshot of what former subscribers have shared.

Now, I have two options. One, I can either tone down my advocacy, maybe even eliminate it altogether. Perhaps that would better protect my livelihood.

Or two, I can do what’s right and unapologetically double down on my advocacy for universal human rights because it is the right thing to do, period.

So let me be absolutely clear to those who have cancelled their paid subscriptions due to my advocacy for universal human rights: Unsubscribe. Block. Cancel. Report. Call me names. Do whatever the hell it is you need to do.

I will not stop condemning the genocide committed by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people.

This is not about money. This is about humanity. Our collective humanity.

I am a human rights lawyer. I am a human being. And I will not be silent in the face of injustice, no matter the cost. I am proud to stand on the right side of history with millions of people—Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, people of all faiths and no faith—for the sake of justice. Just as I unapologetically spoke up for the children of Israel on 10/7, I unapologetically speak up for the children of Palestine, just as I would speak up for my own children. Why? Because as the great James Baldwin once said, “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.” Likewise, the Torah and Qur’an both embrace this beautiful teaching that “To kill one person is to kill all humanity, but to save one life is to save all humanity.”

Children are starving to death. Our basic morality is on the line. And we cannot fail this moral test. We cannot afford the price of silence.

Thus, I seek support only from people committed to universal human rights, never from those who think money buys my silence on genocide. So, to the naysayers I say unapologetically—do your worst. It will not faze me, it will not slow me down, and it absolutely will not stop me from speaking up for justice for Palestine.

And lastly, to the politicians issuing empty statements that "starvation is bad, we should do something," yet refusing to even acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, they should stop funding the war criminal Netanyahu enforcing the starvation—please know that your empty statements are useless and you remain complicit in this genocide. “Never again” demands action, otherwise its an empty and meaningless slogan. Either do something, or resign and let someone with actual courage lead.

Stop the genocide. Stop the war crimes. Stop the starvation. FREE PALESTINE.

Sincerely,

Qasim

P.S. To those who have remained as paid subscribers, please know I have immense gratitude to you for your trust, sincerity, and generosity. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing up with courage and solidarity in this critical moment. ✊🏽

And finally, for those seeking to support my human rights advocacy—with the knowledge that I will always unapologetically speak up for the human dignity of every person on Earth—I earnestly welcome your support. And I invite you to subscribe for free or for a cup of coffee a month at the link below. Much love to you all. ❤️