Alhamdulillah, sedang saya drive, ternampak sekumpulan masyarakat sedang ber”exercise” dgn menggunakan semacam pedang. Semoga mereka bergembira dgn riadhah yg mereka sdg lakukan.
Cuma, saya terfikir sejenak, kalaulah yg sdg exercise itu para pemuda Islam dan menggunakan pedang yg sama, apakah agak2 penerimaan masyarakat.
Demikianlah keadaan sekarang ini…
Source: Azmi Abdul Samad
Today, I heard from someone very close to me that she’s a racist and that she hates my boyfriend (who’s Indian, I’m Chinese) because he’s ‘black’. She proudly declared it to me. It didn’t come as a shock to me initially because I always knew she was a closet racist, as are many people her age here in Singapore. The strange thing was, my boyfriend and I have been together for over four years and she had always welcomed and greeted him with a smile and some obligatory small talk.
So on this day, she let it all go on me and briefly mentioned something about ISIS. Was it the sudden outburst of terrorism and violence that had unleashed her unhappiness? I couldn’t argue. She was manically shouting about hating ‘black’ people and Muslims. Basically, all people of colour to her was ‘smelly’ and ‘disgusting’.
I had to stop her there. I had taken offence long enough. I started quoting something MLK said off my head and she immediately went like, yeah but he’s black. So I replied with a startled “AND?” And she replied me with a swift sentence, “he’s black. So is Obama and his entire family. He’s a disgrace.”
This woman I’m writing about is a pretty decently educated Chinese middle class female in Singapore that watches and reads the news daily and frequently. Yet being in this time and age with information readily available to her via her 5 handy Apple gadgets, she was still adamant on her stance. Funny thing is, she isn’t THAT religious. She only takes attendance on special occasions. So why was she hating other religions that aren’t her own? It irked me to hear her bash other religions so aggressively. This isn’t strange of course. Hateful religious groups are rampant the world over. But she woke me up.
I read an article yesterday about a student from Zimbabwe who’s currently studying in Yale-NUS, who talked about how she was constantly being fed with racism everywhere in Singapore. Both from the younger and older generation. Taxi drivers who refused to drive her and staff who rudely dismissed her. This might seem like a small problem at hand but it is a lot bigger than you think. Everywhere in the world, there are bigoted people who refuse to be open to the idea that there could be diversity. There are bigoted people who judges based on skin colour and one’s physical appearance. There are bigoted people who hate instead of understanding. Why do we live in a society where people pretend to understand when they don’t actually do?
The argument with racism stems way far back and as a 21 year old, I genuinely thought that everyone already got the whole picture. That ethnicity, nationality and race does not define a person. So many brave souls have stepped up to talk about the issue and yet, things like this still happens regularly every day.
Okay so back to the problem at hand-
She adores our late Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew, a respected person everywhere for his efforts in helping Singapore move on into the 21st century and building its own identity in the world. He is someone who stressed on something called ‘racial harmony’. So much so that we celebrate ‘Racial Harmony Day’ in Singapore.
The hypocrisy is almost too much. She bought me my first kebaya (traditional Malay outfit) to wear to Racial Harmony Day in school. She still chats and laughs with the friendly Malay Muslim store lady. She is always polite to the old Indian Muslim shopkeeper and greets him with a smile. She buys food home for the Indian security guards in her apartment block. She dotes on and gushes about the cute Indian boy living in her block.
Yet, she tells me proudly that she feels superior to every other race and that she dislikes all people of colour. Strange isn’t it? Does she feel scared or afraid so she built up all the hate? Does this have anything to do with the recent aggression and spark of acts of terrorism all around the world?
It’s just scary to think that she is one in possibly hundreds of thousands of people in Singapore alone to have almost the exact same mindset.
What would you do?
Edit: I saw quite a few comments when some of my Facebook friends shared this post saying that I never did try to talk to this person. I’m pretty sure I made it clear that I did. She just wasn’t open to listen and that’s a huge problem on a bigger scale because for one, this proves that a whole community of small minded people who refuses to let anything remotely different affect their boring daily routines, exists. And they are everywhere. They are people who can never be open to more ideas, whether good or bad. Being stubborn or defensive about the things you believe in isn’t wrong, but when you go out of your way to bring an opposing idea down, that’s pretty much the lowest blow. Also, isn’t this basically the root of every problem ever? Power. The need to be in an authoritative position. We need change. ASAP too.
