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Whenever people talk about race and religion, it will always draw some heated and strong opinions. The West loves to sell everyone the idea that people from different cultures, religious backgrounds, and sexuality can coexist peacefully. Though that is a noble idea, it does not mean it’s everlasting and ever-peaceful.
People who say “I am the product of 2 parents from different racial and religious backgrounds” – I hear you loud and clear. I see you wearing your mixed heritage with pride and I am happy for you. You are some of the few people whose parents do not use each other’s race and religion against each other, and it’s a beautiful thing. However, not everyone will have the same blessed life as you do.
Intercultural communities aren’t always peaceful
You may find a few mixed communities where they can live peacefully without wanting to end each other’s lives. Those kinds of communities are far and few in between. Even if you do find them, you may see that these communities often are very rare. For the most part, I am sure these communities have their own problems too.
Within our own borders, it’s not surprising to witness someone saying or doing something racially stupid to each other. It’s nothing new. Incidents like these are far too common even in countries that are further away from our seashores. People can voice concerns and do anything about it. However, it is something that can never be resolved. Like it or not, that’s pretty much how life is when there are people of different beliefs and skin colours.
Racial harmony is just lip service to make people look good
Has it ever occurred to you that some people are nice to you for the sake of keeping their personal PR up? They are just using you to make themselves look like saints. “Oh look, I am nice to this person of race X. I am not a racist”. Or “I have friends from this race so I get a free pass at making racial jokes”. Etc.
After that, they’d just forget all about you. You were never in their sincere thoughts and they have never once sincerely thought of your overall well-being. What are you to them at the end of the day? A nobody. They only use you just so they can make themselves look not like a racist. You’ve literally been turned into a clown, a puppet for their own PR whim, that’s all.
People will still rather be among their own kind
Let’s not lie to ourselves and to each other. For the most part, we’d rather stick to our own kind. Just look at the neighbourhoods around our own country. Malays will stay within their own kind. So do the Chinese and Indians. You may find a small catchment area of other races in each other races’ neighbourhoods but they tend to be small in number. The communities are quite likely not huge in numbers.
Go overseas you will see the same thing too. People would rather live with their own kind because they are culturally closer. They can understand each other better because of their shared heritage and culture. If someone is of a different culture from them, the newcomer will quite likely not be accepted 100% into the community.
We shouldn’t be pulling wool over our eyes. Facts don’t care about feelings no matter how virtuous coexistence seems. People can share the same opinions and beliefs but it does not mean they are one and the same.
Celebrate the differences but don’t blend everyone into one unit
If you wish to celebrate diversity, then do so by celebrating our differences. Don’t let some stupid media mogul dictate what you should think or feel towards other people. After all, some media outlets can be so toxic and dividing.
Lydia is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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