GUESS WHO IS AN FIA INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED F1 JOURNALIST!

It has to be done in capital letters.  ALHAMDULILAH!! I just received an email from an amazing friend, mentor and F1 journo whom I write for, Richard.

In writing.

So, thanks to all the tireless support from Richard (by the way, we just launched the new even-more-beautiful-and-functional website, check it out here!), whose website I have been contributing to for a few years now, I will be travelling to the Grand Prix as an accredited journalist inshallah!

This means paddock access, interviewing drivers, hopefully some behind the scenes photographs for you all, sleepless nights trying to write copy, hanging out with cool cats and people that are way cooler than I am, bringing the hijabi fashion to F1... 

It's going to be awesome, INSHALLAH.  I will keep you updated every step of the way, inshallah.

Let's see how this goes!!!

Maybe we should 'get over it'?

Should women take every advantage offered to them, even if it is on the basis of gender?

 

Is this fair, equitable and in the line of the values of our society?

March the 8th this year, like every year, was International Womens’ Day.  It is a day (usually is preceded by a week) of celebrations and commentary about the status of women in society, how far we have come in affirming womens’ rights and how far we have to go.

In the world of women in technical roles, the role of women and the gender balance is something that is often talked about but remains divisive.  Quotas in particular are something that are hotly debated, by men and women alike.

“Are quotas a good thing?” is something young women often ask.  “I don’t want to get a job on the basis that I am a woman to even up the gender balance if there is a man that is better than me.  I want to know that I am there on merit…right?”

Perhaps.  Perhaps however, we should - as some senior women say - just ‘get over it’.

Now this may be a radical view point. Scratch that, it is definitely seen by some as a little crazy.  However, it was suggested to me firstly by an unlikely source: a fellow rig-worker.

“Rather than trying to achieve equal numbers in the engineering workforce,” he mused,  "why not publicly encourage those girls who want to 'do' engineering that they have the advantage because there are so few of them Vs their male counterparts?”

Curious, I thought. He then elaborated, and essentially said that there are huge advantages for women because of the push to level the playing field.

Why shouldn’t women learn to exploit every offer that could help them, and then show that success to others, he asked. Won’t that success then breed further success?There is a strange logic to such a perspective.

There are also alternative ways of looking at it. Would a man say no to any advantage he was offered because he wanted to be chosen on ‘merit’?  Don’t we accept quotas on the cultural diversity side of things?  What makes that different?

Clearly, we live in a society where there are discrepancies between the outcomes for men and for women, and not all of these can be pegged to biological differences.

Legislative changes in Australia have been around for a while, so it is safe to say that sometimes making the legal environment conducive to a change will not always guarantee the results expected.  Sometimes a little more encouragement is required.

I recently made a lovely acquaintance in the TV make up industry and asked how she got the position. Did she have to apply?

“No,” she laughed and shook her head when I asked.  “My dad works in the industry.”

“Oh wow,” I nodded, thinking that made sense. “So it’s all about having the contacts.”

“Yes… but you know what Dad said to me? I can get you in, but I can’t keep you there.  You still have to be good.”

There lies the crux of the argument.  Quotas, targets, positive discrimination - all of those techniques are about opening the door for people who wouldn’t usually get a look-in due to something they cannot control: their race, their gender, their age.  If they aren’t up to scratch, no doubt that will become known and further opportunities won’t be as easily made available.  As my new found friend said: the door may be opened for you, but after that it is on you to prove yourself and earn the right to stay.

Furthermore, almost every single person I know who represents some sort of diverse background will work harder simply to prove that they belong in a position, as they know that they, whether they like it or not, are somehow defacto representatives of an entire demographic.

Women have yet to earn the right to be mediocre so to suggest that quotas or targets will mean that less competent people will make it up the top is short-sighted.  We as women should also stop underestimating our own capacity, support one another and jump at every open door and opportunity that is made available.

Whether it is a door that is opened by a sponsor or a window opened by a quota, does it really matter? You tell me.

