The musings I have here can be used for one of those such moments, if you'd like.
Abu drives the shared taxi between Robertsport and Monrovia. If you didn't deduce it from his name, you would know that he was a Muslim when his mobile phone rings with the call to prayer. In the middle of steering wheel there is a sticker containing a picture of Osama bin Laden. The background of the sticker is a yellow to green continuum, and just above Osama's head, small enough that from the back seat it looks like it might be a rip in the sticker, is an airplane. Oh thank you, Abu, now I feel quite welcome here.
Yet the irony is in the tension that a mere six inches away, dangling from the keys in the ignition, is the full smile face of Barack Obama in front of a royal blue background. Maybe I'm welcome after all? Conspiracy conservatives in the US might choose to explain this by positing that Abu clearly believes that Obama is a Muslim.... but my question is, doesn't he understand that these two leaders are enemies? It's like in a celebration of one for faith and the other for race, the fact that they are philosophically opposed is negligible, they are both still inspirations to him.
Even as I say that, I'm amazed, I cannot digest such dissonance. I want to know what he thinks, so that I can know where I stand. Am I welcome? I'm a Christian, and I'm white - neither of which he identifies with nor inspires him. And the fact that I'm American too? I don't know....
So what do you think about the proximity of the two likenesses? Any other similar stories to share or shed light?
3 comments:
I remember getting into this argument with a British as to how the Queen should return all the looted treasures to the India govt (esp the Kohinoor diamond which apparently adorns the crown) from its colonial times...didnt go down too well...she avoided me the rest of the year..still does till date...that did make me wonder although the UK has come a long way from its colonial era and we cant really blame this generation for all the not-so-great things that their forefathers did to ppl all over the world, does this new breed of Britons actually condone their history and think they are the rightful owners of all such looted goodies?
Also another more recent incident...lots of ppl in the Uk and Eu nowadays complain about how all the jobs are lost to the asian & eastern Eu immigrants...really awkward when they are complaining about it to me...puts me in the same situation as you felt...makes me wonder if i am really welcome here? Always lost as to how do i react/respond to that...:-p
Ria, it is so interesting to live in the middle of awkward situations like that!! I happen to agree with you about the Kohinoor diamond - although I'm sure it's easier for me to do so as I'm not British! Thanks for sharing those stories...
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