Ethnic identity perils

ADVANCING ethnic identities even in the name of diversity should come with a warning. In the not-so-distant past, forced diversity management was called apartheid. Now the reinventing and voluntary adopting of ethnic identities is not called self-apartheidisation.

Today we have our modern Western, human rights-based constitution, along with the values of a Western democracy, framing the context within which we can freely adopt our cultural, ethnic identities.

But along with this resurgence in ethnic identities goes a problem. To what extent is it but another attempt at reinventing, reifying and essentialising cultural and ethnic identities, and being done so by unelected cultural gatekeepers? Gatekeepers subject to what regular recall? Essentially presenting us with versions of cultural living that once again has to be lived up to while at the same time being intolerant of the very individuation and personalisation of these collective cultural, ethnic identities. Thus becoming newly constituted antidemocracies in themselves.

It is easy for newly constituted collectivities to use democracy as a means for renewed group formation while at the same time being very reluctant to have these collective groups, in turn, serve as vehicle (means) for the advancement of a Western democracy and human rights that also permits the very individuation and personalisation of these collective identities.

Thus, will the gatekeepers of Islam allow me to pray only once a day, allow me to pray not facing Mecca? Will they allow me as an individual to attend a mosque that is presided over by a female imam? Will the reifyers and essentialisers of the Xhosa identity allow me to have my circumcision done at a Western medical facility as it is also permitted in terms of my constitution? Glenville Wyngaard