Dear Sir,

Bermuda must tackle the issue of its identity. The subtext underlying the book I recently published, titled A Muted Imam, emphasises the need for self-actualisation and the inherent right to stand on who you are and to feel your own legitimacy rather than become as copycats beholden to missions of other places, when we can on principle originate our own.

One of the beautiful ideas within the movement leading to and showing in the preamble to the constitution of the United States of America is the notion that the divine light resides in everyone.

This contrasts with the ethos under which we were born, “Long may she reign over us”, which suggests neither of us are fit to reign.

The two axioms breed a different personality and society. Under one, you have the freedom to say I have a dream and can be respected for such because there exists the waiting anticipation of personal expression. Under the other, every head that stands up must be hammered down.

The not-so-hidden ethos in Bermuda discriminates and militates against personal thought.

It is the gall and seeming arrogance that are upsetting; the problem being it stunts our originality and makes us subservient to other nationals, who in every respect are just like us. Even music and arts is included in this phenomenon. As to direction and leadership for today, unless we have something to advance the world, the pursuit of leadership is irrelevant.

We live in a globalised world were ideas travel across borders at lightning speed. All leadership by nature is exemplary and if we don’t have the substance to be an example to the world, we are not up to the modern challenge.

Our economy is not pegged to the world, it’s pegged to our concept of the world.

We either see ourselves as at the mercy of the global economy, or as masters and manipulators of it. In short, we either spin the world around us or we get spun.

The infamous 16th-century Captain John Smith said of us, “Bermuda is an excellent bit with which to rule a great horse”.

Within that state lies our original genius that made our history strong. It’s still with us. We haven’t completely lost it and we need to regain and honour that attitude of our forebears.

KHALID WASI