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fees and lesser sponsorships. I'm not going to argue about this special Malay definition and recognition for nothing. I'm a loyal citizen of my country but I'm very much interested in knowing the pros and cons of defining one's identity and laying the benefits sourcing from it.

I've attended many weddings in my country and one of the question people usually asks about the bride would be about whether she's pretty or not and whether she's white! It's typical to define beauty with fairness isn't it? And to my surprise, even among black Africans fairness does matter!

Here in the UK or I guess anywhere in the West, being a Muslim has been trivial since Islamophobia struck. Some ignorant people thinks Arab look-alikes, Muslims with long beards, their women wearing headscarfs, simply adhering to their way of life are terrorists; mass murderers,bomb makers and war plotters. Mosques became the target for arsonist and vandalism. The media along with their political affiliates 'guiding' how, when and why has been very successful in portraying Islam as terrorism and Muslims as terrorist. But truth prevails. Nevertheless, this is still the current and significant stigma worrying the West.

In anywhere in the world that has been divided into nation states, the nationality that you carry also matters. Anybody with a different nationality in a country would always be a subject of inferiority. The nature of pilgrims and travellers. Shilpa Shetty might have survived the racial assault by winning Celebrity Big Brother 2007 but the unethical act of racism has been allowed by the people behind the scenes. Though a lot of condemnation faced and apologies sought, the message is very clear I believe. Racism lives, and sadly we let it be.

If identifying oneself is so important - leading to benefits, recognition and dignity by all means lets list them down accordingly. But if it has to divide us into inferiors and superiors, good and bad without evident justifications, why can't we just look at each other with an identification of a human being? Then we will all have the same identity. We're simply human beings breathing the same air though with different weaknesses and capability. The children of Adam and Eve. Unless, any of you still believe in the ape story. Then, we're not from the same family, at all!

Learn more about this author, Nurin Zulkifli.
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