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Wednesday, October 13, 2010
News Scaredy cats deface S.C. Islamic center
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 10:31 AM
Listen up intolerant people: The world is changing. America is changing. We live in a diverse population, and it's getting more diverse rapidly. If you're stuck thinking your way is the only way, or your culture is the best culture, or your religion is the only true religion — you should seek therapy immediately, because you're wrong and you need to get a grip on that reality.
We're entering an age when tolerance and bridging cultural divides equals success on a multitude of levels. It is not OK to marginalize people who are different from you. In fact, doing so only puts your ignorance and lack of worldly experience on display. Oh, and it marks you as a scaredy cat. There, I said it. When you lash out at "others," you're projecting fear and you make yourself look (and feel) like a weak child.
Stuff like this (below), is completely unacceptable — and not only because of our Constitutional right to worship as we choose.
An Islamic center in South Carolina has been defaced when someone spelled out "PIG CHUMP" in bacon strips, police in Florence said Tuesday.Sometime between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, someone placed the bacon in foot-high letters on a tiled walkway at the Florence Islamic Center, according to Florence Police Major Carlos Raines.
Islamic dietary restrictions bar Muslims from eating pork.
Read the entire Associated Press article, by Meg Kinnard, here.
Some of the best people I know are nothing like me, but curiosity, open minds and open hearts brought us together ... and I'm so glad they did. We learn from each other and we grow exponentially as individuals because we share our views and experiences with each other.
If you've decided entire groups of people aren't worthy, you are the one who's missing out.
I'd like to encourage all of you to reach out to someone who isn't like you — whether that means they attend a different type of religious service, have a different skin color, live in a different zip code, come from a different country, make more or less money than you do, etc. — and have a five-minute conversation. Nothing big. Just talk for five minutes. I guarantee the two of you will find common ground.
Then, do it again. And again. And again. And again, until embracing all types of people becomes an easy habit.
Tolerance is where it's at. Embrace it.
Here's an opportunity tonight: http://www.qcitymetro.com/events/articles/a_conversation_about_islam_in_america104841943.cfm — Qcitymetro.com
Rhiannon "Rhi" Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes snarky commentary on Creative Loafing's CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. Additionally, she's on the steering committee for the Greater Charlotte Society of Professional Journalists. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.
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