Don't be quick to judge when advocating advocacy

There has been chatter on social media (and also other media) of people calling on others to shun influential people who aren’t publicly anti-Israel.

Apparently, if you are in the public sphere and have a popular social media presence, you are obligated to and must show some kind of support for Palestine, and some form of anger and disgust toward Israel.

I have seen postings on Facebook, X, and Instagram stating things like “Let’s boycott celebrities and artists who keep quiet about the atrocities happening in Palestine!” or “Name and shame those who don’t use their platforms to fight for Palestine”.

Why do these people want to dictate how a person uses their social media or even what they want to express?

I am not against freedom of expression but I do think that people have a right of their own whether or not they want to express their opinions, thoughts, ideas, or actions.

So why is there a need for compulsion? Why the need to force people to do certain things that they don’t want to do? Are they not allowed to do anything they want?

This is also the same issue with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement calling for boycotts of companies linked to Israel. I am okay with the movement and also with the people who decide that this is their calling to take action.

However, I am not okay with the people who feel that everyone must partake in this boycott and if they don’t, they deserve a special place in hell.

Personally, as much as I agree with boycotts as a form of expression, choice, and activism, I don’t agree that this is the right move for the current Israel-Palestine issue.

As you can see in Malaysia, businesses are suffering and locals are losing jobs because of the boycott. But is the war coming to an end? I hardly see any effect on the actual ceasing of violence.

But as I said, it’s okay, because probably the boycott is one of the many things that can be done, and cumulatively, will bring a halt to the war and violence.

I may argue with the boycott, but I won’t insist that they should stop all their boycott nonsense because I do recognise that it is their right to express and make their own choice.

We need to realise that different people do different things to the best of their abilities and capabilities. We are all in different situations, stages and contexts in our lives, and we can only do so much.

There have been situations where people come to me and criticise me for not boycotting certain businesses and saying that I don’t care, and this irritates me.

How do you know that I don’t care? Do I need to make it public if I do care? Maybe I should criticise these people for not caring enough because all they are doing is refraining from buying a burger or a cup of latte when they could be doing more.

Have they been to the Palestinian refugee camps at the borders of Palestine such as in Lebanon and Jordan?

Well, I have and I have tried my best as a journalist to highlight these stories and issues throughout my career to create more awareness. That is my ability and capability, which dictates what I can do for the plight.

Do I have to make this public every time someone criticises me? I don’t think I need to prove it. And yes, I do see the irony of now stating this in my article. Sorry.

Everyone does things differently

My point is that we shouldn’t discount anybody’s efforts when it comes to anything. Even the smallest effort such as putting a sticker on their car or stating a word of support or condemnation on their Facebook profile is a positive action.

Everyone can play a role that will hopefully collectively contribute to something better. So do not discount the different actions that people take or not.

This is because we do not know what their real situation is and they may be doing their best already. So we shouldn’t be quick to judge people, or worse yet, to urge others to judge people too.

Yes, please continue to advocate and be vocal, but the advocacy does not have to include compulsion, judgment or condescension. Just remember that people have a right to do what they want and you can’t force them otherwise.

With all this being said, one of the most important things that must happen is that people need to understand the issues and if they support the cause, do it with knowledge and understanding.

Supporting issues blindly can be dangerous because it could lead to obsession and extremism. And compulsion of beliefs and opinions can lead to that. - Mkini

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ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.