Build Bridges, not Walls

By: Noor Husna Toha

While refugees mostly flee from their countries for the same reason - forced to leave their countries due to wars and to find a safer place for them and their families, how refugees are seen, regarded and accepted by the locals of the respective countries they go to varies from one refugee community to another.

What normal people who value humanity and despise violence can do everyday is to learn about those who have come to our countries and to be hospitable towards them, gesturing that we are here to help them resettle in new environments with new social, political and religious structures. The power we have to hold corrupt leaders accountable and make changes to the international political scene may seem small at times but as a human, the power that we have to help another human being is huge.

Just like any other communities, the refugee communities also have their own cultures and customs that they are proud of, which wouldn't be easily forgotten even when day-to-day survival is their biggest concern. In fact, keeping their cultures alive may be the reason they can still keep moving forward. In a world where everything is now different, their religious and cultural practices are the only things that stay unchanged.

Some interesting instances we can see are Palestinian refugee women organising a community-based kitchen making and selling dishes native to their home country. Such activities not only empower the women financially, but more importantly through strengthened relationship within the refugee community.

Some are more comfortable assimmilating into the new society they are in, while some see the obligation in keeping the traditions alive. For example, the Uyghur diaspora and refugees have been evidently maintaining their cultural practices through music, dance, language, poetry, and clothing. However, there are also those who are not taught to speak their native language at home and grew up with only English.

When speaking about the Rohingya community, many of us cannot depart from the thought of seeing them as refugees first, and not human beings like us. Personally, only after joining Sekolah Islamiyah I have begun to be curious about the cultural aspects of the Rohingya community. What are their traditional dishes? How do their traditional clothes look like? Now that Ramadhan is approaching, I am more than curious to learn about how they celebrate the fasting month and Eidul Fitr. The next time you see a person from another culture, ask yourselves, "What can I learn from him/her?" Build bridges, not walls.

**This article is personal opionion of the writer and does not represent Sekolah Islamiyah as a whole.