Your Mother, Your Savior: The Insane Story of Achraf Hakimi

 Well, what do we have here? I know I'm writing about someone's getting divorced, but this is juicy, considering the economical implication that emerged from this divorce proceedings. As we all know, the family court system, at least in the Western hemisphere, heavily favors women when it comes to divorce, custody disputes, even alimonies. Men are left with almost little to nothing, even if the other side is deemed incapable of sustaining themselves should the court ruled in the women's favor. And this has happened too many times than I can remember.

 

            But over in France, some news about a Moroccan footballer being divorced by his Spanish wife has made the headlines of every social media site and any news sites in that regard, and the news can only be as juicy as it gets. Before diving into the news, let's get to know both parties. The man in this story is Achraf Hakimi, a Moroccan footballer who currently plays his football at Paris Saint Germain of France, and a member of the famous 2022 Morocco squad who secured 4th place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was the one who scored the winning penalty to send Spain packing from the tournament, ensuring his team's spot at the quarterfinals. What makes his case unique is he might have Moroccan citizenship, but he was actually born in Madrid, Spain, and spent majority of his youth career inside the Real Madrid Academy. Despite this, he qualified for Morocco due to his parental heritage, both parents are Moroccan. 

 

            And on the opposite side we have Hiba Abouk, full name Hiba Aboukhris Benslimane (this is a Spanish naming custom, the paternal name is listed first, followed by the maternal name). She is 12 years senior of Hakimi and is known in her homeland as an actress. She is a Spanish citizen of Libyan and Tunisian descent. It also important to highlight that due to the age discrepancies, Hakimi was 18 years of age when he married Abouk. Despite the fact, the couple welcomed two sons. 

 

            And now, let's get to the context of this story. It all started when Hakimi was accused of attempted sexual harassment of a 24-year-old woman, an accusation that is serious, yet still not been proven. Knowing the news, Abouk filed for divorce and demanded half of Hakimi's fortunes, since he has a net worth of about US$ 24 Million. Remember, the family court system heavily favors women over men, and with sexual harassment allegation at play, Abouk would surely be granted most if not half of her husband's fortunes, as well as full custody over their sons. But Hakimi on the other hand, had other ideas. Yes, he is paid a hefty sum of money playing for PSG, one of the biggest football clubs in France, but 80% of his wages, as well as his other assets are registered UNDER HIS MOTHER'S NAME. And this is done way before the scandal broke out. What initially thought would be an easy trial then went south for Abouk, as Hakimi is deemed "broke" according to the law. Hell, if the laws are similar, Hakimi should be the one who benefited from this, as she is now richer than him in light of this revelation. As it turns out Hakimi and his mother have a close relationship, as evidenced by their interaction back in Qatar, as well as other Moroccan players. 

 

            And from this fact, Hakimi's case went viral in a short time. Most men on various social media apps praised the move, claiming that Hakimi had "broke the matrix" and he "rewrite the playbook" when it comes to divorce proceedings. But all he did was something a loving son would do to his mother: make her happy and proud. On the other hand, the radical feminists were seething mad, calling him "mommy's boy" as if it was a bad thing. In the Arab World, as well as in the Islamic culture, it is seen as a good sign if someone is having a close, loving relationship with their mother. As one of the sayings said, "The paradise is located beneath a mother's foot". even the Prophet Muhammad PBUH stressed the importance of a mother's unconditional love. As it would be a savior of someone during the Judgement Day. 

            

            And in the end, not even the most beautiful women or the most notorious gold diggers can persuade a man to abandon his mother. Just because the man is already married, his mother can be neglected all at once. From Achraf Hakimi we learn that no matter how old we are and how successful we are, our mother would still view us as "her baby child". To all the mothers out there reading this, know that this story would serve as a wholesome reminder that in this hectic world, a mother's love remains unconditional.

Lolcows: The Biggest Source of Internet Cringe

         When you surfed on the Internet for an extended period of time, you probably will encounter several internet personalities or celebrities who are famous for plethora of things, whether their personality, their likeability, or their sense of humor. Some of them are also known to be the biggest laughingstock of the world wide web, they themselves being totally oblivious of the fact. These types of people are easily discoverable on every corner of the web, mostly on social medias, and people can't help but to witness their degeneracy as the means of boosting internet clout. 

 

            There is a term that would describe these people perfectly, and the term in question is "lolcows". It borrows its own term from "cow", which is a farmstock animal typically raised for the milk to be harvested. And from this definition, a lolcow is a type of person on the internet who is gullible and highly exploitative, typically trolled in regular basis with the means of producing cringeworthy content or to divulge embarrassing information to be weaponized against them just for fun without them realizing it for one bit. In short, lolcows are more or less like a "cash cow", but instead of monetary revenue, the internet is spoiled with funny, mostly cringe content generated by some people who are unaware that they are being manipulated, often extensively. 

 

            There is a big rift when it comes to lolcows and those who are presented as a legitimate comedian on the web. Comedians tend to plan their contents carefully, accounting for their viewer base, and are doing it willingly. Lolcows on the other hand, are trying to present themselves as a serious creator, but inexplicably ended up producing content that are instead perceived to be unintentionally hilarious, despite the creator's initial direction.

