{"id":40565,"date":"2025-02-11T22:39:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T06:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=40565"},"modified":"2025-02-11T22:41:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T06:41:14","slug":"the-past-matters-perkara-masa-lalu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-past-matters-perkara-masa-lalu\/","title":{"rendered":"The Past Matters [Perkara Masa Lalu]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History, by Frank Furedi argues that there’s a growing trend to criticize and discredit Western history and culture.[1]<\/a> Furedi believes that this trend, driven by modern political agendas, is harmful because it makes people, especially young people, feel ashamed of their history and identity. He criticizes actions like vandalizing statues, changing school curricula, and reinterpreting historical figures and events through a modern lens, which he sees as an attack on Western ideals and achievements. [2]<\/a> Furedi thinks that this “war against the past” undermines the shared experiences and values that bind communities together.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Frank Furedi is a prominent sociologist and author, known for his critical analysis of contemporary cultural and social issues. He is an Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent in the UK. Furedi has authored several books, exploring various aspects of Western societies, including the impact of culture wars on family life, socialization, education, and public life.<\/p>\n

Assignment<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a challenging assignment. I am not sure if I should write my thoughts about Malaysia or about the US. As a Malaysian, I reflect on the stories my maternal grandmother told me. My grandmother\u2019s beliefs about colonialism are diverse and multifaceted. She often acknowledged the significant impact of British colonial rule on the country’s political, economic, and social structures. This includes both positive contributions, such as education, infrastructure development, and negative aspects, like economic exploitation and cultural suppression. My grandmother took pride in the fact that our entire family speaks English (Queen\u2019s English) and all her children including my mother knows the Bible, but they are not Christians, just me.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Summary of my most deeply held convictions before the readings and why I held\/hold those beliefs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a non-Western individual, I view colonialism as a period marked by exploitation, oppression, and forced adaptation. This perspective is shaped by my grandparents’ stories and historical accounts of economic exploitation, cultural suppression, and social disruption during colonial rule. The impact of colonialism on Malaysia, along with many other countries, has significantly influenced my convictions.<\/p>\n

I have often perceived Western influence and its dominance in global politics, economics, and culture as one-sided. This conviction arises from the belief that Western countries have historically imposed their values and systems on non-Western societies, frequently at the expense of local traditions and autonomy. While my grandparents accepted and adapted to certain benefits of colonialism, such as the legal system, women’s right to vote upon Malaysia’s independence, healthcare, and job opportunities (my grandfather was the general manager of a rubber plantation), it is essential to recognize the complexities of this legacy. Today, Christianity is recognized as one of the major religions in Malaysia, even within an Islamic environment.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>How have my beliefs been affirmed by the readings and were challenged and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The goal of cancelling the legacy of Western civilization is pursued through reorganizing societies historical memory and disputing and delegitimizing its ideals and achievement.[3]<\/a> As I understand it, Furedi argues that there is an ongoing effort to undermine and delegitimize the legacy of Western civilization. He is highlighting a perceived campaign to tarnish the past and diminish the positive contributions of Western history and culture.<\/p>\n

I work in downtown Portland, a small city, but a beautiful city. During the riot in 2020, scenes of billowing tear gas, burning , and federal agents in riot gear began to look like a war zone (something I have only seen on tv). Protesters set up tents in the park near the federal courthouse and barricaded the streets. I have walked across that park as long as I have worked downtown. I used to sit on the bench during summer mornings before going into the office \u2014all destroyed! As noted by Furedi in his book, I saw Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt statues on the ground broken.[4]<\/a> These types of destructions happened all around United States. Were these actions triggered by grief? Many saw Confederate statues as symbols of racial oppression and slavery, and their destruction was a way to challenge and reject these symbols. Erected during periods of racial tension, such as the Jim Crow era, to assert white supremacy and intimidate Black communities. These actions were driven by a mix of deep-seated anger over historical and ongoing injustices, and a strong desire for meaningful change. I began to think, what if there has been no slavery (Black people were given the same rights as the Whites), what if from the beginning, the Indigenous people were not exploited. The \u201cwar against the past\u201d may heal, but the truth of the war should remain. Those statues should have remained so that one day parents and grandparents can sing the victory story of overcoming the \u201cwar of the past\u201d and not continue to be in it.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

The statement “war against the past”, whether it is accurate or whether it resonates with me as a non-Western person does not matter. [5]<\/a> It is simply based on my perspective, my understanding through research, preaching at the reservation, celebrating diversity, listening to experiences\u2014the past should remain, the disappearance of the past would dismiss the struggle of humankind to achieve and measure the progress of unity and acceptance.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Frank Furedi, The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History<\/em>, (Cambridge,<\/p>\n

UK: Polity Press, 2023). 91.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Furedi, 37.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Furedi, 9.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Furedi, 6.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Furedi, 29.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History, by Frank Furedi argues that there’s a growing trend to criticize and discredit Western history and culture.[1] Furedi believes that this trend, driven by modern political agendas, is harmful because it makes people, especially young people, feel ashamed of their history […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3402],"class_list":["post-40565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-furedi-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40565"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40568,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40565\/revisions\/40568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}