Source: Cheryl Ann Chong
Rilek1Corner,
Ni Uber driver kurang ajar. The sis wear white hijab. This idiot drive past and then cancel becos he don’t take people cover like dat.
Dia ingat dia saper? We live in country with a lot of race and religion. If he cannot take it he migrate better.
Sometimes want to get cab also difficult This sis get cab but get rejected because she wear hijab.
Driver name is Kai Jin and he drive black Mistubishi lancer.
Must condemn this driver.
Since when can anyhow pick and choose your passenger? Drunk and rowdy passenger is one thing but how is hijab offensive?
Mamat
[Reader Contribution]
There’s a certain ritual that each and every one of the world’s billion-plus Muslims, especially those living in Western countries, is expected to go through immediately following any incident of violence involving a Muslim perpetrator. It’s a ritual that is continuing now with the Sydney hostage crisis, in which a deranged self-styled sheikh named Man Haron Monis took several people hostage in a downtown café.
Here is what Muslims and Muslim organizations are expected to say: “As a Muslim, I condemn this attack and terrorism in any form.”
This expectation we place on Muslims, to be absolutely clear, is Islamophobic and bigoted. The denunciation is a form of apology: an apology for Islam and for Muslims. The implication is that every Muslim is under suspicion of being sympathetic to terrorism unless he or she explicitly says otherwise.
The implication is also that any crime committed by a Muslim is the responsibility of all Muslims simply by virtue of their shared religion. This sort of thinking — blaming an entire group for the actions of a few individuals, assuming the worst about a person just because of their identity — is the very definition of bigotry.
It is time for that ritual to end: non-Muslims in all countries, and today especially those in Australia, should finally take on the correct assumption that Muslims hate terrorism just as much as they do, and cease expecting Muslims to prove their innocence just because of their faith.
Bigoted assumptions are the only plausible reason for this ritual to exist, which means that maintaining the ritual is maintaining bigotry. Otherwise, we wouldn’t expect Muslims to condemn Haron Monis — who is clearly a crazy person who has no affiliations with formal religious groups — any more than we would expect Christians to condemn Timothy McVeigh. Similarly, if someone blames all Jews for the act of, say, extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank, we immediately and correctly reject that position as prejudiced. We understand that such an accusation is hateful and wrong — but not when it is applied to Muslims.
This is, quite literally, a different set of standards that we apply only to Muslims. Hend Amry, who is Libyan-American, brilliantly satirized this expectation with this tweet, highlighting the arbitrary expectations about what Muslims are and are not expected to condemn:
As a Muslim, I condemn acts of sexual assault following time spent as a self-proclaimed spiritual healer specializing in black magic.
— Hend (@LibyaLiberty) December 15, 2014
This ritual began shortly after September 2001. American Muslims, as well as Muslims in other Western countries, feared that they could be victims to a public backlash against people of their religion. President George W. Bush feared this as well and gave a speech imploring Americans to embrace Muslim-Americans as fellow citizens. But while the short-term need to guard against a backlash was real, that moment has passed, and the ritual’s persistence is perpetuating Islamophobia rather than reducing it, by constantly reminding us of our assumption that Muslims are guilty until proven innocent.
The media has played a significant role in maintaining this ritual and thus the prejudiced ideas behind it. Yes, that includes openly Islamophobic cable news hosts like those in the US. But it also includes even well-intentioned media outlets and reporters who broadcast Muslims’ and Muslim organizations’ condemnation of acts of extremist violence, like the hostage crisis in Sydney.
There is no question that this coverage is explicitly and earnestly designed to combat Islamophobia and promote equal treatment of Muslims. No question. All the same, this coverage ends up cementing the ritual condemnation as a necessary act, and thus cementing as well the racist implications of that ritual. By treating it as news every time, the media is reminding its readers and viewers that Muslims are held to a different standard; it is implicitly if unintentionally reiterating the idea that they are guilty until proven innocent, that maybe there is something to the idea of collective Muslim responsibility for lone criminals who happen to share their religion.
Instead, we should treat the assumptions that compel this ritual — that Muslims bear collective responsibility, that they are presumed terrorist-sympathizers until proven otherwise — as flatly bigoted ideas with no place in our society. There is no legitimate reason for Muslim groups to need to condemn Haron Monis, nor is there any legitimate reason to treat those condemnations as news. So we should stop.
