It depends how we see Racism and what we know about racism.
You could say Racism is common in Asia and there is a reason for that.
The reason is difference in culture.
The West learned that racism is wrong. How did they learn? Through the apartheid in South Africa, through Jim Crow Laws in US, through the Nuremberg Trials in Germany.
These countries committed major mistakes, but they also learned from it, and not only did they learn but they also educated their next generation regarding it.
Now in the Asia culture, yes we have been racist. We have also committed major racists acts. For example, the Dallits in India, or the Christian in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, we even apply laws that are discriminating to other religions. Example, public eating ban also being enforced on religious minorities during Ramazan.
But, the difference is, we still haven't realized our mistakes. And when we haven't realized it we will not bother to educate our future generation regarding it.
So there is a difference in culture.
The use of swearing is another very good example.
In Asian culture, Parents are held sacred, thus, when someone use profanities or swear words against ones parents, we get offended easily.
But people in the West careless about it.
So you see again, there is a difference in culture.
And this is what agitates us Asian. West wants us to behave according to their culture, they want us to respect their ways of living. Infact, they punish us for that aswell. Ok Fair enough.
But about our way of living?
Even in sports, if someone says a Racist remark, he gets punished, but if someone swears at his parents or siblings that gets overlooked.
A very good example is the Zidance Headbutt in the 2008 world cup. Now when there were rumours that Matarezzi had said something about Zidances mother or sister, there wasn't any uproar, but as soon as there were rumours that he had called Zidane or his family terrorists then everyone got angry.
However if we look at the Sarfraz Case, one siding with him is understandable
When i was like 13 year old and newly moved to Canada, i would often here black students call each other the N word. SO i had a black friend and asked him what did the word meant? Another couple of black kids heard me and kept on saying that say the word one more time. My friend kept warning me dont say.
At that time i didn't understand the amount of trouble i could had gotten into for saying the N word. ANd it didnt make any logical sense to me that while the black kids culd use the n word for each other, but not me.
It was after a couple of weeks i understood all this.
One thing we have to accept here is that in our culture we don't know how serious racism is, and its ridiculous that other societies should expect this from us. When we haven't seen black racism existing in our society how the hell are we suppose to know the affects.
Its like how we regard parents, and we get offended easily when someone uses a swear word involving parents. Now people frm West wont understand this but we do.
I am not defending Sarfraz's acts here, yes he needs a talking two, but i am giving a perspective from a culture point of view.
its just that people from different cultures coming into the real world.
Sarfraz's punishment is justified though, but you still have to understand the case. People have been bashing him on media tooo much
