Author: subra59593@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

There are several implications from the banning of religious items of clothing or jewelry, especially in countries where secularism is treasured. For countries that cherish personal freedom the banning of religious items seems to be a direct contradiction to this idea. Additionally, there is also the question of where do we draw a red line, will wearing clothing such as a shirt displaying religious symbols constitute a crime? It is hard and frankly borderline tyrannical for a government to have a complete say on our dress code and accessories. I strongly believe that religious freedom is a basic human right that should not be infringed upon by any state. Though there is an argument to make to ban religions that incite violence, isolated incidents from extremists within Islam does not mean that the entire religion, where the majority of people are peace-loving people, should be banned. Undoubtedly, the removal of any religious symbols should never be allowed.

What have you learned about Islamophobia and the Hijab? In what ways has it changed your earlier perceptions about Islam? UK racism and Ted Talk

In the last week us students have been opened to several perspectives about Islam from Muslims. This has been interesting as we have not only been exposed to viewpoints that are not often reported in the media, but we have also been able to intimately understand Islamophobia. By listening to the experience of several Muslims, I am more aware of the myriad ways that Islamophobia manifests and the history behind the hijab.

The initial video from the UK helped contextualize Islamophobia. For a non-muslim like myself it was not only helpful for these Muslims to give their personal experiences with Islamophobia, but also beneficial for them to give their opinions on what Islam means to them. As a person of faith, I have been inspired by the Muslim community’s perseverance to continue practicing their unique religion even with the threat of rampant racism.

I had always thought of the hijab as an essential part of Islam, the word was synonymous with Islam, subservience to God, and humility. From this TedTalk I not only learned that the Hijab is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the Quran and how it is possible that imams and scholars have inserted this requirement to patronize women: this completely changed my view of the Hijab.

This short piece by James Baldwin portrays the struggles of America’s black community through the use of a father-son dynamic. Though Baldwin does not exactly use this technique, elements of a fatherly figure are given to the narrator to help exhibit greater clarity on themes such as black resistance and injustice. His view on these issues portrays Baldwin as a trailblazer for his time.

The text starts with “Dear James”. The use of a letter text type gives a personal feel to the message that Baldwin is conveying. This underscores how Baldwin is trying to connect with the wider African-american community. Under the guise of an uncle, Baldwin explores the father-son dynamic – prevalent in African-american culture – to again connect with the wider African-american community about tough issues. In his words to James, Baldwin expresses his memories where he sees “your [James’] face, which is also the face of your father and my [Baldwin’s] brother”. This is referenced to highlight the historical problems that blacks have faced and have not been solved for generations. Additionally, Baldwin uses this opportunity to explore wider themes in pop culture. On the second page Baldwin addresses America’s racist history, “this is the crime which I accuse my country…history will [never] forgive them”. Baldwin not only addresses this grim fact but introduces the underreported issue of the vilification of black males in American media and the control of the black population by the state.

Likewise, the text gives several perspectives on the issue at hand, using literary techniques to convey them. “You must survive (pg 3)” highlights the perilous predicament that many African-Americans are in. When a typical American hears this, it invokes horror at the fact that this is reality for many Americans. The controlling nature of the state is reinforced with the use of invasive verbs, “set you down”, “you have been told where you could go” to describe the country’s policies. Baldwin’s letter is also in the form of a second-person narrative, making us feel like a black experiencing injustice. Simultaneously, the text addresses sensitive issues present in the black community. On page four, Baldwin encourages James – and all young African Americans – to embrace their ‘blackness’, “There is no reason for you to try to become like white men”, addressing the whitewashing of black culture. Much like activists such as MLK, Baldwin preaches, “show[ing] love”, at a time of racial tensions in the 60s. Finally, Baldwin refers back to his view on white society’s control of blacks, commenting that whites are “trapped in history”, implying that a prominent sect of whites wish to continue the oppressive policies of their forefathers in fear of losing power. To show the resilience of the black community, Baldwin alludes to Homer to show the long, powerful history of blacks. Baldwin addresses heartfelt issues of the black community by directly communicating with his readers – a technique used by contemporary producers such as P&G to raise awareness about racial injustice.

In Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s piece, “The Finkelstein Five”, Adjei-Brenyah uses the perspective of a conflicted black man to highlight racial injustice in the United States. The use of a first person voice allows Adjei-Brenyah to directly connect these anecdotes with his intended audience: white people. This is achieved through the use of varying literary techniques, which will be elaborated upon below.

Adjei-Brenyah opens up his piece by contextualizing the conflict within a young black man. He uses a “blackness scale” that is referenced throughout the story as a symbol of the internal conflict that many African-Americans have with their own culture/heritage. This subconscious struggle is highlighted in the first page when Emmanuel, “it was impossible to get his [Emmanuel’s] blackness down”. The author uses this example as another reference to the white-washing of black culture, exemplifying how blacks try to ‘fit in’ society by conforming to ‘white’ standards. This train of thought also allows the readers to better understand the notion of racial profiling – a hard concept for non-blacks in American to grasp. To do this, African-american vernacular is used to give an authentic aura to the experience. Emmanuel’s backstory and personal experiences allow the audience to connect more with him, making them more disheartened when they read the implicit bias he faces. Parallelism is implemented throughout the text to highlight the difference in treatment by the justice system towards whites and non-whites. On page 5, the judge takes the side of George Wilson Dunn, “I’ll allow it”, while security guards regard Emmanuel with suspicion and “trail him”.

The author also uses the text to focus on the ideas of identity and representation by providing multiple perspectives. The verdict on the white man on page 3 underscores how tight-knit the black community is, “his father cursed. His mother punched honks”. This scene also exhibits how discrimination is shared by all minority communities, “friends of many different races…had gathered”. Within the black experience, the author presents an important dynamic in the black community: the father-son relationship. Emmanuel’s connection to his father links to how he attempts to subvert his inner blackness. However, after experiencing racism, this subversion capitulates. This culmination of personal experiences with racism and subtle racism directed towards blacks in media, “African diaspora (9)”, makes Emmanuel’s path to violence more plausible. The technique of switching between George’s perspective and Emmanuel’s life corresponds to the double standards of America’s justice system. George is shown to be calm and collected as he knows he will be protected, while Emmanuel feels paranoid because he knows of the system’s track record with African-Americans.

Adjei-Brenyah uses this story to connect to many themes of black culture. He expresses blacks’ internal struggle with their heritage and also their experiences with racism to draw greater attention for his readers. To conclude, racial injustice is clearly portrayed through the use of a dual perspective and recurring themes relating to black culture.