Having been born and brought up in a comfy little town in East Anglia with a handful of Asians (from East Africa and still fewer Pakistanis), lots of Pensioners and middle class “whites”, my childhood (80s) was as good as anyone’s (roller-skating, flying kites and playing on building sites). It was only occasionally punctuated by fear of Punks (more to do with their radical haircuts and my mum’s warnings than anything they said or did) and the excitement of the news that the Skinheads (National Front) were planning to attack our local mosque. Talk about being united in a crises, our community was exemplary in conducting round-the-clock vigils, families came to stay in the mosque whilst the men became macho and roamed around with hockey sticks and “walkie-talkies”. Oh man! The defence, the communication, the strategy and even the police (with their Alsatians)…it was something to be seen. I even stocked up on sweets, crisps and cola. Yes, towards the end there was a feeling of anti-climax but the excitement was electric! I seem to recall that in the end they caught a measly kid or something, but that’s not the point. The point is, although we were a minority, we stood together, with solidarity and became a force to reckon with! We lived happily ever after.
A few years since, we moved to England’s 2nd City and I love the atmosphere because its soo multi-cultural and so diverse…
It seems racism and Islamophobia is everywhere. Now, I’m not saying this should be overlooked. But personally, as a Muslim woman (yes, I wear hijab), I truly feel I am respected here for taking a practical stand in what I believe in (probably coz I don’t have to deal with “rouge” elements), whilst my experience in Pakistan and indeed a few other “Muslim” countries is one of being “looked down upon”. Racism perhaps? Or just my “radical” dress sense? Or just their infatuation with the “Pepsi, Pop & Levi” culture (globalisation in its narrowest sense). Now if wore hipsters with crop top and had a belly ring…would the picture have been different? Maybe not…I mean I still have Asian skin (although judging by the compliments, I don’t think there’s anything the matter with it at all). So, since charity begins at home, I guess we should get the racist element out of our own people first and then go for the international stage.
But as always, I’m still paranoid, (despite the better forecast)…if there’s a war…the sleeping National giant will rise its ugly head…and, well, we’re sitting ducks as targets. Aren’t we?
Having been born and brought up in a comfy little town in East Anglia with a handful of Asians (from East Africa and still fewer Pakistanis), lots of Pensioners and middle class “whites”, my childhood (80s) was as good as anyone’s (roller-skating, flying kites and playing on building sites). It was only occasionally punctuated by fear of Punks (more to do with their radical haircuts and my mum’s warnings than anything they said or did) and the excitement of the news that the Skinheads (National Front) were planning to attack our local mosque. Talk about being united in a crises, our community was exemplary in conducting round-the-clock vigils, families came to stay in the mosque whilst the men became macho and roamed around with hockey sticks and “walkie-talkies”. Oh man! The defence, the communication, the strategy and even the police (with their Alsatians)…it was something to be seen. I even stocked up on sweets, crisps and cola. Yes, towards the end there was a feeling of anti-climax but the excitement was electric! I seem to recall that in the end they caught a measly kid or something, but that’s not the point. The point is, although we were a minority, we stood together, with solidarity and became a force to reckon with! We lived happily ever after.
A few years since, we moved to England’s 2nd City and I love the atmosphere because its soo multi-cultural and so diverse…
It seems racism and Islamophobia is everywhere. Now, I’m not saying this should be overlooked. But personally, as a Muslim woman (yes, I wear hijab), I truly feel I am respected here for taking a practical stand in what I believe in (probably coz I don’t have to deal with “rouge” elements), whilst my experience in Pakistan and indeed a few other “Muslim” countries is one of being “looked down upon”. Racism perhaps? Or just my “radical” dress sense? Or just their infatuation with the “Pepsi, Pop & Levi” culture (globalisation in its narrowest sense). Now if wore hipsters with crop top and had a belly ring…would the picture have been different? Maybe not…I mean I still have Asian skin (although judging by the compliments, I don’t think there’s anything the matter with it at all). So, since charity begins at home, I guess we should get the racist element out of our own people first and then go for the international stage.
But as always, I’m still paranoid, (despite the better forecast)…if there’s a war…the sleeping National giant will rise its ugly head…and, well, we’re sitting ducks as targets. Aren’t we?