Selective Sensibility

Really enjoyed reading an article by Australian columnist Waleed Aly today. The article begins with examples of recent Hollywood movies (namely, Iron Man 3, Skyfall, Looper) in which filmmakers have been driven to acknowledge China as a rising superpower in the global market and therefore cater to its audience. Iron Man 3 premiered in Beijing with China-cised screenings of the movie containing extended scenes by the nation's actors and incorporated Chinese product placement.

Waleed Aly alludes to the turning course of globalisation as the West begins to include Asian/Middle Eastern cultures in the media. This can also be demonstrated by stars from Bollywood crossing over to Hollywood as well as figures such as PSY of Gangnam Style achieving incredible fame in the West. Waleed discusses how Western news headlines have sometimes depicted these events as representing the growing subservience of the West to Eastern sensibilities, which of course is a double-standard considering the obvious/widespread influences the West has had on the Eastern culture.

But what bewildered me the most was the story of Australians' outrage at Qantas's changed menu for flights into and out of Dubai, as a part of their new partnership with Emirates. Qantas will now be serving 'halal' accredited meals on flights through Dubai, and leaving pork and alcohol based items off the menu. For this they've attracted nicknames like 'Al-Qantas' or the 'Mosque-a-roo'. The comments made by readers of the Daily Mail reflected a shocking intolerance towards anything Islamic, especially for a matter so silly. Here is a screenshot of the top comments by readers:

I am not here to discuss whether the Islamic (or Jewish) tradition of not eating pork is justifiable by logical reasoning or modern science. It probably is not. But I believe this outrage is somewhat biased, based on racism, ego and to a degree, ignorance. Let me give some reasons why I think it's unreasonable to be protesting about this:

• Firstly, it is common practice for airlines to adjust their menu according to their fliers' dietary requirements and/or tastes. Qantas itself does not serve pork en-route to Jakarta, for example. I have traveled on airlines on which they've served Bangladeshi specials such as kichudi and beef curry. It's a nice gesture to consider the sentiments of customers and there's nothing outlandish about it.
• In my opinion, it would be annoying for stewards working on such flights to be constantly bombarded with specific requests for pork or alcohol to be excluded from meals. Not serving it at all is the most practical solution, especially considering that they don't offer a diverse menu on planes anyway!
• Waleed's article quoted one reader saying "[our] religion has been disrespected by removal of pork products" - Waleed rightly points out that eating pork is no "religious sacrament" for any religion, so it's ridiculous to claim that their religion has been disrespected. This is tantamount to accusing Indian/Pakistani/Indonesian/Middle Eastern restaurants of disrespect for not serving pork. It is simply better business for them as it attracts a larger pool of customers.
• On objecting halal slaughtering methods - I understand why this might be concerning. In Australia, animals are stunned by electricity or a captive bolt in the brain before slaughtering so that the animal does not feel pain. In halal slaughtering, or dhabihah, the animal is conscious. Although common sense will tell you that the stunning system is probably more humane, surprisingly, the matter is subject to research and debate which can conclude that both methods are suitable if performed correctly. In essence, the process of farming and slaughtering animals is inevitably cruel regardless of the method used. I am sure the airlines will have vegetarian alternatives for those concerned.
• And finally, the fear that Qantas is bowing down Arab sentiments is an unfair assumption, since almost all Middle Eastern flights serve alcohol to it's customers, counter to their religious customs. So dropping pork from a menu of a few items is really not that big a deal.

I think it's a great thing the West is taking Asian cultures seriously. People should really let go of their double standards and embrace the multicultural world we live in. I strongly agree to condemning the practices of any culture/religion that is oppressive, discriminatory and inhumane, but there are many traditions that are relatively harmless. So to violently oppose them is a somewhat unnecessary and only fuels the growth of racism and intolerance in a world where there is no shortage of it.