(Also, here is an interesting ten points as to why quotas can be beneficial. Check it out)

How do you go to the beach as a Hijabi anyway?

I didn't feel like I belonged,

In my tights, scarf and t-shirt with the sleeves long.

The constant stares are never kind,

What are you doing here, they seemed to ask: Do you mind?

I minded a little, and it was becoming a lot,

Yet, why did I care, for what?

For the stares of strangers, as harsh as they are,

Cannot beat the bigger picture, which is never far...

***

One of my best friends is from South Africa, and loves the beach.

We always joke though that when her and I head into the ocean, we look like fresh tourists that would probably end up drowning on a TV show like 'Bondi Rescue'.

Why? Well given our 'ethnic' appearance, the loud squeals when hit by a wave and the fact that we - or I at least - don't wear the usual Australian beach attire means we  look a bit different to your average aussie surfie.  Gotta love fitting into a stereotype right?

***

As a teenager, the question I got asked the most by curious classmates was always along the same lines.

"So how do you go to the beach if you're all covered up?"

I would always make some answer up that seemed to make sense.  "Oh, I find a way".  Truth was, my family just never really went to the beach! Both my mother and I wore the hijab, the beach was a little far  and I wasn't a huge fan of swimming anyway.  It wasn't a sport we were ever going to be competitive in.  When was the last time you saw a Sudanese Olympic Swimmer?

***

Mashallah, no one can deny the beauty, the power, the draw of an ocean.  So now, all grown up, what are the options?

I have been known to wade in wearing my normal, everyday clothes: a long dress or regular pants and a top and so on. In my mind, I look like this:

Where as in reality, I look more like someone who took a wrong turn and ended up drenched.

Most of the time though, I wear a pair of long running tights, a large, voluminous top and a bandana like scarf that is often misinterpreted.

It's hot, but you get used to it.

It definitely doesn't blend in, but I tell myself people are staring because they think I have swag.

I chose to cover up for reasons that meant something to me.  Yes, going to the beach is an exercise in hilarity, but who said it was going to be easy all the time?

I've decided the beach is awesome, majestic and something that I am going to embrace and enjoy.  I may look like a tourist, or a Sudanese Nile Perch out of water, but I'll be enjoying myself every step of the way!  #Yolo, right? :P

***

Too Busy? Think again...

This piece was written for my regular column in the 'Australian Muslim Times' :)

***

How often do you repeat the phrase, "oh, I'm just so busy?"

In a world where we are surrounded by technology aids that are meant to save us time, it is amazing that so often we still seem to find ourselves swamped, run off our feet and 'too busy' to be doing the things we say we want to do but never seem to find the time to.

They say that if you want something done, ask a busy person.  Yet so often we are seemingly so busy that the time seemingly can't be found.  Where is the disconnect, and is being this way really allowing us to be as effective as we can be?  

Ironically, sometimes being extremely busy does not always correlate directly to being extremely productive or creative.  At the beginning of this year, I did a personal stock take of how my year went and areas I would like to improve on.  I found that being constantly over-occupied did not allow me to stop, think and reflect.  It is these moments of reflection that allow us all to think outside the box, critically analyse issues and mull over topics in our mind.  This enables connections and links to develop between ideas that may have not been easily noticed had we simply rushed to the next task.

There is a reason why many a great idea is thought of in the shower.  The shower is a brief moment in time where there are no distractions apart from a simple, routine physical act, allowing the mind to wander.  It is this moment of brain-walkabout that can often bear fruitful mental results.  When was the last time you had an A-ha moment? Was it in a moment of routine activity?

So how can we increase the instances of mindfulness in our lives, allow for more reflection and less unproductive busy-ness?

Western convention talks a lot about meditation, and we are fortunate in Islam to have a meditative, reflective process inbuilt into our worship.  Salah is the perfect chance, particularly as it occurs five times in our day, for us to take out time from our busy lives and reflect.  First and foremost naturally, we can use this time to remember Allah.  We can also use the time as a prompt to take an extra five minutes to reflect on what is going on in the day, let our mind wander and have a mental rest before we continue.  This is something that I hope to start implementing this year inshallah.

