Obama's Message To Young Malaysians About Racial Discrimination In The Country
The 44th President of the United States has an important message for Malaysia about race, gender and discrimination.
By Mei Mei Chu — 28 Apr 2014, 12:50 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
"Malaysia won't succeed if non-Muslims do not have the same opportunity," US President Barack Obama said in a townhall meeting for Asean youths on 27 April 2014
Barack Obama addressing the crowd at the townhall meeting for Asean youths at University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
Image via voanews.com"Malaysia won't succeed if the non-Muslims do not have the same opportunity,” Obama said in a townhall meeting for Asean youths at Dewan Tunku Cancelor in University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur today.
themalaysianinsider.com
In his first official visit to the country, Obama said that prejudices against people from different religions and races have no place in the modern world and must be removed.
themalaymailonline.com
Obama made the remark when a Myanmar participant asked him advice on how young leaders should deal with diversity within the Asean region
Obama made the remark when a Myanmar participant asked him advice on how young leaders should deal with diversity within the Asean region
Image via wordpress.comHe said this when responding to a question from a Myanmar participant asking for Obama’s advice on how should young leaders deal with the diversity within the Asean region.
malaysiakini.comHe said the situation in Myanmar right now was that the country was going through a transition after decades of oppressive government, and it was now trying to open things up, which he said is to be lauded.
themalaysianinsider.com
“However, the danger, now that they are democratising, is that there will be groups inside Myanmar that might organise themselves politically around religious or ethnic identities instead of principles of justice or rule of law and democracy.
therakyatpost.com
Obama pointed out that Myanmar is facing problems with the rights of its minority Muslim community, a situation is familiar to Malaysia
Barack Obama addressing the crowd at the townhall meeting for Asean youths at University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
Image via hdnux.com"And you can actually see conflict that would move Myanmar in a bad direction," he said, adding that one of the problems in Myanmar was that the rights of its minority Muslim community were not protected.
themalaysianinsider.com
He added that the situation was not unique to Myanmar; in Malaysia, which had a majority Muslim population, there were instances where those who were not Muslims found themselves experiencing hostility.
He says the biggest and most important source of conflict, war, and hardship around the world is people treating those who are not like them differently
Obama says the biggest and most important source of conflict, war, and hardship around the world is people treating those who are not like them differently
Image via googleusercontent.comHe pointed out that the biggest source of conflict and war and hardship throughout the world was due to people treating those who were not like them differently.
themalaysianinsider.com
"If you look at the biggest source of conflict and war and hardship around the world, one of the most - if not the most - important reasons is people treating those who are not like them differently," he said, whether those differences are of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
malaysiakini.com"All of us have within us biasness and prejudices against people who are not like us or people who are not raised in the same faith or come from different backgrounds, but the world is shrinking and getting smaller."
Obama says the biggest and most important source of conflict, war, and hardship around the world is people treating those who are not like them differently
Image via vz.tl“All of us have within us biasness and prejudices against people who are not like us or people who are not raised in the same faith or come from different backgrounds, but the world is shrinking and getting smaller.”
therakyatpost.com
"You could think that way when living separately in villages and tribes and did not have contact with each other. “But with the internet and smartphones, cultures all colliding, no country is going to succeed if part of its population is sidelined and being discriminated against," he added.
themalaysianinsider.com
He also said that even in the US, historically, the biggest conflicts arose around race, but over the course of generations the situation had improved, to the point that he could be elected as a president.
themalaysianinsider.com
"This (Malaysia) is a Muslim-majority. There are times where those are non-Muslims find themselves, perhaps being disadvantaged or experiencing hostility."
US President Barack Obama is visiting Malaysia from 26 April to 28 April 2014.
Image via themalaymailonline.com"This is a Muslim-majority. There are times where those are non-Muslims find themselves, perhaps being disadvantaged or experiencing hostility..."
malaysiakini.comHe then went on to say that similarly, Malaysia would also not succeed if non-Muslims were not given the opportunity, while the same would happen in Myanmar if the Muslim population was oppressed.
themalaysianinsider.com
"No country is going to succeed if part of its population is put on the sidelines because its population are discriminated against."
Barack Obama addressing the crowd at the townhall meeting for Asean youths at University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
Image via hdnux.com"No country is going to succeed if part of its population is put on the sidelines because its population are discriminated against. "Malaysia won’t succeed if non-Muslims don’t have opportunity,” he said during the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Town Hall at Universiti Malaya today.
malaysiakini.com"Malaysia won't succeed if non-muslims don't have equal opportunity, Myanmar won’t succeed if the muslim population is oppressed.
themalaysianinsider.com
"No society is going to succeed if half your population made up of women are not getting the same education and employment opportunities as men too."
"No society is going to succeed if half your population made up of women are not getting the same education and employment opportunities as men too," he added.
themalaysianinsider.com
Obama urged youths to speak out against these discrimination in their daily life, "You should be on the side of politics that bring people together rather than drive people apart."
As such, he called on youths to embrace culture and be proud of who they were, while also appreciating differences in languages, food and how differently one worshipped God, adding that these were things to be proud of and not a tool to look down on a person.
themalaysianinsider.com
"There shouldn't be reason to discriminate, and you have to make sure that you are speaking out against this in daily life. "And as you emerge as leaders, you should be on the side of politics that brings people together rather than drive them apart," Malaysian Insider quoted Obama as saying to cheers from the crowd.
"That is the most important thing for this generation,” he urged the participants.
malaysiakini.com"And if you are not doing that, then we are going backwards instead of going forward and this is true all over the world."
Barack Obama addressing the crowd at the townhall meeting for Asean youths at University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
Image via googleusercontent.comHe called on the new generation to stand in “other people’s shoes and look at things through their eyes”. Obama said that almost every religion teaches the basic principle of “do unto others as you want others to do unto you” and to “treat people the way you want to be treated”.
therakyatpost.com
"And if you are not doing that, then we are going backwards instead of going forward and this is true all over the world."