Man and Society

Aug 04, 2011 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The horrific bombings and gruesome killings of innocent people in Norway, the majority of whom were still in their early formative years brought to the surface the fragility of man and society and indicate in no uncertain terms that no society is immune from the excesses of human depravity.
Who could have expected a country such as Norway to suffer the trauma of such extremist and bizarre actions that took place a few days ago? Norway is not known to have taken positions that could be considered radical or extremist.
It is home to the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize given to persons of outstanding abilities in a variety of fields, including peace and human development.
Yet there are those who find fault with the society and are prepared to go to any lengths to make their feelings known even if it meant the destruction of lives and property.
These are sick people who are so blinded by prejudice that they lose their faculty of reasoning and clear thinking.
Still fresh in our minds are the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre twin towers and the Pentagon in which over three thousand lives were lost.
Several other buildings were destroyed over the past decade across the continents involving the loss of thousands of innocent lives committed under some obscure often ill-defined ‘ideology’.
In the case of Norway, it would appear that the person who carried out the bestial killings is a member of a far-right group that is opposed to immigrants entering the country, more particularly Muslim immigrants.
It was the feeling of the perpetrators that Muslim migrants would bring ‘alien’ values and customs which are considered ‘incongruent’ with the European way of life, however that way is defined.
The truth is that there is a lot of mistrust and suspicion among westerners when it comes to Muslims, especially since the bombing of the World Trade Centre.
This is manifested in a variety of ways including much more rigorous checks at airports by immigration authorities in the United States and other western ports.
President Bharrat Jagdeo had occasion to comment on the differential treatment meted out to Minister Irfaan Ali during in transit checks in the USA even though the Minister was part of a presidential delegation.
This is not only embarrassing but betrays a lack of sensitivity on the part of the authorities, not to mention the lack of protocol that one would normally associate with higher office.
It is unthinkable that a member of the US Cabinet travelling to Guyana would be subjected to such rigorous checks by airport authorities here. Why then should senior government functionaries from the third world be treated differently in the United States?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not opposed to thorough and scrupulous checks on individuals who board aircraft especially given the need to tighten on passenger safety. I do believe, however, that there is need for some consideration to human sensitivity and respect for human dignity.
In other words, there is need to find a balance between the need to ensure maximum passenger safety and respect for the individual.
I personally found it humiliating and embarrassing to be asked to take off my shoes, belt and empty my pockets at some airports.
I do get the impression at times that my Muslim name was responsible for the rigorous checks I sometimes experienced, especially when seen against the relative ease with which some of my fellow co-travelers got past the immigration desks.
The truth is that cultural assimilation is much more difficult for some ethnic and cultural groups in the United States and other western countries due to stereotypical and ethno-centrist views that are often associated with certain cultural groups.
The German Chancellor Angel Merkel admitted the failure of multiculturalism in Germany. Similar sentiments were made by the British Prime Minister. France is known to have taken some strong positions against minority groups and Belgium has only recently
joined with France in banning the Muslim headwear in public places. Actions such as these only serve to reinforce perceptions and stereotypes which are not only socially dysfunctional, but also militate against good and harmonious inter-ethnic relations
This is somewhat of a digression from the core point that I seek to make, and that is that we have to guard against ethnocentric tendencies which in essence is one of viewing one’s race or culture as superior to that of another. Sociologists do not recognize any such thing as a ‘superior’ culture since all cultures are relevant and appropriate to that particular stage of societal development. While there could be some elements of cultural lag, it does not in any way make that culture inferior to any other.
Guyana is a multi-ethnic society characterized by high levels of political and ethnic tolerance. Except for brief periods in our history when the society was put under some stress due mainly to the machinations of outside forces, the country has experienced over the decades a fair measure of political and social stability. Few multi-ethnic countries can boast of such high levels of tolerance which speaks well of our maturity. Despite what is being peddled in some quarters, race relations in the country are quite good and compare favourably with any country with diverse populations.

Hydar Ally

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