Wahaaj and Izzah with
Aaysha Ishfaq from Gujrat, Pakistan / Layla Birt of Ilkley / Ruby from West Yorkshire.
As expected, students took a full and active part in raising the banner of #BlackLivesMatter. In this special opinion piece, City Bugle brings together views and art from Europe to Asia.
Black is not ugly. Your mind is.
by Aaysha Ishfaq
Last week the world witnessed murder of yet another person of colour based on prejudice, hatred and white supremacy. In my life I have never experienced racism leading to uncontrolled riots and a civil uprising against the US government demanding an end to injustice against black minorities. This is more reminiscent of the civil rights movement of the 60's and who would have thought 2020 would usher in such a new dawn.
Some may object to why I support the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. How can I take sides, being as I am from a different part of the world and with a different ethnicity. I write from a girl’s perspective growing up in a South Asian family.
But let's not forget, all around the world there are racists that have the inhumane thought that a dark skin complexion is ugly.
Only someone concerned with outward appearances is not interested in your achievements but more intent on going two shades lighter than your skin tone. You could have highest possible academic degree but at the end of the day it all comes down to ‘gora rang’ (fair skin) when it comes to marriage, promotion or dinner invitations.
It is high time we put an end to this pointless yet so harmful gibberish. So here are a few things you can do. I urge young people especially, to challenge racist ideologies within your own home and community. Is there really nothing harmless about hearing ‘this colour doesn’t complement your skin tone’ or ‘don’t play too long in the sun’. When someone uses the term ‘kala’ to refer to black people in a derogatory way please, for the sake of the retweets you continue to retweet “speak up” in the real world. Using your own language as a code to speak about black people in a disparaging way ‘is’ racist.
Our communal and cultural prejudice is too dear to let go off, let alone to talk about equality. As a Muslim, it is taught that all racism is wrong as the Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him said :“All of humankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white.” God-fearing we may pose to be but at some point we have all belittled and looked down upon the creation of the Almighty Creator. Haven't we?
Dystopian Effects
by Ruby of West Yorkshire
When the video of George Floyd’s murder went viral the other week, thousands took to the streets in America to protest about police brutality towards the black community. Soon, countries all around the world followed suit.
I am very proud to say that my generation (Gen Z) and Millennials have actually been the main generations out there protesting. It has been interesting to note though, that many older people seem to be surprised at how serious my peer group are taking this situation - especially as we are seen by many as a spoiled and perhaps a ‘snowflake’ generation.
But what they fail to remember, is that we grew up reading - and watching – stories such as The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent, Percy Jackson, Red Queen and many more; dystopian tales. Dystopia is a genre of writing and stories that imagines a society in which there is great suffering and great injustice – usually run by control-freaks and totalitarian regimes. Some of the first writers of this style were Orwell (‘1984’) and Huxley (‘Brave New World’). Margaret Attwood too – my favourite is ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’
One thing that many of the dystopian stories from the last two decades have in common, is that they are about young teenagers taking a stand against the society they live in, about them taking down the corrupt leaders who call themselves the heroes and who try and convince the people that the masses should be grateful to them for saving them.
...it is fair to say that dystopian society is becoming far too close for comfort. Instead of President Snow, it’s President Trump, instead of Peacekeepers, it’s the police.
Perhaps my generation always thought that these were just exciting stories - and that we would never know anything like the sorts of conditions of society that these characters lived in. But now looking at the protests going on in America … and the changes that we are all experiencing due to Covid-19, it is fair to say that dystopian society is becoming far too close for comfort. Instead of President Snow, it’s President Trump, instead of Peacekeepers, it’s the police. In the second book of the Hunger Games Trilogy the narrator states that “every revolution starts with a spark” … and in the Hunger Games there were actually two sparks. The first was Rue’s murder in the arena which started off riots in her district and the second was Katniss and Peta refusing to fight each other.
Two sparks. What does this sound like…? Now, if you listen to anyone out there protesting, you will hear them say that it is not a riot but a revolution. Perhaps we need to see George Floyd’s murder as the final straw culminating in a new set of revolutionary behaviours.
We also need to recognise that white privilege is a very real thing and instead of apologising for being white, because none of us can help what colour skin we have or what family we are born into, we should use it for good and help the people who need it.
Personally, I find it quite amusing that many adults didn’t anticipate that children today, who were brought up learning about stories of teenagers taking back the power from the corrupt and evil leaders, wouldn’t hesitate to take the chance when it occurred. But what is important to remember is that racism won't end just because of the protests. We have to educate people in the history of all minorities who are still to this day oppressed just because of the colour of their skin or the language that they speak. Speaking from the perspective of someone who was born in Africa yet with white skin tone, I see things through many lenses. We also need to recognise that white privilege is a very real thing and instead of apologising for being white, because none of us can help what colour skin we have or what family we are born into, we should use it for good and help the people who need it.
It is also a time to educate ourselves and help educate others, instead of insulting people and trying to tear them down, talk to them rationally and try to find out why they think the way they do and try to help them understand why this needs to stop.
I do love dystopia. Some may say that it is a bit doom ridden, but I think the reason these stories are so popular is because we can see ourselves slipping further and further towards these kinds of societies. There really is a lot we can learn from them.