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| The Atlantic Affairs Security. Ideologies. Multiculturalism. |
From Adam onwards, we are all exiles
By Sabina Ahmed
Posted: March 27, 2005
Everyone remembers where he or she was on that day. The eleventh day of
the ninth month. I was in India, visiting my family. It was about 8pm local
time, and we had one of those power cuts, which occurred with boring
regularity. It was pitch black. I had chosen not to have a candle, and was
sitting listening to the news on the BBC World Service. This made the news
of that atrocity, as it broke somehow more sinister and bleak. It was
unbelievable, and even more so when the power returned and I watched it
on the television. To begin with I thought it was a horror movie, and changed
the channel to look for the news.
The effect that event had on the world, and is still having, is something other
than what the attackers would have wanted. No one knows what their
motives were. They did nothing to improve the lot of Muslims living
anywhere in particular and immigrants in general.
Multiculturalism, in itself, is a good thing. Sharing your culture and beliefs
with others provides better understanding of each other. But in reality it
does not happen that way. Majority of immigrants don’t want to share their
culture and beliefs with others, but with people of their own kind. They want
to live in the areas where there are more people like themselves. They want
to celebrate with people of their own kind. This is true all over the world. The
British, when they go abroad, form their own colonies and mingle with their
own kind. Those who don’t know the language, or have the cultural
knowledge, don’t stand a chance of taking part or getting to know the
others. So it becomes monoculture.
United Kingdom has made an effort of sorts to make this country diverse.
Politicians have climbed on their soapboxes and preached about how much
there is to gain by having a diverse society. And the British people who are
by nature fair minded have gone along with it to certain extent. There are
thousands of outlets selling curries and it is said to be the favourite dish of
the nation. If not total harmony, people lived with each other with a certain
amount of tolerance. All this changed after that day in September. The
population was divided into two groups: those who have listened to every
argument put forward by the media, and were willing to listen to a rational
argument; and those who have been fed on sensational headlines in
tabloids, and were seething with rage towards anyone who might look like
the bearded Bin Laden.
There is no denying that the race relations did suffer not only in this country,
after what happened in America, but throughout Europe ripples were felt.
The tendency of immigrants to live and socialise with people of their own
culture and in their own areas became objectionable. It was Islam and
Muslims who were singled out. While the Netherlands saw the rise of
political parties, which were openly hostile to migrants in general, and
Muslims in particular, France decided to create a moderate form of Islam by
banning headscarves and other religious symbols from its schools.
But can we blame everything on the host community and its beliefs? May be
not. Those of us who have come to Europe to improve our lives, and take
advantage of the opportunities it has to offer, have a responsibility to adopt
and embrace the country and its culture, and understand the point of view
the people we are now living and working with. The first stop will be to learn
the language and try and understand the host culture. How can we expect to
be understood if we don’t know how to put our point of view forward?
Segregating ourselves into little ghettos is counter-productive, raises fear
among those who don’t understand our culture, and causes resentment.
A big portion of first generation of migrants can’t speak English. They have
not made any attempt to understand the host culture. But have hankered
after the country they have left behind. From Adam onwards, we are all
exiles in one way or the other. The Promised Land exists only in our
imagination, when we go back; we find that the promised green grass of
home has long been paved over.
Their children grow up leading a dual life. They want to behave like the other
young people they meet. They want to have fun and be part of the society
they are living in. As the parents have not participated in the local life or
culture, they know nothing of their children’s aspirations. Ignorance breeds
fear. So the parents end up imposing unreasonable restrictions, from
socialising and dressing to mixing with the opposite sex. They want to
protect their children from the 'evils' of a culture they know nothing about.
The young people in turn are frustrated and angry, not only with their own
culture but with the whole situation. Including the circumstances, which
have landed them in this tug of war. Sometimes these frustrations are
directed towards the country they are living in. They feel marginalized and
discriminated by both sides.
The problem with being anywhere other than where you come from is that
everyone is suspicious of anyone they know nothing about. So it is up to
newcomers to create a place for themselves. Being a part of the society we
are living in can only do it. As long as there is unequal distribution of wealth
and opportunities, the poor will want a share of it for survival. It is a
partnership, where the incomers will have to make much effort to assimilate
and understand their adopted country, may be much more than what we
expect our host community to do.
### ### ###
Sabina Ahmed is a student of online journalism at the London School of
Journalism.
