Emad Barsoum writes: In the Times of Inclusion and Diversity ( 3 )

My colleague came to me with a deep look in her eyes, revealing some distress mixed with bewilderment, after a few seconds of staring, she questioned me firmly; So, don’t you believe in Inclusion and Diversity?

With a big smile and confident voice, I replied, unquestionably I believe in inclusion, diversity, multiculturalism, acceptance of the other, and freedom of speech on top of all, without fear of being labeled by any of the inquisition or apostasy accusations, or any kind of phobias. 

But why are you questioning me? I asked.

Because in your last article you stated that reaching total and true inclusion and diversity is impossible! She said, and added, look at our country!

I asked her to have a seat and confirmed what I stated, and, I will give my reasons why. 

First, we all believe or were told to believe that it is primarily the governments’ responsibility to lay the bases and foundations of inclusion and diversity, which they do not carry in the right way.

It is evident that some governments practice what contradictory to their declarations and slogans are, and we may observe such contradiction when they tend to stand heavily behind some movements or organizations that do not believe in inclusion and diversity or organizations that fight the principle. 

When we shed some light on the second factor, those organizations, we instantly realize how extensively they support governments with donations and volunteer work to help parties win the elections, consequently, the elected government must payback, however, the payment is extremely heavy to the extent that they allow such organizations to receive government funds, where these funds are used to battle inclusion and diversity! In addition, laws and regulations may be passed as well to serve other interests but the inclusion and diversity.

The third party that creates hurdles in front of inclusion and diversity is the people themselves, ordinary people with good intentions and kind behavior, but they have a very narrow vision about inclusion and diversity. They shorthand it in the diversity of food they can try from different ethnic backgrounds, or meeting people with different costumes or celebrations, forgetting that food does not create social balance or equality. Those same people who welcome the diversity of food they do not include people from different origins or ethnic backgrounds in their life. They go and dine in a restaurant with ethnic cuisine, but they incline not to invite the people from this ethnic group to their house.

The anti-inclusion and diversity behavior takes its worse form when it touches the jobs and people’s right to find a job that matches their qualifications and expertise, depriving them of a sense of equality and justice.

The moment I finished explanation to colleague and friend, she stood up and moved away very slowly like a robot with eyes sad but wide opened, then she turned to me and said, I’m now more confused and lost, why we grew up with such principles and attitudes where many others are destroying them.

True democracy, inclusion, diversity, equality, and freedom of speech are going to be extinct very soon, as long as we cannot speak out loud about it without fear of multi accusations that were used during the times of the Iron Curtain, the Mccarthyism and the exploitation of human rights.