THIS DISCRIMANTION CROSSES THE LINE!!!

[SCORPION_SISTA]

As I was walking today around the campus, I saw this handicapped student. And I remembered a conversation I had with a friend of mine about couple of days ago. She had attended this wedding of a nineteen-year-old girl, who seems to be mentally handicapped. The attitude of her family was that she is not going to school and isn?t working, but she can cook and clean so why not marry her off. Gosh hearing that brought a lot of emotions in me but mainly anger. American people here have special schools, teachers, and bathroom spaces or even in restaurants, have Olympics for their handicapped or "Retarded" people. You can see them working at markets, although doing small jobs, still they are independent in that way. Yet, those Somali's I have been exposed to treat a Somali person with handicap ness as if they aren't worth our attention. As if they should just dig a grave and throw themselves in it.

 

I have a cousin that when he was young, he got ill and afterward he couldn't walk. I remember how the kids in our blocks didn't want to play with him and others ignore him completely. I was always getting into fights with other kids because of their teasing. He wasn?t sent to school and they always tried to make him change and he resisted every effort to change who he was, "Accept me like I am." He lives in Sweden now, actually those that live there might have seen him on TV, and I got to say it's definitely one good thing that came out of this war in my opinion. He is attending University now, studying to be a filmmaker. He plays basketball and other sports, even though he is in wheelchair. But I hate the idea that despite all that if he tries to get married, a person would look at him and see nothing but that handicap ness. Like that's his identification tag, not that he is intellectual, love classic music, or anything about who he really is, they just are "Giis". I could commit murder thinking that he and others like him could be discriminated against for something they had nothing to do with. So can anyone tell that despite all the opportunities that are available to them, Somali parents treat their kids as invalid or worthless, because she/he is bit slow or can't use their limbs for some reason?

 

:mad: :mad:

[Idi_Amiin]

Hey Scorpion_sista... can't blv am seein u in here too ???... daaamn, i thought u were 1 hellava patriot and neva wanted to change citizenship!! Looool!! ... anyways, gd to c u still breathin hunn... i was worried a lil bit and thought u were caught up in Umm Qasr and cudn't find da Exit!!! ....

 

Anyways, back to da topic... I feel ya sis... i've witnessed dat too... it is really annoyin when u c dat!!! .. Horrible!!! ... u know Ilaah baa qofkaas uqoray inuu saas noqdo, so, ppl don't have to treat him/her sh$t coz dey r handicapped!!! .... XARAAAAAAM!!!!

[Che -Guevara]

Anger ain't gonna us nowhere. Get involved and educate somalis. Discrmination and ignorance will only go away if we confront them head on!

I symphetize with the handicapped people. Even America they lead pretty miserable life abodoned by their familes who sees them as burden and a society which expects the most out of you.

I can pray for them...May Allah bless them and make their life easier.

[SCORPION_SISTA]

lol lol Idi mate what's up with ya!!! well u know i was a hard core citizenship but with the censhership and what not i decided to seek asylum else where. Unfortunately that new country of mine decided to go underground while i was out. so there i was sitting on the bench with my suit case and ideas so i thought i still have that passport for original country, so thought i would sneak back for little bit. By the way, u figured me out ha, but again it isn't like there were many choices there!!!

 

Che_Guevara, I find it interesting that u said instead of being angry i should try to educate people about it. Yet at the end all u suggested for u to do was just to pray, why not also educate people. Prayers are good, but lets face things don't get solved because we just simply pray hard. One has to make changes and get involved. As u already suggested i try to do that, How do u think i should go about it? How do i try to make parents aware and a whole community for that matter that just cause a child is handicaped u don't have to make them believe they are worthless and don't deserve anything??? Any suggestion would be helpful because i am interested in committing to this issue.

 

till then bee bye!!!

[HONEY-D]

SCORPION-SISTA

 

I GUESS THIS ISSUE HAS TOUCHED U DEEPLY.

