What can be said of the kind of people who make a rock star out of a terrorist? And why should we care?

“Banality of evil” is a phrase that has become almost a cliche. How many times do we see interviews with neighbors and acquaintances of murderers, or other violent criminals, who express shock and dismay because they thought “he was just a quiet, nice guy”.

But there’s something more disturbing. And that’s when allegedly ‘normal’ people decide to get a tingle up their leg over someone they know is committing evil.

A Yemeni fighter with terrorists on a hijacked ship has gone viral for being the “hot Houthi pirate” — and even he is disgusted at the focus on his movie-star looks rather than his anti-Israel militancy.

While the Houthis capture ships in the Red Sea, 19-year-old Rashid Al Haddad has been capturing hearts on social media,