Hatred

Hatred is not inborn. What then drives one race, religion, or creed to hate another? Are the motivating factors merely taught through circumstances and upbringing? The questions are not new and neither are the hypotheses that offer explanations. What is new is the revelation of where solutions lie. Solutions are not to be found trickling down from any governmental institution. Governments can start movements, but successful implementation lies in the hands of the people. The answer is in the individual. The common man's thought processes and conscious decisions control the destiny of hatred.

History speaks volumes about the progression of hatred and the consequences. Hitler did not create hatred of the Jewish people. This hatred was quelling over time in the minds and hearts of the German people. Hitler merely channeled the hatred toward a concentrated effort that we call "The Holocaust" today. Looking at most recent times, the plight of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo is not merely the doing of a Slobodan Milosevic. While he may seem to hold the reins of aggression in the Yugoslav province, Milosevic is merely feeding upon the hatred of ethnic Albanians by the Serbs. Granted that the situation in Kosovo is a result of numerous complex historical factors, but the bottom line is hatred. This hatred first reared its ugly head in Bosnia and now resurfaces in Kosovo.

What do all of these history lessons in hatred mean for us as individuals? Regardless of where we reside, we must understand the serious implications of breeding intolerance of others. If we look at countries such as Pakistan, hatred is found in all realms of society. Generally speaking, hatred based on creed, religion, and social class is commonplace and expected. For example, the rich look down upon the poor, the Mohajirs, Sindhis, Punjabis, and Balochis slander each other, and the Muslims persecute the non-Muslims. To think and do otherwise would be to go against the flow of the mainstream. And while the examples may seem stereotypical, they do speak for what a large majority of Pakistanis across the world support and believe.

In response to the victims or downtrodden in a society, injustice and inequality do not merely justify hatred. Everyone is given what is due to him/her in this life - fair or not. While this stance may seem harsh and unrealistic, it still serves the best interest of all parties. Once we realize and understand our prejudices, we can then deal with these feelings before they turn into hatred and destroy our societies completely.

Our role as ordinary citizens is to understand each other and realize that all of us came from the same place and will return to the same place. To harbor grudges and fester hatred because of mere differences will only serve to hurt us individually and eventually as a society. We can't expect a Nawaz Sharif or a Slobodan Milosevic to work in our best interest if we ourselves do not work towards that end. The movement towards understanding must start at a grassroots level. If enough individuals join ship, we may actually be able to have a safe journey.