 

I HONESTLY BELIEVE THE ONLY WAY U CAN CHANGE PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE HANDICAPPED IS TO EDUCATE THEM. AS FOR THE PARENTS OF THE HANDICAPPED GIRL THEY PROBABLY VISIONED WHAT LIFE WOULD BE FOR HER WHEN THEY'RE NO LONGER ALIVE SO THOUGHT IF SHE GETS MARRIED NOW AND HAVE KIDS OF HER OWN THEY MIGHT BENEFIT HER WHEN SHE'S OLDER AND NEEDS SOMEONE TO TAKE CARE OF HER.

 

I CAN SEE UR SO EAGER TO DO SUMTHING ABT THE CURRENT SITUATION WHICH IS VERY THOUGHTFUL OF U. HERE IS WHAT U CAN DO TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION ABT THEIR RIGHTS AND THE KIND OF HELP AVAILABLE TO THEM. AND ALSO SEE IF U CAN FIND IF THERE IS AN ORGANISATION ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR THE WELFARE OF THE HANDICAPPED AS THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST U WITH ANY QUERIES REGARDING THE ISSUE.

 

HAVE U EVER THOUGHT OF BECOMING A SOCIAL WORKER JUST THOUGHT.

[SCORPION_SISTA]

Hey C_L woman what's up? It's really interesting points u have mentioned. So insha allah this summer, i am going to volunteer for something that has to do with kids who have special needs or handicapped. that will provided me with the information i need and would be able to supply to somali people that might not know about the opportunities are avaliable for their kids. Really appriciate it.

 

 

As to Che_Guevara, i seen ur post in the other topic and i appriciate u yelling at people and hopefully everyone here would be an effort to do so to and the attitude might spread and hopefully in couple of years we wouldn't have that mentality.

 

bee bye for now.

[Che -Guevara]

Scorpion-sista......I hope many others join in the crusude.

n Yeah...iam still wondering how my reply post ended up in da other topic....loooooooool

I think it is either the moderators are doing too much editing , deleting or moving around or i might be getting little nuts.........lol

It was funny though...i was laughing at myselfy for awhile.

[shyhem]

Scorpion sista

I do agree with you on how we treat our fellow disabled brother and sisters,however most of us have no deliberate ittention to harm them.Remember the west can avoid to take of the handicapped ones but back in Africa life is all about struggle.

 

We love our handicapped brothers and sisters,but in a world where pple with all their six senses have to struggle for basic needs,certainly its hard for us to give the speciall needs that the handicapped community deserves.

[Idi_Amiin]

Lol@Scorpion_sista .... well, i don think it is dat hard to figure out a person so obvious as u!!! i figured u out from da 1st post of urs i read!!! ... anyways, wut can i say... i guess we lucky enuff to have duo-citizenships and chill on anyside of da world anytime we need... eventho some legislations of certain countries don let u to chill with full freedom!!! ... but its all goood!!! ... can't complain!!! So, yeah as u c, am in here too hastlin ppl!!! ... Can't wait to go back to ma Home sweet Home actually... hope things go aight with da president!!!

[SCORPION_SISTA]

Well Shyhem i am not saying that we are doing it intentionally but that notheless doesn't makes it okay for us to have those type of behaviors toward the handicapped. It is for us to know what we are doing is hurtful and make efforts to change those types of attitude. As to west affording to to help them, it wasn't always that easy but they are trying to make changes and that's all i am asking us as a society to do. And as most of us live in those west countries now ourself it's already half way, it's just that practice and mentality that needs to be changed so that we allow our handicapped children now to use the opportunties avaliable and avoid the discrimination in later generations. If one thing is seen in somali communities now is the somali people's adaptability toward other cultures, it's just yet we hadn't picked the good ones!!!!!!

 

I guess what i am trying to achieve with this topic, is maybe next time the thoughts accur to anyone here to stop and say "that's wrong", and be concious of your attitudes.

 

loooooooooool Idi so u telling me u knew who i was from the start ha hmmmmmm well at least u know my problem now, i can never have multipule personalities disorder. See that new country made me so talkative now i am all over the place, i just hope they open the door soon before i run out of things to lecture back home hmmm i wonder what happened to OCEANS and Ayan from there!!!!

