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The Dignity of Difference.
Sr Clare Jardine is based at the Sion Centre for
Dialogue and Encounter in London. She works full time in jewish Christian
Relations. She shares her reflections:Multi-cultural environment
Most people in the United Kingdom and Ireland live in a multi-cultural environment, surrounded by others who are different from them. For the most part we probably don't think too much about this but deep within each of us is a need to identify with those with whom we share a common cultural, religious, social or racial background. This desire is perfectly understandable and there is nothing intrinsically wrong with it. The danger is when a certain group becomes dominant and others are deliberately excluded. This is what happened in Germany in the 1930's when the Nazi party came to power. Their ideology convinced ordinary women and men that Jews and Gypsies did not fit into the Nazi ideal of Aryan genetic purity. Jews were also deemed responsible for many of Germany's problems. Disabled people were excluded because of their "weak" genes. Lesbian and gay people were viewed in a similar light. Black people and Slavs were excluded for racial reasons.
The dangers of exclusion
T his ideology, based on supremacy, ultimately led to a systematic slaughter of the Jews of Europe, the mass murder of gypsies, and imprisonment of lesbians, gays and Slavic people. Of course our situation in UK and Ireland is not like that at the moment, but ordinary women and men can act now and prevent damaging ideologies from taking root so that discrimination does not lead again to genocide. We can build communities where difference is respected and celebrated where minority groups are included instead of excluded and where groups are not targeted and blamed for the ills of society.
Living an inclusive lifestyle
T he Sisters of Sion in UK-Ireland recognise that inclusion rather than exclusion is challenging but it is an ideal which we try to live out in our communities. The Dignity of Difference has been chosen as the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2007 and during this coming year we will be planning events to highlight respect for difference and making people's voices heard.
"May the memory of the victims of the Holocaust become our immune system against hate. May we stand together, fighting prejudice together." Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi ..