TruthAboutLies101

It was an incident in a first term Linguistics tutorial that got me up in arms. As all first years do through the entire first term, another first year and I were getting to know each other. I was so pleased to be making a new friend, not that I’d remember her name (it was the first week, where you’re hearing about 20 names a day). However, she was in my tutorial so I’d get to know her eventually. She gently shifted over towards me and kindly asked “What’s your name?” so I replied amicably “Khatija, yours?” well now quite honestly now I wouldn’t be able to pick her out from a bar of soap let alone remember her name as it was so long ago and I also changed tutorials the second week because it clashed with my newly picked up subject, Drama. A few seconds later, looking rather puzzled she shifted over again saying, “What’s your real name?”

To this day, the 4th of October 2008 I still remind myself now and then of her question, what exactly did she mean by this? Was she suggesting that I had made my name up, that this symbol that I had identified myself by for 19 years 1 month and 3 days was some sort of farce. I suppose at this point I should mention that I am a black woman, Zulu in culture and Muslim in religion (and the fact that you can be both) hence the name Khatija. I understand however that not many know the origins of names, neither do I, this was not the problem, what got me fired up was that she expected me to say an African name in order for the name to fit her idea of what qualifies as ‘real-name’ characteristics. Had I told her my African names, Nomathamsanqa and Ntableng she would have been satisfied so I left it at “that is my real name” together with a look of anger, confusion and all moulded in my oval shaped face stemming from the routes of my African and Islamic heritage.

This was the first act of ignorance, many more were to follow. This leads me to the point I want to raise. The main difference I’ve noticed between being at school and university – the ignorance. I can’t say I have a reason or possible theory as to why this is so. Unfortunately though, as I am black myself, it is sad to say that the ignorance is more prevalent amongst black people than white. White people never ask any questions, perhaps it’s because they don’t see me as trying to be a coconut. You see, my hypothesis is that people are so interested in my name because they think I’m trying to be ‘white’ by using Khatija since I do have two other African names. I am Muslim that is what I believe in and what I identify myself as. I didn’t suddenly change, I was born Muslim.

You’ll notice people gazing into the distance, taking the time to think as to how they will approach their next question. Those who make an attempt at being subtle usually start with “Not to be rude but...” or “I hope you don’t mind me asking why...” some people even have the guts to dumb themselves down and say “Does that mean your parents are Indian?” Now I don’t at all claim to be the most well-informed person in the world but...Seriously!

Just some fun facts: there happen to be around five million Muslims in Africa, approximately one million in South Africa; in fact it’s the largest religion in Africa, followed by Christianity. Basically, coming to university is a new experience, we all know that. It makes sense then that people should arrive open-minded, I’m not saying know that Khatija is an Arabic name or that there’re 5 million Muslims in Africa but don’t make stupid comments that make you look like you’ve lived in Mars, isolated from all, ever since you were born.

Blog Action Day: “The truth behind the lies”.
Khatija Nxedlana

We, the students of Rhodes University, walk to town at least four times a week between a Politics or Journalism lecture. We’re in such a rush to fill up on sugar or get some last minute accessories for an assignment. We’re so focussed on our own lives that we’re deaf to the sound of a beggar’s plea “Sisi...” They’re the young and old who spend their days wandering the streets in search of something, in search of someone. Someone to give them money, foodthe basics to survive or just a helping hand. In Grahamstown this is just a miniscule representation of the poverty that exists in South Africa, the greater Africa and around the world. We speak emotionally about poverty all the time, comment enthusiastically on what can be done, learn about it in almost all subject, but outside the 400-seater room do we really care? What do we do?

Only in recent decades are states, governments and people realising the importance of taking care of issues other than state security. They’re focussing on those that are taking precedence in societies today. These issues include, helping developing countries decrease their debt, giving aid to countries under-going civil wars, providing relief in the form of food, shelter and funding as well as humanitarian intervention. Global humanitarian organisations such as the U.N. (United Nations) have mushroomed, changing their agenda to accommodate more pressing issues. With obvious pressure from civil society including member states of the U.N. they are increasingly dealing with environmental problems and focussing on the individuals within states and not just the traditional nation state. Poverty is of course one of the leading epidemics on the agendas worldwide; it’s a continuous problem that, quite honestly, doesn’t look as if it’s on the way out. The awareness around poverty is widespread and as a result of globalisation what was once Africa’s problems have now become the world’s problems.

As students, fortunate enough to be at University and educated about those who can’t even imagine being at any kind of academic institution the onus is upon us to make a change. Be it through creating more awareness through spheres such as these - blogging forums, to helping one person at a time. I don’t promote giving street children money, as the probability of them using it to buy glue is high. What I do encourage is for us to be active in organisations which help the needy, giving of the food we don’t eat, not wasting money. People, here have become afraid of giving. We have become fearful of street children and have basically developed an ideological view of ‘the street child’. “They’re forceful in their begging, they like being on the streets because they get more money, so leave them, they resort to fighting or mugging to get what they want”. We now walk in groups, never alone in the ‘small town of Graham’ to protect ourselves from the ‘evil’ gang of perhaps nine to 19 years old.

Let’s change our mindsets; let’s make an effort to unite, instead of complaining, judging, blaming and constantly criticising. That isn’t going to change anything, we need to think of solutions, look to the future the more intertwined we become. Poverty will not go away if nothing is done, the least we can do is to ensure that as the years go on we decrease the number of those living below the poverty line.