Viral Video: Palestinian Actress Maryam Abu Khaled Speaks Out Against Racism in the Middle East
Throughout the past couple of days the issue of racism against anyone who is different, especially those with different skin colors, has been raised all over the world in a way we haven’t seen in a very long time. The Black Lives Matter movement is now officially the largest civil rights movement in our collective history.
Arabs in different countries are speaking up against racism and delivering the message in various forms, from protesting, to songs and videos, and even artwork.
Palestinian actress, Maryam Abu Khaled, had a different take on the matter. She posted a video talking about how, even though people in Arab countries think that the spontaneous statements they make about racism are not at all harmful and should not be compared to the killing and violence happening in America, people on the receiving end of these seemingly innocent jokes lose their self-confidence and end up psychologically scarred.
Abu Khaled also felt it was important to raise awareness about how we should think about the new generation by telling some true stories, such as how a mother once told her daughter, “Go home and stop playing in the sun so that you don’t get burnt like Maryam.”
Another example was how when a little boy asked his dad why do black people look this way, the father answered, “Their parents forgot them in the oven.” While not violent or overtly offensive, statements like these play a part in forming our understanding and perception of the world around us.
So before being so spontaneous and reckless with your words, ignoring the harm they can do, imagine how these jokes and statements could make someone feel.
