I took this picture, with permission, of a prayer time notice at a Mosque I used to visit in London’s Brick Lane. Christianity and Islam share some scriptural books in common and as a Christian I wanted to understand the similarities in Christian and Islamic theology, so here at this Mosque I debated faith with Mullahs and I was truly blessed by the conversations and I gained a respect for Islam.
I am posting this picture today as an anti-racist statement, because
this week at McMaster University, hateful anti-Islamic messages were
spray painted on someone’s door. The police are investigating this crime
and the University quickly responded, as it should, with an anti-racism
rally.
Most people are outraged by this incident and cannot imagine the
mentality that perpetrated it. Yet in some ways we are all implicated
in this crime—the thing that gives such crimes a sting is that they
compound and magnify the more subtle forms of social exclusion that
operate in society—and we all have a responsibility to challenge that
exclusion. McMaster University has been trying to challenge exclusion
by consciously working toward the campus being truly inclusive
community, but there is still a long way to go. Read
HERE about how some other universities are begining to tackle the issues in an academic environment. Also read
HERE
for an article that examines the need for social workers to adopt a
socially inclusive and anti-racist stance. Then figure out ways you can
disrupt exclusion and also find ways you can make your environment more
inclusive.
