Colonizing beyond the Territory

Colonisation is no longer just physical; it is now spiritual, educational, and cultural. Over the last decades, it has become increasingly obvious that youth, and even elders, all over the world have become influenced by the West. According to some aspects, the modern term for this could be labelled as “globalisation” – intending the people all over the world to adhere to global trends with similar values and doctrines. But how much of it is globalisation, and how much of this influence can we attribute to colonialism, or at least the aftereffects of it? Colonisation takes place through a group of people stealing and pillaging another’s land, while in fact the modern form of colonisation has become the enrapturement of the mind, and the most effective way to do this is by manipulating nations through educational means. This includes erasing languages and replacing them with the coloniser’s language, eradicating the native’s cultural values, displaying Western values as the best, and even distorting the curriculum in such a way that the Western powers, who committed massacre after massacre, are made to look like heroes.

The beginning of this figurative colonisation begins during and after the physical colonisation. For example, those who were under British rule were forced to learn English and banned from using their own languages in all government offices. The French rule over Algeria and other African countries has the same brute fact. In the case of some colonisers, the native people were sent to re-education schools, where they were punished if communication took place in their own mother tongue. A prime example of this is the re-education camps imposed upon the indigenous people in Canada. Advertised as an amazing school, Catholic churches, run by white pastors and funded by the government, would go as far as kidnapping indigenous children when parents refused to send their children to these residential schools. Inside these buildings, these young children were abused physically and sexually, as well as being banned from acting on cultural practices and speaking their native language. They were referred to as “savages” and “primitives” and were treated inhumanely. Two centuries later, more than 200 unmarked graves were found with the remains of young children. The aim of these schools was to “Christianize” the indigenous people; essentially, this was a scheme to commit a “cultural genocide” and eradicate the traditions and practically any traces of the indigenous people completely.

Many examples such as this have happened in various British colonies, many of which have not been recorded in history books but rather have been buried under layers of soil. While this is one type, in today’s day and age we have a more indirect way of re-educating people: through racism, which follows after immigration. Part of the reason why third-world countries are third-world countries is due to the lasting impact of Western imperialism. This is particularly apparent in Southeast Asia after the division of India, countries within Africa that were once, and still are, victims of large Western corporations exploiting the people for gold, cobalt, and other precious metals, and Middle Eastern countries, which are in the perfect spot due to large oil reserves. Naturally, due to the weak infrastructure of those countries, people feel the need to (or, more so, are indirectly forced to) move to countries in the West to seek better opportunities. While having hope for a better life, they are instead met with a million new challenges. To be able to make a living in the first place, they must learn the new language, and even then, they are met with racial abuse and assault for their accents, clothes, and skin colour. When these first-generation immigrants come, they then have children and grandchildren who do not want to be subjected to that too; they dissociate themselves from their own culture and adapt the new Western one as a defence mechanism.

The next step is to design the curriculum in such a way that the Western powers are portrayed as the saviours, practicing what is also known as the White Saviour Complex and making it seem as if they were compelled to bring “civilisation” to the countries they colonised. Their version of “civilisation”, of course, does not include mass murdering native people, pillaging land, raping women, establishing forced labour, and bringing the country to complete ruins. Rather, it is under the excuse of “human rights” and bringing “modernity” to those countries. By designing the curriculum in such ways, students who have no prior knowledge and have not done wider study have no choice but to stay silent, because how can they speak up against human rights? How can they be against modern makeovers? What is hidden from them is the dark history of colonisation, and this concealment in itself—this erasure of the true history—is a form of colonisation itself.

The final step is to make the youth turn against their own country, culture, and language. At some point, it becomes embarrassing to wear your native clothes, speak your own language, and even eat your own food. It becomes too colourful and too foreign, so to save themselves from the wrath, all of it becomes replaced with what the majority opts for instead, and in the process, everything of their own becomes lost. Perhaps this is a much slower and more painful way of committing cultural genocide, as it takes years to return to their roots.

Although there are many cases, as has been described, we are also seeing resistance and a zeal to hold onto and relearn one’s heritage and history. It has become important for many to stop the erasure of their cultures and traditions and fight against former and modern colonisation. This is particularly evident in the case of Palestine and Palestinians all over the world, who, though they have been forcibly displaced, continue to let the world know their identity as a people who will continue to persevere until they can live freely and peacefully. A specific case that is striking is the educational awareness events about Palestine, its history, and its culture. In top UK universities like Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, and many more, we now see teach-ins that are held by students, professors, and alumni; workshops regarding tatreez, Palestinian embroidery, are organised and even a book corner for Palestine is set up in the encampment. Though this may seem like a tiny thing within the larger picture, we see how impactful it truly is. By learning about the atrocities inflicted upon Palestinians, people have gained humanity and feel the need to participate in big and small actions, like wearing the keffiyeh, going to nationwide protests, and just speaking up. Whatever it is, change has come about amongst the people, and this is the first step to a bigger victory.

With all of this being said, it is important to appreciate other people’s cultures, and immigrating to a new country will inevitably mean that traditions and practices will be sacrificed and can no longer be followed. However, this does not include the elimination of entire histories and their replacement with the Western version. If this wipeout of culture due to colonisation were taken to an extreme, we would no longer have the colour and beauty of the world that still exists today. We would be left only with the ruling class, who force their ideologies on everyone else, essentially leading to the complete enslavement of those who are forced to follow their demands. What is important is to respect the cultures of both parties so that a peaceful and harmonious environment can be created. It is still essential to retain and teach the upcoming generations about their roots and the countries from which they immigrated while still allowing them to integrate and appreciate other cultures and societies.