HasanAbi Has Been Banned From Twitch For The Third Time
Another one bites the dust as HasanAbi has become the latest streamer to banned from Twitch, only it's for something a bit more serious than harassing himself in Minecraft, unlike another unlucky streamer. The 30-year-old caused a storm on the internet following his repeated use of the word "cracker" and the result has caused him to banned from the Amazon-owned platform for a third time.
It's been a hectic few days for Hasan "HasanAbi" Piker. Following on from his explosive comments during a stream on December 12, the internet has been abuzz with the debate about the use of the word "cracker" and whether it's an appropriate term.
However, Twitch has made its stance on the word very clear, as HasanAbi has now been banned. Reportedly, this is due to his repeated use of the word and his defence as to why he should be allowed to say it.
Why Was HasanAbi Banned From Twitch?
HasanAbi was hosting a stream on December 12 when a fan on his chat called him out for using the word "cracker" continuously. Some commentators claimed that the word is a form of 'anti-white racism', but HasanAbi slammed their criticisms. In the clip, which has since been taken down, HasanAbi reportedly said: "Stop crying about this f*cking term. Recognise the person who’s calling you a f*cking cracker is literally powerless. Sorry, it’s just the truth. They’re doing it as someone who has been historically oppressed, blowing off steam. You can see it’s infantilising or whatever the f*ck, but that’s reality." (Thanks, Dexerto)
The comments caused the social media to erupt with debate, some supporting HasanAbi's views while others not so much. As the stream gathered more attention, it wasn't long before HasanAbi announced that he had been banned from Twitch for the third time. The streamer claimed that the reason why was because of using an 'anti-white racist term'.
The word "cracker" has passed the lips of numerous streamers as a name thrown towards their rivals in a game. However, the actual meaning of the word and whether it can be acceptable to use in 2021 has sparked a wave of heated debate. But, what does it actually mean? Well, according to historian Jelani Cob via npr, the word "was used to refer to poor whites, particularly those inhabiting the frontier regions of Maryland, Virginia and Georgia. It is suspected that it was a shortened version of "whip-cracker," since the manual labour they did involved driving livestock with a whip (not to mention the other brutal arenas where those skills were employed.)"
HasanAbi Twitch Ban: Fans React
HasanAbi's ban has only gone to add fuel to the fire surrounding the debate, with fans on both sides of the argument. One fan who was offended by the streamer's comments said: "White people who never owned a slave, let alone "cracked a Black person with a whip", definitely don't like being called a slave owner. That's incredibly insulting and disgusting."
However, another who disagreed with the Twitch ban said: "As a woman who lived through gamergate and basically the birth of social media itself, I am shocked at how the only racism that gets immediately struck down without years and years of begging is "white" racism." Some of HasanAbi's fellow streamers also took to Twitter to show support for their peer. For example, Minecraft enthusiast and Content Creator of the Year "Dream" showed his support, despite the duo's previous feud, by posting a clip in which he has used the term "cracker" multiple times and, as of yet, has received no repercussions.
There's no word as of yet as to when HasanAbi could be allowed to return to Twitch. However, he claims he will be still be making an appearance on one of Kaitlyn "Amouranth" Siragusa's streams on December 16 as well as joining Ludwig "Ludwig" Ahgren for some gingerbread house building.
