Nur Nasreen recalls being 'humiliated, gaslit, targeted' during time in 'Patriot Act'

Pakistani producer shared her ordeal of working in the Hassan Minhaj starrer Netflix talk show

After two years of being on Netflix with a total of 40 episodes, Hasan Minhaj's weekly talk show the Patriot Act was canceled. Minhaj in a twitter post on Tuesday announced that the show will not return for a seventh season.

“What a run,” he wrote. “Patriot Act has come to an end. I got to work with the best writers, producers, researchers, and animators in the game. My two babies were born and grew up with the show. Thank you to Netflix and everyone who watched. Now it’s time to return these screens to Best Buy,” said Minhaj.

What a run. @patriotact has come to an end. I got to work with the best writers, producers, researchers, and animators in the game. My 2 babies were born and grew up with the show. TY to @Netflix and everyone who watched. Now it’s time to return these screens to Best Buy 😎 pic.twitter.com/4s4TrsKWe6

— Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) August 18, 2020

The show was known for covering timely and topical political and cultural moments. The most recent episodes tackled the coronavirus pandemic, George Floyd's death and the ensuing protests, the upcoming election and the price of attending college.

During its run between October 2018 and June 2020, it was widely praised and even won an Emmy and Peabody Award. However, Harold Macmillan, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom once said, “When the curtain falls, the best thing an actor can do is to go away.”

And in case of the Patriot Act, going away seems to be the best thing Pakistani producer Nur Nasreen could have done.

The woman behind some of the best episodes of the hit show, Nasreen, took to Twitter on Friday and shared her ordeal from her time at the show. Apparently she had been holding a lot inside and although the moral values Patriot Act aimed to instill continue to resonate with its fans, it seems the show runners failed to practice what they preach.

“A lot of people have asked me to talk about Patriot Act,” wrote Nasreen. “I avoided it because each time I relive the experience of being humiliated and gaslit, targeted and ignored. I sink back into days of depression.” she added.

Nasreen believes that tweeting her experience may not help her or anyone who has suffered, adding that braver women had already spoken up about the matter. But she continued to express how the show was a ‘necessary’ and ‘important one’ – hinting at why she may not have opened up about her experience earlier.

A lot of people have asked me to talk about Patriot Act. I avoided it because each time I relive the experience of being humiliated and gaslit, targeted and ignored, I sink back into days of depression. Tweeting this will probably not help me or anyone who has suffered.

— nur nasreen (@Nuri_ibrahim) August 20, 2020

“I am proud of my work there to this day. I am also grateful for the opportunities it gave me,” she remarked, nonetheless.

But women braver than me already spoke up. The show was a necessary and important one, and I am proud of my work there to this day. I am also grateful for the opportunities it gave me.

— nur nasreen (@Nuri_ibrahim) August 20, 2020

“But I wonder if it was worth the mental anguish I went through over my last few months there,” she speculated. “I wish we still had Patriot Act. I also wish they truly practiced the progressive ethos they cultivated on screen. Then they would really deserve all your love,” Nasreen concluded saying.

But I wonder if it was worth the mental anguish I went through over my last few months there. I wish we still had Patriot Act. I also wish they truly practiced the progressive ethos they cultivated on screen. Then they would really deserve all your love.

— nur nasreen (@Nuri_ibrahim) August 20, 2020

After graduating from Harvard University, Nasreen joined Al Jazeera’s The Stream as an associate producer. She then became a part of Comedy Central’s The Opposition with Jordan Klepper. And after that show cancelled, Nasreen ended up becoming a producer for the Patriot Act.

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