Turbans: Christians wear them too

Piedad Cordoba (Colombian Politician) 

Some who define America as a "Christian country" tend to persecute other Americans because of headgear stereotypes.  The warped logic of these persecutors often sounds like this:  "This fellow is wearing a turban.  Only Muslims wear turbans.  All Muslims are terrorists.  This fellow must therefore be a Muslim terrorist."

Although the fellow in question may indeed be wearing a turban, the "logic" that follows is far from factual.  Relegating all members of any group (nation, religion, political party, etc.) to any one category is opening the door to all sorts of vicious stereotyping.  The tiny minority of professed Muslims that were involved in the 9/11 terrorism do not represent Muslims as a whole, just as the tiny minority of professed Jews and Pagans that were associated with the death of Jesus do not represent Jews and Pagans as a whole.  (This should hopefully make sense to many a budding mathematician, especially to those who can grasp the concept of fractions.)

The false statement that links only Muslims with turbans can also be dispelled with just a bit of a reality check.  Wikipedia reports that turbans are worn by numerous groups.  These groups include Bobo Shanti Rastafari, American Sikhs, Tuareg Berbers, Barzani Kurds, rural Cretans, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, West Indies women, Western socialites, and Holy Ghost Church Kenyans.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turban 

Copyright August 7, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved