The melting pot

By: Qwaider

On:Tuesday, June 12, 2007 5:56:08 PM
In:Thoughts
Viewed: (4323) times

Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
1
2
3
4
5

Rated 3.9/5 stars (170 votes cast)

No I'm not talking about the famous restaurant chain. I'm talking about this community that I live in at the moment. It's true that I've lived in some diverse societies in the past, but nothing beats North America in this. These are the societies that almost have no indigenous population claiming everything for them selves or asking the world to give tribute to their achievements. Everyone here is a citizen and everyone here is welcome -sort of-

I know ..... I know ... what people are saying about how the US and Canada are also racist countries. That might have some truth to it, but still way less than I've ever witnessed anywhere in the world. A Palestinian map-jewelry and a Megan-David (star of David) can be sitting next to each other. Talking, laughing, sharing, working just about everything. And in complete peace. I know each one might think uneasy. But over here, everything seems to dissolve..

Many of my colleagues don't hold the same beliefs and convictions that I have, yet we're completely discouraged from showing our personal convictions by law! And any "bigot" acts that are not related to research or work or the likes that might affect other people's emotions will have adverse consequences that will induce a disciplinary reaction up to dismissal from the job (regardless of the position). Simply because, no matter how important the position is, no company would dare face the public as an anti-anything these days. It's devastating to their image which will eventually reflect on their bottom line. In other words, it will affect them financially

It appears that the workplace (and universities) have become the spear head of diversity, where anything else is punished severely. Which made people think and learn to leave their differences and issues outside. Leading to what I hate to admit but it's a level of normalization that no matter what we do, we can't escape. If you want to live in the west, you have normalized, you have been forced to, you really have no other alternative!

I'm not saying that the minute you come here you throw all your ideals and beliefs out of the window. You can keep them and continue to support all your causes as long as you keep it, Peacefully and completely out of the work place!

That's not a very pleasant situation as you can see. But the silver-lining to this issue is simply that no one else can do this to you. No one can come to you and say, hey you "whatever"! The minute they say that, you can invoke your rights and get them to normalize-back!

This will never wash out all the rats living inside some of the really old conflicts, where a lot of injustice has been dealt to so many. But it will keep the demons at bay for the best interest of the work. And maybe, just maybe ... help teach people how to live together.

This is one of the things I learned and loved in this place

Other Memories Documented on June 12

Traditions, traditions!..
by: Qwaider.
In: 2008
Viewed: (1962) times

شيخ صالح، عفوا... انت ستين حمار..
by: Qwaider.
In: 2006
Viewed: (5868) times

« صباح الخير يا .... فيروز

What's worse? »

Memories....

#1
Mohanned
Said
On: 6/12/2007 6:43:50 PM

I think it is right to some extent but it all depends on where you live, we(me and you) live in the northern side of america, but the further you go south the more igonorance and racism you will find, and actually I find this fascinating, always the south anywhere is less developed than the north..

#2
Qwaider
Said
On: 6/12/2007 6:48:16 PM

Except for South Africa :)

#3
Summer
Said
On: 6/12/2007 7:02:10 PM

Amen to this post!

#4
hareega
Said
On: 6/12/2007 9:03:29 PM

I agree with you Qwaider, the level of tolerance and acceptance is highest in the US. I'm not sure without civil right movements and the anti-racism laws how much racist people can get, but at this moment USA is much less racist than Europe (or the Arab World) is

#5
أنونيموس
Said
On: 6/12/2007 9:55:44 PM

South Africa is much more developed than the north :) Probably much more racist as well too though.

#6
Dave
Said
On: 6/13/2007 7:36:37 AM

Great post.

#7
th14
Said
On: 6/13/2007 7:50:59 AM

@mohanned

"always the south anywhere is less developed than the north?"

