Can we make prejudice a thing of the past?

Can we make prejudice a thing of the past?

Jacinta Hannaford, Contributor, Jakarta

I think we really need to take a close look at the problem of prejudice. Many people complain about others being racist or sexist, yet they have their own prejudices, perhaps without even realizing it.

I have been subjected to various types of prejudice, as have lots of other people, including racism, sexism and conflicts of religion. Thankfully, however, today sexism is minimal in many countries, due to the work of the suffragettes in England and the U.S. in the 1900s, and other brave women in recent years. But racism and discrimination based on religion remain big issues.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S., the media has frequently reported on religious clashes. I have found that, in newspapers and magazines, there is a large show of prejudice by different journalists from around the world. I was surprised at how easily they were able to judge other people.

In one American magazine, I read about how terrorists were "grown" in an Islamic school in Pakistan, thus suggesting that Muslims in general are "evil". This opinion distressed me, as I myself am Muslim and have no tendencies toward terrorism.

However, I was also amazed, because I feel the media has a profound effect on people, and those reading the article would immediately judge Muslims as bad people, perhaps without having ever met one. It was from reading this article that I realized the media plays a role in shaping people's prejudices.

However, I know that education is also a factor in determining what, if any, prejudices people have.

A few years ago, one of my classmates told my friend that she was going to "burn in hell" because she didn't have the same religious as her. This statement shocked me, as they were friends, on some level, and, as we study in an international school where every day we are faced with people of different nationalities and religions, I did not think any of my classmates were capable of such gross prejudice.

Perhaps it was her strict religious upbringing that caused her narrow-mindedness, and I feel this shows that parents also have a major influence on their children, shaping the beliefs they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Although I feel studying at an international school may help children realize that people who are culturally or racially different from themselves are just as special, and the experience will also teach them to be friends with people from different cultures, parents should also be involved in making sure that their children receive the right education, and not teach them to think in "black and white".

By this I mean that parents should not teach their children that one race or religion is either right or wrong, but instead should teach them to keep an open mind.

I think that if people want to minimize the amount of prejudice in the world, it all comes down to education -- educating children, parents and the media. I feel that the media, maybe not intentionally, allows journalists and movies to be biased. Many movies contain certain prejudices, and as so many people watch movies, I feel this is dangerous.

However, I know it is difficult to keep a "balanced" view, as I understand that everyone has their prejudices. I also realize that people's lack of education is not the only factor for these feelings. There may also be feelings of jealousy and superiority involved as well.

However, I found that everybody is racist, to some extent, and therefore prejudiced. But I also found that those with either international or what would be viewed as "better" educations recognized that they were racist.

One person said to me: "I know it sounds bad, but I can't imagine marrying one of them," referring to a specific race. I feel that for the person to be able to admit that was a step toward recognizing and minimizing the prejudice.

Most people would like to be optimistic and say that it is possible for everyone to live in harmony and not be prejudiced. I have to take the pessimistic approach and say, for now, total harmony is impossible, as there will always be people who are scared or who feel superior.

Yet prejudice can be minimized, but only if people are educated to the fullest extent.

The writer is a 16-year-old student at the British International School.