Selective empathy is white supremacy, 2022

29 x 42 cm

Text created with red ink using customized woodblocks printed on hot-pressed paper.

The ongoing war in Ukraine is deeply painful to witness. It exposes not only the suffering of those directly affected but also broader global injustices that continue to shape how some lives are valued over others.

Reflecting on my journey from Syria to Sweden, I recall experiences that, at times, felt even harsher than those in my home country. When the EU closed its borders, many of us were left stranded without food, water, or shelter for days. I was strip-searched by German police, beaten in France, and had my travel money confiscated in Austria. Each encounter reinforced the feeling that my life and body were subject to systems of power and prejudice.

These moments deeply affected my mental health. Having already escaped ISIS, survived regime threats, and lived through bombings, I was confronted again with violence, this time justified by my appearance and identity. Being brown, Arab, and perceived as “uncivilized” made me realize how racism and colonial hierarchies persist in shaping Europe’s borders.

Watching how the world opens its arms to some while closing its doors to others reveals the unequal ethics of empathy. My experience stands as a reminder of how discrimination operates not only through politics and war but through the quiet mechanisms of bureaucracy, perception, and privilege.