[Idi_Amiin]

Loool@Scorpion_sista .... well, da doors r gonna be opened soon insha-allah!!! ... its really funny tho... as soon as da ddors were closed everybuddy came in here!!! ... i've seen most of da guyz in here!!! ... well, except oceans and ayaan!!! ... dunno bout oceans, but i see ayaan around everynow and den (mean online! ) she's fine...!!

[Blessed]

I think that your making the assumption that ppl with disabilities.. need the 'able' ppl to speak for them and defend them.

 

Take your cousin, he is in a wheelchair.. that doesn't make him an invalid... He is capable of speaking up for himselve. And by getting angry over the whole affair you are in a sense insulting his intelligence. I am sure, the brother is capable of educatin the ppl himself.

 

 

And also, with the sister.... ppl need to let her decide. I work with non-verbal kids and belive me, given the chance .... they'll put you in your place. they even question politicians about cutting funding for services for young ppl.

 

 

 

I would say.. treat them as normal human beigns... cut the sympathy talk and ask them what they think. maybe a starting point for you is a chat with your cousin about the issue.

 

hope that helps

[LadyMo]

Ameenah I agree with u to a certain extend when u say dat someone in a wheelchair doesnt need an 'able-bodied' person to speak on their behalf but if u think about it if Somali people already regard ppl in wheelchairs as 'less' of a person than anyone else what makes u think they'll even listen?

 

I often work with people with learning disablities many of whom are in wheelchairs or hav other forms of equipment to aid them in moving around yet there are soo many things these people are capable of and I wish that their level of will power would be reflected to the somali ppl.

 

When I was in college the cleverest person at my campus was a guy who was wheel chair bound and he didnt have any fingers, he would type using his tongue yet his IQ level was unreachable by any other person on campus including the lectures!!

 

People who are disabled in one way or form often try their very best to prove everyone else wrong, this gives them great will power and they often reach their goals way above everyone else.

 

A famous Chinese proverb goes like dis;

"I hear & I forget

I see & I remember

I do & I understand"

 

If u wana teach any1 especially Somalis they need hands-on experiences, so some1 whom they see as a person on their level could teach them about people with disabilities & possibly have a couple of people wiv disabilities present to give a more powerful demonstration.

 

People wiv disabilities are often way above us we're just too ignorant to accept it!

[SCORPION_SISTA]

FIRST OF ALL, NICE TO SEE U HERE EXDANE AND THANX FOR THE INPUT.

 

"I think that your making the assumption that ppl with disabilities.. need the 'able' ppl to speak for them and defend them." I re-read what i said again, and in no shape was that implied or stated to be my main goal for this topic. Even those of us that have no physical or mental disabilites have hard time expressing ourselves to other people. What i expect us to defend them against is other people trying to dissociate them from being involved in any activities or even in their communities based on them being disabled, that's what i feel we need to speak with them rather than really against them.

 

"Take your cousin, he is in a wheelchair.. that doesn't make him an invalid... He is capable of speaking up for himselve. And by getting angry over the whole affair you are in a sense insulting his intelligence. I am sure, the brother is capable of educatin the ppl himself." What i said i was going to get angry about was that despite everything he has done and worked hard for, a lot of people will see not his accomplisment but his wheelchair and pass judgements on him, and that's what would make me upset. Trust me he does speak for himself, but he only gained that confidence and opportunity to do so because he has lived in Eruopean country, and they didn't view him as worthless person just cause he couldn't walk. It is why i mentioned him, because if we just give somali kids with disabilities a chance, they can achieve a lot, even more than the so called "normal" people. Which again reflects back on the young woman i mentioned, it seemed that her parents didn't even feel she deserved to have a say in her life, but just passed her off.

 

I hope this clearfies what i was stating and sorry if i implied in anyway that "we need to be speaking for disabled persons"

[Hibo]

thanx sis i was facinated to hear a somali sister express her that way, it is not what we have that is noticed by others but we mis thanx again for that eye raising comment