When Privileged Elites Lack Empathy for Angry Minorities

A Tale of Two Protests

In 2005, a suburb of Paris was torn apart by violence that followed angry protests by minority youths who were mostly of North African origin. Cars and public buildings were set ablaze, forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency. This event sparked calls for a rethink on French citizenship policies, with some demanding the expulsion of Muslim minorities.

In contrast, in 2007, thousands of ethnic Indian youths in Kuala Lumpur traveled from their working-class neighborhoods to gather in the city’s well-paved roads to demand greater rights. Like the minority French youths, these minority Malaysian youths were angry, uttering questionable slogans against the dominant group and throwing missiles that had been kept hidden in clenched fists.

A Different Response

The mainstream narrative in the aftermath of the Malaysian protests was that the protesting youths were a bunch of uncivilized troublemakers out to create trouble, to challenge the Malays and the national identity. The Malay and Muslim intelligentsia, the backbone of the majority, painted a picture of the protesting youths as a threat to the nation. This narrative was reinforced by influential leaders who tried to rouse a community that had benefited from quotas and privileges, rather than addressing the underlying issues faced by the underclass Indians.

A Lack of Empathy

The absence of magnanimity from the majority is stark. We hear continuous calls for the head of a minister, who was seen as a representative of the voice of a ragtag ethnic minority. It is pathetic that some from the privileged majority could think they could be threatened by a minister who once represented the voice of a community that suffers from economic alienation and lack of educational opportunities.

It is sad that some Muslim activists and thinkers, instead of living up to their “mercy to the worlds” rhetoric, are harping on the past angry slogans of a community that is seeking equality, a core Islamic principle that has eluded much of the Muslim world.

Conclusion

The lack of empathy from the Malay and Muslim elites towards the underclass Indians is a stark contrast to the response to the Paris riots. It is time for Muslim scholars and intellectuals to display greatness of mind and bigness of heart when it comes to minorities. There is a need for them to rein in people of their own kind, many of whom could never relate to the plight of this country’s minorities other than through stereotypes and religious cosmetics.

FAQs

* What was the reaction of the Malay and Muslim intelligentsia to the 2007 Hindraf protests?
+ The mainstream narrative was that the protesting youths were a bunch of uncivilized troublemakers out to create trouble, to challenge the Malays and the national identity.
* Why did the majority lack empathy towards the underclass Indians?
+ The majority saw the underclass Indians as a threat to their own interests and privileges, rather than as a community in need of support and understanding.
* What is the author’s message?
+ The author is calling for Muslim scholars and intellectuals to display empathy and understanding towards the underclass Indians, and to work towards creating a more just and equitable society.