Stunned by my own biases, and how in my mind, there are negative connotations associated with "Muslim", and not for others.
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| A muslim is a person who adheres to the faith of Islam. Photo / rgbstock.com |
It wasn't until I typed out, "A Christian can think of Jesus or God, a Muslim can reflect upon Allah," that I realised the insidious way society's overly negative portrayal of Muslims has tainted my own impressions of people not unlike me.
It was a shock when I realised how typing out "Christian" drew forth no negative thoughts, but, when it came to "Muslim" there seemed to be a slight hesitation and aversion to the word.
Disgraceful on my part. But, frighteningly ingrained. A prejudice I didn't believe existed in my mind until this moment.
Disgraceful on my part. But, frighteningly ingrained. A prejudice I didn't believe existed in my mind until this moment.
Reflection is in order as to how - without even understanding these people of a different faith - I could have come to the conclusion that negative feelings should be drawn from the mere mention of this negatively stereotyped "other".
Suicide bombings, female oppression, exploiting religion and using it as an excuse for warfare. These tragedies seem linked to the mention "Muslim". How is that even possible?
News story after news story seems to clearly demarcate a place for Muslims in the "horror inflicted upon humanity" section.
A passing comment here, a "war on terror" article there and incredulously, my mind has formed the impression that Muslims as a whole deserve to be categorised as "scary other capable of inflicting evil".
Well, then, what about Christian white supremacists; the German effort to exterminate all Jewish people; or even the effort by a Communist China to reign over the largely Buddhist Tibet?
Death and terror have followed each of those references, however, there still doesn't seem to be the over-aching "evil" association which corresponds with the mention. Can't say Chinese, Germans, or Christians are evil due to the choices of a select group which made an indelible mark in our history books.
So why then, after all is said and done, is there the impression that "Muslims" seem far worse? There is no excuse for what happened on 9/11, and what continues to be seen in the media with a little girl being shot for wanting education for her fellow companions.
But, it's safe to say, my mind should not be made up because most stories/remarks have lumped this group into the unsafe category.
It's because there isn't any other view, therefore, I can't assume the worst. Just wish it were easier to understand a group of people society deems too dangerous to portray in any other light.
Can't believe what people - myself included - are capable of doing: condemning people to negative stereotypes formed through incomplete inferences.
Being in the minority group, I know what it's like to have incomplete reasonings heaped on me in the form of discrimination. It's not a good feeling, that's why it was disappointing to see how easy it was to do to another. Scary how we/I can disregard people so easily.
Mistrust, misunderstandings and the brain's inability to see that "other" people have a different title, but still bleed red. No wonder there's a war on terror. Why shouldn't there be if we're constantly finding things to scare ourselves with?
Mistrust, misunderstandings and the brain's inability to see that "other" people have a different title, but still bleed red. No wonder there's a war on terror. Why shouldn't there be if we're constantly finding things to scare ourselves with?
I chanced upon that sentence which woke me up as I was writing notes from the Dalai Lama's book called An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life.
There he implores for us to understand that "fundamentally, all beings are equal to you in their wish for happiness and their desire to overcome suffering."
It's so easy to flow with the tide of public opinion. Takes a bit of courage to think otherwise. Reckon His Holiness is onto something with a call to be brave in having an open heart.
This song by Kevin Daniel just happened to be playing in the background as I started writing of my own ignorance. Think it reminds me I have to be a bit brave to challenge the ease with which I sway with majority opinions.
Until next time,
Jos
Please feel free to share what you think. Have you ever chanced upon a moment which made you question your own prejudices? What about the realisation that you had a bias/prejudice?
Please feel free to share what you think. Have you ever chanced upon a moment which made you question your own prejudices? What about the realisation that you had a bias/prejudice?
1 comments:
I believe if we lose the labels we tag onto others, things will be fairer than what they are currently.
Instead of labeling suicide bombers as Islamic cultists of terror. They could just be bad people committing bad things.
When Christians commit murder, rape etc. We don't label or associate all Christians as that person's equal, we merely mention that person as an individual who committed those crimes, not their whole society who did so.
Western Media is a terrible thing, the propaganda that gets pushed into our minds have their own purposes in suppressing what western governments consider their competitors.
Imagine if things were reversed: Middle Eastern News talks about the American Primary school shootings as Christian Terrorism making its mark. Would that be correct? No. But that is exactly what media is currently doing to us now.
We are not Christians, Muslims, Americans, Asians, Whites, yellows, or blacks. We are all Humans.
Lose the labels.
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