me & Other

My name is someone and anyone.
Thoughts about Antiracism week
Sardar Aziz

It was misty when I cycled to the college in the morning. Misty and freezing. Despite it is November but we still see the sun. I had to come early; check the Kurdish and Arabic newspapers online from back home, wondering what they are saying about Saddam’s verdict. Then I had Irish politics; How to Prevent Corruption. In between, I talked to Tim, John and Adoh; when he talked about his teaching in the State. I bought the Guardian newspaper, and meanwhile I went to the main for a soup. At one o’clock I had to go to Chinese politics. The lecturer, who is from Germany, talked about Chairman Mao. I decided with myself to buy his biography. When the lecture finished; I got a call from German Department to be in their social area as they are giving prizes to the winners of their photographic competition. The theme of the competition was Anti-racism; as a part of their activities for the Antiracism week at the college. I had submitted a picture but I never believed that I will win. My intention was not wining. I was happy to participate, to make such an event possible and running.
By being from a far-away-land and being only one from my nation in the college, the issue of discrimination and racism concerning me personally. As I mentioned above I live a very multicultural life. I have a Muslim background, I share life with a Catholic and I believe in a secular humanism. And that is might be the reason I have never felt as a foreigner among my class mates, not even once. Despite that the sense of not-being-from-here is never leaves me.
The picture I submitted to the competition, it was for a group of people, including myself, when we were presenting a programme on the Campus Radio about antiracism. It was called Diversity. The picture was black and white and published in this very newspaper few years ago. When I arrived at the German Department and they told me that my picture won second prize. I was delighted and surprised. Then the ceremony began. Giving prize, shaking hands, and taking a lot of pictures. I’d my fifteen minutes.
The slogan of the Antiracism week is; Five Continents, One University. I have no doubt there are people from all five continents at the campus. Just a walk around and the faces you come a cross proves my hypothesis. When Irish economy is multicultural, as a result Irish society is becoming multicultural. The university is the hub of those two, no surprise as result that the country will become a place for people from everywhere. In the era of ‘global-ism’ every where is relevant. Few years ago no one was carrying about China; today it is expected to be the next America. Especially when we are witnessing the end of America nowadays!!
One thing university manages to do more than anywhere else is to give space to those students. Spaces to tell their stories. They are not just student per-say. Since the society tend to treat them as invisible. Invisible in a way the American novelist Ralph Ellison put is: I am invisible man simply because people refuse to see me. If the history of humanity is an ongoing tension between stories that have been told and stories that might be told; to give a space to other and their stories we might reduce that tension, at least little bit.
On my way home I spent the prize that I got on buying Moa’s biography. But when I arrived home I sang Jorge Luis Borges’ poem. They speak of humanity. My humanity is in feeling we are all voices of same poverty. They speak of homeland. My homeland is a rhythm of a guitar, a few portraits, and an old sword.
My name is someone and anyone.