prejudice grandmother
...e at the discovery of the injustice of one of my own family members, especially when I am adamantly opposed to such views. I recall upon what she said: “Oh, is she one of ours?” “What do you mean one of ours?” “Well, is she an Ismaili-Muslim?” “Nope, she’s from school. She’s Hindu.” And then she says it: “Oh, well, why do you need to go to her birthday party? I don’t approve of you going. You only need to go to the parties of your Ismaili friends, not your other friends.” My jaw drops as hesitation comes over me, choking my throat. I look at my grandmother with a blank stare and cannot believe that she can say such a harsh and ignorant thing. I never knew that this timid, meek individual, whom I have known for sixteen years, could say something so philistine and barbaric. After giving it much thought, I let go of my grudge and return to my grandmother on the following day to try and find out how anyone can ever say that. Stuck in her old world back home, her belief system appears normal to her because it is a way in which she keeps her culture alive. I explain to her that her approach is quite ridiculous in that I could never lose my own culture by spending time with friends of different backgrounds. Since then, I have opened her mind and heart to accept the values and beliefs of others by...