Secondly, I hope to take the concept of a mental break further and better utilise an habit I picked up from my father that I practiced throughout my school and university studies.

No matter how 'busy' I was, whether it was with event planning or with writing my final year thesis, I would take Friday afternoon and night off.  From about 3pm every week, I would clear out my schedule and desk and mentally disengage myself from work or study in order to give my brain a rest.  One night off a week was an important habit to reduce the chance burn out.  It allowed for making time to appreciate other important aspects of life like family and friends, and to just take a break.   It may be more difficult with full time work, but that is all the more reason to try to schedule in time off.

The third thing I am going to try this year inshallah is to change my attitude towards being 'busy'.  For at least a month, I am going to try not use the word when someone asks how I am. Rather than simply masking my actions by describing it as a hive of activity without specifics, I will look to find other ways to answer that question and force myself to acknowledge what I am spending all my time on.  In this way, I am constantly reflecting and keeping myself accountable.

None of these actions will directly reduce the physical number of tasks in a day, but it will inshallah change the mindset that tasks are approached with.  By cleaning, clarifying and sharpening the mind by reducing the focus on haste, as well as allowing for mental space to reflect and spend time with those we love, hopefully we can move away from being simply 'busy' to becoming little more mindful, appreciative and productive members of society.  We can pack a lot into the 24 hours of each day, and inshallah enjoy as many of them as possible.

SMH: Future of Australian Manufacturing will be what we make it

Check out this piece that I wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald! (Click for original piece)

***

The writing has been on the wall for some time for young people in Australia who want to manufacture cars.

"The automotive industry is dead in Australia. Go overseas if you want to get anywhere in this field, or try another sector," automotive veterans and mentors have told me in the past few years.

As a young mechanical engineer who is passionate about motor sport and the automotive industry, I always found this advice disheartening. Given recent events at Toyota, Holden and Ford in Australia, their words are prophetic.

Considering Ford Australia reports that the unit cost of production for Australian-made car models is four times that of Asia and double that of Europe, these closures were inevitable. The mass production system is not viable in today's economic climate and in the face of our competitors.

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The question now is not whether or not the government did the right thing by allowing Ford, Holden and Toyota to shut their factory doors and seal the fate of an industry; that point is now moot.

Putting aside ideology, the thinking must now shift towards what manufacturing jobs will look like in future; what frameworks and mechanisms are required to ensure job creation, and if we value manufacturing sufficiently to keep investing in a way that emphasises Australia's natural strengths.

Our primary industries are economic powerhouses that have served us well. Yes, they are strong and dependable but recent trends have shown they are not infallible.

As the resources industry moves from the labour-intensive construction phase to the production phase, which requires fewer employees, it may not be able to meet the demand for jobs, which will be exacerbated by job losses in automotive manufacturing.

Casting our eyes further down the road, as the population ages there will be fewer workers to support a rising number of retirees. The government's 2010 intergenerational report indicates that, by 2050, 23 per cent of the population will be 65 or older.

With an increasing number of older Australians depending on a shrinking population of working-age employees, it is important the economy is diversified to ensure it remains robust in the long term.

We need a clear vision for what the nation will look like in 10, 20 or 30 years time, and what industries we will rely on.

Rather than focusing on the short term, investment should be made in developing the skills, expertise and knowledge base of workers to ensure Australia can compete in global markets.

This includes investment by government, plus developing a culture of private investment and venture capitalism.

If we are to stimulate production of innovative, high-tech and niche products that are within our capacity to create, our appetite for risk and failure will have to be re-examined.

Australia has the potential to be a nation of manufacturing and engineering excellence.

From medical innovations such as the cervical cancer vaccine, to the research and development powerhouse that is the CSIRO, we excel in high-quality technology and manufacturing - but this growth and development does not happen on its own.

Expecting the automotive manufacturing industry to make a painless transition may be unrealistic but if we approach the situation as an opportunity to develop a narrative about what new jobs should look like, and begin to take concrete steps in that direction, the future looks more exciting and optimistic.

