Multiculturalism isn't just a buzzword; it's not just something to debate - I am multiculturalism.
Interpretation
Multiculturalism is an inherent part of identity and experience rather than just a concept to discuss.
In this quote, Riz Ahmed emphasizes that multiculturalism is not merely an abstract idea or a term for debate; instead, it is a fundamental aspect of his identity and existence. He suggests that living in a multicultural society shapes who he is and that it should be embraced as a vital part of our collective identity.
In practice
In a discussion about immigration policies, one might say, 'As Riz Ahmed puts it, 'I am multiculturalism,' highlighting the importance of diverse identities in our society.'
I get good references from a wide range of music. Something who's been a good influence in the last few years is Qawwali music. If you listen to a Qawwali singer like Aziz Mian - he's like James Brown. Qawwali is like Pakistani gospel-jazz. It's emotional, but it's also improvised, and it's all about that sacred-and-profane tightrope.
No one's of Pakistani origin in any British show. That's why every actor of color is here working in the States. It's true.
Rehearsing a scene beds a role into you. But sometimes, if you over-rehearse it without unearthing any new meaning in it, you can suddenly forget your lines. You realise that you are on a stage, not in the real world. The scene's emotional power, and your immersion in it, disappears.
Being South Asian in the U.K. is like being Latino in the U.S., I would guess. It's a bit more hood. You see things; things happen. I was bouncing between worlds. You're acting from a very early age, when you have to code-switch like that. I'm a hybrid, a mongrel. I think many people live that life.
As a minority, no sooner do you learn to polish and cherish one chip on your shoulder than it's taken off you and swapped for another. The jewellery of your struggles is forever on loan, like the Koh-i-Noor diamond in the crown jewels.
I'm an actor. Since I was a teenager, I have had to play different characters, negotiating the cultural expectations of a Pakistani family, Brit-Asian rudeboy culture, and a scholarship to private school. The fluidity of my own personal identity on any given day was further compounded by the changing labels assigned to Asians in general.
The Holocaust teaches us that nature, even in its cruelest moments, is benign in comparison with man when he loses his moral compass and his reason.
At a certain age, you have to live near good medical care β if, that is, you're going to continue. You always have the option of not continuing, which, I fear, is sometimes nobler.
I had no Freedom. I had nothing.
Why is our own participation in scapegoating so difficult to perceive and the participation of others so easy? To us, our fears and prejudices never appear as such because they determine our vision of people we despise, we fear, and against whom we discriminate.
When you confer a benefit on those worthy of it, you confer a favor on all.
He who made thee is made in thee. He is made in thee through whom you were made.... Give milk, O mother, to him who is our food; give milk to the bread that comes down from heaven.
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