Zayn Malik: He Wasn't True To Himself - Comments

Just to clear this up, Zain sees himself as British Pakistani and Muslim so to say he isn't representing himself accordingly is ignorant because if you haven't noticed, this is a modern world and people represent their own beliefs not what they think other people want them to be. He's just being himself and having a successful career, if you can't see that then so be it, but you're also forgetting that he also is under a lot of pressure to stray away from being himself and rather what people want him to be. (whether he's considered Pakistani Muslim or British Pakistani or whatever)

No. you got it wrong.
I said that when he was in the limelight he shud have kept in mind that he was representing not only himself but our community too
but since he failed to do that, people shudnt take him as an example or role model

V
But the kid shouldn't be punished for the way people are portraying him. You say that people should stop referring to him as a "Pakistani Muslim" but he has nothing to do with that. And you also say that, pretty much, he has to suck it up and deal 'cause he's in the limelight. You're contradicting yourself.

I think this article is pretty much accurate. While its true that people should live their own lives and their own dreams, when they come into the limelight they, whether they like it or not, represent their cultures and in a way influence it too. Being a pakistani muslim too, I got classmates coming up to me and saying "..We should totally get tattoos too. zain malik has them.."

Its sad cuz whatever he represents isnt our culture..we're slowly moving away from it and when a culture is lost what do we have really? This is what we show of our culture to the world? a culture that has already been stained by the labels of terrorists and extremists.
Zain wants to live life the way he wants it? We have no problem with that. but then people should quit calling him a "pakistani muslim". He's just another teen from UK

I'm very offended by the 'white boy' comments in this article. Other than that it's a good article.

We was for an emphasis that I come from this community, that the people I speak about in the article are "my people". I do understand how that rubbed off now that it's pointed out to me, because it sounds much more controversial read out loud. It's not a matter of what I can take, and what I cant, I can take being classified for what I'm, which are a mix of positives and negatives. I'm just human. What I wont take though is being subjected to tags that do not fit me at all. I wrote this article as an eye opener, not to belittle others and their life values. I'm in no place to do that. My previous article, possibly equally controversial was well received, hence I found it almost obligatory to write another one of my cultural experiences.

As I said, I do not belittle others, I appreciate others not making the effort to belittle me.

I did see in the article that it said "some say so. And some believe so" but you also used 'we' quite a lot. You're putting yourself in the 'group' or 'community' you're talking about as though you share the same opinions and beliefs. That is why the comment was worded as if it was directed at you. I have no misunderstanding that people are judgmental. I am very much aware that people judge yet want no judgement cast on them. I am not asking you to 'golden wrap' anything. I am merely saying that if your main purpose is to "allow people to see how perhaps diversions in a community are created, and how breaking out of the fixed norms may prove risky" as you said, then do not add yourself to said community without accepting the fact there will be backlash based on your referenced opinion. And as you said, I am not going to "golden wrap" my opinion because you can't take it. I am very aware of the 'judgement' you mentioned and as long as you present yourself in the "community" that believes what the article was about, it still stands. Take it as a personal attack if you will, but that's not what it is. If it was it definitely wouldn't have been worded so nicely.

Right, and here I go again with the repeating myself that these are not my views, it is a overrall analysis I have seen amongst the community. Secondly, I'm not steering or trying to steer anyones life, because frankly I've got my own problems to worry about. Thirdly it is not my concern that you decided to overlook the fact that in the article it says " some say so. And some believe so" a direct indicator that my own emotions on the topic is not presented. And frankly you're comment feels like a way to personally attack me, and be insulting which not appreciated. I'm not here to write fairyland articles, and I do apologise that you have issues in understanding that communities are judgemental, and that sometimes these judgements are truly negative. I'm not going to golden wrap anything for you, its the truth of a community, and harsh as it is it's reality. What do you want me to do? Write about how mesmerising he is, how everyone adores him? You already know that, how about you get to know a little about matters behind closed doors, which I've had exposers to, but you may not have. I wrote this article to allow people to see how perhaps diversions in a community are created, and how breaking out of the fixed norms may prove...risky. Not because I judge Zayn Malik, or his life. To me he is just another lad, doing whatever he likes.

You can call me judgemental, call me whatever you want. Just make sure you're clear of the accusations you put on me. I'm not here to offend anyone, just bring forward some consecutive matters.

I have to say that I am completely blow away by this article. Not only is it negatively bias but completely hypocritical. Who exactly are you to say he isn't being true to himself? You don't know him personally, so you can't necessarily say that. I also have to add the fact that you completely contradict yourself. You're judging him harshly for not living with his nose buried in the Muslim religion, yet you openly said that you were using him as a way to move from negative stereotypes of Muslims. You yourself are putting a negative stereotype out there with no real idea of what you're talking about. You don't know him personally, you don't know what he believes or doesn't believe. It's not up to you to decide how others should live their life. Of course he nabbed the chance to follow a dream, wouldn't you? Just because he didn't get to follow through with his dream the way you thought he should doesn't mean that it takes away from his achievements any. For someone who dislikes judgement, you sure do pass on some judgement yourself.

Culture is something important, I understand that. But some people aren't so heavily into their cultures or religions, so I don't feel that he is doing anything wrong. Sure, the Muslim, Pakistanis want him to be as they are, but it's really up to him. It's not about being a "white boy trapped in a brown boy's body" or anything like that. He has his own dreams of what he wants to do, so maybe instead of getting angry at the fact that he isn't so heavily into the culture, everyone should be proud.

& this is a lot coming from me, because I'm not exactly a big 1D fan, either.

I'm not saying you are racist. I'm saying if you include blanket racist statements in an article that seems to be purporting your opinion, be prepared for some backlash because everyone knows that no one takes racism lightly.

jerusalem;; The examples you have given are hardly accurate. Yes, culture may have had SOMETHING to do with it but within those examples, there are many, many many many many factors going on. It's not as simple as a culture clash.