Where did you come up with this? What about England, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Brazil, Canada, Australia, etc

#8
bambam
Said
On: 6/13/2007 8:29:19 AM

eh.... living in a bubble i see

#9
manal y
Said
On: 6/13/2007 8:43:31 AM

commenting on hareega's:

i so agree with this part "I'm not sure without civil right .....people can get"

and i never been to Europe so i dont know how it is there, but saying that the "USA is much less racist than the Arab World is" that cant be true... i dont know if either u are meaning that arabs are more racist on a global level or its more on a national level

i dont deny that we arabs have some/alot hate for certain race/oragnizations/countries "zionist and others", but that (hate) comes from where arabs are being suppresed in thier own home land....

to categorise a certain group/person as a racist s/he have to see people as an opposite,less and unworthy based on so many reasons ranging from color and ending with one's religion and thats not the case in the arab world

while The U.S.(as a country not individuals) has a long history with racism that cant be compared with any other counrty, an intire nation
(red indians) was demolished just so a country can be established, and then the racism agianst the (africans) thses 2 races as suffered alot through history in america

So i see America as the most racist country, but its also the best place for that to happen cause if it happened some where it will never be controlable as in America.

#10
manal y
Said
On: 6/13/2007 8:47:35 AM

oppressed not supressed

:)

#11
Qwaider
Said
On: 6/13/2007 9:04:21 AM

Manal
At the Person level. The Arabs are among the most racist in the world. We as Jordanians, look down at Egyptians, Syrians, Iraqis, Khaligi's, Indians and just about every other nation on the face of the planet! How many people would be proud to marry their daughters to an Indian? Muslim or not, Educated or not. It doesn't matter!
That's the epitome of racism.

Now with that said. We're not alone ...

#12
manal y
Said
On: 6/13/2007 9:32:51 AM

my examples and yr examples shares the same epitome at some tiny point but its not near to be called racism cause no action was taken againest the people u mentioned to absract them from having the right to live freely as a humans or even considered as one.

maybe i taking this more serouisly than its supposed to be.
:)

#13
Qwaider
Said
On: 6/13/2007 11:37:12 AM

Manal,
Do you disagree that we look down upon other races? It doesn't require genocide to look condescendingly towards others. In fact, we do this among ourselves within the same country, city, tribe and family. And don't even get me started on how we view the handicapped, women and elderly from many aspects in life

I'm sorry, but I see these examples day in and day out embedded deep without our culture.

I think you're right to think it's a serious matter because it's one of those issues that keep ruining our direction on the road to civility.

#14
manal y
Said
On: 6/13/2007 2:53:13 PM

YEs i do agree that we look down upon other races, but that dosnt turn a person into a racist, looking down on people "to a certain limit" is another problem,

my point here is that not every radical behaviour must be judged as racism...people are starting to use racsim/racial left and right, where oneday it will reach to a point where hanging a sign saying "a non smoking area" will be concidered as a racial aggression against smokers for example

i've searched the word racism, racism is:

1-The belief that members of one race are superior to members of other races

2- A Aggression or discriminatory act of using political, judicial, civil, and educational systems to oppress one based on their ethnicity.

3-الاعتقاد بان بعض الاعراق قادرة على توريث صفات (جسدية, عقلية او حضارية)ارفع من غيرها و ان هذا العرق هو العامل الافعل في تقرير السمات و المواهب البشرية و ان الفروق العرقية تولد امتيازاَ فطرياَ

and this is not how people in jordan look at other nationalities, they look down on them but they are not racists

#15
Qwaider
Said
On: 6/13/2007 5:52:59 PM

Manal ... LOL ! I have no idea what you're arguing about. You're proving my point more than yours!

So let me get this straight. We look down a people, consider them "less humans" based on their color and thereby won't allow our holly sons or daughters to marry an Indian? Or an Egyptian? Or someone from Burkinafasso!

Sorry Manal, but I would like to draw your attention that racism doesn't mean genocide. The simple judgement of someone based on their race (color, features, place of birth, accent, language, looks) is racism because the minute you base your judgement on physical features, you're being unfair to the person

#17
manal y
Said
On: 6/15/2007 8:14:04 PM

hello...been away these couple of days..im not arguying over anything or trying to prove anybody right or wrong , to me this is only a discussion just to have a wider view to the things around me and how people think n see stuff..

:)

got to go now
talk about it more later, maybe