Dubai: Cyber bullying is among the factors that triggered depression in the Moroccan actress Wiam Al Dahmani.
Wiam, a TV presenter, singer and actress, was found dead on Monday by her mother in her hotel room in Abu Dhabi. The hotel had made many attempts to reach her, but she did not respond. Her mother was then called. She entered the room to find Wiam had died. Police said she had died of a cardiac arrest. She was 34. Wiam was buried in Abu Dhabi.
In her last interview, Wiam spoke about her depression. She said how thoughts of committing suicide kept coming to her. The actress, who was in tears, explained that she could not take the mean and negative comments from people on social media. She said social media users make a celebrity’s life unbearable.
Mariam Hussain, a friend of Wiam and a celebrity, shared her grief on Snapchat. She blamed many social media users for the death of Wiam. “I cannot believe Wiam is dead. She recently told me that she was very tired and depressed, and could not bear the negative comments by people on her social media accounts.”
Mariam addressing cyber bullies said: “Your words and comments can torment a person. And as your negative comments and fake stories mount, suicidal ideas become a solution. Watch your words.”
Another celebrity Lojain Omran posted on her Snapchat saying that Wiam had recently closed comments on her social media accounts because of the cyber bullying that made her depressed. Lojain said Wiam’s depression and death reminded her of American actor Robin Williams, who struggled with depression throughout much of his adult life.
Ahlam, a popular Emirati singer, posted on Instagram: Wiam rest in peace. In minutes, trolls came after Ahlam, asking why she was condoling the Moroccan actress, criticising Wiam for the way she dressed and carried herself, which violated decent norms of living. Ahlam then blocked these users and said she was surprised at the cruelty of people that they did not spare a young woman even in death or respect her family’s grief.
Marwa Ratib, a Syrian actress popular in the UAE, posted a video where she was seen crying and defending her friend of Wiam. She had the heart of a child, she was very kind. Wiam was a devout person. “You are judging someone you don’t know.”
Wiam apparently was preparing to present a show this Ramadan
- Wiam made her Bollywood debut with Ishq Khuda, which was released in 2013. She had acted in a few other Pakistani films, including Hotal and Hijrat.
- She lived in Dubai and was known for being able to speak and sing in Hindi. She hosted many TV programmes related to Bollywood movies and worked as a talk-show presenter, on Zee Aflam, an India-based satellite television channel based in Dubai.
- Wiam had also released an Arabic music video, titled Ahlan Wa Sahlan (Welcome), which was shot in Chennai in south India. Reports say she was preparing to present a show this Ramadan.
