Justin Trudeau`s brownface scandal is bad. But voting him out isn`t the solution | Moustafa Bayoumi
(The Guardian Canada)

Let´s make sure that this incident forces us to examine not just Trudeau but also Canada and its racismRecently surfaced photos of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in brownface while at an `Arabian Nights´ party in 2001 are disturbing on a number of levels. First, if you´ll allow me to point out the obvious, Trudeau is the only person in makeup! The other partygoers who are pictured are barely costumed, yet Trudeau looks like he just walked out of an old Tintin comic book as the stereotypical Arab villain.It doesn´t end there. The makeup that Trudeau is wearing in the photos is not limited to his face but is liberally applied across his breastbone and completely covers his hands. Imagine how much thought and action (and make up!) must have gone into planning and painting young Justin Trudeau brown.Moustafa Bayoumi is the author of the award-winning books How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America and This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror. He is Professor of English at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. Continue reading...