More investment in innovative research, more risk-taking, and a focus on high-quality niche products and services - these are the things that will allow us to build a future for the nation.

Read more some of the super interesting comments here.

What do you think?

Airing of the IQ Squared debate on ABC!

The Intelligence Squared debate which was shown on BBC, "God and His Prophets Should be Protected from Insult" is now online!

You can also catch it next week on ABC TV Big Ideas on Friday 7th February on ABC1 at 11 am.

This program will REPEAT on Sunday 9th February on ABCNEWS24 at 6.00am.

If you aren't near a TV, the the full web version of the session it is available here.

It will also be available on ABC Online (iview) after the program has aired :)

Looking forward to hearing your feedback!

Life isn't all about men.

"Oh, I much prefer hanging with guys. They're just so much simpler and there is isn't as much drama"

"Yeh, most of my friends are guys. I prefer it that way. Chicks are just so harsh to each other"

...and so on, and so forth.

Women hating on other women is an interesting phenomena, and more common than one would think.

In all honesty, I shared these very same sentiments for a long time.  My actions reflected it: I did mechanical engineering and ended up in the oil and gas field, areas where women cannot be said to be the majority.  The decisions were not made consciously because I knew there would be less women, but I dare say it somehow tapped my subconscious.

However, as I have become more interested in the concepts of (formal?) feminism, equity of opportunity and diversity (particularly in the workplace) I found that this attitude was something that I consciously had to stop.  It was destructive, petty and I couldn't figure out why I was doing it!

On reflection, it may have something to do with the relationship between women and the male gaze.  

This occurred to me early on in my oil and gas stint when I heard about a new lady joining the crew, doubling the female population.  My instantaneous mental reaction was 'Oh, I wonder what she looks like / what the guys will think of her'.

Then... I mentally frowned (which is like a normal frown but no one knows you are doing it).

Why on earth did I care what she looked like or what the guys thought of that? Why was I making it some sort of competition? 

It occurred to me that some of my thinking had become about (embarrassingly) competing for male attention.  For someone who prides themselves on being an 'independent women' a la Bey, Queen Latifa, Aiysha (RA) and the like, it was a little bit of a shock.  

In some ways, the hijab helps remove the dependence on the male gaze. In some ways it says (and this is something I have appreciated as I have aged), "well I don't want to be subject to your gaze, and I am not going to let you have the power to make a judgement on my worthiness.  I am removing what you find desirable from your view.'  But what I have been learning is that a simple veil and code of dress wasn't enough, it is also about changing the mindset.

Male friends have been confused at this choice:

"But why would you want to hide your beauty if you have it? Why wouldn't you want to share it with the world?"

Perhaps because it isn't all about you?

***

I am now working at a location where there is a large camp and plenty of female staff.  It's awesome to have other women around, even if they are mostly in the admin and catering roles.  I made a couple of acquaintances yesterday, who inquired about my role and expressed their delight when I shared that I was working on the rigs in a technical job.

"You go girl! Show them how it's done!"

"Oooooo!" the Philippino lady in the kitchen also remarked. "So good to see girls get out there!"

That's the sisterhood that I'm talking about.

Perhaps 'sisterhood' is too nerdy a term, or one that has negative connotations around, but we should be in a place where we back each other up rather than compete for some level of acknowledgement from the men around us.  Unfortunately it isn't so easy, or at least it is easier said than done. In a world still mostly run by men (sorry Beyonce), acknowledgement and preference by the patriarchy adds an awful lot of social capital to one's account, and usually opens up more doors to achieving.  Females who do in some way tap into that without compromising their integrity (perhaps by being a woman in a male dominated field...).  Still working on ways around that one...

Whatever it may be, at the end of the day we should consciously choose to shift our attitudes in each and every interaction. Let's support each other and not pretend life is a zero sum game where only one woman may win.

Let's create our own worth and be proud in that.

One year to go!

I am super proud and honoured to be an Ambassador for the Asia Cup that is being held in Australia in 2015!

