Minorities’ festivals should be embraced

Shelina Janmohamed ponders Chinese New Year.

Bright red lanterns and fearsome dragons are festooning cities around the world as Chinese New Year celebrations take place. China will be closed down for the week. Even in countries where Chinese are minorities it is a popular celebration, with the colours and pageantry drawing crowds.

The expression of minority cultures and their incorporation into the life of a nation are important signals of their acceptance by the wider community and the minority’s own comfort level in their surroundings. But celebrations conducted by minorities are met with different levels of welcome by the majority.

This variation gives us an insight into the nation’s comfort with other cultures and religions and the social status of those minorities. This is the politics of minority celebrations.

Commemorations and celebrations are the defining moments of a religion or culture. Most events have universal messages which cultures and religions use to create a sense of inclusivity. But it’s the uniqueness of the event that is important to that group in expressing its identity and beliefs. It takes pride and confidence as a minority to do so. This is what can be threatening to the majority. However, when minorities conduct their celebrations, they hold an expectation of safety and protection by the state and their peers.

How a nation embraces the celebrations of its minorities is a barometer for its own self-confidence. It is also a measure of whether words expressed about that nation’s tolerance, acceptance and understanding of its minorities are heartfelt or simply politically judicious lip-service.

When Shia Muslims in Pakistan and Malaysia attempted to commemorate the occasion of Ashura late last year, many were attacked and even killed in the former. In Malaysia, gatherings were invaded by police and participants were arrested. Shia in Malaysia are accused of undermining social cohesion and acting as a “fifth column”.

When some minority celebrations are preferred over others, this too is political. It is a good indicator of which minorities are “good” and acceptable, and which ones less so. In the UK, Asian “melas” are more popularly received. But Muslim Eid celebrations, less so. In fact, over the past few years a once vibrant celebration of Eid in Trafalgar Square has morphed from one that appealed to hard-to-engage Muslim audiences keen to see their Islamic traditions represented on stage into something Asian with merely the Eid name stuck on top. The Muslims who once felt proud to be represented centre stage in Britain now stay away.

The occasion of Christmas has long roots in the Middle East. It is an accepted and long-standing tradition especially in Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq. With the upheavals in the region, it gives pause for thought whether celebrating Christmas will become more and more difficult for Christians. I certainly hope not.

There is a wider proliferation of Christmas celebrations across the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf. Of course this is partly to do with the western expatriate population. But I don’t believe that’s the whole story. Consider the difference in importance given to Christmas versus the Hindu festival of Diwali as a reflection of the difference in status of the different populations.

Putting a minority’s occasions front and centre in a nation’s life shows our comfort with their presence. More importantly, it shows confidence in ourselves, and pride in the fact that we uphold the rights of everyone.

Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and blogs at www.spirit21.co.uk