Are we racist? What would you do? Any Indian people here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of the responses/suggestions on this thread are ridiculous and completely out of line. Hoping it’s the work of just one troll.

Op, you need to go to the German owner and tell him that you are terminating your rental contract both because the terms you signed for (a nonsmoking floor) are not being met,causing a health hazard to your child and moreover after raising the issue you were subjected to a hate crime which the building staff refuses to take seriously. If he tries to refuse releasing you front the contract threaten to blast the details of this incident across social media/the expat community.

You are incredibly ignorant to the ways of the region OP is living. She should absolutely not escalate the situation as you describe and further risk her safety.

It’s unclear why OP is in Dubai for the Summer. If it’s for work, then her company should financially support moving her to another apartment building. If it’s for pleasure, then OP will need to incur the relocation costs. Either way, OP should consider moving quickly. In no way should she continue to jeopardize her safety by escalating the situation.

Actually I am also an expat and have lived and traveled extensively across the Middle East. What exactly do you think this German supervisor is going to do to her?

A European manager of an apartment complex that caters to expats is absolutely not going to want the negative publicity of an American citizen being threatened/targeted with antisemitism in his building.

They will not give two shits. But you seem intent on having the OP do something that will further risk her safety. Why is that?

[Anonymous]

OP - this idea that you’re not in India and people can’t practice their religion outside their country is plain incorrect. We live in the USA, plenty of Indian households use the Hindu swastika for celebrations, holidays, prayers etc. It’s normal. You’re just not familiar. I get it’s would be strange for someone who’s Jewish.

Just move out of the bad location. There’s not much more to discuss. Pick a more westernized/touristy place to live next time you’re in a foreign country so you’re not surrounded by foreigners.

[Anonymous]

This has probably been covered but I’m Jewish and it think it’s true that it’s not a Nazi symbol in other places. Just get over it - sorry but seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmmm this is tricky. I'm Indian American and yes, that is a Hindu symbol that can be found all over India and has peaceful connotations there so they are not making that up. Obviously it's a hateful symbol in the US and Europe. So I can see why everyone is convinced that you are creating a problem that isn't there...But I agree that you have hostility with the neighbor, and the neighbor isn't Indian, and is probably trying to mess with you by drawing that symbol. He's using the prevalence of Indian people to try and get away with it. So IMO you are a little bit trapped. Don't focus so much on the symbol, but be very watchful of this neighbor. I can only see the hostility escalating.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has probably been covered but I’m Jewish and it think it’s true that it’s not a Nazi symbol in other places. Just get over it - sorry but seriously.

You seem high strung generally. I also wouldn’t have reported the smokers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your phrase "any Indian people here" in the title is wrong. Indian people would not do anything like that in Dubai, where they are the help and "know their place," to put it bluntly.
Your idea of some racial justice or injustice or seeking to see if Indians are responsible is off the rocker.
You are a Jew in a Muslim Arab county; they hate you. Move out.

You once again demonstrated you know nothing about Dubai. Why are you posting about a country you know nothing about? Hint, Indian expats range from extremely wealthy business owners to poor laborers.

But I am also curious how OP let her neighbors know she is Jewish when she is just there temporarily at apparently at beginning of lease. Arab neighbor is being an a hole. No cleaners would leave a swat on a door of another apartment, Indian or not. Building management is just trying to calm things down but OP should insist on moving to a different floor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - this idea that you’re not in India and people can’t practice their religion outside their country is plain incorrect. We live in the USA, plenty of Indian households use the Hindu swastika for celebrations, holidays, prayers etc. It’s normal. You’re just not familiar. I get it’s would be strange for someone who’s Jewish.

Just move out of the bad location. There’s not much more to discuss. Pick a more westernized/touristy place to live next time you’re in a foreign country so you’re not surrounded by foreigners.

Is it normal Indian practice to anonymously draw a swastika on just one door on the floor, which just happens to be the door of a Jewish family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your phrase "any Indian people here" in the title is wrong. Indian people would not do anything like that in Dubai, where they are the help and "know their place," to put it bluntly.
Your idea of some racial justice or injustice or seeking to see if Indians are responsible is off the rocker.
You are a Jew in a Muslim Arab county; they hate you. Move out.

You once again demonstrated you know nothing about Dubai. Why are you posting about a country you know nothing about? Hint, Indian expats range from extremely wealthy business owners to poor laborers.