Football (or soccer as we like to call it), is up there with my favourite sports of all time (F1 has a pretty strong hold, if I am being honest). So to be a part of getting the word out there about this competition is something I am really excited about!

We've got one year to go and I'm getting pretty stoked for some awesome matches!

It isn't Brazil, but it's going to be good inshallah nonetheless!

Who is your proverbial money on?

***

There was a cool event not too long ago celebrating 'one year to go'...check out a video here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CDfKMkeyAw

Everyone is getting married!

I felt like it crept up on me, but I was warned on my 16^th birthday.

“Oh you’ll get excited about 16^th’s!” she said.

“But then it’s 18ths, then 21^sts, then graduations, then engagements, weddings, baby showers, first birthdays…”

I remember being all like “whaaaaaaaaaaat? That shiz is so far out, yolo!” (but yolo wasn’t a thing yet. Trendsetter).

…but it is here!

All of a sudden, I’m being invited to weddings, engagements and baby showers, my facebook feed is full of pictures of children (?) and various issues relating to child rearing (!!).  There are epic debates about the virtues or sins of being married, worries about settling down, friends talking about mortgages and shares and buying houses…

I am super excited for all my friends that are going through these exciting and obviously life changing experiences.

On the other hand, I think I missed the memo.  When did this all start to happen?

What exactly is going on?

Growing up, I guess…

***

There’s an article that’s making the rounds at the moment: 23 things to do instead of getting engaged before you're 23.

All in all, the tone of the article is a little self-interested and condescending, but hey.  The reply, 24 things to do… is a little more aligned with my personal values, however both articles, and the respective responses (vehement, opinionated, passionate in approval or disapproval) illustrate something larger is at play. Something, I feel, particularly as a young Muslim woman from a traditionally conservative background who has grown up in a thoroughly Western society feels quite keenly.

What social norms are we meant to adhere to?

The world of my parents was simpler in a way: the roles that were to be played were understood.  As my cousin said to me: “We know what we are meant to do to live a ‘good’ life by society’s standards, and how to be a ‘good’ woman. Being good in that way, and making my family happy and proud of me, that is what will make me happy’.

It’s simple. 

Get an education but get married young,

have children,

be a good mother,

hold down a good house.

If you have a career alongside that, great, but your family is more important.

In Western society though, things aren't nearly so prescribed. In fact, the freedom of choice is lauded as revolutionary and liberating.

Yet…there is such anxiety in the twenty-somethings I know.  There seems to be so much confusion around what is what; in relationships, in life, what we are meant to be doing and if we are meant to be settling down (am I behind? Should I find someone to settle with? Am I settling too fast?).

Seeing everyone else’s life, described daily for you in painstaking detail everywhere you look (phone, laptop, tablet…) only exacerbates the FOMO (fear of missing out).

It isn’t even just fear of missing out on an awesome party, it’s the fear of missing out on *life*. It’s the fear that, at its root is the most primal of fears – the fear of ending up alone.

I don’t know if this is something that *all* twenty-somethings go through and have gone through for decades and I am just discovering. This isn’t something I’ve been through before, personally.  I’d also wager society is in a drastically different place to where it was even 20 years ago, so the experiences of previous generations are incomparable.

For me, it will be interesting to see how this year plays out. 

Turning 23 for an Arab/African girl is definitely a point where family and community members start making noises about ‘settling down’ (you should have heard the conversation with my father as soon as I graduated from University…at 20!).

I am not against the idea of marriage as an institution in itself, far from it.  It’s a huge part of Islam (half our ‘deen’, or belief in fact, so marriage is seen as a fundamental part of the way of life), and if I am being perfectly honest, as a Muslim, there are things I can only do as a married woman that the rest of society tells me are really quite fun, so I’d like to get to it!

At the same time though, there seems to be a perception that marriage brings about the end of all the fun. The responsibility, the kids, the family, the mortgage… and for women, the point where you start to think about juggling career and family.

So I don’t even know if I should be anxious about missing out, or living it up because I’ve only got a little while as a young free bird left!

