“It makes me really sad how some people are so helplessly ignorant and mean. Mohid had to go through so much just because his account was hacked. Even though he apologized to everyone for what was sent to them by the hacker, to make matters worse these kids bullied him. The worst part is that this happened months ago and the fact that they have been bullying him since is just shocking. Do they not have anything better to do rather than constantly torture a poor kid like that? These very people will then go on their Instagram story and post about mental health awareness and how ‘my dms are open to you’ while all along they are in fact the perpetrators and the problem. They bullied an autistic kid for months and now they need to face the consequences. Repost these stories as much as you guys can and start a conversation about bullying in this country because it is not talked about enough.”

I wrote this not knowing the severity of the situation because I hadn’t seen the screenshots and I didn’t really understand the severity of the situation. I only knew what i was told. In the next two hours much changed. I talked to Zain (Mohid’s brother) in detail, got the facts of the situation and then I read the screenshots, all of them, and couldn’t begin to understand how Mohid must’ve felt. I am writing this now because I want the facts to be out there.
Mohid is autistic. Mohid was bullied. This whole situation was traumatic for Mohid. He is only human. He is only a child. I want Mohid to know that yes he has had to go through a lot but he started a conversation about something that wasn’t talked about enough. We are his voice. Someone said to me social media is powerful, yes it most certainly is but it also has a short attention span. Things blow over, people forget what happened because it’s not trending, so it’s not relevant. To all those reading though, maybe after a few days there may not be threads of posts like this but remember that this still happened and this is not the first time neither will it be the last.

A lot of the people who bullied Mohid texted me making pointless excuses like, ‘we did not know he was autistic’ ‘we did not say anything too offensive’ ‘I did not participate in the conversation’. Firstly, not knowing that he is a special needs child does not at all justify bullying. The rule is simple: don’t bully. Secondly, we read the vile language you used in the group chat and all the things you said to him and so you definitely were offensive. Finally, being a bystander is almost as bad as being the perpetrator. Thus, nullifying any justification you have to make for yourself.

Don’t let this kid speaking up about his experience go in vain. Just as they used the internet and social media to torment a child, we will together ensure that these people are held accountable and have to face the consequences for their action through internet itself. We will be the positive change this world needs. Do your part. Educate. Call out. Never stand by. Be the change you want to see, we are the revolution.

By Maheen Elahi

#StandWithMohid #WeAreTheRevolution #BeBetterDoBetter