Yousef Abou Areda Author’s Note Class 811
About 75% percent of children have reported being bullied at least once in their lifetime. One in every four children have been bullied because of their faith. In the late 1970’s, Egypt was a place heavily plagued by racism. Christian and Muslim children wouldn’t play or interact with one another at all.
My mother was born a Muslim child in Cairo, Egypt. She spent most of her time focusing on school work and took part in many activities with her peers. She grew up in a household that didn’t tolerate racism. Although there were some adults that told her not to be open to all races, she knew that individuals should not be judged based on their religion, race, culture, etc. When she was in the fourth grade, she began to notice a major separation between the Muslim and Christian children. They wouldn’t play during recess or after school. She also noticed that Christian kids were treated differently by Muslim teachers, and Muslim kids were treated differently by Christian teachers. Teachers and children of identical religions treated each other with reverence, while teachers and children of opposite religions treated each other with contempt. She wondered why these actions took place. More importantly, she wanted to know how she can stop it. It was unjust to judge someone based on their background, and that was that.
I too have grown up in a society that doesn’t tolerate racism. Although we work together to prevent racism from taking place, there are still many stereotypes that exist. Stereotypes portray an incorrect representation of a race or a people as a whole. Sadly however, many people believe that these stereotypes are the truth. After September 11, 2001, Islam has been heavily discriminated against. As a Muslim, I’ve heard racial slurs such as, “You probably know how to drive a plane” or “A Muslim’s favorite toy is a bomb”. These common remarks convey how some people in society do believe in these stereotypes that exist. Being bullied because of your faith has made and sometimes forced many children to want to convert to a different religion. In a recent study composed by the Anti-Bully Campaign, those bullied because of their religious beliefs often began to question their faith, stopped talking about it, or even felt ashamed of it. Bullying engenders self-harm by taking alcohol and drugs. All in all, being bullied because of your faith is a crucial issue prevalent in the world today due to the fact that many people in society believe in these ill stereotypes.
In retrospect, this story has broadened my understanding about racial discrimination. Although society may not realize it, many people embrace these stereotypes. Not all stereotypes have to deal with religion, but religious stereotypes do in fact exist. This following story portrays the effects of stereotypes in our society, and how they specifically influence children. The current generation of children are seen to just repeat anything they see or hear without thinking twice about it. If one hears a racial slur about a religion, then they might bully a child of that very religion because all they know is that stereotype or that comment about that faith. All in all, bullying someone because of their faith is a recurring issue that must be dealt with care and sensitivity.
Work Cited Page
Lipsett, Anthea. "Children Bullied Because of Faith." Theguardian.com. N.p., 17 Nov. 2008. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
Lyness, Darcy. "Dealing With Bullies." Kidshelath.org. The Nemours Foundation, July 2013. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
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