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Monday, March 7, 2011

on your colour is white, my colour is yellow, but we are all made of earth

Wanted to check malaysian news just now and went to The Star, but then accidentally typed in 'thetsar.com'. Is it an omen alluding to malaysian politics? Dunno.

Anyways, found this brilliant article in The Economist and thought that we could draw parallels between multiracial Bradford and multiracial Malaysia.

http://www.economist.com/node/18289262

The story basically goes like this. Bradford is home to Britain's fourth-largest Muslim population, and possibly has the highest concentration of Muslims. In 2001 it was the scene of riots pitting mostly Pakistani youth against the police, provoked by young white men. But last year the community successfully pacified a rally by the English Defence League (EDL), which is sort of a ketuanan Inggeris (English supremacy) group.

Surely here there are lessons to be learnt on how best to manage racial tensions. If only we read more impartial reporting and less harian metro. If there is such a thing as impartial opinion, since we have our in-built biases. God, the Just, will decide between us who has the better judgment and who has taken the Straight Path.

Anyways, one of the most striking passages in this article is as follows:

"If Bradford has lessons for other towns that wrestle with segregation, it is that improving public services which better everyone’s lot is likely to reduce tensions faster than trying to force cultural change"

I've put forward this case many times. Once i attended a talk by a malaysian political party, and at the end of it they gave us feedback forms (and 30 pounds, just for attending). so i wrote my name on the feedback form, and told them that you should improve the conditions of all citizens in malaysia, and not favoritise others, since justice and fairness is closer to Islam.

They probably have a file with my name on it now *sweating* probably not, since we easily give in to conspiracy theories.

"Allâh does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allâh loves those who are just" (60:8)


But how can a people believe in the principles of God, if they do not believe and fear in God.

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