Last week POTUS Trump and his entourage (of ultra right wing fools) decided to stir things up once again with a new electronics ban, restricting travellers carrying laptops and other such devices on certain airlines from certain Muslim-majority countries.
But to my absolute horror, no sooner had we all been complaining about the US… than our very own BRITISH government went ahead and pretty much mirrored it.
What the *$%£ is going on?!?!
Oh, and I’m not done yet…
Even before the drama of the electronics ban unfolded, I was already feeling annoyed at the latest EU law that had come into place. A notion that was passed after two ladies wearing headscarves had been unfairly dismissed from work. Well, instead of the powers-that-be supporting them, a law has now been passed stating that employers possess the right to openly ban them.
Can you believe it? The law actually states that companies can ban employees from wearing a headscarf or any other items of religious attire or political symbols, so although it’s not completely targeted at Muslims, the reality is Muslims will make up the majority of people affected by it. This could affect my friends. My family. My very own mother! And of course, it does affect non-Muslims too, a women’s rights campaign group pointed out this is sending a message that faith communities are no longer welcome – how is this fair??
Seriously, what the *$%£ is going on?!?!
Has everyone gone mad?
The WORST thing to come out of it, is of course being faced with the usual tirade of understanding from the general public, sympathising with the government’s decision because of course all of this has been put in place to protect us.
Protect us from what?!?!
Let’s be honest. this has absolutely nothing to do with protection – the electronics ban for example, a wonderful blogger quite rightly said in one of my facebook groups that if this had ben a matter of security, we would have had a GLOBAL electronics ban, not just one that targets certain countries – the so-called ‘terror’ states.
Pfft. What a load of cobblers this all is.
Terror in the media has officially become dictated by race and religion. FACT. You can argue all you want to tell me otherwise, but I am telling you, you won’t find anything to prove otherwise. I wish you could, I really do! Because as a British Indian Muslim I actually fall into that ‘terrorist’ bracket. I have the skin, the features, the beliefs that may make people look at me in suspicion. I dread to think what it would be like if I didn’t have a British accent, or if I wore a headscarf???
Pfft. What a load of cobblers this has become.
Our governments are doing everything they can to pull us all apart.
To say that being different – is not safe. To say that certain types of people – are not safe.
This was evident last week, as social media was flooded with responses after the London stabbing incident, calling on the government to ‘shut the borders,’ ‘get the Muslims out,’ ‘banish the immigrants.’
It’s funny because I do also come across these phrases from people I know. It doesn’t even shock me anymore as people will quite happily say the above phrases quite casually and on seeing my expression usually try to turn it round with something like – ‘oh not people like you, you’re different you’re quite Western’ – like this in some way makes their belief any more justified.
Well it doesn’t. (and I’m quite happy to put them in their place about that!).
I will always do everything I can to explain to people that being different is an AMAZING THING.
Being true to our culture, our heritage, our own personal opinion of religion is an AMAZING THING.
To be able to mingle, to converse, to laugh, joke with strangers and new people is an AMAZING THING.
This month’s Blogosphere magazine fuelled my love for my blog and for others in the blogging community. Here was a magazine that has profiled some of the biggest social influencers in the world and this months front cover… was a high profile Muslim blogger wearing a veil.
YES.
Yes. Yes. YES.
Thank you to the blogging community for recognising that us Muslims belong here! We are as much part of this world as everyone else. We don’t need this ‘terror’ to be following us round because 99.999999% of us are out there doing amazing things!! Just like Dina Tokio.
Dina Tokio, a Muslim lifestyle blogger, has a following of over one million on instagram and she wears her hijab (headscarf) with pride. She shows that you can bring together faith and fashion, an example to Muslim and non-Muslim women everywhere that no matter what climate the world may be in right now she is standing proud representing her beliefs, with her own personal style. And she’s smashing it.
This is how bloggers will change the world, by involving and engaging openly with members of our community.
Without hate. Without prejudice. With acceptance.
We travel, because we want to learn.
We communicate, so we can meet new people.
We open our minds, so we can experience and be inspired by new cultures.
Nothing and no-one is out of bounds – nor should they be.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again, we are all human. We’re all the same species, we’re all in this together.
Don’t value one life over another – and if you think this is a cliché and it’s ridiculous that people like me keep banging on about it, well then I urge you to look deeper into last week’s news and ask yourself whether you gave each innocent civilian caught up in a disaster the same thoughts and prayers. Too many of us forget that there are people living each day in a state of ‘terror.’
I’m not wanting or trying to have a rant, I just wanted to make sure that people understand that not everything we are told in the news is true. And what might be construed as an act that has been created to keep you safe – may actually be doing more harm than good.
I urge you all to engage in conversation, ask questions, do research – I’m always happy to speak and to discuss elements of my culture and religion that others don’t understand, or are confused by.
I do what I can to be involved with projects that promote diversity; to support them, to share them, to learn from them – there’s still so much that I know I need to do.
Don’t EVER stop believing that you and your opinion doesn’t make a difference, because it does.
All good deeds begin at home.
All action starts with people like you and me.
Opinions and hearts can only be changed by replacing hate with love and openness.
Stay strong my fellow humans. We can get through this.
*** I love you all. Except you Trump, I don’t care very much for you. ***