All I know is this.  I believe in fate, so I believe that what happens will happen, and what is meant to be shall be.  I have control over my choices and how I respond to what does happen.

Some things are outside my control.

Being anxious about those things isn’t going to change anything.

So, I’ve decided I will do what I’ve been doing. Living life, being grateful Alhamdulilah, learning as much as I can, appreciating those around me and taking it as it comes.  The fact that other people are at other stages in their life is exciting, but it should not affect how I live my life.

At the end of the day, we are the only ones who have to put up with ourselves forever.  So we better make sure that we’re happy with the choices we make, regardless of what society says (or doesn’t say) we should be doing.

#yolo

Richard's F1: Ecclestone dramas could derail F1

Check out my piece on Bernie Ecclestone's drama on Richard's F1 here!

***

F1 Chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is once again in the news regarding his financial affairs, with a British MP calling for a ‘Serious Fraud Office’ probe into the billionaire.

The call by Labour Party MP Emily Thornberry comes as the civil case against him for $100 million in damages concludes in London’s High Court in a few weeks’ time.

 

The results of such an investigation combined with the results from the courts may have the potential to loosen the tycoon’s almost four-decade-long grip on the sport.

The MP commented: “We cannot just walk away from this case. It does seem to me that we have a duty to investigate this. What is the Serious Fraud Office for if not for investigating cases like this?”

Ecclestone has been embroiled in a number of accusations across a variety of affairs over the past few months. This most recent case alleges he made corrupt payments to a German banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky, to undervalue F1’s commercial rights owned by the BayernLB group and allow him to maintain control even after it was sold to the private equity group, CVC Capital Partners.

CVC has stood by Mr Ecclestone through all of the court dramas, however its co-founder Donald MacKenzie did not rule out firing the Chief if he was found guilty.

Ecclestone denies this and says that in fact he was a victim of blackmail, alleging that Gribkowsky in fact threatened to report Ecclestone to the British tax authorities over false accusations of tax evasion. Although Gribkowsky called it a bribe and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years for the corruption, the F1 Chief continues to deny this version of events.

In July last year, German authorities made noises about having the billionaire on trial but have yet to decided if he will take the stand. Furthermore, Ecclestone faces damages claims from a firm in the US, Bayern LB, as well as proceedings in Switzerland.

Ecclestone has also indicated that he would step aside if convicted in Germany.

What do you think? Does it matter that the F1 Chief has doubts over his financial credibility and actions? Is this just part of the F1 world that we accept or just turn away from and pretend doesn’t exist?

More importantly, where does that leave F1 if Bernie is removed from his post?

See more on Richard's F1!

New beginnings (a.k.a "wtf is happening!?")

A few months ago I wrote a relatively honest and slightly exasperated piece reflecting on uncertainty about the future: whether to take the safe route or do things in a riskier manner. A few weeks later, I made a few decisions that are all coming into fruition, just in time for the new year.  I thought I might share some thoughts around it all...

***

In a couple of weeks inshallah, I will be finishing up with my current employer and moving to work with a big oil and gas company as an engineer. (Yeh, desk jockey for now).

Inshallah, I will leave behind the FIFO life (for the time being), the lifestyle that has given me so much story fodder over the last 18 months, for something a little more regular.  I'll move across the country to start a life in a new city (and possibly soon after, a new country) and generally leave everything I know to an unknown future.

All in all, pretty cray! 

Those who know me well know I am pretty terrible at making decisions that affect my future. I think about things for a long time without always coming to the rational conclusion.  I dilly dally for far too long, because I hate the idea of making a choice that might close a door that I might decide I want to go back to ('someday').

It isn't necessarily a flattering aspect, and it is something I am working on...

Any how.  I have loved the role I am currently in: met some amazing people, seen awesome things, learnt a hell of a lot and generally had a ball.

However, for a variety of reasons, I decided to do what scared me, bite the bullet, jump into the deep end, etc etc.  

Make the decision and not look back. 

Funnily enough, making the decision was the hard part.

Once it was made, the weight came off my shoulders.

I think I learnt that sometimes, we just have to make a choice.

