Liberal Bigotry of Low Expectations
How Western liberal elites undermine the principles of liberalism.
About ten years ago, I crossed the sea illegally to Europe, smuggling myself into the heart of Germany—Berlin. I arrived with many needs: the bigotries ingrained in me that needed to be challenged, hunger, pocket money, a longing for shelter, and a lack of clarity about what came next.
That first night, I found myself outside a refugee camp in Berlin, asking the security if I could stay there, at least for the night. After a brief discussion with the staff, they allowed me to come in and sleep on a blanket on the floor of a basketball hall.
That hall, near the Olympiastadion Berlin, would be my home for the next six months. As the days passed and the sun rose over the city, I began exploring my surroundings, discovering the history and vibrancy of Berlin.
One day, after lunch in the camp cafeteria, I noticed a poster on the wall that read, “Let’s Film Together Workshop.” My curiosity was piqued. I had always dreamt of creating something meaningful, taking a small step toward greatness and experiencing life's joyful moments.
So, I asked the camp staff if I could join the workshop, and that was where my journey began. It was my first introduction to the intellectual world—right through the left door of Germany.
There, I encountered many volunteers, a warm and welcoming community of people, most of them young women, and others who fell somewhere in between. For the first time in my life, I was genuinely confused about why these people were so eager to help me. I joined more than ten different organizations and groups working on migration matters from 2015 onwards.
But after three or four years, I started to challenge myself. I felt like I was growing wings, beginning to create my own content and forming my individuality. After spending quite a bit of time discovering myself and this complex city, I decided it was time to join a political party so I could have a louder voice and a broader impact.
Naturally, I leaned towards the leftist options available, and I joined the German Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen). I participated in street actions with them, but I quickly found myself uncomfortable with what I witnessed. I couldn’t accept the chaotic practice of sticking stickers on every wall and column as we marched through the streets—it felt like vandalism. Later, we gathered at a “Stammtisch,” a regulars’ table, to discuss our next steps and get to know one another.
When it was my turn to introduce myself, I shared my concerns, only to find them met with dismissive silence. People would glance away, avoiding my words, and quickly shift to other topics. I stayed with the party for about two weeks, enough time to realize that this was not for me.
It felt more like a cult, a nightmare for people like me. So, I carried on once more by myself, seeking out discussion circles and Berlin’s bars to “exchange ideas” with some of the friends I had made. I spoke openly about political Islam and the challenges of integration into German society. But whenever I tried to express my thoughts, my so-called friends—often white Western liberals —would jump in to “correct” me.
Once renowned for questioning its own beliefs, liberalism has the potential to evolve into a progressive movement that supports human rights and free expression, both of which are considered to be inalienable. But it appears that the modern liberal elite has held onto the idea of a cult that increasingly takes a simple, binary worldview of “us” and “them,” which is exactly what populism promotes.
I observed that these liberals were indifferent, discouraging, and then ignoring my criticism of vile Islamist ideology. They appeared to have taken offence at what I said. They said that I must have meant something different, that my words were poorly selected, and that I had good intentions but was simply misinformed.
Even at larger events, like state parliament discussions or press conferences, I would find well-meaning liberals interrupting to correct me, assuming I was incapable of forming my own opinions (not white enough). This behaviour was condescending at best and damaging at worst. It fosters trauma and low self-esteem, reducing people like me to mere tokens.
It didn’t take me long to realize that similar circumstances exist in US and UK politics, where liberal-leaning political parties have brutally turned against dissent in ethnic minorities in a betrayal of progress values.
The line between Muslims as people and Islamism as a vile political ideology has been blurred and manipulated by not only the religious fanatics but also the torchbearers of liberalism. The focus seems to have shifted from social cohesiveness to narrow and toxic identity politics, seemingly disregarding any discourse, policy, or discussion regarding the social and political integration of ethnic minorities and harmonious race relations.
This is blatant bigotry of low expectations. However, in a society founded on the values of free expression, how can this possibly be justified? I didn’t approve of it, and I don’t think anyone else needs the support of someone with a saviour complex policing dissidents’ thoughts and dictating what they can and cannot say.
Sadly, the liberal elite seems to have succumbed to the vile, racially motivated politics that prioritize rudimentary identitarianism over fostering cohesiveness and inclusiveness, turning liberal politics into some form of cosplay activism. The concerns of people who suffer in silence are compromised by these self-centred liberals who protect their own interests.
Perhaps the best favour they could offer the dissenting voices from ethnic minorities is to amplify them. They must step back and allow this much-needed dissent to take the lead if they truly want to make a difference. Don’t correct or infantilize someone; instead, let people express themselves freely. Under the pretense of multiculturalism, stop normalizing low standards and subtle racism against those courageous people who dare to change the status quo.
That horrible trait is a betrayal of liberalism’s long-standing commitment to anti-racism, social cohesion, and preservation of human rights. This should come as no surprise that many dissenters, myself included, have abandoned these liberal idols they no longer recognize.
However, moving away from liberalism shouldn’t be the ultimate divorce from it. Liberalism is not the property of these elite-class cosplay activists. Those of us whose ideas have found refuge in the core principles of liberalism need to reclaim it.
But this shouldn’t be breaking away with liberal values. These cosplay activists from the elite class are not the representatives of values and ethos nurtured by universal liberalism. It goes without saying that those of us whose beliefs have taken sanctuary in liberalism’s fundamental tenets, must reclaim it.
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