The Liberation of LB Jones: a Movie Review

 

It's been over 50 years since the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1960s. Race relations have improved significantly as has the ability of non-whites to improve their social condition. To be sure, institutionalized racism remains stubbornly embedded in some instances but it takes a film like “The Liberation of LB Jones” to remind us how bad things were, especially in the American deep south.

The 1969 film delves into the racial dynamics of a small town in Tennessee. In the process, the movie sheds light on the deep-seated prejudices and tensions that permeate the community. Through the main character LB Jones, an African American man, much is revealed about the social condition of African Americans. That the film is inspired by real events is not surprising.

The film exposes the intricacies of systemic racism and social norms of the time. The film skillfully weaves together individual stories which provide diverse perspectives on race relations. The dominant themes of discrimination and social justicerun through the plot. They remind us of not only of what has been achieved in the last five decades but also what remains to be done.

"The Liberation of LB Jones" is an insightful film. The movie is as complex as the viewer wishes it to be for at its core the film is simply about human dignity and social justice.

PS – At the time of writing the entire movie is available for viewing on YouTube.

I am a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. I have lived and worked in several countries during my career as an international banker. I enjoy traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed my curiosity about the world and nurture my interest in photography. I am available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

No Muslims in the US, no Pakistanis in Singapore?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Singapore General Elections 2015: ten key takeaway...": 

I read through your entire blog and I've got to honestly admit - as a Singaporean of Indian descent - that I was surprised to find out that you were granted Singapore citizenship. Didn't the PAP promise us that they'd carefully monitor the intake of new citizens and select citizens from backgrounds that are least likely to cause conflict with actual Singaporeans? The fact that they're now naturalising Pakistanis, many of whom irrationally hate Indians and non-Muslims to the core, kind of flies in the face of their promise. It is disappointing. You are intelligent, progressive, and I have nothing against you, but I wouldn't feel safe in my country if many of your countrymen (or should I say ex-countrymen) were to come here and take up citizenship. I doubt many of them would be able to leave their petty cross-border mindset behind and would probably cause a lot of problems by insulting third and fourth-gen local Indians, many of whom have nothing to do with that nonsense in the first place.

-Excerpt from a comment posted by an anonymous reader. The full comment is reproduced at the end of this article.  

I was upset – but not surprised – to read the above comment from a self-proclaimed Indian-Singaporean. Effectively, the reader has called for banning Pakistanis from living in Singapore. (A lawyer friend suggested I file a police report as in his opinion there is enough 'irrational hatred' for the police to investigate the author for inciting hatred under Singapore's strict laws.)

The Pakistan Monument, located on hills on the outskirts of the federal capital Islamabad, represents the nation's four provinces and three territories

The comment betrays a lack of understanding of Singaporean values. Where was the reader during the daily recital of (Rajaretnam's) Singapore pledge? And the standard daily exhortations of Singapore's multi-religious and multi-cultural mantra? Clearly, the reader is infected with the irrationality and narrow mindedness of which he accuses the 160 million or so Pakistanis.

Not surprising really; because 'Pakistaniphobia' is a much more virulent strain of the Islamophobia currently sweeping the world.

Islamophobia is best exemplified by Trump's call to ban the entry of Muslims into the United States (like that is going to stop mass shootings in a country drowning under a sea of weapons!). However, anyone of Pakistani origin will tell you Pakistaniphobia has a much longer history.

Large doses of Pakistaniphobia are regularly fed by the mainstream media to the general public. Consider the portrayal of Pakistan in an average media diet consisting of shows such as 'Homeland,' 'Zero Dark Thirty' or indeed the pre-9/11 'Black Hawk Down' and one begins to see the extent of sensationalism surrounding the nation. Typically, these ideas are gorged as if they are a juicy pepper steak cooked by a Michelin starred chef.

Indeed, a few years ago when a US military officer sneezed inside the Pentagon building, within minutes a television commentator citing 'authoritative intelligence sources' could trace the sneeze directly to a bio-terrorist plot hatched in Pakistan's badlands and, of course, supported by the country's military intelligence agency. More recently, retired US military officials have suggested the disappeared Malaysian MH 370 airliner was hijacked and flown to a Taliban air base in Pakistan!

