Ichy,
We live in a screwed up world. I remember the Gulf War which was played out in the American media like some sort of professional wrestling match. No one should be cheering when countless thousands of human beings are slaughtered and mowed down like cattle, as was what happened. Whether the war was just or not, such blood lust and celebration of killing was absolutely inexcusable. No one should have been celebrating 9/11, but some Israelis were arrested for cheering and celebrating afterwards while they watched from a rooftop in New York. We don't know the whole story, but apparently they were happy to see that the western world was being engaged in a war with their enemies, and in fact there were attempts by someone that same day to frame Palestinians as being involved in it all, which they weren't.
If we are going to rise above all this nonsense and inhumanity, we have to step back and say we are going to adhere to principles that all human beings have rights and have to be treated with some degree of respect. We don't owe anyone immigration, we don't owe anyone special favours for countries or rebel groups or terrorist groups they associate with, but if we are in any way culturally superior we have to begin by being fair and principled with all people.
If we demonize entire religions and groups of people as with Muslims, we are putting ourselves back in the stone ages. If people are being backward elsewhere in the world, that is their business. If someone attempts terrorism, go after the root of terrorism -- the factors that led to it, and the individuals responsible themselves, not entire countries or religions. If you don't like the quality of people who have moved into Canada and are your neighbours, lobby your MP to overhaul and improve the immigration system. Let's not make anything worse by encouraging hatreds and hostilities that divide us into warring tribes. |
