For the past few weeks, Black Lives Matter protests and those highlighting the issue of white supremacy have been ongoing. Innocent lives such as those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are just some of the lives lost due to discrimination, disrespect, inequality, injustice, and an endless list of other factors.
I myself am part of another so-called minority group – a Muslim. Being a Muslim, a girl of colour, and initially an immigrant of Mauritian descent, I have experienced multiple types of racism and continue to be targeted for being who I am. Unleashing your anger and frustration onto minority groups is unjust.
To even be labelling someone as belonging to a “minority group” is shocking and disgraceful. The word “minority” depicts there is a majority that has class and power over those who are different due to their culture, ethics, nationality, gender, religion, and the like. Everyone should be able to walk freely, have equal rights, and express themselves without having to feel unsafe.
Our features on the outside do not change the fact that we are all humans inside. We all strive to be accepted, appreciated, and respected for who we are. But, we are being hated against just because of who we are, our background, heritage, nationality – you name it. This is a true disappointment of how far we have yet to go and how far behind we are. Disrespecting someone because of skin colour, ethnicity, gender, or religion is completely hateful, and despicable.
We are in 2020, and we need to change the past instead of repeating it.
Think about it. When did America give African American rights; rights to vote, rights to live in freedom, rights to education, rights to share schools with white Americans? Pondering over these things, you will realise that it was not too long ago that these rights were established, yet, we still see issues with these matters. Why should an American African child born in so-called all-accepting America, have to learn what to do if the police pull them over, or consider how people may view them outside in public, or learn how they should behave to the extent that they need to hide their true self? Has any other White American child had to do these things? Have they had to be taught these things when they were young?
At a time when children should be having fun and playing with others, African American children are being taught about their rights, the freedom they deserve, and the movement their family has been fighting for far too long. Sit down and think to yourself – is this how a child should grow up, or is this how your child was brought up? What is it that we are missing, what do we need to do?
At this time, it is important to realise that no matter whether someone is Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Greek, European, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu – we should be proud of their individuality and respect each other.
It is the diversity of people within which true beauty can be seen.
Islam teaches #LoveForAllHatredForNone. Please practice it, it is not only for Muslims but for everyone.
Prophets Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated:
“A white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.”
Martin Luther King Jr stated:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
Be mindful, if you believe that by being hateful you are succeeding, it is hate that in reality strengthens divides.
To hate is easy but to love, that is the real challenge!
