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In a recent interview, Yara El-Ghadban (Palestinian-Canadian novelist, with a PhD in anthropology) made an interesting answer to this recurring question: by asking her “do you condemn Hamas?”, the interviewer was questioning her humanity, and she didn’t have to prove or justify her humanity.
I find this point of view interesting, because it turns the question on its head. Since the answer is obvious, what does it mean to ask this question, and why is it only asked of certain people?
It’s likely asked as a “gotcha” sort of question; a question that the asker is using to prove the answerer is on the side of the terrorists. There’s no nuance in that question.
It’s meant as a leading question to derail legitimate discussion.
In a recent interview, Yara El-Ghadban (Palestinian-Canadian novelist, with a PhD in anthropology) made an interesting answer to this recurring question: by asking her “do you condemn Hamas?”, the interviewer was questioning her humanity, and she didn’t have to prove or justify her humanity.
I find this point of view interesting, because it turns the question on its head. Since the answer is obvious, what does it mean to ask this question, and why is it only asked of certain people?
It’s likely asked as a “gotcha” sort of question; a question that the asker is using to prove the answerer is on the side of the terrorists. There’s no nuance in that question.
It’s meant as a leading question to derail legitimate discussion.
aka arguing in bad faith.
Pretty much like the “you pretend to have an ecological conscience but you have an iPhone and a car”.