 

            When it comes to the world-renowned lolcows, Chris Chan immediately sprung up to mind. Since he is the most documented person on the internet, if not the world, every move he did is meticulously recorded, including his (mis)adventures of finding his true love, even if it means that he must post videos or contents with compromising materials, or his full-blown delusions about the animated dimension and the real world being merged together. From the discovery of his Sonichu comics to his arrest and subsequent incarceration for incest, everything and anything that he has ever done was meant to be on a serious note, but alas, the internet never gave its two cents, and instead presented him as the biggest buffoon ever lived. When it comes to the epitome of a lolcow, Chandler is the first person come into mind.

 

            Lolcows of this caliber tend to perceive everything according to their viewpoints only and dismissing what the outside world said about them. This then, created a perfect recipe for internet disaster, as more people inevitable came to their contact, and ended up getting trolled relentlessly. One particular person who also fits this category other than Chris Chan, is the man named Chance Wilkins, or Cyrax as known to the Internet. To say that Cyrax and Chandler is alike if not one of the same is an understatement. While Chandler is autistic and has a big obsession of becoming a comic book artist, Cyrax on the other hand, is deluded enough to think that he is a famous rapper, while in reality, he is a 30-ish year old, 5 feet (1.52 meters) tall, rage-filled man-child known as a plagiarist, sexual assaulter, a pedophile, and a narcissist. Why a plagiarist? Well, his own music catalogue, even his own stage name is nothing but stolen materials from other artists. His obsession with fame in the music industry is the main reason why this man is known as the lolcow of the year after Chandler's incarceration. Trolls use this to enable his fantasies and manipulating him extensively. His appearance on its own is more likely a result of several physical deformities, like progeria. It is also rumored that he may have a condition called cleidocranial dysplasia, where certain bones in the body don't develop. He is also born with one kidney and developed lung issues. These deformities, either physically or mentally, are mainly stemmed by his parents, specifically his mother's alcohol addiction by the time of Cyrax's conception. Some might say that both of his parents are intellectually disabled. 

 

            I don't know how others would react, but the mukbang genre of YouTube can also produce gold when it comes to a lolcow being loose on the Internet. Case in point, the big, fat, ugly mess that is Nikocado Avocado. For years, hundreds and thousands of eyes watched the evolution (in this case, an evolution going in reverse) of this former vegan and a skilled violinist from a relatively healthy man to an obese degenerate who does nothing but gorging himself on fast food in large quantities and screaming and wailing like a middle-aged woman with a midlife crisis. Watching his mukbang videos is bizarre enough, and the fact that he also operates an OnlyFans account doesn't help his case. Some lolcows that fit this description are also known for their love-hate relationship with fans and trolls alike. Just look at Amberlynn Reid. What this lady have done is starting a YouTube channel to document her weight loss journey, but quickly devolved into a mukbang channel, plus all the stuff that she did that incurred the wrath of the Internet. It seems like there is a cycle of some sort when it comes to this woman's whole content. She started by promising to try a new diet plan, then subsequently abandon it, and when confronted, she spewed lies after lies to present herself as the victim of her own laziness. What makes her a lolcow in this sense is the presence of enablers-who are her own friends and girlfriends-further stroking her planetary-sized ego (and body).

 

            Egotism, it seems can contribute to someone being labeled on the Internet as a lolcow, as their strong sense of entitlement trumps all of their strong points, making them susceptible for trolling and online harassment. Some of the can be outright creepy. One instance of this is someone by the name of Daniel Larson. This Denver, Colorado native is actually a schizophrenic man known for his TikTok escapade, as well as his rather unusual behavior, particularly towards underage girls on the platform. Hell, he once had a ridiculous amount of underage smut material, and nonchalantly confess it to the internet. Talk about being bold and outright dumb at the same time. As with Cyrax, Larson is also highly delusional about being a famous musician, always convinced that he is a big-time celebrity, but in reality, the trolls only engage with him to enable his fantasies and ultimately humiliate himself without him even realize it for one bit.

 

            In short, lolcows are those type of people who are oblivious to the fact that their presence on the internet is nothing more than a subject of amusement for trolls to indulge. They might present themselves as serious and factual, but all the trolls see is jokes and pranks written all over them. These people would still engage themselves on the internet, sometimes to the point of being terminally online, just to be played and manipulated upon by the other, not-so-friendly internet users. For those of you who are writing this, let's assess your life, take a break from the internet, and please, for the love of God, socialize outside more. It helps yourself and your mental wellbeing.

Amos Yee: From Activist to a Total Creep

 (Warning: Distressing references ahead)

 

            Here I am, on the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan as per time of writing, writing about some Singaporean guy who ran his mouth so bad, he caused multiple headaches across two different countries. You see, as per my stance across multiple pieces of article, freedom of speech is an essential part of a functioning society. Without freedom of speech, any discourse would simply be obsolete, as the top majorities be it big government or big tech that would dictate the society's school of thought. But I must iterate something here. While freedom of speech is encouraged, it doesn't shield you from the consequences that it may cause. We've seen how it would turn out with those LGBT discourses being slammed and condemned due to its main target audiences, i.e., underage kids.

