Fight against hatred can only be won if we all unite against it

YESTERDAY, in towns and cities around the world, millions of families went to Friday prayers in their local mosque.

At two mosques in Christchurch, those prayers ended in unimaginable tragedy with the loss of 49 lives.

Today, our hearts break for the families and friends struggling to cope with grief, sadness and anger.

This was an incomprehensible act of terrorism on innocent worshippers – the darkest of days for the people of New Zealand.

But what happened in Christchurch could have happened anywhere.

Hatred and extremism is on the rise and it affects us all. It led to the murder of 11 members of the Jewish community in Pittsburgh last year and the terror attack on the Finsbury Park Mosque in London in 2017.

Division and distrust has become the new normal and unity is a dirty word. This is fuelled by political discourse and the shift to the extremes in western democracies.

We have to take on the fight against the far right but we should not be complacent or naive in thinking that prejudice and hate is limited to just one political ideology.

We must bring an end to the “us versus them” politics, which sows the seeds of hate.

This terrorist attack, like others before it, was designed to divide our communities. But an attack on one is an attack on all.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, we must unite to confront hatred.

Whatever divisions may exist between political parties, or even within political parties, they pale into insignificance compared to the divisions that some seek to create in our communities and our countries.

Silence is no longer an option. The change and progress already made has taken hard work and dedication.

The fight for equality in all its forms won’t be won by itself with time. It will require more hard work and greater dedication.

We have to win this fight for our children and our children’s children. One of my greatest fears is that my children will grow up in a more divided and hate-filled world than I did.

Education is the key to defeating prejudice and discrimination.

Today, everyday racism can be found in our classrooms and playgrounds across the country and too many young people in Scotland are bullied.

Teachers play a vital role in changing this culture but the best lessons for children often come from fellow children.

A child can help educate and change a family, who in turn can educate and change a community.

I firmly believe we can build more tolerant, hate-free societies.

But to make it a reality, we have to stand up, speak out and challenge prejudice. It’s a fight for all of us.