Whatever choice we make will be the 'right one' for that moment really, because it leads to experiences that make us who we are.

A'akila wa tawakal, is what we are taught as Muslims. Pretty loosely translated it means: Do your thang, do your best...and the rest is up to Allah.

***

So that is where 2014 starts. 

New job, new city, new challenges...

You know what though? New is awesome. New is exciting and new is now set in motion, Alhamdulilah, whether I like it or not :)

So...

I'm not really sure what this year holds, but I look forward to sharing it with you all (inshallah), learning loads and hopefully having the blessing of making some sort of a difference.

Let's do it!

***

PS Also working on a new project that is super exciting! I will update you all soon (not really wanting to count chickens before they're hatched...) but khair inshallah! 

Does diversity make you uncomfortable?

I'm one of those multi-combo-minorities. Muslim, mocha and female-in-a-male-dominated-industry.

Yes, I don't like being pigeonholed by my origin, gender or religion.

Yet, at the same time, those characteristics are a proud part of my identity and who I am.

Should the aspects of our identity that we pride ourselves on be hidden away due to a misguided need for political correctness?

***

Renee Brack's piece last month commented on an interesting tension that is seemingly felt by some in society: the difficulty in navigating the line between acknowledging a person's diversity and 'not wanting to draw attention' to it.

Brack reflected on a time in the past where things like race and sexuality were ignored, overlooked or used as a basis for inferior treatment. She then questioned whether the political correctness that is acceptable today - where race, origin and so on are not openly referenced - is harking back to the 'bad old days'.

"We’re caught between recognising and acknowledging origins, nationality and lifestyle choices but paradoxically, we don’t want to be politically incorrect by defining people by them.

Observing the right etiquette can seem like a painful strait jacket causing more stress than solutions.  But the upside of it is that it streamlines respectful, ethical treatment of people in social situations.

Doesn’t it?" She asked, in a punchy and thought provoking piece.

The key point here is the difference between acknowledging and recognising something, versus defining people by that very same thing.  It is a nuance that perhaps we haven't fully bedded down yet, particularly with things that seem unfamiliar or different.

“We have ...made you nations and tribes so that you would recognize each other.” (49:13)

Recognising an individual or group's diverse characteristics as a statement of fact is not offensive in of itself.  It is when we begin to discriminate, define people by or dehumanise those based on a single aspect of their identity does it become dangerous.  It can also be threatening if it feels like only a single facet of one’s identity is being judged, which can lead to insult.

The sentiment that as a society we should not focus on simple, one dimensional features as a way of stereotyping is sensible and civilised. Yes, there is a space for political correctness, but there is also a space for celebration of diversity that isn't superficial, token or uncomfortable.

Ultimately, we need to better understand each other.  We need to be able to have meaningful dialogue about difference and to be comfortable recognising but not defining by diversity.

The 'how' is easier said than done.   How do we move away from the discomfort in dealing with those who are different?

Talking about and exploring diversity and difference openly is a start.

 This enables us to learn about each other and enriches our understanding of the fabric of our society.  By having a deeper, more human understanding of those around us, the fear of the unknown is diluted and we begin to see those who are different as fellow humans rather than a one dimensional stereotype.

There is also a sense of 'wanting to do the right thing' by those that are diverse and different in our society.  Yet, one of the pitfalls of defining people by a characteristic of difference is the tendency to speak for them and decide what is best for their sensibilities...

I for one, a Muslim, Sudanese born, female engineer – an identity ripe for stereotyping and pigeonholing.  However, I don’t feel the need to be ‘protected’ or politically corrected.  I am proud to be referred by them and would find it strange if they were overlooked completely. However, they are not the only aspects of my identity and to define me only by those would be disingenuous.

It should be noted though, that this may not be how everyone feels.  So rather than make an assumption, sometimes, the best thing to do is simply to ask.

But for me?  Go ahead, introduce me by my place of birth or choice of belief. But I’ll be darned if I fit into any expectation you have of what I should be.

How’s that for diversity?

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Happy new year and lots of love!