Tag: racism

Hatred. Fear. ISIS.

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A man wakes up one morning. He brushes his teeth. He gets dressed.  He eats some oatmeal. He straps on a vest filed with explosives and he goes to work.

This plays out everyday. Different people. Different cities. Same result.

Terrorism is random and it exists to incite terror.

ISIS will not win because of acts of terrorism.

ISIS will win when you allow hatred and fear to take root in your heart.

When you are afraid to take your daughter to Paris.

When you’re too scared to watch a band play at a concert.

When you sit at home instead of going out for a coffee.

So, you know what? Screw them. I’m taking my daughter to Paris.

All Muslims are not ISIS.

ISIS is a group of terrorists who happen to be Muslim.

Actually, they just know how to twist Muslim ideology as a propaganda tool in their quest for power.

ISIS is responsible for more attacks on Muslims then any other population group.

And they win, when you cross the street because of a woman wearing a burka.

They win, when you move seats instead of sit next to man in a turban.

They win, the moment you think it’s okay to ask Muslims to wear a badge stating their religious affiliation.

And they win when you think rounding up Islamic people and putting them in camps is acceptable.

It is not acceptable.

It was not acceptable when the British did it to the Boers during the Anglo-Boer war.

It was not acceptable when the Americans did it to the Japanese in WWII.

It was not acceptable when Hitler committed genocide on the Jews.

It was not acceptable during Apartheid.

Wearing a headscarf, or a burka or a yalmulka is not provocative.

Saying so is like saying a girl in a mini dress out at night is asking to be raped.

She is not.

The moment you respond to racism with racism, to bigotry with bigotry, you become a racist and a bigot.

When you judge the many by the actions of a few, you choose your side, and it’s theirs.

Sooner rather than later, Muslim people all over the world will be faced with fear and hatred, so that they have no choice but to join ISIS.

Is that really what you want?

I believe in a world where racism in any form is unacceptable.

A world where no-one is discriminated against on the grounds of the colour, their culture, their sexual orientation or their religion.

I believe in a world where people can practice their religion without discrimination as long as it does not interfere with the rights and safety of others.

I believe that violence will only ever beget violence and that wars are never ended with weapons, but only with words.

This is not a war that will be won with firepower.

It’s not going to be won by governments in their own quest for power.

It’s not going to be won by armies and soldiers.

This war will be won or lost in the hearts of minds of ordinary people.

So, you decide, are you going to let ISIS win?

The Naked Blogger

Being a blogger is like taking all your clothes off and walking starkers down Main Street. It opens you up to all kinds of crazy.

Of course, you’re sharing your personal brand of crazy too. And that’s okay.

When you prepared to let it all hang out, it is worthwhile realising that people do actually read your blog – yep, I know, believe it or not.

If you don’t intend people to read it and want to keep it as a personal odyssey keep it offline.

Now, March 21 is Human Rights Day in South Africa. It commemorates the horrific massacre at Sharpville, but that’s not what this about, it’s about what happened as a result.

Instead of being “Just Another Public Holiday” (which in all honesty it is) we are encouraged to take the day to remember what our human and civil rights are, as set out first in the Freedom Charter and then in our terribly progressive, yet utterly useless, constitution.

One of the most important things to remember in South Africa is that unlike in America, my right not to be offended or discriminated against outweighs your right of freedom of speech. This applies to every sphere public and private.

It means you don’t get to call me a bitch or the C-word.

It means you don’t get to use the N-word or the K-word.

Ever.

It means that racist, homophobic, xenophobic or sexist speech is a criminal offence.

Yes, even on a blog.

I don’t care if you’re a proud white supremacist with a pillow case over your head.

Go wild and have a pillow case party all by yourself in the real world, but spreading your particular brand of poison in the public sphere is not only politically incorrect (we are BIG on political correctness in South Africa), it is criminal.  140_with_great_power

Blogging is a lot like being Spiderman (or Winston Churchill).

With great power comes great responsibility.

Think about what you’re saying.

Think about the effect it has on other people.

 

So when Emporer Lubu waxes lyrical on the feminine ideal according to his world which is inhabited entirely by a sex he likes to call the bitches (and not in a friendly “Hey! Bee-atches” kind of way), I wonder if he stopped to think:”Gee, if R. Edneck were to read this and go home to his trailer and beat his wife into a pulp because his beer wasn’t cold, would I in any way feel I was partly to blame for condoning and justifying his actions that were only intended to train her properly, after all he wouldn’t have hit her if the bitch hadn’t talked back in the first place?”

Having a blog is not a licence to trash your ex, find SWF’s you want to cook and eat for dinner, share your sexual fantasies about children and sheep, or let loose a vitriolic stream of hatred.

By all means spark debate, start a conversation, be controversial, but watch out for that line. In simpler words – don’t be an asshole.

And if you feel your loathing of all women, gays, blacks, Jews, Muslims etc. is worthy of sharing with the world, be prepared to deal with those who disagree.

And for heaven’s sake add a little bit of self-deprecating humour so you don’t come off as a total <insert P-word here>.