Racism

Right. I've set myself the target of blogging more. Also, to go to the gym more. And eat more healthily, spend less money etc etc.

At least the first target is realistic?

I was very young when I said this (about four or five), but I once said to my Mum that "Brown people are made of poo".

I remember this moment clearly because it's something I'm deeply ashamed of. I didn't know or associate with anyone of a dark skin colour, I couldn't comprehend the idea of a different skin colour, so I decided to attack it.

My mother, in one of her moments of wisdom, simply replied with;

"One day, you're going to make a friend who has dark skin. Then you'll realise what you've said is wrong."
At that moment in time, I remember feeling that there was no way in hell she could be right.

One day an Indian boy started at my school. And I became good friends with him. In fact at one point, best friends with him.

I apologised to my Mother whilst feeling tremendously guilty for saying such horrid things that clearly weren't true.
She just smiled. No "I told you so" was needed. She didn't need to say anything, she just understood that I was young and uneducated

-Uneducated being the key word there.

Racism isn't just skin colour. It's now anything from accent to your home country.
All this anti-immigration propaganda being flashed at us on a daily basis from The Daily Mail and The Sun, are just proving how little we actually know about other cultures.

The "Ban the Burka" slogan only makes me want to rip someone's head off every time I hear it.
Let me first disprove the common argument from your average idiot;

"Oh, when we go over to their country, we have to wear a Burka, so they should do the same over here and respect our laws"

-Hold up.
We have a law saying "At all times, you must not wear something covering your face"?
Well, that's news to me at least.
Perhaps the Burka-Bashers (I can use alliteration to make a catchy slogan, too) should realise that by wearing the Burka, these women are actually respecting our laws of freedom of speech and freedom to wear (pretty much) what you want in this country.

If we, as a country, understand that these women aren't forced into wearing the Burka (Despite what seems to be frequently repeated by people with no point of reference) and that they wish to of their own free will, and learnt the real reasons why they wear them, then we might begin to empathise with them. We only find Burkas intimidating because they're different.

Some comments from Muslim women regarding the Burka, relating to the possible ban in France (Found on the BBC);

"I am a Muslim women who wears the burka and never ever was I forced to wear my Islamic dress code or even felt remotely enslaved by my Islamic values and clothing. Mr Sarkozy doesn't understand Islam and never will because his heart is full of hate to my religion.

I was born free to make my own choice."

Mariam Siluiman, Paris, France

"Why it does not bother us when we encounter nuns (YES Catholic Nuns) covered the same way? Through education we will overcome this obstacle - not through judgments - and YES help these people get educated not judging them."

Benhard, Paris, France

"All over the France half of the French billboards and commercials are studded with pictures of virtually naked women. Just because the males seeking pleasure in those naked pictures of women would turn the eyes to these commercials.

The French do not have any objection to when women are turned into an object of pleasure, but when few women want to have burka as a part of religious/social custom, then the French start to preach their social doctrine.

It should be the people who dress should choose how to dress themselves rather than the president of their country. Why can't the French be open-minded as the British are."

Haldia Saudagar, Caen, France

I could rant on forever about different forms of racism, and how it's ignorant, and backward pedalling, but instead I'll finish with this;

Here's hoping that with more education, people will begin to mix with other cultures more freely, and strive to learn about other cultures, and eventually embrace them.