They’re everywhere. Some of them share my religion. Some the colour of my skin. Some my nationality. Some the religion I was raised in. Some of other religions, some of no religion at all. Some for an ideological cause. Some for nothing but a sports team.
All of them hold one thing in common: they cannot see the humanity of their opponents. Often, they’re found being whipped into a frenzied mob, subservient only to their own ego. Mostly, they look an awful lot like their enemies. No surprise there, because fanatics feed off fanatics.
Sometimes you’ll see them at war in the comments under an article or video. Be they Muslim, Jewish or Christian fanatics, they all sound exactly the same, regurgitating the same dehumanising language for their opponents, only the names of their enemy changed.
Unfortunately, though, all too often they emerge from their virtual realms, appearing in real life to break the peace, responding to the divisive rhetoric of their demagogues, insistent that these are the end of times, or the harbinger of their delusional utopia.
Soon enough, more blood will be spilled, lives wrecked, as braying mobs go marching, sent into a frenzy by their politicised media. None in these crowds are capable of seeing the individual. Certainly, they cannot perceive of innocents, nor the trauma they may inflict on them.
These flashpoints have been a long time in the making, for few had the vision to plant seeds of peace and hope, building bridges between communities instead of walls. With heightened emotions, even traditionally moderate voices allowed themselves to be sucked into the abyss.
Who today dares to take a different course? To stand up and say, “No, I will not play this game”? To be of those who try to put things right between people? To call to peace and justice? To defend the rights of all innocents, no matter who they are or on whose side they are?
O you who have believed, stand firmly for God, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear God; indeed, God is aware of what you do.
Quran 5:8
Last modified: 21 September 2024
