My thoughts on #BLM and George Floyd

Hard isn't it? Uncomfortable conversation makes you want to go to sleep? Tiring right? You hope people will stop sharing an Instagram story about black lives matter, aren't you? Same mate. But it has to happen. It has to continue. That is the whole point. We, the people who are slightly more fortunate than black people have to go through these feelings just recently. But how about them? They have been on this fight since they were born. You can just turn away from your phone but they could not just take their skin off. They grow up in the same land as us but a completely different world. You gotta acknowledge that basic rule first. Once you do, it will be easier to fight with them, be their ally. However, if you can't even be on the same page with this, I hope this post could give you some enlightenment.      

    I am no good with histories, names, remembering historic events, but the worst of me still could understand the general idea, theme, center of stories, and direction of the plot. Black people in the US have a long history from 400 years ago when they were brought in for the first time from West Coast Africa. Their rights to live, to have freedom, to breathe, to have control over their lives have been abolished since the beginning. Things started to get 'better' when the Civil War Amendments  being issued. Better don't seem to do its justice as the core issue still present today. Black parents have to make sure to have a talk with their children on how to behave in the society just because of their appearance. Starting from answering their kids' questions about why they are different, until how to behave well when police stop you because it is more likely for a police to shoot a black man instead of a white man in suspicion. It really is a lot that they have been through. Daily (racial) microaggression that being said unconsciously, privileges that they don't have in front of the law or just living in society, implicit bias and prejudice surrounding their race especially color-blind racism or colorism issue, and other types of uncomfortable actions that were being done to them from generations to generations. Read here and here for a handy-dandy terminology as a social justice activist.  

    To be completely honest, I used to be the 'don't care at all' team in terms of this type of issue. Because of the big spotlight being put on George Floyd, I was awakened by my own ignorance and surprised by how shameless I was walking around feeling safe while my black friends have to feel certain caution. I am hoping this isn't just performative activism I am showing but will also continue to learn once the storm is done. I really hope so. I am not an expert for social issues like this but I have tried my best to see stories from a variety of perspectives and keep looking for resources. So, YOU shall do the same. Slowly but steadily learn the issue at your own pace and take a break if you need one. You know when you rest because of you are genuinely tired with the issue it eating your mental health slowly but will come back on track soon OR you rest because at one point you just don't care anymore and choosing to continue your own life. It is as simple as that. You know when you plagiarize someone because it is not your work. You also know when you just show interest for Instagram feed or genuinely care about the issue. 

"Allah created one race; Human race. Human beings create racism."  

    However, I do not agree with everything on the news cycle during the build-up of the momentum. I am all in for people who say all lives matters tag should be eliminated. They missed the core point. Who says ONLY black lives matter? No one. It's just it is their time. Their moment to gain attention and start to change the systematic racism present in our society. Their spotlight to announce it loudly and clearly to everyone about their stories, pain, and fight. It will be indecent for us to try to steal their narratives. 

    I genuinely feel sorry for people in the middle east; Yemen, Palestine, Syria, etc who may go to worse conflicts than BLM, but I can't help but focus on the issue of BLM. I know media play some part in this and it feels wrong. If George Floyd accidents aren't being recorded and happen not in the US, it may not get the same attention as of right now. I am part of this ugly society that tends to be media-puppets and being fooled by them to focus on specific issues. My brothers and sisters in middle east have different issues that don't get a lot of attention in which I agree. So when I saw post about people reminding people about how this double standard of attention being given more to BLM, I don't blame them. It's good to be able to saw awareness being spread on conflicts in the middle east, but what I disagree is when people start to compare both sides. It doesn't sit right for me. 

    Their pain is different and as a consumer, we all have the right to choose where to put our focus in. Criticize the system, the society, the way media fooled us, but never EVER attack anyone on a personal level. Discussion and disagreement is natural, it is bound to happen, but how you do that is the real question. If no one brings the topic of how one side getting more attention than the other, we wouldn't have this platform to discuss the issue. We wouldn't have a heated disagreement about both sides. This is the beauty but it could also be poison for us. Choose wisely and remember everything happens for a reason.   

"Okay, so how this issue relevant to Indonesia's current society?"

    Before I give my opinion, my friend has made this beautifully recapped post in Bahasa which was super helpful and has a lot of sources too. Please check her out! One obvious thing that I think is present in Indonesia's society is colorism. The lighter your skin, the more beautiful you are. I think this applies in all Asian country tbh. I won't bore you on why this is problematic because you should already know. If you're mindset still like this and it's hard to change, try harder! I am the real proof of someone who still thinks brown or black skin color is less attractive. It's very engraved on my mind since I was a kid (getting bullied was one of the reasons) and changing it isn't as easy as taking off your shirt. I have been struggling a lot to accept my own skin and trying to accept all forms of beauties and still am on this fight till today. So, if you're here with me, let's do this together because I see you. I validate your points, but this gotta change! and we are the changemakers. 

    In addition to that, can we just be very honest about ourselves? Bhinneka Tunggal Ika seems just a sloppy slogan nowadays. Back in the day, it was a great thing to say and everyone was proud of how its meaning has represented Indonesia. But do we really things 'berbeda beda tetapi tetap satu jua'? because from what I witnessed, people tend to discriminate against a minority race within our own country. Yes, you know which race I'm talking about here. I think you are (my readers; Algos) smart enough to see how this is problematic. Being called Monyet or monkey because they way the skin color and their facial features are not okay. Their race have strengths that our race doesn't and vice versa. Stop being naive and learn of why and how this culture of superiority still exists among ourselves in Indonesia, a country that has thousands of tribes in it. 

Additional insider story about a Black American Muslim Women