But I am also curious how OP let her neighbors know she is Jewish when she is just there temporarily at apparently at beginning of lease. Arab neighbor is being an a hole. No cleaners would leave a swat on a door of another apartment, Indian or not. Building management is just trying to calm things down but OP should insist on moving to a different floor.

Some people look Jewish and have Jewish names … or a menorah could be visible from the hallway.

[Anonymous]

You definitely live in a country that is ok with open hostility to Jews and Isreal so I'm not sure what you expect. That said, take the picture and post it to a review of the management company online. If they really don't think it's a big deal then they won't ask you to take it down.

[Anonymous]

Fellow Jew here....I actually had an opportunity to travel to Dubai on business years ago and told my company I couldn't because I was Jewish, and they completely understood.

Dubai is not a safe place for Jews (potentially even worse for a Jewish woman). If I was in your situation, I would focus on keeping my family safe while quickly wrapping up my time there. That may involve moving at this point, and I would keep a low profile too. Although you were 100% in the right to complain about someone on your floor not following the rules, I'm not surprised that you're getting blamed for your complaint. Again, Dubai is not a safe place for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - this idea that you’re not in India and people can’t practice their religion outside their country is plain incorrect. We live in the USA, plenty of Indian households use the Hindu swastika for celebrations, holidays, prayers etc. It’s normal. You’re just not familiar. I get it’s would be strange for someone who’s Jewish.

Just move out of the bad location. There’s not much more to discuss. Pick a more westernized/touristy place to live next time you’re in a foreign country so you’re not surrounded by foreigners.

Is it normal Indian practice to anonymously draw a swastika on just one door on the floor, which just happens to be the door of a Jewish family?

No F...ing Indian family would draw a swastika in front of anyone else’s door. What kind of a question is that? They would do that in front of their own door, yes, because it’s is “their” symbol of well being. Why would you think they or any cleaner would draw that in front of your door?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - this idea that you’re not in India and people can’t practice their religion outside their country is plain incorrect. We live in the USA, plenty of Indian households use the Hindu swastika for celebrations, holidays, prayers etc. It’s normal. You’re just not familiar. I get it’s would be strange for someone who’s Jewish.

Just move out of the bad location. There’s not much more to discuss. Pick a more westernized/touristy place to live next time you’re in a foreign country so you’re not surrounded by foreigners.

Is it normal Indian practice to anonymously draw a swastika on just one door on the floor, which just happens to be the door of a Jewish family?

This has already been repeatedly answered on this thread. NO.

Is it normal Jewish practice to look for other minorities to blame for their problems, which just happen to be minorities that hold sacred a symbol they don’t like and dictate their use of it in countries around the world?

OP was NOT the person who blamed the Indian cleaners. It was the INDIAN manager who threw the cleaners under the bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - this idea that you’re not in India and people can’t practice their religion outside their country is plain incorrect. We live in the USA, plenty of Indian households use the Hindu swastika for celebrations, holidays, prayers etc. It’s normal. You’re just not familiar. I get it’s would be strange for someone who’s Jewish.

Just move out of the bad location. There’s not much more to discuss. Pick a more westernized/touristy place to live next time you’re in a foreign country so you’re not surrounded by foreigners.

Is it normal Indian practice to anonymously draw a swastika on just one door on the floor, which just happens to be the door of a Jewish family?

No F...ing Indian family would draw a swastika in front of anyone else’s door. What kind of a question is that? They would do that in front of their own door, yes, because it’s is “their” symbol of well being. Why would you think they or any cleaner would draw that in front of your door?

Read the freakin’ OP. The Indian manager claimed it was the cleaners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not tricky. As an expat, you have a lot of power in Dubai. Use it. Go to your company or govt organization and demand a move. Threaten to go public. They will acquiesce and slowly change will come.

This. They are gaslighting you. Don’t even second guess yourself. It was your neighbor and he knew what he was doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - this idea that you’re not in India and people can’t practice their religion outside their country is plain incorrect. We live in the USA, plenty of Indian households use the Hindu swastika for celebrations, holidays, prayers etc. It’s normal. You’re just not familiar. I get it’s would be strange for someone who’s Jewish.

Just move out of the bad location. There’s not much more to discuss. Pick a more westernized/touristy place to live next time you’re in a foreign country so you’re not surrounded by foreigners.

Are you really falling for this gaslighting? It was put over their door, not someone else’s and not in a common area. No Indian came along and just decided to a put a Hindu swastika over their door and no one else’s. And the advice should be so you aren’t surrounded by anti semites, not foreigners!