My Single Story
MCACDAC, Jarrel Benedict A.
2010-64852
The Paradox of Understanding the Misunderstood Stereotyping based on the culture of a particular person, a group, or a race, is not new to most of us in the academe. Most of us are aware of the reasons why these stereotypes arise and of the implications that may arise from these. Most, if not all, of us have at some point in our lives gave or made stereotypes—or in Chimamanda Adichie’s words, a single story—against other people. In my case, I made a single story about the Muslims of Mindanao.
I was raised in an environment of fundamental and conservative Christian teachings and ways. I was used to believing that the Christian faith is the “right” faith and that other faiths were simply different and unorthodox. Though I was taught to respect other people’s beliefs, I found it hard to understand the reason why other religions had to exist if Christianity was the way to salvation and eternal life. I most particularly questioned the reason why Muslims exist in a country where Christianity is the faith of majority of the people, which leads me to another bias and single story I had—my belief that Muslims were not really Filipinos.
Also, the intensive media coverage of the Abu Sayaff kidnappings and the MILF and MNLF movements made me think that the Muslims of Mindanao had nothing good to do for the Philippines. I started to think of them as ruthless human beings with the souls of demons who had the audacity to destroy lives and disturb the harmony among peaceful human beings. I had always viewed them as terrorists and murderers who would do anything just to make their cause seen by the government.
It never got into me that they might have been doing all those unspeakable things because of the thing that they have so long dreamed and fought for—freedom. When I learned about this, I started to understand the reason why they had to resort to these violent means. However, since my view of them had been tainted by the past
2010-64852
The Paradox of Understanding the Misunderstood Stereotyping based on the culture of a particular person, a group, or a race, is not new to most of us in the academe. Most of us are aware of the reasons why these stereotypes arise and of the implications that may arise from these. Most, if not all, of us have at some point in our lives gave or made stereotypes—or in Chimamanda Adichie’s words, a single story—against other people. In my case, I made a single story about the Muslims of Mindanao.
I was raised in an environment of fundamental and conservative Christian teachings and ways. I was used to believing that the Christian faith is the “right” faith and that other faiths were simply different and unorthodox. Though I was taught to respect other people’s beliefs, I found it hard to understand the reason why other religions had to exist if Christianity was the way to salvation and eternal life. I most particularly questioned the reason why Muslims exist in a country where Christianity is the faith of majority of the people, which leads me to another bias and single story I had—my belief that Muslims were not really Filipinos.
Also, the intensive media coverage of the Abu Sayaff kidnappings and the MILF and MNLF movements made me think that the Muslims of Mindanao had nothing good to do for the Philippines. I started to think of them as ruthless human beings with the souls of demons who had the audacity to destroy lives and disturb the harmony among peaceful human beings. I had always viewed them as terrorists and murderers who would do anything just to make their cause seen by the government.
It never got into me that they might have been doing all those unspeakable things because of the thing that they have so long dreamed and fought for—freedom. When I learned about this, I started to understand the reason why they had to resort to these violent means. However, since my view of them had been tainted by the past