Hasan Abadi is a 26 year old artist from Nablus, Palestine, who like millions around the world has been horrified by the ill treatment of Syrian refugees in Hungary, both by government authorities, as well as by the nationalist right in general. The story of a female Hungarian television reporter, Petra László, kicking, tripping and otherwise physically assaulting Syrian children and parents at a makeshift camp in Röszke, has shocked tens of millions of people around the world. This is how Hungary looks like in 2015, to a young Palestinian artist.
Palestinian artist Hasan Abadi depicts Hungarian reporter Petra László physically assaulting Syrian children in Hungary.
The tragedy of Syrian refugees, as seen by Hasan Abadi. Remembering Alan Kurdi.
As Hungary’s already tattered image and reputation in the democratic world implodes, some ‘ordinary’ Hungarians are apologizing on behalf of their cruel, callous and fascistic government. This is evident on Mr. Abadi’s Facebook page, where his illustrations are spreading like wild fire among Hungarian social media users.
“I would like to state that Hungarians are people, and not monsters…Unfortunatelly the goverment doesn’t support those citizens who try to help [the refugees]. They give all these things selflessly from their own possessions. This is the true Hungary. These are the true Hungarian people,” writes one of Mr. Abadi’s Hungarian followers.
“This picture says it all… I feel ashamed for this “lady.” Please don’t judge Hungary based on just what you see, there are many volunteers out there doing everything to ease the pain and grief of the refugees,” remarks another.
“There are thousands of helpers and volunteers who do their best from their own time and money to make the transition more bearable for the refugees. Sorry for our government, and especially for our prime minister , shame on this journalist, but they are not representative of Hungarian people as a nation,” adds yet another Facebook user.
The Orbán government, since returning to power in 2010, has been preoccupied with its image and with eliminating any critiques of the Hungarian regime (by casting all those who dared to offer dissenting opinions as anti-Hungarian, treasonous and crypto-communist). Yet this time, Prime Minister Orbán and his supporters can hardly accuse “left-liberals” (the usual culprits) of spreading “venom” about the Fidesz government. No other Hungarian cabinet since 1990 has done so much to sully the nation’s image in the eyes of people from so many countries and backgrounds than the current regime. It will take a generation to wash off the shame.