A map representing the overseas Pakistani diaspora. Countries in red have a Pakistani population between 100,000 - 1,000,000 while the pink have up to 100,000 Pakistani origin residents (source: Wikipedia)

Fear and hatred of Pakistanis runs deep all over the world, including among segments in Singapore. Pakistanis live with these emotions daily. But as people nurtured under the shadows of ancient civilizations cultivated by the waters of the mighty Indus River, Pakistanis will not just survive but thrive. Pakistan and Pakistanis will continue to contribute to the progress of ideas globally and, especially, in Singapore – despite the efforts of bigots everywhere!

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Below is the entire unedited comment by the reader.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Singapore General Elections 2015: ten key takeaway...": 

I read through your entire blog and I've got to honestly admit - as a Singaporean of Indian descent - that I was surprised to find out that you were granted Singapore citizenship. Didn't the PAP promise us that they'd carefully monitor the intake of new citizens and select citizens from backgrounds that are least likely to cause conflict with actual Singaporeans? The fact that they're now naturalising Pakistanis, many of whom irrationally hate Indians and non-Muslims to the core, kind of flies in the face of their promise. It is disappointing. You are intelligent, progressive, and I have nothing against you, but I wouldn't feel safe in my country if many of your countrymen (or should I say ex-countrymen) were to come here and take up citizenship. I doubt many of them would be able to leave their petty cross-border mindset behind and would probably cause a lot of problems by insulting third and fourth-gen local Indians, many of whom have nothing to do with that nonsense in the first place. 

I'm a staunch supporter of the CMIO model. Singapore can never be like the United States, and this country is a lot more insular than most people think it really is. There's nothing wrong with that at all, and the fact that we have four official languages enshrined in the constitution whilst the U.S. has none is proof that the CMIO model is not going anywhere and will be here to stay for the forseeable future. Of course, there are people who call for it to be abolished but those are mostly outside voices who feel out of place in a country that they aren't historically connected to in the first place. In that case, the U.S. or Australia would be a much better option for them. 

Posted by Anonymous to The Grand Moofti Speaks at 09 November, 2015 08:13

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Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries in his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. Imran can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com. Follow Imran on twitter at @grandmoofti and Instragram at imranahmedsg.

Singapore's Women's Charter and reverse discrimination

The emancipation of women is a critical pillar of modern society. Without a solid foundation built upon women's rights, it is virtually impossible to build a just and equitable society.

In Singapore, the Women's Charter is a seminal piece of legislation designed to protect women's rights. The only serious shortcoming with the Charter is that it does not apply to all segments of Singapore's female population. Currently, significant parts of the Charter do not apply to persons married under Singapore's Sharia or Muslim law.

But that is altogether another debate.

Today I write about one aspect of 'reverse discrimination.' I am not talking about claims that Singapore's courts favor females in harassment or 'outrage of modesty' cases. Instead, I refer to hiring practices by some employers.

As a member of a minority group (actually, a minority within a minority!), I am well aware of the pitfalls of not speaking Mandarin Chinese and the implicit and explicit advantages being Chinese brings in Chinese majority Singapore. However, this post is about employer(s) who discriminate against a particular sex in their employment practices (see photo below).

Advertisement posted on shop door in Singapore. (Photo taken in February 2014.)

Excluding men from any job is unfair. It is as unfair as excluding women from certain occupations. Surely, this is not a controversial statement? Nonetheless, it seems an employer of a retail outlet in Toa Payoh does not agree. For reasons known only to themselves, the shop does not wish to employ men - only women!

It bothers me to know there is no debate about such hiring practices. I can only imagine the furor over an ad stating 'women need not apply?' Undoubtedly,  umpteen women's rights groups will (rightly) turn the company's hiring policies into a national debate on female rights.

To date, Singapore's authorities have taken a 'laissez-faire' approach towards discrimination in the labor market - more often than not by practically addressing specific cases brought to their attention. So far, the approach has proved sufficient. However, with a more sophisticated labor force and an economy moving higher up the value chain, it is time the authorities consider studying the need for legislation to address specific issues, including age and sex discrimination.

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of regional businesses. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com.