About two years ago, I visited Malaysia, more specifically, Kuala Lumpur. The constitution of Kuala Lumpur, declares Islam the state religion, however there is an importance of protecting freedom of all religious groups. As I departed my flight into the airport, i entered a 40 degree, sticky and humid environment. At this point I was dressed in Australian summer attire- a pair of shorts and a t shirt. As I departed the plane, I was confronted and abused in a foreign language by a Muslim man and his family for what I could only assume was for my insensitive choices of dress. In response to the abuse, and without any retaliation or hesitation, I quickly changed into long pants and a jacket- despite feeling Ill from the heat. I responded this way because despite there being freedom of religion within this region, I was well aware of its Islamic dominance. My point is... I RESPECTED that I had been scolded because my fashion choices where not acceptable in that region of the world. I wasnt angry at the man nor was I quick to deem him racist/ small minded/ uneducated. Instead, I adhered to the customs of that particular place, to ensure I was not intentionally disrespecting any permanent residents. This small example, I suppose, makes it difficult for me to fully grasp the concept of Muslim individuals (moderate or extreme) trying to enforce there social, religious and legal systems into a country that is ALREADY peaceful and accepting of multiculturalism. I now, more than ever, hold great fears for the future of Australia. #attackme #letthecontraversybegin #uneducated #smallminded #racist #ormaybewearejustnotsonaive
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 21:03:08 +0000
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