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SIMMONS VS. ZWICK IN ONGOING ‘DIAMOND’ BEEF: Rap mogul responds to latest comments from ‘Blood Diamond’ director.
*Russell Simmons is speaking out against recent comments made from filmmaker Ed Zwick, the director of Warner Bros’ new film “Blood Diamond.”
As previously reported, Zwick questioned Simmons’ positive reviews of the diamond industries following his recent fact-finding mission to South Africa and Botswana for his Simmons Jewelry Company. In a press conference held in New York after the trip, Simmons announced that the diamond business has done much to improve the lives of poor residents in the region.
In an interview with the New York Daily News, Zwick said the rap mogul is nothing more than a public relations puppet for the diamond industry, and disagreed with Simmons’ findings that the sale of conflict diamonds (which are used to fund wars) has dropped to less than 1%, since the Kimberley Process was introduced in 2003 to prevent illegal diamond trafficking.
"I find it embarrassing for Russell Simmons," Zwick told the newspaper. "That's a funky number. That number comes from diamonds that are mined in countries that are 'war-declared.' Conflict diamonds are also mined in countries where there is not a 'declared war.' If you want to know about conflict diamonds, you don't go to Botswana and South Africa. You go to Sierra Leone and Angola. … Russell Simmons is being embarrassed."
In response to Zwick’s comments, Simmons tells Allhiphop.com that “Blood Diamond” will ultimately hurt the diamond industry in Africa by scaring people away from purchasing legitimate diamonds.
“This is the arrogance of Warner Brothers pictures," Simmons told AllHipHop.com. "They were selfish self-centered, greedy and hurtful to the indigenous people of Africa. This messaging should have been changed after Nelson Mandela and other African Presidents asked Warner Brothers to change it. Period. I am going to continue to focus on the positive that can come out of this dialogue and work to help empower black Africa.”
Simmons was referring to a letter written by South African President Nelson Mandela, reminding Warner Bros. that some African countries were relying on the stones to rebuild their war torn countries, reports the Web site.
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