The terrorist within us

Be it any religion or race, if we develop egotistical ideas about our color, religion or race, causing obloquy to people – ‘others’ who do not identify with us, on our terms, deprecating and belittling their beliefs, we still are racists, extremists and zealots, promoting disgust, malice and hostility within ‘ourselves’ for the fellow human beings we label as ‘others’.

The differences we create amongst ourselves, when we feel ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘ours’, from ‘they’, ‘them’, ‘theirs’, forgetting the elementary basis of the birth of such sects and thereby letting these multiple respective denominations take precedence over ‘God(s)’, in the name of who, religions were initially formed in the society, uniting us.

Ironically, in the name of religion now, forgetting the two very fundamental concepts of its foundation- God and unity in society, we misuse and abuse it to divide us.

Hindus killed. Blacks murdered. Christians assassinated. Muslims attacked. A white family shot. A gay couple poisoned. School children killed in a massacre.

Who died? People died. Humanity died. Innocence died. Someone’s parent, sibling, spouse, child died.

Who was responsible? Hatred. Radicalization. Fanaticism. Racism. Intolerance. Zealotry. Extremism.

Our duty, as global citizens of the world is to recognize it in ourselves. If we’re capable of classifying our colleagues, friends and neighbors based on their physicality and faith, it’s high time we must start making an effort to discourage our way of thinking. If we are able to stereotype the people of a nation based on her color and religion, it’s about time we work on an opportunity we have today to change ourselves.

To not let the next mass-shooter be one of us. To not let the next suicide bomber be one of us. To not let the bigot who made to the news be one of us. To not let the phobia towards people grow in us to the point that turns us into a terror to the world.

The above appear to be smaller sobriquets, but they’re just various names of one mother. The one which gives birth to crime, bloodshed, carnage.

These are mere raw elements that form the village, which raises a terrorist within us!