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How does one tackle a racist slur when it stares you in the face?
A recent post has emerged on social media that might perhaps lend a cue. Simran Jeet Singh, an Indian-origin man in the US, put out a tweet on Thursday, pointing out the blatant injustice of a racist encounter through a series of photographs (social media screenshots from the looks of it) posted by a white man who felt threatened by the presence of a Sikh man on the same flight as him.
The Snapchat screenshots of the man’s story have captions that document his overreaction to being seated near a turbaned man.
The Series of Photographs Uploaded...
Can a Sikh man not walk the length of a plane without having his motives questioned? What madness is this?
Singh also shared an incident on his Twitter feed about an young black teenager who shouted a racist slur while Singh was out for a run. Singh decided to confront him and then, eventually, got an an apology out of the abashed boy.
After having described the entire incident, Singh goes on to conclude with some of these remarks.
The positive spin on a racist encounter belies the real hostility Sikhs can face abroad, where they are often mistaken for Muslims and where anti-Muslim bigotry is on the rise.
As a Sikh who flies frequently, I’m no stranger to the uncomfortable stares and misguided fears people have of me. I try to live my life by the Sikh maxim, “Fear none, frighten none.” I think about this teaching often when I travel. How do I retain my confidence and dignity on an airplane while also being thoughtful not to strike fear in the hearts of others?
Some food for thought.
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