by Imam Abdurrahman Sahin from Keysborough Turkish Islamic and Cultural Centre
Humanity has not reached today’s level of civilization by taking easy roads or smooth paths.
There have always been hills to climb, dead ends to navigate, and mysterious turns to uncover.
In short, it has been necessary to overcome problems first.
The way people approach these challenges and how they manage to overcome them, influenced by many factors such as geographical conditions, has given birth to what we call Culture.
Culture directs personal behaviour and gives identity to society.
It deepens and enriches the sense of solidarity and unity within the community.
In our globalizing and modernizing world, with the development of technology, monoculturalism has become almost impossible.
Societies are becoming increasingly enriched both internally and by being influenced by other cultures with each passing day.
As a life experience, multiculturalism can create new opportunities for people.
Living together with different cultures and experiencing them enriches our perspective.
At the same time, it offers a high-quality life opportunity in socio-economic terms.
It provides people with the chance to broaden their horizons, recognize different values, beliefs, and ways of life, and live collectively within universal values and beliefs.
Additionally, people who have the experience of living in a multicultural society have the opportunity to become more open-minded, lively, and cosmopolitan.
In a multicultural society, if people are open and respectful to different cultures, beliefs, and ideologies, they gain the experience of living harmoniously with many cultures, and being accustomed to differences makes their lives easier and more colourful.
A multicultural society is one where different religious and cultural practices are implemented, contributing to the representation and development of various beliefs, and making it possible for all differences to coexist and be experienced together.
Besides all these benefits, multiculturalism also has its downsides.
Primarily, considering its impact on individuals, people in a multicultural society might experience identity confusion, especially for immigrants who might face problems of not belonging or not being able to adopt
a particular culture.
People living in mixed cultures may sometimes feel pressured to choose an identity or might not be able to adopt any identity at all.
This can lead to significant pressure on them.
In conclusion, multiculturalism has both positive and negative effects on societies.
The important thing is to enjoy living in harmony, while continuing our own culture and also adapting to the other cultures we live with.
Then, we can overcome the negativities of cultural diversity and start reaping its benefits.
Enquiries regarding the Interfaith Network, City of Greater Dandenong: administration@interfaithnetwork.org.au or 8774 7662.
Visit – https://interfaithnetwork.org.au/
