Talk:Batak people (Philippines)

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Tambayan Philippines Mid‑importance

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xenophobia

In the article, I tentatively suggest that xenophobic is a misleading term. The Batak are very welcoming to outsiders. Furthermore, they enjoy learning abstract ideas such as languages and outside cultures. Consequently, I assert that the Batak are not xenophobic.

The misunderstanding might stem from the fact that Batak try to avoid bad people, in the same way that strict Buddhists avoid bad people. In Batak spiritual beliefs, in order to avoid contact with bad people, the Diwata spirits choose to be invisible. Likewise, the Batak choose to be invisible.

Furthermore, it is Batak custom to help anyone who enters into Diwata territory. My understanding is drawn from personal experiences of living with the Batak. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Glen.arthur (talk • contribs) 20:07, 16 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The Bataks have been harassed and persecuted by the Malay-Filipinos and the Spaniards for centuries and driven out of their ancestral land. This ruthless criminal attitude continues today. Using the term "xenophobic" shows that the author does not understand the precise meaning of it, the whole article should be eliminated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.212.182.36 (talk) 16:24, 22 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]