We should not allow extremists speak on our behalf
TORONTO: Racially motivated incidents, that are happening as a result of Donald Trump’s victory and his rhetoric during the election, while on the surface are troubling, are a healthy sign of the path to recovery. When a human body is ill, all toxic substances resurface. They are discharged and flushed out during the healing process. All that is happening should force us to pause and reflect on what went wrong. It should also lead us to come together and treat the symptoms before they spread to the entire body and become cancerous — the body, figuratively referring to the entire population of the Western world. These symptoms — or racial misconceptions — represent pus and toxins that should be flushed out immediately and treated before they lead to something worse.
The majority of people are good. Only a small fraction is ‘sick’ and prejudiced. The sick should not be abandoned as they can be contagious. We need to appreciate one another and show those with hatred that there is still goodness in humanity. Despite our differences in colour and languages, whether we live in Africa or in First World nations, we are all humans and we ought to appreciate one another. We have much more in common than one can imagine. We should not allow extremists speak on our behalf and must speak for ourselves on what binds us together.
Abubakar N Kasim
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2016.
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