By Sabina Ahmed
Posted: March 27, 2005
Everyone remembers where he or she was on that day. The eleventh day of
the ninth month. I was in India, visiting my family. It was about 8pm local
time, and we had one of those power cuts, which occurred with boring
regularity. It was pitch black. I had chosen not to have a candle, and was
sitting listening to the news on the BBC World Service. This made the news
of that atrocity, as it broke somehow more sinister and bleak. It was
unbelievable, and even more so when the power returned and I watched it
on the television. To begin with I thought it was a horror movie, and changed
the channel to look for the news.
The effect that event had on the world, and is still having, is something other
than what the attackers would have wanted. No one knows what their
motives were. They did nothing to improve the lot of Muslims living
anywhere in particular and immigrants in general.
Multiculturalism, in itself, is a good thing. Sharing your culture and beliefs
with others provides better understanding of each other. But in reality it
does not happen that way. Majority of immigrants don’t want to share their
culture and beliefs with others, but with people of their own kind. They want
to live in the areas where there are more people like themselves. They want
to celebrate with people of their own kind. This is true all over the world. The
British, when they go abroad, form their own colonies and mingle with their
own kind. Those who don’t know the language, or have the cultural
knowledge, don’t stand a chance of taking part or getting to know the
others. So it becomes monoculture.
United Kingdom has made an effort of sorts to make this country diverse.
Politicians have climbed on their soapboxes and preached about how much
there is to gain by having a diverse society. And the British people who are
by nature fair minded have gone along with it to certain extent. There are
thousands of outlets selling curries and it is said to be the favourite dish of
the nation. If not total harmony, people lived with each other with a certain
amount of tolerance. All this changed after that day in September. The
population was divided into two groups: those who have listened to every
argument put forward by the media, and were willing to listen to a rational
argument; and those who have been fed on sensational headlines in
tabloids, and were seething with rage towards anyone who might look like
the bearded Bin Laden.
There is no denying that the race relations did suffer not only in this country,
after what happened in America, but throughout Europe ripples were felt.
The tendency of immigrants to live and socialise with people of their own
culture and in their own areas became objectionable. It was Islam and
Muslims who were singled out. While the Netherlands saw the rise of
political parties, which were openly hostile to migrants in general, and
Muslims in particular, France decided to create a moderate form of Islam by
banning headscarves and other religious symbols from its schools.
But can we blame everything on the host community and its beliefs? May be
not. Those of us who have come to Europe to improve our lives, and take
advantage of the opportunities it has to offer, have a responsibility to adopt
and embrace the country and its culture, and understand the point of view
the people we are now living and working with. The first stop will be to learn
the language and try and understand the host culture. How can we expect to
be understood if we don’t know how to put our point of view forward?
Segregating ourselves into little ghettos is counter-productive, raises fear
among those who don’t understand our culture, and causes resentment.
A big portion of first generation of migrants can’t speak English. They have
not made any attempt to understand the host culture. But have hankered
after the country they have left behind. From Adam onwards, we are all
exiles in one way or the other. The Promised Land exists only in our
imagination, when we go back; we find that the promised green grass of
home has long been paved over.
Their children grow up leading a dual life. They want to behave like the other
young people they meet. They want to have fun and be part of the society
they are living in. As the parents have not participated in the local life or
culture, they know nothing of their children’s aspirations. Ignorance breeds
fear. So the parents end up imposing unreasonable restrictions, from
socialising and dressing to mixing with the opposite sex. They want to
protect their children from the 'evils' of a culture they know nothing about.
The young people in turn are frustrated and angry, not only with their own
culture but with the whole situation. Including the circumstances, which
have landed them in this tug of war. Sometimes these frustrations are
directed towards the country they are living in. They feel marginalized and
discriminated by both sides.
The problem with being anywhere other than where you come from is that
everyone is suspicious of anyone they know nothing about. So it is up to
newcomers to create a place for themselves. Being a part of the society we
are living in can only do it. As long as there is unequal distribution of wealth
and opportunities, the poor will want a share of it for survival. It is a
partnership, where the incomers will have to make much effort to assimilate
and understand their adopted country, may be much more than what we
expect our host community to do.
### ### ###
Sabina Ahmed is a student of online journalism at the London School of
Journalism.
| (c) 2006 The Atlantic Affairs |