We should treat people Haron Monis as what he is: a deranged lunatic. And we should treat Muslims as what they: normal people who of course reject terrorism, rather than as a lesser form of humanity that is expected to reject violence every time it happens.
Source: www.vox.com
Islamophobia is REAL.
Please read this with much discretion, thought and understanding before any conclusions.
Today I met up with my classmate sister in the train on my way to school.
The train was fairly empty and the reserved seat next to her was too.
I don’t quite have a habit of sitting there, unless the train is empty enough.
So I sat there – and it turned out to be the biggest mistake ever.
After some time my sister pointed out to me that there was quite an elderly man standing around the corner.
I hadn’t noticed him earlier so I immediately stood up and tried to gesture to get his attention so he can have the seat.
Strangely he seemed oblivious to my gestures and when there was a seat available across us he moved over to sit there while glancing at us.
I immediately apologized saying I didn’t see him and while sitting down he passed some remarks. Which included things like, “You’re wearing that scarf on your head but it’s all rusty. Permanent brain damage.”
I brushed it off because I have no interest in dealing with such things in honor of this beautiful month, and most importantly, in honor of my religion.
My younger sister was trying to digest her astonishment and it seemed like she was trying to stare at him – which he then picked up and questioned, “Why are you are staring?”
I was standing so I faced the other way but I overheard his remarks with the other commuters – “They saw me coming in and yet they took my privilege.”
It was unsettling for me mainly because I would not have sat there if I had seen him – so when I saw him about to alight – I followed suit to apologize again.
At the MRT station I caught up with him and said, “I’m sorry, Uncle but I swear I didn’t see you earlier.”
After which he shouted and said “I have no interest in talking to Muslims! Please don’t talk to me. It’s Ramadan and you pray five times a day you idiot!”
Everyone turned to look at us and my sister has already broken down in tears from the time before we alighted.
She found it difficult to comprehend the entire situation, and I can completely understand why.
Although what he’s said may appear offensive – I was utterly relieved to know that he wasn’t mad at me for not being considerate enough to notice his presence… But the problem was bigger than this – that he was mad at my religion.
I felt horrible knowing I had caused an elderly man to be unhappy because I had taken up his seat….
But later I found out he was just an unhappy person.
Dearest Uncle,
I’m sorry I didn’t find it in me to not take up that seat.
But I’m not sorry for being a Muslim.
Islam teaches me to love you, and to care for you when I can.
I err and forget because I am human.
Islam is beyond just fasting in this month and praying five times a day…
Islam is what made me alight to speak to you, to apologize, so you don’t get angry at me when you don’t have to.
Islam is what made me stand up to give you the seat in the first place – whether or not its reserved seating.
Islam is the smile, the peace I still feel right now after meeting you, the concern I still have for you and that which I convey through my prayers.
Dearest Uncle, may God protect you, and grant you good health. May He place you around those whom you love, so you may find it in you to love even those whom you do not too. May He forgive me and us for my and our actions, and may He forgive you too.
I hope, if you happen to read this anyhow, somehow…
That although I am Muslim, Islam is not me because Islam is perfect…
So it doesn’t matter at all if you are angry with me… But please don’t be angry because there is no reason to be so, there is absolutely no reason to be angry with Islam.
Dearest Uncle, may God bless you always.
Although my sister is slightly affected by this entire experience, I am thankful for it has opened our eyes to observe our conduct more dutifully, to be more considerate and giving, and to always remember RasulAllah salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam – what he had to go through for us and how we should emulate him.
Dear God, Thank You.
Islamophobia is real. And it does exist.
Thank You God, for this experience – even if I haven’t traveled to places where I have read and heard it is more prevalent.
This might just be inspiration for something good on the future, and may nothing but goodness be a result of this.
Authored by Nazeera Mohamed
EDITOR’S NOTE
To sis Nazeera Mohamed, you have remained calm despite being criticized and mock at publicly. For that, we are so proud of your composure and patience.
It must have been hurtful, but you are truly an example. No one should be treated in that manner especially when we meant well. But human beings are unpredictable.
The grumpy old man is probably bitter because life must have been difficult for him. Just let him be. Don’t let him take away your power, your faith and your good spirits sis!
This incident just further reinforces our faith. As usual, minorities just have to dust ourselves off and move on.
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/user/rilek1corner
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rilek1corner
TWITTER: twitter.com/Rilek1Corner
WEBSITE: rilek1corner.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
FEEDBACK: rilek1corner.com/hubungir1c/