Failing the Basic Test of Humanity and Falling into the Injustice Abyss
Angelina Jolie is a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In her speech “Refugee system breaking down”, she says: “We would fail the basic test of humanity if we discriminate between refugees on the basis of religion, race or ethnicity. When I meet a refugee I do not see a Muslim refugee or a Christian refugee or a Yezidi. I see a mother or a father a son or a daughter. A person with an equal right to stand in dignity on this planet.” So?... We are not failing the basic test of humanity if we discriminate between people on the basis of where they are born?? Or on the money they have in their bank account?? As it takes only a couple of hundred thousand Euros to get some European Union citizenships. So Jolie, when you meet a refugee you “do not see a Muslim refugee or a Christian refugee or a Yezidi,” but you see a Syrian refugee or a Vietnamese refugee? What do you see when you see a migrant? A Syrian migrant or a Vietnamese migrant? What about European or American expats? Do you see an Ethiopian migrant and a British expat? Don't you see a mother or a father a son or a daughter when you look at migrants? How is a person's position and ability to move around the world s/he is born determined? By the geographic area s/he was born. A Pakistani baby does not have an equal right as a British baby to stand in dignity on this planet. Is that fine with you? Only if you were born in a prestigious spot in the world and/or if you have money, then you can stand in dignity on this planet. Believe me, at this point, the world has flunked miserably on the basic test of humanity. I understand Angelina Jolie represents an official organization that embodies the status quo; therefore, she cannot stray away from their discourse. However, I somehow feel she is quite sincere when saying this, she is just not aware that she falls short of seeing the complete picture thus falling from that small crevice into the injustice abyss. Unfortunately, as such, she too, fails the basic test of humanity. Let's be aware that our falling short of seeing and stating the complete picture as is, is the problem. Let's pass the basic test of humanity by taking that step to admit that it's everybody's right to move freely on the Earth they are born. “Yes, ’n’ how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry?” Bob Dylan PS: Please read the full version of the analysis of this speech.
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