Introduction
Our Western society fancies itself to be the epitome of freedom and democracy – a metaphorical pillar of hope and modernity. The hegemonic nature that nation-states, such as America, has carefully cultivated has allowed them to enjoy international influence in all aspects: political, economic, cultural and societal. Dominance in these areas have enabled Western nation states to shape the idea of what is ‘good’ off of their own ideals and values; thus creating, in contrast, a ‘bad’ to reflect the differences of other countries. These supposed shortcomings are the basis of the humanitarian discourse which has become an acceptable form of interference from dominant groups – prevalently Western governments. While many of the organizations …show more content…
In countries like Africa, where malaria is a highly dangerous but preventable disease, the Red Cross has distributed mosquito nets and administered vaccine shots to help combat the huge numbers of deaths that are a result of the disease. Other examples of humanitarian work is the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU), which provides first response emergency relief . After natural disasters which leave developing nations governments unable to provide the necessary resources for their citizens, like the earthquake in Haiti, ERU’s are able to minimize the amount of deaths and provide the care that is desperately needed at the …show more content…
This is exemplified in the number of mosques which are targeted in hate crimes; American mosques and Islamic centers are the subjects of vandalism and anti-Muslim bigotry at least 63 times a year . Other religious symbols, like the hijab, “publicly brand themselves as Muslim at a time when such a label carries the potential fear of making them vulnerable to open hostility” . Attacks on Muslims who wear religious headgear is also not uncommon, and every year the anniversary of 9/11 brings an increase of anti-Muslim crimes, ranging from verbal abuse to physically trying to remove the head cloth. As stated in Sedef Arat-Koc’s article, “they constitute either threats or victims, and as such are stripped of autonomy. In either case, they are dehumanized”
Our Western society fancies itself to be the epitome of freedom and democracy – a metaphorical pillar of hope and modernity. The hegemonic nature that nation-states, such as America, has carefully cultivated has allowed them to enjoy international influence in all aspects: political, economic, cultural and societal. Dominance in these areas have enabled Western nation states to shape the idea of what is ‘good’ off of their own ideals and values; thus creating, in contrast, a ‘bad’ to reflect the differences of other countries. These supposed shortcomings are the basis of the humanitarian discourse which has become an acceptable form of interference from dominant groups – prevalently Western governments. While many of the organizations …show more content…
In countries like Africa, where malaria is a highly dangerous but preventable disease, the Red Cross has distributed mosquito nets and administered vaccine shots to help combat the huge numbers of deaths that are a result of the disease. Other examples of humanitarian work is the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU), which provides first response emergency relief . After natural disasters which leave developing nations governments unable to provide the necessary resources for their citizens, like the earthquake in Haiti, ERU’s are able to minimize the amount of deaths and provide the care that is desperately needed at the …show more content…
This is exemplified in the number of mosques which are targeted in hate crimes; American mosques and Islamic centers are the subjects of vandalism and anti-Muslim bigotry at least 63 times a year . Other religious symbols, like the hijab, “publicly brand themselves as Muslim at a time when such a label carries the potential fear of making them vulnerable to open hostility” . Attacks on Muslims who wear religious headgear is also not uncommon, and every year the anniversary of 9/11 brings an increase of anti-Muslim crimes, ranging from verbal abuse to physically trying to remove the head cloth. As stated in Sedef Arat-Koc’s article, “they constitute either threats or victims, and as such are stripped of autonomy. In either case, they are dehumanized”