Life is sacred, and we must make every possible effort to protect and save it regardless of the religious, racial, ethnic, or cultural tags we place on it. As believers in the existence and presence of a higher authority, we affirm that the Creator does not discriminate among the creation. God sets the responsibility of defending honor and life to all. Unfortunately, we have consistently failed to live up to his ideals, causing billions of innocent people to lose their lives and dignity. No religious, ethnic, or racial community can claim an exception. Each one of us has the blood of others on our hands.
However, at this juncture of human history, we realize that we will destroy everything we hold so dear to ourselves if we continue to pursue the same old pattern. We have three alternatives available.
1. We continue to live in the past, bringing up all the wrongs we have done to each other and seeking revenge for our predecessors.
2. We recognize the past mistakes with a spirit of forgiveness and work to build a better present.
3. We allow special interest groups to play with our sentiments and use our vulnerabilities to achieve their agenda.
If we opt for the first alternative, we will continue to destroy our lives and the world. The third option would also produce a similar result but empower an elite always to dictate its terms to the masses. The second option would allow us to live in peace and appreciate each other's contributions to our human civilization.
At this moment in our history, most religious groups tend to pursue the first alternative, as is evident in India, Myanmar, China, and Israel. As a result, the four countries' ruling elites follow a policy of revenge based on a narrative of history that is one-sided and fictional.
India's ruling elite believes that Islam is a destructive force for Hindu upper castes. Therefore, only when Islam and Muslims become a non-entity India's Hindus would attain their rightful place in history.
Myanmar's leaders also view Muslims as obstacles to creating a purely Buddhist society.
Chinese communists see Islam and Muslims as a determinantal force in their attempt to create a Godless society. In contrast, Israel sees its existence as part of a past divine promise for the supremacy of the Jewish people.
All four points of view promote a politics of conflict. In India and Israel, the confrontation is likely to escalate. It is because the political elites of the two countries have indoctrinated their masses with the ideology of hate. In China and Myanmar, the rulers used the state power against their opponents and culturally eliminated them.
The world should not sit silent. It cannot afford a situation of perpetual conflict. How should it tame countries' ruling elites on the path of destruction? Perhaps, the young educated emerging leadership uncontaminated by the virus of hatred representing all faiths and cultures can play a crucial role. Social media provides a forum for people to visualize a new world beyond conflicts. It is possible if a few visionary youth leaders develop a network worldwide to mobilize the younger generation for a better world for them.