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Fear of comics, commies and the Chinese
“My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist.”Do you remember this line spoken by the titular character Rizwan Khan (played brilliantly by Shah Rukh Khan) in the film My Name is Khan? Khan is a name associated with Islam, so what he is saying is a defining statement: “I am Muslim, and I am not a terrorist.”How do you normally define yourself after mentioning your name? Is it your nationality, religion or profession?
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In Indonesian culture, issues of ethnicity and religion are much more of a hot topic – especially recently. (Shutterstock/File)
“My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist.”
Do you remember this line spoken by the titular character Rizwan Khan (played brilliantly by Shah Rukh Khan) in the film My Name is Khan? Khan is a name associated with Islam, so what he is saying is a defining statement: “I am Muslim, and I am not a terrorist.”
How do you normally define yourself after mentioning your name? Is it your nationality, religion or profession?
In Indonesia, the most common thing people want to know about fellow Indonesians is ethnicity and religion. Sometimes it’s obvious from your name, accent, appearance and attire. If you’re a woman wearing a jilbab (headscarf), clearly you’re Muslim. It’s only when you’re abroad that your first identity is Indonesian. Otherwise you’re a Javanese-Muslim, a Batak-Protestant, a Balinese-Hindu, etc.
Identity tends to be an exclusive thing that separates you from others. The weaker our sense of identity, the more we look for The Other. The Other? Yes, it’s a term that means someone who is different and considered the opposite of you, sometimes also considered the enemy.
The stronger your sense of identity, the less you need The Other to define you. This is why national leaders often conjure up enemies to galvanize a stronger sense of national identity and solidarity.
Constant strengthening of identity politics in Indonesia must mean our identities are so fragile. Imagine being scared of a cartoon, even if it’s an lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) cartoon.
