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May 22, 2009
Of course, if you do what he says
When the landlady of my Toronto apartment building said an outraged neighbour had filed a complaint about me over an apparently inappropriate hallway interaction with his wife, my mind raced through the countless conversations I've had with fellow tenants, none of which seemed a possible source of offence.
It turns out, it wasn't a salacious transaction that had caused the complaint, but rather a neighbourly and -- to me -- entirely forgettable greeting, little more than a brief "good morning" as I passed my neighbours on the way to work.
Still, it was enough of an affront for the man -- once a doctor somewhere in the Middle East, my landlady clarified -- to feel I had broken a cultural taboo. The incident started an awkward feud which has involved warnings not to repeat my indiscretion and one face-to-face shouting match, which included allusions to my impending death.
My landlady, who has handled the complaint with tittering trepidation, hasn't helped dispel the friction. She has told me to adhere to the demands because the man "could be dangerous," directing me to literally turn my back to the couple as they pass, never make eye contact and never hold the elevator for them, no matter what.
I don't think that's such a good idea, seems like if you do as your landlord suggests, it's likely that the next thing you know, CAIR will be up your ass for being islamophobic. Impending death sounds like a much better option.
I discussed my situation with the head of a prominent Muslim women's rights organization, who was understandably more concerned with the living conditions of the woman in question. She described the segregation of sexes as one of the worst examples of fundamentalist Islamic misinterpretation and dismissed the idea that my greeting could be construed as an offence.
Keep smiling, keep saying hello, she advised. The successful cohesion of cultures requires concessions from both sides.
Keep smiling, keep pushing him, oh, that's easy for her to say, after all it wasn't her life that was threatened, was it?
Offence or not, I have continued to greet those I share a building with, although the couple next door continue living in reclusion.
I guess that means you're saying hello to the good moslem doctor and his wife, even though he threatened your life, but oh, what heck, he probably didn't mean it anyways, they never do. He was probably just a little upset at the cultural differences, right? A little misunderstanding, just a heat of the moment thing. He's obviously an educated and intelligent man, a doctor even! I'm sure it will all work out.
Hey, why not say hello for me!
Isn't multiculturalism wonderful?
Posted by LindaSoG at May 22, 2009 09:03 PM
Comments
...I think I would've filed a complaint with the police if someone screamed at me and threatened my life.
Posted by: Foxfier at May 22, 2009 10:24 PM