Thread on anti-Black racism in the Pakistani community :

Growing up as a British, Pakistani, Pashtun woman, I was somewhat oblivious to colourism because of my privilege as a fair-skinned girl. That’s until my younger sister was born. 1/?

My sister was considerably darker than I, surprisingly so to many considering Pashtuns are stereotypically fairer than other ethnic groups in Pakistan. And so she was nicknamed, condescendingly, ‘toora’ or ‘blacky’ by some members of the family. 2/?

This aspiration to physical and cultural whiteness, despite the generational trauma British colonial powers inflicted on undivided India, our elders, their children, and their children’s children, we continue to carry this in the form of anti-Black racism TO THIS DAY. 3/?

As @Habeeb_Akande said in an article I wrote for @AJEnglish about anti-Black racism in the British Muslim community, racism predates colonialism. We’re carrying the corpses of the past and for what? To pass on anti-Black sentiments to our children? 3/? https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/britain-black-muslims-discriminated-resisting-180322181443300.html

It’s all well and good to jump on the ‘woke’ bandwagon and blame white people for all the ills of the world.

But in this context, the non-Black Muslim community, South Asian, Arab, whatever, must turn the mirror on themselves & check the ugly reflection of anti-Black racism. 4/?

In the same vein Muslims living in the ‘west’ consider it exhausting and dehumanising for having to constantly apologise for the actions of a minuscule minority of extremists, why should we expect Black Muslims to constantly speak out against anti-Black racism? 5/?

On the subject of what we (as non-Black Muslims) can do to instigate change from within:

An aunt of mine made a passing comment once about how she would never allow her children to marry a Black Muslim. Instead of letting it slide - we’ve all been there - I called her out. 6/?

“Aunty, you know what you just said is racist?”

I genuinely expected her to become enraged and defensive. Guess what happened instead? She looked at me, visibly uncomfortable, and said:

“You know child, you’re right. That was racist.”

7/?

Having grown up as a 2nd/3rd generation British-Pakistani, I know PAINFULLY well how sometimes, elders who are such beautiful wells of wisdom, can act with impunity when it comes to questions of marriage etc and what cultural practices take priority in households. 8/?

In a culture that rightly reveres the lived experiences of those who have been through life and gained wisdom through it, I know that sometimes, elders can be impenetrable fortresses. It’s their way or the high way, and so a lot of young people are afraid to challenge. 9/?

BUT as much as we are a product of our upbringing, as much as we cling to the jungle vines of childhood that shape our views and values as adults, there is NOTHING respectable about racism. As Muslims, it’s our duty to speak out against it. 10/?

I’m not naive to think that impassioned speeches from young people can dislodge generations of conditioning firmly rooted in our communities, just like that. But before we get out into the world to enact change, as they say, it’s always best to start at home. 11/?