Algeria: Has Hypocrisy become Fashionable?

Algerian blogger Salim (Ar) reflects on hypocrisy and asks: Has hypocrisy become fashionable?

In a post entitled Gossip, Thanks to Hypocrisy, Salim asks:

ذاك الذي يضحك في وجهي و يسعد بتشويه صورتي عند الناس في ظهري ، هل يستمتع ؟ . و ذاك الذي يلعن أم الحكومة في غيابها و يضحك للشرطي في الطريق و يهتف للرئيس في جولته ، هل هو مستمتع ؟ . ذاك الذي ينصحني و يفكر في أمري و يشغل باله بي ، هل يفعل ما يفعله في ظهري ؟ ..

Do those who laugh in front of me and then tarnish my reputation behind my back have fun? And that who damns the government in private and laughs with the policeman on the street and chants for the president in his tours, does he enjoy it? And the one who advises me and thinks of my situation and concerns himself about me, does he also do that behind my back too?

His answers to those questions are:

لا، فور أن أعطيه ظهري، إن لم يلعن أمي كما لعن أم الحكومة، سيكرهني في نفسه رغم أنني و الله لا أفعل شيا يسبب كرهه لي . أصبح النفاق موضة، و أصبح الخبث موضة، و صار الخبيث من خيرة البشر، لأنه بدلا من المنافق صار يسمى الذكي، الذي يضحك في وجه كل الناس ليكسب حب الجميع، لكن الخبث خطأ، والخطأ يكشف في وقت من الأوقات، فلما الموضة من الأساس ..
No, as soon as I give him my back, he would either curse my mother, just as he cursed the government's mother. He would hate me, although I have not done anything to cause that. Hypocrisy has become fashionable just like all bad things. Bad people are now the best of people, and instead of calling them hypocrites, they are described as being intelligent. Those who laugh with everyone, gain people's love. But bad people are wrong and they drop their masks eventually. So why do they follow this fashion to begin with?

The blogger continues:

أعود للأسلة وهذه المرة سؤال بإجابته ..

بذمتك يا سليم، هل كنت سعيدا حقا أمس عندما تراقصت مع أصدقائك الستة الذين تحصلوا على البكالوريا ؟ كنت تقود بتهور و تشغل الموسيقى العالية و تصفق و تصرخ … وربي لم تسعد، كنت في هدوء صاخب، داخلك كان هادئا جدا باثر الحرقة .. على كل شيئ، و الصخب يملأ كل مكان حولك حتى جسمك ، من أيديك إلى أحبالك الصوتية المهتزة .. كم لوعة مرت عليها لتصرخ، إخراج كبت هو أم نفاق ؟؟

I am returning to asking questions, but this time my question will have an answer.

Seriously Salim, were you really happy yesterday when you danced with your six friends who had just obtained their Bachelors degrees? You were driving recklessly and playing the music at full blast, and clapping and screaming… By God, you weren't happy! You were in a chaotic silence. Inside, you were extremely silent while burning over everything… chaos was all around your body, from your hands to your vibrating vocal chords. How much pain have you gone through to scream so much? Were you venting off or was it hypocrisy?

Salim concludes:

أذا كان هذا نفاقا فمن الأكيد أن ذاك الذي يطعنك في ظهرك و ينافق الحكومة ليس مستمتعا ، لأنك أنت يا سليم حزين بنفاقك مع نفسك .. ومع الكل الذي لاحظ الحزن عليك ..

If this was hypocrisy, then no doubt those who stab you in the back and those who are hypocritical towards the government are not happy too because you, Salim, were sad that you were hypocritical towards yourself and with everyone who noticed your sadness.

Has hypocrisy become fashionable in your societies too? Join the conversation by commenting on this post.

2 comments

  • Mary Ker

    I think in every group of people, no matter where they live, there are those who are afraid to be who they are when they are in public, and those whose lives are less afraid and more genuine. Who you run into is, in large part, due to where you hang out, what activities you engage in, and what standards of behavior you require to consider someone your friend. If you look for good people, they are out there.

  • […] has plagued this country for so long.  For example, Algerian blogger Salim , questions whether hypocrisy has become fashionable in Algerian society because its citizens have for so long acted conciliatory toward the Algerian […]

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