Writing about racism is hard because it is present everywhere to some degree and commenting on it can give the impression that it is not a problem for you or your homeland. It can also (ironically) involve making generalisations about the attitude of one group to another. However, with that in mind...
The lovely thing as we have moved further east is the apparent greater level of racial and ethnic integration - we've seen mixed race couples. We were told in Moscow that certain foreigners might get extra attention from the police there, but that we'd be fine (the undertone being that because we are white we'll slip under the radar). They were right - we've not had any interaction with the police at all, but we have seen people who look like they might hail from the Southern and Eastern parts of the old USSR being asked for their papers. We've probably seen half a dozen people in total who would be described in the UK as black. Although, my friend in Moscow told me that in Russia the people described (pejoratively) as black are the Armenians (his wife is Armenian, but he said she doesn't look that Armenian so doesn't have problems). The Russian word for people who would be described in the UK as black still begins with an "n" I'm told. Whilst we've been here there has been a news story about a Brazilian footballer having bananas thrown at him.
We've all got a long way to go before we afford each unique valuable human being the full dignity, respect and love they are due. Having read a Wilberforce biography last year and a Bonhoeffer biography on this journey, it's tragic to see how aspects of the church have on occasion managed to move from God's loving view of all humans and drop into line with those who have sought denegrate certain people groups.
The lovely thing as we have moved further east is the apparent greater level of racial and ethnic integration - we've seen mixed race couples. We were told in Moscow that certain foreigners might get extra attention from the police there, but that we'd be fine (the undertone being that because we are white we'll slip under the radar). They were right - we've not had any interaction with the police at all, but we have seen people who look like they might hail from the Southern and Eastern parts of the old USSR being asked for their papers. We've probably seen half a dozen people in total who would be described in the UK as black. Although, my friend in Moscow told me that in Russia the people described (pejoratively) as black are the Armenians (his wife is Armenian, but he said she doesn't look that Armenian so doesn't have problems). The Russian word for people who would be described in the UK as black still begins with an "n" I'm told. Whilst we've been here there has been a news story about a Brazilian footballer having bananas thrown at him.
We've all got a long way to go before we afford each unique valuable human being the full dignity, respect and love they are due. Having read a Wilberforce biography last year and a Bonhoeffer biography on this journey, it's tragic to see how aspects of the church have on occasion managed to move from God's loving view of all humans and drop into line with those who have sought denegrate certain people groups.
posted from Bloggeroid
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