When two cultures are mixed or combined, it isn't always a bad thing. Most things in Western Culture is an amalgamation of thousands of cultures. Humanity is migration, amalgamation and integration. It can cause problems but it doesn't always and culture is usually merely a secondary factor.

As for personal opinion...they will call you out on it because you used the word "we". You included yourself in it which is not a good move. It makes the reader think that it is your opinion. Use tertiary language and mistakes like that will not occur. It's why it's really bloody rare that a university assignment will request first person opinions. Nearly everything in uni requires a third person narrative and sources to strengthen your argument. If you had left a source indicating how some members of the Islamic community felt about this guy whilst remaining in third person then you're covered.

Shouldn't this article just be titled "Zayn Malik; he wasn't true to his religion"? Or something? Cause this article mostly seems to be about how he strayed away from his fathers religion and went to his mothers...

I'm not taking anything back neither am I putting a blanket over racism. Infact, I try to do the opposite. I'm exploiting a racist situation. And if I did not want to read other peoples opinion, I would have kept the who topic underwraps, left in my mind and my lecture notes. And Dru, if I haven't assumed wrong, I do believe you're calling me a racist, which is rather personal as I speak of racism, I do not practise it. Call me out on the racism, please do, and I will to the best of capability expand on why some individuals may feel that way. But do not point your finger at me for racism. I have no way to sugar coat some things, and believe me I woudn't even want to. I assumed it would have been an interesting article for individuals to read and perhaps get inside the minds of some of the issues, or controversies going on in communities. Its always interesting to expand a little from you own culture.

And when has cultural conflict done anyone any good.
The jews vs The Nazi's, a big mess
The Punjabs against the Gujrati's, a big mess
The EDL against the Muslims, a big mess
The Americans vs The Afghans, a big mess!

"And when two cultures conflict, nothing positive comes out of it."

Uhhhh... what? I don't understand this statement at all.

But I think, if you're going to put blanket racist statements in an article and say it's not your opinion later, you better be prepared to deal with people calling you out on the racism. You can't say racist stuff and then claim that's not what you meant. Sorry, but you can't take it back. We already read it.

As I said, theres no sweet way of putting some of the things said. Infact, this was a issue Discussed in my Cultural studies class at university, and some remarks made were much harsher. And I repeat myself, if you feel as if this article comes across racist, thats because it is. Because the dispute is based around his race. The dispute is based around race! What is being said is racist, and that is the reason why I wrote this article. To understand why is race such a big issue in a country so multi-ethinic. I have worded this article harshly, because the topic is harsh. And I repeat myself, none of the opinions expressed are my own, weather I agree with them or not its my business. If I wanted to sugar coat the topic, I would have by justifying the community, I'm not here to justify, I'm here to propose a whole new element to star.

I read this article and I also read your comment below, and I have to say I really agree with dru, harlot. and oreo-child. I understand why you wrote this (gathered from what you said) but the way you phrased certain things was entirely the wrong way. "Then we saw Zayn for what he truly was. A white boy stuck in a brown boys body." is just one sentence that I read and was just stunned about. It felt like you're saying that only white people can date and then dump someone, that only white people can get a tattoo, that only white people can get drunk, and that's seriously wrong.

Another thing that got me was the title. I believe it could have been worded a lot more better and you could have left out the "he wasn't true to himself" part because I feel that's really judgemental. Sure, you're trying to tell how the Muslim community that you know was like that, but the title gives me the thought that you don't believe he should be living his life how he wants and that he should be like the Muslim boys you know (I'm assuming). He's true to himself as long as he does what he thinks is right, not what other people think he should be doing.

Of course, I just never thought it to be neccesary to openly indicate that opinions expressed in the article are not personal, but an overall counter statement of what has been said to me. And yes, it does sound racist, because thats what it is. Racism. I'm hoping to understand truly the root to the controversy. I understand some of the opinions expressed in this article are of a judgemental and racist nature, however it seems that it hasn't been quiet clearly understood that this matter is to do with race and culure. And when two cultures conflict, nothing positive comes out of it. As the commenter beneath me said, it is looking into a communities perspective. How some things thar may be nothing to sone, is everything to someone else.

I happen to agree with both oreo-child AND of dru's being. I understand how you could have felt as though you were finally being represented more positively in popular culture, and I probably would have felt the same way in your position. But you also assumed that he'd be representing you based only on your first impression of him and his appearance, and I feel like that is stereotyping yourself in a way. I feel like if you were going to put some faith and hope in him, then you probably should have waited until you at least knew something about him aside from his race and name.
And also, I feel like the sentence "Then we saw Zayn for what he truly was. A white boy stuck in a brown boys body" is extremely judgmental. The way you put it here, it feels almost as if you're saying that every action stated in this paragraph is bad, AND that these behaviors are only common among white people; which someone could infer means that caucasians are somehow 'bad' or whatever. So, even if you didn't mean it that way, it could, in effect, be taken as racism.
This isn't meant to be offensive at all, I just feel as though if that wasn't your intention, you should probably have clarified that that opinion wasn't your own, or at least justified it to sound less harsh. That's all.
Even so, I haven't payed much attention to the 'Zayn argument', but this is actually a very interesting perspective on the Muslim community's feelings about media representation. :)

I do agree completely with dru, as that paragraph actually had me staring at the screen with a slack jaw it just seemed so. . . as she said, judgmental! Especially the "Then we saw Zayn for what he truly was. A white boy stuck in a brown boys body". That sounds incredibly harsh to me. Words can come out confused on the internet, and you may not have meant it in a harsh way, but it sounded very judgmental to me.