EK radicalized me more than Hasan did

I've always been a lefty. Used to joke I’d end up a hippie grandma one day.

Started watching H3 during COVID. Didn’t always agree, but whatever — it was entertainment. An American show. As a Muslim living in Germany, a lot of it didn’t feel directly relevant. I noticed some Islamophobic vibes here and there, but brushed it off. Like Hasan says — it’s so normalized now, you assume people don’t really mean it. And hey, AB and Lena are Arab Muslims. They wouldn’t work there if Ethan was actually racist or Islamophobic, right?

And all the internet drama? Seemed like trash TV. Dumb, sometimes too much, but harmless. Not the real world.

But post-COVID, it’s clear: this shit does impact the real world. Influencers have helped push people rightward faster — and it’s not just drama or “bad takes” anymore. It's politics, it's culture, it's laws. Everywhere.

I used to believe in bridging the gap — talk it out, good faith, strong values. Be the kind of person who quietly proves Muslims aren’t all conservative or radical. Just show up, work, help out, volunteer — live with empathy. Peace and love, right?

But I’ve watched people like Ethan and others — they don’t engage in good faith. They say whatever with no consequences. And their audiences? Vile. Dehumanizing. Acting like migrants should be grateful for every crumb. Like we should stay quiet just to avoid being labeled “dangerous.”

I’m so tired.

My family lived through colonization. We carry generational trauma. People worked their asses off to rebuild. And now we’re told we need to smile and nod through injustice so we don’t seem “too much”?

I’m done.

I’ve helped people who now vote for right-wing parties. People who don’t give a damn what they’re enabling, as long as their lives stay comfortable.

So no — I’m not “meeting in the middle” anymore. F* that. Go die on your hill. Build your wall. Let the rest of us live in peace.

We have the internet. There's no excuse for willful ignorance anymore. If you're committed to your brain rot, fine — just keep it to yourself. But don’t expect empathy from me. If you vote for hate, I don’t want anything to do with you.

EK taught me something: compassion alone doesn’t win. Colonization didn’t end with niceness. Nazi Germany wasn’t stopped by hugging it out.

So stop wasting compassion on people who enable hate — whether they're actively supporting it or too cowardly to speak up. Use that energy to build strong communities. Lift up good people.

And for the rest? Shame them. Call them out. Trash the ones who empower fascists — either with votes or silence.

Let them know: if they want to be part of something good, they need to change. Otherwise, let them rot in the toxic cesspool they built — same way capitalism is killing itself.

What Hasan’s doing — engaging with right-leaning people online — is very important and still necessary. It plants seeds.

But honestly? It’s too slow. These people need more than gentle debate. They need to be dragged, shamed, and exposed before another million people end up imprisoned, enslaved, or worse.

TL;DR: Compassion isn’t enough. I’m done playing nice with people who help the far right win — actively or passively. Build strong communities, shame the enablers, and don’t waste energy trying to “reach” people who don’t want to be reached.