I admit: I do sound like a "culture-centric" person at times... well, probably most of the time? Most of the issues that I address here on this blog deal with the Middle East and Islam, particularly because I am a Middle Eastern Muslim. Thing is, I don't want my identity to affect my scope of things to the totality of ignoring all other views, news, and beliefs. The world does not revolve around a single point on itself. It spins on an axis, with each part of the world getting its share of the Sun and Moon. While some issues may technically be viewed "hotter" than others, there is no way one can ignore other worldly issues because these issues will, one day, affect us all, and that we can't assume how good or bad the world has become. For example, I tend to base my assertion that the world is a worser place than it was 6 years ago mainly because of what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the worsening situation for Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. I also have become aware of Islamophobia, and, from my point of view, how it is gaining momentum in the Eastern and Western worlds. These are a handful of facts that I tend to consider when it comes to the issue of how I view the world.
Unfortunately, that's not the way it should be. Some might say the world is a better place, while others might claim that it's not. Being blisfully unaware of the positives and negatives in worldly affairs is dangerous particularly because we tend to think that ignorance will lead us somewhere. This is not true at all: ignorance has lead to fear, hate and bigotry, of which the last-mentioned aspect lacks any sort of rational and even human thought. When one opens a newspaper, he/she would be more concerned regarding the events that are shaping his/her little (bubble?) world, particularly because those affairs of other nations are of no importance. While this may be acceptable to the common person, we have to take into account that indifference towards other human beings is borderline neglection and, at times, racism, or even culture-centric behavior, which is ethnocentric as well.
The fact is that it's just that we are too ingrained in our own cultures and societies to the extent that we can't learn or familiarize ourselves with others, or finding what is going on in other places. What we need is to detach ourselves from the viewpoint that our societies are most important to us (yes, they are important, but for the sake of understanding others and viewing worldly events is something else altogether). To think that our societies are "best" or that they (each one, really) are the only ones that "matter" is like thinking that one part of the world is more important than the other part... okay, but on what basis? We need to view the world in as objective a way as possible, even when it comes to our own societies, which is something I will talk about later.
The issue here is perspective. My perspective is limited to the MidEast. However, it is noted that I should broaden it, the reason particularly being that while other issues do not involve people that I can identify with, these issues still involve people. People matter. When Africa comes to mind, I somehow think of people sufferring from all sorts of ailments, but this is not because they are African. They are in a situation that has been drastically affected by serious pre-WWI and post-war colonialism. However, when I view the continent, I see... people... not just Africans, but people. I see people sufferring the same fate of Palestinians and Iraqis, and both plights have not been addressed in any way deemed necessary. Their sufferring is not greater or less than the sufferring of people elsewhere, but the fact that theirs is also an issue as much as any other issue makes it one that should be addressed.
This is as important as belief in the concept of Humanity (that all humans are equal, and national identities should not be applied as discriminatory measures). There is absolutely no reason to consider one group of people over another politically, and no reason to shun or push aside the issue of sufferring and/or politics aside. Understanding the world delineates bigoted perceptions of "other" cultures and "other" people. Let me help you out a bit. Imagine you came back from a hard day at work and flipped on the news. You see images of death and despair, but you'd probably flip the channel and get to the sports scores if those people who were sufferring were not people you could identify with culturally, religiously, nationally, etc. But say they were. If they were people who you identify with, I bet you wouldn't mind missing on who won last night's Calcio Italia game, right?
Thought so. The idea here is that what could affect these less fortunate "others" are what could affect you and your people in general. Another question, more worthy of thought: What makes "them" less deserving of your attention?
This is why we should seek to understand what affects others, and how one can remove all signs of ignorance. Sure, it might be a waste of time for yourself, or of little concern, but these are people and that's what it comes down to. While I strongly advocate non-aggression, I'm all for understanding and activism when the situation calls for it. This is why the world should not be rent asunder with ignorance. And this, my friends, is my clarion call. I will, from now on, try my best to be as open as possible... to be as culturally pluralistic as possible... and to bring forth my views regarding much of what shapes the world, not just a place that I adhere from.
Salaam, from Saracen
Unfortunately, that's not the way it should be. Some might say the world is a better place, while others might claim that it's not. Being blisfully unaware of the positives and negatives in worldly affairs is dangerous particularly because we tend to think that ignorance will lead us somewhere. This is not true at all: ignorance has lead to fear, hate and bigotry, of which the last-mentioned aspect lacks any sort of rational and even human thought. When one opens a newspaper, he/she would be more concerned regarding the events that are shaping his/her little (bubble?) world, particularly because those affairs of other nations are of no importance. While this may be acceptable to the common person, we have to take into account that indifference towards other human beings is borderline neglection and, at times, racism, or even culture-centric behavior, which is ethnocentric as well.
The fact is that it's just that we are too ingrained in our own cultures and societies to the extent that we can't learn or familiarize ourselves with others, or finding what is going on in other places. What we need is to detach ourselves from the viewpoint that our societies are most important to us (yes, they are important, but for the sake of understanding others and viewing worldly events is something else altogether). To think that our societies are "best" or that they (each one, really) are the only ones that "matter" is like thinking that one part of the world is more important than the other part... okay, but on what basis? We need to view the world in as objective a way as possible, even when it comes to our own societies, which is something I will talk about later.
The issue here is perspective. My perspective is limited to the MidEast. However, it is noted that I should broaden it, the reason particularly being that while other issues do not involve people that I can identify with, these issues still involve people. People matter. When Africa comes to mind, I somehow think of people sufferring from all sorts of ailments, but this is not because they are African. They are in a situation that has been drastically affected by serious pre-WWI and post-war colonialism. However, when I view the continent, I see... people... not just Africans, but people. I see people sufferring the same fate of Palestinians and Iraqis, and both plights have not been addressed in any way deemed necessary. Their sufferring is not greater or less than the sufferring of people elsewhere, but the fact that theirs is also an issue as much as any other issue makes it one that should be addressed.
This is as important as belief in the concept of Humanity (that all humans are equal, and national identities should not be applied as discriminatory measures). There is absolutely no reason to consider one group of people over another politically, and no reason to shun or push aside the issue of sufferring and/or politics aside. Understanding the world delineates bigoted perceptions of "other" cultures and "other" people. Let me help you out a bit. Imagine you came back from a hard day at work and flipped on the news. You see images of death and despair, but you'd probably flip the channel and get to the sports scores if those people who were sufferring were not people you could identify with culturally, religiously, nationally, etc. But say they were. If they were people who you identify with, I bet you wouldn't mind missing on who won last night's Calcio Italia game, right?
Thought so. The idea here is that what could affect these less fortunate "others" are what could affect you and your people in general. Another question, more worthy of thought: What makes "them" less deserving of your attention?
This is why we should seek to understand what affects others, and how one can remove all signs of ignorance. Sure, it might be a waste of time for yourself, or of little concern, but these are people and that's what it comes down to. While I strongly advocate non-aggression, I'm all for understanding and activism when the situation calls for it. This is why the world should not be rent asunder with ignorance. And this, my friends, is my clarion call. I will, from now on, try my best to be as open as possible... to be as culturally pluralistic as possible... and to bring forth my views regarding much of what shapes the world, not just a place that I adhere from.
Salaam, from Saracen
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