Racial discrimination<\/p>\n
I almost choked on my nasi goreng (fried rice) when I read in
\nThe Jakarta Post letters section (On racism, July 29, 1995) that
\nmy words \"It has never been this writer's intention to draw
\nattention to his family and his person\" had somehow metamorphose
\ninto\" ...Mr. Gulliver and his family\" during the newspaper's
\nproduction process! Oh, well...<\/p>\n
What prompts me to write once more is to point out the recent
\nhypocrisy by Western writers who rail against perceived racism
\ndirected towards them as a group.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, a reader from New Zealand wrote to \"Your
\nLetters\" and made some profoundly scathing remarks about the
\nMaoris in his country. Among others, he stated that \"Eighty
\npercent of (Maoris) are too lazy to work.\"<\/p>\n
Not a single Western reader of The Jakarta Post felt the need
\nto refute or protest that view. Not a word!<\/p>\n
Some weeks later, an alert The Jakarta Post journalist, in a
\nfeature article on race relations in New Zealand, mentioned the
\nletter that denigrated Maoris and suggested that perhaps such
\nattitudes contributed to racial problems there.<\/p>\n
Last June, I poked some fun at certain Westerners and the
\nquestionable perceptions they had. My letter drew irate responses
\nfrom several readers, including a touchy Dutchman in Bekasi who
\nseemed accustomed to lecturing Indonesians. Only one Italian
\nwrote to say he found nothing offensive about my letter.<\/p>\n
An overweening sense of racial self-importance and lack of
\nconcern for other ethnic groups is racial discrimination in
\nitself.<\/p>\n
FARID BASKORO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/racial-discrimination-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }