Canada, racist?
No. Despite what media reports have been saying today, Canada is the least racist country in the world.
I was a bit shocked by some of the statistics, but still. Canada is far from being racist.
Having an admittedly racist 7% of the population should not diminish the fundamental decency and tendency to be accepting that describes most other Canadians.
I also want to bring up a small point a friend of mine brought up to me a few days ago. A lot of Sikhs complain about the French government's blatantly discriminatory anti-religion policies. However, a lot of Sikhs, particularly in Punjab need to look inward as well. When people from other "Indian" provinces choose to immigrate to Punjab, they are often greeted with explicit racism. When people from Bihar choose to move to Punjab, they're met with much of the same rhetoric that meets Punjabis who immigrate abroad. Isn't that really sad? I just realized this not too long ago. Punjabi Sikhs are often hypersensitive about maintaining a Sikh majority in the Punjab, but at what expense? And the weirdest thing is that, even when the non-Punjabis convert to Sikhi, they still aren't treated properly. They're still considered lowly and dirty. It's especially sad that considering the pre-Khalsa days, most Punjabis were of the lowest castes, and so many of them were even untouchables, and yet, they've forgot that heritage and instead choose to discriminate against outsiders.
So basically, a decision has to be made. We could all be classy and realize that racism and discrimination is bad EVERYWHERE or we could buy into the discriminatory tendencies that are wrapped up in defense of "culture" or "society" or whatever else. It's just annoying when I see Sikhs being racist/castist/regionalist against others in Punjab (and to other Punjabis/Indians outside Punjab), but then they claim racism when they move abroad. Behave at home or prepare to be discriminated against when you move elsewhere. Don't expect a double standard.
I was a bit shocked by some of the statistics, but still. Canada is far from being racist.
Having an admittedly racist 7% of the population should not diminish the fundamental decency and tendency to be accepting that describes most other Canadians.
I also want to bring up a small point a friend of mine brought up to me a few days ago. A lot of Sikhs complain about the French government's blatantly discriminatory anti-religion policies. However, a lot of Sikhs, particularly in Punjab need to look inward as well. When people from other "Indian" provinces choose to immigrate to Punjab, they are often greeted with explicit racism. When people from Bihar choose to move to Punjab, they're met with much of the same rhetoric that meets Punjabis who immigrate abroad. Isn't that really sad? I just realized this not too long ago. Punjabi Sikhs are often hypersensitive about maintaining a Sikh majority in the Punjab, but at what expense? And the weirdest thing is that, even when the non-Punjabis convert to Sikhi, they still aren't treated properly. They're still considered lowly and dirty. It's especially sad that considering the pre-Khalsa days, most Punjabis were of the lowest castes, and so many of them were even untouchables, and yet, they've forgot that heritage and instead choose to discriminate against outsiders.
So basically, a decision has to be made. We could all be classy and realize that racism and discrimination is bad EVERYWHERE or we could buy into the discriminatory tendencies that are wrapped up in defense of "culture" or "society" or whatever else. It's just annoying when I see Sikhs being racist/castist/regionalist against others in Punjab (and to other Punjabis/Indians outside Punjab), but then they claim racism when they move abroad. Behave at home or prepare to be discriminated against when you move elsewhere. Don't expect a double standard.
posted by Japnaam Singh at
8:37 PM
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