My rights as a citizen. Human rights. These are big words. Most people who live in the West hardly ever think about this. Their rights are so natural and Obvious for them. Most people are demanding their rights from society without even being aware of it for the simple reason that they have never been denied their rights.
BUT
There are groups in society that those rights never seems to apply.
The right to dress as they want. The right to believe what you want. The right to work with what you want. etc.
Of course, no one is officially denied this. But it happens every day. I read on a blog that I like very much that for a Muslim woman, her rights, is something she must struggle with every day. It is so interesting to the perfect vest with his strong views on human rights just seems to apply to a part of the population, but not all. The people who follow the prevailing culture of the country they are in, never have to wonder whether their rights are being violated. But the people who choose another path may be struggling with their rights every day.
But if you decide to abandon all that you are (your culture, religion, language, etc.) then you can be accepted by society and never have to fight for your rights (because then you have abandoned them) Assimilation called it. Immigrants need to assimilate. It's about immigrant groups and individual migrants amounting in the existing social and cultural structure that mainstream society represents. This is done by immigrants in socially and culturally significant aspects are the same, and thereby participate on an equal footing, as members of mainstream society. This while the majority society in these espects remains unchanged for. Assimilation thus focuses on the immigrants participating in the public sphere at the same conditions as members of mainstream society, while those in the private sphere give up distinctive cultural features, and instead embrace
majority society's culture.
According to wikipedia means assimilation: Assimilation is when the newcomers in a society adapts to the majority's culture, language, values, and sometimes religion.
I hate the word assimilation!
Yesterday I met a friend who uses the Niqab. She told me that people were often very rude to her (this surprised me not) The thing that surprised me was that she told me she often was overlooked when she for example ordered something at a cafe, she sometimes would have to wait very long for her food and guests who ordered food after her sometimes got their food before her. Almost as if it was ok to ignore my friend just because she uses the Niqab. There are many examples like this to tell but this is not the place for it.
I do not really know where I wanted to come with this post but the point is that just because you live in the West, it does not mean that you are included in their community. Not really, just on the surface.
