FANATICS & INTOLERANCE

Fanaticism is not confined to any one particular sect, culture, religion or region of the world. Fanatics abound everywhere. Often we meet them everyday and yet do not know about their views, unless we come face to face with some strange behaviour of theirs.

Recently at a small get together, I found out how orthodox, fanatic, or extreme some people can be even in today's day and age. My friend I discovered does not eat in a house where non vegetarian food is cooked. Even if things are cooked separately, the thought that it was cooked in the same kitchen is enough to make her feel revolted!! Another friend mentioned that even if a mithai(sweet meat) is made in the shape of a fish her mother would not eat it. The thought was that the traits of the fish would have entered the mithai, as the thought of the maker was on the fish!! Biscuits and cookies made in the shape of animals were taboo too, as the taseer(traits) of those animals would enter into those cookies. Her daughter who lives in the USA does not allow non vegetarian food to be cooked in the house and no one can bring non vegetarian food from outside and eat in her crockery. The word "meat", "chicken" and "beef" cannot even be uttered by them. My friend was speaking with great pride about these taboos. "Amazing"...is a mild word....I can't find a better word to describe this absurd, unreasonable, intolerant thought. I was flabbergasted to know that people who travel and visit the Western world, live in a metropolitan city like Delhi, and appear to be well educated can still exist in today's world with this sort of an attitude. How can one be so intolerant?

What can one say when there are sects which teach this sort of intolerance, separatism and standing out attitude? Fanatics are the bane of society. It takes us blindfolded in a direction where reason has no place. Like sheep one is herded in a direction, which may not always be in the best interest of the herd. Intelligent human beings with brains to think, education to rationalise, and the vision to see, understand and evolve are turned into mechanical robots who are only capable of taking orders without thinking, are incapable of making their own judgements and are unable to take their own decisions. This is what makes the world a very difficult and strife ridden place for a lot of other people.

This kind of attitude keeps the hierarchical system of society alive. A superiority complex is developed which encourages inequality. A human being is a human being, irrespective of the food he eats, the life he lives, or the vocation he has. Irrespective of the religion he follows, the caste he is or the gender to which he/she belongs. Why do some religions and sects teach and propagate this attitude of discrimination? Differences, intolerance, treating different people as pariahs all speak of discrimination. It also helps in gender based discrimination with superiority complex of men, who think of women as nothing but stupid, silly, extravagant, and objects to be made fun of. How can we become better people with happy thoughts and love and compassion for everyone, when a lot of people are being led blind folded towards a life of intolerance??

Most religions have these extreme fanatics who propagate intolerance, injustice and blind faith. It is time one woke up to use ones higher intelligence capacity to think, reason and grow into people who are not followers of a cult and blind faith, which leads to intolerance. A world which is equal, free and tolerant. Where a human being is a human being, and is loved and respected for being just that.