It's a pity that there is manifest a certain amount of intolerance in the media, within your peers and round and about you.
We have intolerance of the muslim custom of clothing choice, where it frightens some people. We have the intolerance of race equality when it comes to Maori. We have the intolerance of many things. Today I'm down to two;
Maori. What can you put this intolerance down to, well I'd say that the settlement of grievances is to blame. blame in the sense that they are advertised and that the settlement usually comes with cash and goods as reparation. This is seen by some as pandering to a minority, when they may or may not be disenfranchised themselves in some way, either by wealth or position, race or privilege. For example "why should I work so hard so the Maori can get it for nothing" That's making your world view focus on a result not a reason.
I'm amazed at some of the "claims" that we're told about, by Maori, and these are always highlighted and imply that they are a grab for something, there are very few that result in everyone nodding in sage agreement that a settlement would be just and correct.
What is it you want? Maori equality means they are starting from a lap down. What do you exepct when suddenly bright educated people identifying themselves as Maori understand some of the ways to get them on a level footing. It's isn't about getting ahead of the whitey, it's about being the same, and accepted as being the same as.
Muslims. The burqa, the face mask or niqab. Where to go with this. The full body covering that muslim women choose to wear or the face veil.
My ignorance and fear should not be a want to ban them from wearing it. I don't support it, I don't understand it, I'm appalled if it's a forced choice. What I'm not is intolerant of their choice based on their beliefs to choose to do what they do.
I can choose to believe they are ignorant, and don't want to be part of my society, they aren't being ignorant or insular. They are sharing a country with me, we're not in an arm wrestle for control that I know of, we want to get on with our lives.
Sure there are radicals in every religion, there will be white religious supremacists that want to blow something up, there will be muslim radicals that want to do the same. There are probably angry Buddhists somewhere. Can you imagine them wanting everyone to wear orange as their cause, we're not offended by them singing and dancing in the streets.
So my muslim full veil fear? I'm going with my own thoughts that we are hunter gatherers. We don't like not seeing a face, or facial expressions or body language, it scares us. It scares us because of the rarity of the full veil muslim in our presence, I bet if you were in a city where it was prevalent that you wouldn't worry so much. It scares you as it's not your normal. Your fear is no reason to make them change. It just isn't.
