Our defiance of any form of hatred is not hate

IT IS indeed tragic and sad that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi uses race and religion to bolster his election campaign.

Attacking Muslims has become his passport to election victory in a country that is deeply divided on religious and social grounds.

We must remember that those who attack others because of their race do not just attack that race, they attack all humanity.

Their racial slurs are slurs against all people. We must never try to match hate with hate. Our defiance of any form of hatred is not hate. Our unwillingness to submit to those who would destroy our freedoms is not hate.

Our resolve is our refusal to give in to fear. Our determination is to say to those who preach hatred globally, never again. But we must never hate the hate-mongers.

We must hope for the redemption of them in accepting our shared human rights of equality and liberty. We need to teach those who hate that our support for the universal truths of human equality and liberty, and our respect for the dignity of humanity, are greater and larger than hate.

We must consistently reject hate. We must consistently reject any form of racism because hate and racism consistently reject humanity itself. Hatred is a dangerous weapon. It triggered World War II.

It knows no frontiers, neither racial nor ethnic.

Hate is contagious. Wearing various masks, it can be found among many communities. Like cancer, if unchecked, it will consume the body that nurtures and carries it.

Ultimately, it is destructive and self-destructive.

The 20th century was awash with the blood of hatred.

We must disarm hatred to assure peace. And its denunciation is an act of patriotism.

Remaining silent undermines everyone’s freedom and endangers humanity.