WHY DO WE STAY SILENT – Performative Activism
- Rahel Cela BEHAR
- 1 gün önce
- 3 dakikada okunur
Elie Wiesel said in his Nobel Peace Prize speech:"Whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation, I swore never to remain silent… Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. I will never remain silent wherever people suffer."
Hello dear friends,
Today, as I sat at the keyboard, the first thought that came to mind was this: why do we, as thinking beings, sometimes—or even most of the time—stay silent? Why do we hesitate to speak out against injustice, or even sometimes side with the wrongdoer? This has always bothered me deeply in life, even made me angry.
There have been times when I was disappointed even by people I trusted and loved, and I kept repeating the saying: “Have the mountains I trusted now been covered with snow?”
Now that I’ve grown older, I’ve gotten used to this behavior, I’ve accepted it. I’ve learned that people will do a lot for even the smallest personal gain, or, if they have no interest, they will stay silent just to avoid trouble, or to follow invisible rules imposed by society. In my youth, this used to make me sick—but now I have accepted it, because unfortunately, our world is this way. The pain it causes has hardened over time, and I’ve realized that most people choose to stay silent.
Of course, I’ve grown not just physically but also emotionally. Over the years, I’ve read, watched, and seen that this is not a problem limited to people like you or me, with small worlds. The world often stays silent, not sometimes, but generally. Powerful nations and political agendas stay silent about disasters and suffering outside their own interests, leaving the unlucky people living in those regions alone to face pain and tragedy.
Many years ago, when I read my favorite book by Elie Wiesel, I learned how the world—especially America—remained largely silent during the Holocaust. He emphasized again and again that silence encourages the oppressor and that people cannot ignore suffering.
How did I get to these thoughts? I saw on Instagram people in Iran mourning over body bags laid out on the streets. I watched it over and over, thinking it might be AI—but it wasn’t. Thousands of body bags on the streets were real.
For example:
Iran: Freedom of expression and the press is restricted, women’s rights are violated (mandatory hijab, inequality), political opponents and activists are arrested, sometimes tortured or executed. Minority groups (e.g., Kurds, Baha’is) face oppression.
Iraq: Torture and arbitrary arrests, especially targeting Shia, Sunni, and Yazidi communities; armed groups; violence and discrimination against women.
Syria: Serious human rights violations against civilians due to war.
Yemen: Civilians face extreme violence due to conflict, health and food crises, children used as soldiers, discrimination and violence against women.
Some African countries:
Sudan: Attacks on protesters, arbitrary arrests, ethnic violence.
Somalia: Armed groups, violence against women and children, violations of education and health rights.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Armed conflicts, child soldier use, rape, and forced displacement.
Libya: Poor treatment of migrants and refugees, armed conflict, and torture.
All these issues share common patterns: violence against civilians due to war and armed conflicts; restriction of women’s rights and gender-based violence; discrimination against minorities; severe limitations on freedom of expression and the press; and mistreatment of migrants and refugees.
In the face of such situations, prominent activists like Greta Thunberg, Ammar al-Cooleney, Emma Watson, Gigi Hadid, Bella Ramsey, and others appear loudly on screens, yet where are they in response to all these global crises? Why do they remain silent? Is this a sincere stance, or is it just performative activism for visibility?
Wishing for a world that is more livable for all of us…
RahelÇela Behar
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