Standing Up Against The Rising Tide Of Racism Is Our Duty To Create An Inclusive Society

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By Ken Herar

This past week was Martin Luther King Day to our neighbours down south. A day where Americans and citizens from around the globe reflect on the struggles we still face as a civilization and the progresses that have been made in our common humanity.

If some of you recall last January 15th on this holiday Abbotsford was hit with KKK hate flyers and it was their goal for this to be a distraction and spread hate on this glory day. It made headlines across the nation and people were outraged at the disgusting and planned act of a few. This wasn’t the only time this occurred around Valley. In October 2016, our home and the entire street were hit by KKK flyers in Mission throughout the evening calling it Night Ride. Their goal is recruitment and to seek vulnerable people who may want to join their pathetic organization.

Kristine Kuol of Abbotsford as part of her university project last April went for a Night Ride, along with her husband Akol and threw bags of rice with a diversity message inside of a bag on people’s driveways to counteract the KKK message. What a brilliant and positive idea to share with people and to destroy the physiological mindset of terror.

On Monday, being the holiday Kristine, I and Akol decided to do another Night Ride and throw bags on peoples driveways in the Mission/Abbotsford area. I was excited to take part in this worthy exercise and to bring a positive message to people’s driveways. In total, we had 100 bags prepared and we threw about 30 in Mission and the rest in Abby. It does take a bit of skill and driving slow is a key and a good aim is necessary. Sometimes you nail it and others times you strike out. With these skills it may just land in a spot where residents may see it. A few onlookers appeared curious as to what we were doing. It’s difficult to be discrete and getting noticed is easy.

Kuol said, “Last Martin Luther King day I felt that the lives of minorities my beloved friends were being threatened by people who were experiencing personal hurt which was manifested in oppressive behavior. Racism is oppressive to both parties. I felt that on a day when diversity and forward movement towards equality and acceptance should be the focus and hateful behavior stole the spotlight.

“ I am committed to listening to voices that are different then my own. I am also convinced that those behind the threats need to experience listening ears if those around them leaned and heard their pain they may not be throwing flyers lashing out in public criminality.

I would encourage you to expand your friend group to include just one friend who is of a different ethnic or linguistic background.”

Steven Purewal, Managing Director of Indus Media Foundation, a lower mainland non-profit that raises awareness of Punjabi culture and history, believes the recent uptick in racist sentiments towards South Asians is rooted in the historically legislated discriminatory treatment of non-whites in Canada.

Purewal said, “This step from intolerance to tolerance does little to engender respect between disparate communities. Fundamentally, unless we establish trusting relationships, based on equitable treatment, fractures from the past will continue to identify a ‘them and us’ divide – with the ‘them’ being the ‘other’ dehumanized to the point of being unable to possess the virtues of true Canadians and thus relegated to being outsiders to the mainstream. This sentiment is being played out in the streets, on the airwaves and social media today in Canada.  We need to take the steps now to progress dialogues of tolerance to inclusion and belonging, which requires significant educational effort in our schools and communities.”

Ken “Kulwinder” Herar is a Mission-based writer and a winner of the champions of diversity award for his columns in the LINK newspaper and other Fraser Valley publications. Herar can be reached at [email protected] or view his blog at http://www.kenherar.blogspot.com