Remembrance

If you follow my Twitter *coughlinkonsidebarcough* you’ll know I listen Nihal’s show Asian Network regularly.  Sometimes, I tweet the show and a few of my tweets have been read out on air (which I find quite thrilling #humblebrag). 

Today’s show was about poppies and it was about how asians feel about wearing poppies.  There were a variety of opinions (and one dodgy phone caller named ‘Mani’ who said that muslims/Pakistani shopkeepers had refused service because of people wearing poppies which I think was total BS and some kind of islamophobic wind-up).  Anyway, it got me thinking. 

How do I feel about wearing a poppy?

I’ll be honest and say I haven’t worn one today and haven’t done for a while.  I feel slightly ambivalent towards it.  I’m muslim.  I’m anti-war in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Would I feel right wearing a poppy?  Am I being unpatriotic in not wearing one?

I sometimes feel like there is a pressure to seen wearing a poppy.  I remember my mum talking about how she wore one to work because everyone else did and it seemed to be a massive faux pas not to be seen wearing one.  Personally, I don’t like feeling obligated to wearing a poppy.  It isn’t a sign of disrespect not to wear one and people should not feel bullied into making some kind of public show of their respect. 

But being Muslim it starts to get a bit sticky.  Muslims and poppies have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently and maybe a public show of respect is needed in our community when others go out of their way to cause maximum disrespect.  I remember helping to sell poppies at school and donating to charity is something I will always support. 

Does the poppy symbol mean anything to me personally?  I don’t have a personal connection to the wars that other people have.  In my own personal history neither set of grandparents fought in the war.  My paternal grandfather was involved in some working capacity but I’m fuzzy on the details.  So do I have anything to feel proud of when remembering the dead?

On Nihal’s show it was mentioned that Asian kids these days don’t know about the contribution the Commonwealth countries made to the war efforts.  They mentioned the name Noor Inayat Khan who I decided to look up on wikipedia.  Turns out our ‘Nora’ was a muslim princess and quite the badass. 

She was the first female radio operator to be sent to France to assist the French Resistance.  It was a dangerous mission and many radio operators were arrested but she rejected an offer to return to Britain and stayed in France until she was betrayed and captured by the SD (intelligence arm of the SS).  She was eventually sent to the Dachau concentration camp where she was executed with a shot to the head.  She was posthumously awarded the George Cross.  I recommend reading the full story at wikipedia. 

So I might not have a personal connection to the war but I understand the importance of remembering the fallen and the bravery of those who laid down their lives for their country.