Perils of multiculturalism<\/p>\n
For Indonesians, the rioting in France -- now entering its 14th
\nday -- looks disturbingly familiar. Here in our own country over
\nthe last ten years, we have been no strangers to burning buses,
\nrock-throwing rioters, police officers battling protesters,
\nfiremen trying to extinguish the flames, and the destruction of
\npublic schools and churches.<\/p>\n
It is precisely because we know how painful it is to
\nexperience urban riots that our sympathy for the French people
\nand their government comes naturally. It is heart-wrenching to
\nwatch France being devastated by what seems to be endless riots
\naffecting dozens of cities and towns across much of the country
\nday after day. The riots started on Oct. 27 in Paris following an
\nincident in which two young people were electrocuted. Some 1,200
\ncars have been burnt and 330 people arrested since the riots
\nbegan.<\/p>\n
Due to its liberal immigration policy, France has often been
\nregarded by its less-accepting neighbors with a degree of
\ncynicism. It is home to refugees and asylum seekers from the
\nworld over, from the Middle East to Africa and Asia, including
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
As citizens of a developing country, we can only marvel at its
\nwelcoming approach and its readiness to help all sorts of
\nafflicted aliens. It is not without reason that the famous maxim
\n-- Liberty, Equality and Fraternity -- was coined in France four
\nhundred years ago.<\/p>\n
But playing host to so many nationalities is not without risk.
\nPerhaps France's neighbors are not completely wrong either.
\nMulticulturalism is a nice sounding word until it is translated
\ninto reality. It is a complex phenomenon loaded with sensitive
\nissues like the divides between rich and poor, different faiths,
\nways of perceiving things, and different habits, to say the
\nleast.<\/p>\n
To date, not a single multicultural country can claim it has
\nno social problems. As a multiethnic country, Indonesia is no
\nstranger to the perils of a multicultural society. It has
\nsuffered a lot because of it.<\/p>\n
Take shelter, a basic human need, as an example. Everybody
\nneeds shelter but the problem is that shelter and housing in this
\nglobalized world comes in various shapes and is of variable
\nquality. When the difference is too great between one community
\nand another, it can become a potent recipe for conflict.<\/p>\n
France has a bold policy that declares everybody who comes to
\nthe country to be French, no matter where they come from or what
\ntheir religious or ideological persuasion is. It is much the same
\nas when Indonesia decided in 1945 -- the year Indonesia declared
\nits independence -- that the members of the 400-odd ethnic groups
\nin the country would all be treated as Indonesians.<\/p>\n
But 60 years on, ethnic and religious conflicts still
\nfrequently occur in Indonesia, not to mention the growing
\neconomic divide between the wealthy minority of the country's
\npopulation of 220 million people and the impoverished majority.<\/p>\n
Should we be cynical about this apparent failure of the French
\nmulticultural experiment? Or should we despair because the
\nchances of solving our own problems with multiculturalism look
\nmore remote now that we see that even a developed country can
\nfail to solve these sort of problems? Such a pessimistic approach
\nwould definitely not be the right way to look at the rioting in
\nFrance.<\/p>\n
On the contrary, we should look forward to the possibility of
\nsharing our respective experiences on the issue, especially as
\nmulticulturalism is rapidly becoming commonplace in many
\ncountries now that people are freer to move from one place to
\nanother.<\/p>\n
We are acutely aware that it is not enough to simply have the
\ngoodwill to say we want a multicultural society. A lot of work
\nhas to follow, and it should come from both the government and
\nthe people. Unfortunately, there is no universal recipe as to how
\nto deal with the perils of multiculturalism as the conditions
\npertaining in each society at each time will be different.<\/p>\n
For Indonesia, and we believe it applies to France as well, a
\npledge for tolerance from societal groups alone will not work.
\nThere should be mutual respect between them and a readiness by
\none group to defend another, be it ethnic or religious, that
\nhappens to be discriminated against.<\/p>\n
Although such words as these are easy to say, it does not mean
\nthat we have succeeded in implementing them. Their implementation
\nwill require perseverance and strong political will on the part
\nof the government.<\/p>\n
We also need to learn that cultural uniformity will not work.
\nFor 30 years, Soeharto tried to wipe out Chinese culture but it
\ndid not work. Culture can never be eliminated. Every culture must
\nbe given a place to grow. Assimilation does not work, integration
\nis more plausible.<\/p>\n
Accepting different cultures may be the hardest part of
\nintegration in the French context as the country has a proud
\nculture and traditions.<\/p>\n
For the immigrants in France, they have to do their part also
\nbecause, unlike in Indonesia where the different ethnic groups
\nhad always been present since before independence, the immigrants
\nin France are relative newcomers.<\/p>\n
The French government has to make sure that it has good
\ncommunications with the immigrants. It has to familiarize itself
\nabout the their resentment in various sectors like housing,
\neducation and job opportunities.<\/p>\n
They should be able to say one day that they are proud French
\nmen and women, not second-class citizens. Otherwise, like in
\nIndonesia, pent-up anger will once again explode.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/perils-of-multiculturalism-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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