 

            When it comes to the region of Southeast Asia, the region I proudly call home, the notion of freedom of speech is quite grey to say the least, as some countries have varying degrees of control of speech. In Singapore, these rights are restricted to some degree as Singaporeans are not protected against government-sanctioned surveillance and varying constrictions of credible opposition parties' growth in terms of freedom of expression, assembly, and association, while also guaranteeing the rights of peaceful assembly without arms. 

 

            And from this country too, came a former child actor turned social commentator turned online creep named Amos Yee. He was born Amos Yee Pang Sang, on the 31st of October 1998, just two years younger than yours truly. He was initially raised a Catholic, but then turned to Atheism after he was kicked out of his congregation. Back then, he was known as a child actor with esteemed accolades, as evidenced with his award-winning short film Jan, which is a "self-written, self-directed film" he made when he was 13 years of age. The film was so successful, Singaporean filmmaker Jack Neo took Yee under his wing and offered him an internship, as well as an audition offer to Neo's film, We Not Naughty, which revolved around juvenile delinquency. And from his foray with Neo, young Amos Yee continued to the path of satirical comedy, or as we call it in Indonesia, "Cliff-edge comedy" (komedi tepi jurang). Hell, prior to his first scandal, he already uploaded several videos on his YouTube channel detailing various subjects, most notably abut Singapore's ban on same homosexuality and his decision to drop out of school to focus on his YouTube career. 

 

            And in 2015, Amos Yee's first entanglement with law happened on 28 March. To better explain the context, five days prior, Singapore lost its first Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew after a bout against severe pneumonia. Naturally, the entire city-state mourned the departure of the esteemed statesman, who was the first ever Prime Minister along with Yusof bin Ishak acting as the first President after Singapore's involuntary independence from Malaysia in 1965. Everyone was saddened by the news, everyone except Amos Yee. The jack-butt had the audacity to post a nine-minute video tarnishing LKY's legacy, calling him a "horrible person", an "awful leader" and the most heinous of all, a "dictator but managed to fool most of the world to think he was democratic". He even challenged Mr. Lee's son and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The video itself resulted in more than 30 police calls, and even after that, Yee doubled down by producing and publishing a picture depicting Prime Minister Lee doing an intimate act on former British Prime Minister Margaret "The Iron Lady" Thatcher. He was arrested and charged with three counts of harassment, based on his video essays and his obscene picture. He was initially released on bail with condition of he must not post any content while the case is still ongoing which he breached by posting two blog posts. From this case, he was sentenced to 4 weeks imprisonment and the bail was set at SG$ 10.000.

 

            His second case was a blasphemy case. It all started on 27 November 2015 when he addressed Businessman Alvin Cheng's comments about terrorism and proceeded to mock the religion of Islam. This resulted in another arrest and another incarceration, this time for six weeks. While serving his jail time, he was visited by US-based Singaporean activist Melissa Chin and by her own admission, provided Yee with documents needed for Amos to flee the country to the States. In December 2016, Amos Yee fled to the United States via Chicago O'Hare Airport to seek political asylum. Shortly after his arrival, he was detained by the Immigration and spent his 9 months pending his asylum status in two places, those being McHenry County Jail in Illinois and Dodge County Detention Facility in Wisconsin. By doing this, he also breached another Singaporean law, this time about compulsory military service for Singaporean men when he turned 18 years of age. Singapore is one of few countries like the two countries in the Korean Peninsula, as well as Finland to have mandatory military conscription for their citizens over the age of 18. 

 

            You may think that Amos Yee's shenanigans in his home country is dangerous enough, but in the US, he became something more sinister: an advocate for pedophilia. In November 2017, he uploaded three videos on YouTube, all discussing his views in favor of grown adults initiating intimate advances on minors. This time, the banhammer was swift, those videos eventually got all of his social media accounts banned and his Harvard invitation rescinded. And to put a cherry on top of this filth-infested cake, he was arrested in Illinois in October 2020 on state charges of solicitation and possession of child pornography after an allegation of him exchanging risqué contents and messages with a 14-year-old Texas girl. He was denied internet access during custody and his bail was set on US$ 1 Million. He initially plead not guilty to the charges in November 2020, he eventually accepted a plea deal in late 2021 in exchange of a six-year incarceration, with the implication of deportation, denied future entries to the US and ultimately denied of naturalization as a U.S. citizen. If he would be deported, he still has to face the charge of draft evasion by fleeing to America, and in turn, failed to report for enlistment in the first place, a crime that carries up to 3 years in prison and a SG$10.000 fine under Singaporean law. 

 

            When it comes to someone like Amos Yee, this is the case of someone testing the limits of freedom of speech and its implications, while at the same time, toying with the notion that nothing is off limits, even if it means that some parts of their statement might be detrimental to their own well-being as well as others surrounding them. Yes, freedom of speech is highly encouraged in this day and age, but as like other forms of expression, every statement has its consequences. And by guaranteeing freedom of speech doesn't guarantee freedom of consequences either. For Amos Yee, for all of the stuff that you've done, I hope you find peace for yourself.