Intercultural Differences

The incident that I am going to relate happened during my junior college days. I was having a late lunch with my friends in the canteen when three teachers came to the canteen to buy food as well. One of the female teachers, Ms Inconsiderate, bought a plate of rice from the Malay stall and what happened next was quite shocking. She took her plate of rice to the neighbouring Chinese stall and requested for some 'char siew' (roasted pork) to be added to her plate of rice. The Malay stall owner also saw what Ms Inconsiderate did. She was frowning and gesturing to her co-worker about what had just happened. However, that teacher was oblivious to her reactions.

When Ms Inconsiderate came back to sit with her colleagues, they asked her why she had added the pork to the Malay food that she had bought earlier. The reply was equally shocking. "Nothing wrong what! I like to eat these!" One of the other teachers, Ms Sensitive, immediately responded and reminded her that Muslim food was Halal. Ms Inconsiderate replied, "Aiya! Nevermind one la! Just a few pieces of pork only!” She then went on to eat her food.

When Ms Inconsiderate had finished her food, she stood up to return the plate to the bucket that was placed in front of the stall which served to collect the dirty dishes. However, I noticed that there were still bits of 'char siew' on the plate! Apparently, Ms Sensitive noticed this too and stopped her immediately. She explained that Ms Inconsiderate’s action was rather inappropriate and disrespectful. That being so because it has always been the Muslim custom to not consume pork. After hearing this, Ms Inconsiderate cleared her plate and took it back to the Malay stall and apologised to the lady owner. In fact, she offered to wash the plate. However, the lady owner just shook her head and took the plate to the back of the stall. I supposed she threw the 'contaminated' plate away.

I felt that Ms Inconsiderate was very insensitive and ignorant. Perhaps she was unaware of the Muslims’ customs, which I believe is highly unlikely. After all, Singapore is a country made up of different races and cultures. Undoubtedly, there are many chances of intercultural and inter-racial interactions. She should have known what the term “Halal” means. Moreover, she is a teacher! I would have expected more from her. Although the Malay stall owner did not quarrel with the teacher, I could tell that she was displeased with Ms Inconsiderate’s actions and her lack of respect.

The word “Halal” means lawful and in the Quran, Allah commands Muslims and all of mankind to eat only lawful food. Food that is not religiously appropriate is considered haram, which means unlawful. For the food to be Halal, it should not have any additives that are haram as well. Hence, when the teacher added pork to her plate of Muslim food, she had 'contaminated' the plate with haram food. It was also disrespectful of Ms Inconsiderate to do what she had done even with the knowledge of “Halal” food.

Edited

"Hooked On a Cause"

Problem Identified

"How can you not have shark fin soup on the menu! It is a MUST in wedding dinners!"

OR IS IT? The above is what a typical Chinese of the older generation would say during preparation for a wedding dinner. Due to the value of respect for elders, the younger generation often do not think twice about the consequences of including shark fin soup on the menu. How much do we know about the practice of finning? Shark finning is the barbaric act of hacking the fin off the shark while it is still alive. The body is then thrown back into the sea where the shark sinks to the bottom of it and gets eaten by other fish, starve to death or drown. Sharks are being slaughtered at an unsustainable rate to satisfy the demand for shark fin soup particularly in Asia where it is viewed as a delicacy. It is also representative of wealth and status. Most people are ignorant of the severe impacts of shark finning. These include the loss of stability in marine ecosystems and decline in water quality etc. However, even if people are aware of the consequences of shark finning, do they care enough to take any preventive actions?

Hypotheses

The younger generation (students) do not understand the causes and consequences of shark finning well and are nonchalant towards having shark fin soup in wedding dinners. They do not feel the need to participate in the prevention of shark finning.

Research Questions

How much do the younger generation (students) know about the causes and impacts of shark finning and whether they think that shark fin soup is a MUST in wedding dinners? Do they think that it is of concern to them to contribute towards prevention of shark finning?

Objectives of the Research Study

One of the objectives is to determine to what extent is the younger generation aware of the causes and impacts of shark finning. The study also aims to find out if the younger generation think that they should take constructive actions, such as refusing shark fin soup, in support of the ban of shark finning.

Purpose Statement

The objective of the report is to inform the relevant authorities, such as Singapore Environment Council and National Environment Agency, about the knowledge and attidtudes of the younger generation towards shark finning. The report would also serve as an indication that awareness of shark finning and its consequences needs to be raised so that students can also play a part in the prevention of ill-treatment of sharks.

Reasons for surveys

The surveys will reflect how much the younger generation know about shark finning and tell if there is any need to further promote the awareness of such an activity. We can also understand the reasons behind the nonchalance of the younger generation towards the inhumane act of shark finning and hence convince the authorities to educate the younger generation on the importance of helping to conserve shark species.