Thought for the Day Monday 10 May 2021 Diversity and Inclusion I want to talk to you about the assumptions and judgements we make about other people and how they can make them feel. We all have assumptions made about us; they can be made based on your appearance, race, age, religion, skin colour or gender. I have, at some point in my life been judged as a result of all of these. Some of the judgements that have been made towards include: being called racist names; being followed around a shop by a security guard because I was with a group of friends; being stared at on a trip, as a small child had only ever seen a person of colour on the TV; being barked at and called sexist names; being asked “but where are you really from?”. Some of you may be able to identify with the points I have said. I have experienced all of these issues and they made me feel uncomfortable, at times unsafe, and sometimes embarrassed, but what stood out for me most, each time a comment was made, was the ignorance and lack of understanding about the culturally diverse society we live in. If you have experienced or been a bystander to racist or discriminatory behaviour you can do the following things: • Speak to someone. • Send an email to speakup@rgsg.co.uk . • Challenge the behaviour. A statement as simple as that’s not OK can be enough to make that person think. • Be an active and responsible bystander. If you ignore it you are condoning it. As a community we have a responsibility to look out for each other. If you see a behaviour that is unacceptable don’t ignore it, call it out and show your peers that this behaviour is not OK and should not be tolerated. An assumption that is sometimes made about me is that I am Muslim. I have a Muslim surname because I took my husband’s surname and he is Muslim, as are our sons and I observe both Catholic and Muslim traditions with my family. Currently, Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan, a month of fasting where there is no eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset, which is approximately 17 – 18 hours each day. My previous school was in the UAE and during Ramadan, schools run a reduced timetable from 9.30 - 1.30pm and you are not allowed to eat or drink in public from sunrise to sunset. It can be trickier for Muslims who are fasting in non-Muslim countries as they are often in the minority. If you know someone who is fasting be supportive, don’t make a big deal about it and if they are not fasting don’t ask why. It’s a personal choice that doesn’t need to be explained.
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