Why does Algeria's regressive mindset turn a harmless festival into an excuse to attack young people?
I genuinely don't understand why some Algerians feel the need to interfere in things that have absolutely nothing to do with them.
There was simply a yearly festival where young people could enjoy their hobbies and interests — anime, manhwa, gaming, cosplay, and other forms of entertainment. Instead of leaving people to enjoy themselves, some Algerian “content creators” and pages turned it into an opportunity to mock, insult, and publicly shame them.
And I'm not even talking about legitimate criticism. Criticism is one thing; stealing people's photos, reposting them without their permission, attaching disgusting captions to them, and insulting them personally is something completely different.
The saddest part is that some people seem to think that because a photo is available online, they have the right to use it however they want. They don't.
Take the girl in the photo as an example. Her picture has been circulating across different platforms accompanied by some extremely degrading and disgusting titles. People are turning an ordinary young person attending a festival into a target for thousands of strangers to laugh at and insult.
And people should remember that the person being targeted has a family. Her father, for example, could potentially take legal action if her image and dignity have been unlawfully exploited or defamed. The fact that something happens online doesn't automatically make it consequence-free.
What bothers me most isn't even whether someone likes anime, cosplay, gaming, or the way other people dress. You don't have to like any of it.
But why does someone else's hobby or appearance give you the right to humiliate them?
If you don't like the festival, don't go.
If you don't like cosplay, don't cosplay.
If you don't like anime, don't watch it.
Just mind your own business.
We seriously need to distinguish between having an opinion and publicly humiliating people for entertainment.