Combating the xenophobia

The crisis created by the pandemic and the way countries have responded to it, particularly by closing the borders and banning international travel, are fertile soil for the xenophobic sentiments to grow. One of our challenges is to fight that. We cannot allow the narrow-minded and xenophobic ideas to win the day. The world would be a terrible place if we let prejudice and chauvinism to take control.

Our present-day Don Quixote's

The world is becoming like a huge maze. There are too many paths, too many dramatic events. It is much easier to get lost at present. And many people do. They do not try to understand the logic design of the maze. They just keep moving around, they take their option as the solution. What an easy way to get confused and get mentally prepared to fight the windmills that Don Quixote could not defeat. The only difference is that the real Don Quixote had a pure and generous heart. That’s not longer the case with the politicians that play the same role today.

Poor Sri Lanka

This Easter Sunday has been a sad day for humanity. In Sri Lanka, barbarians planned and executed a series of terrorist attacks against innocent people in churches and hotels. Scores died and many were wounded. And the country itself, still trying to find peace after so many years of a tragic civil war, has also seen its image being seriously affected. Everyone should express deep shock and strong condemnation of such violence.

To be better at fighting radical views

My understanding is that the anti-radicalisation programmes in France and Belgium, at least, are not achieving the expected results. The information available shows that the extremist proselytism is still taking place and that no real action is taken against the preachers responsible for the propagation of such unacceptable and dangerous views. In many cases, the means available to deal with this complex issue are too modest and dispersed.

In some of our societies in the Western part of Europe, the fanaticism touches more families than initially thought. The illegal running of koranic “schools” says a lot about the penetration of religious radicalism within certain communities. This week, for instance, the mayor of Molenbeek, in Brussels, announced that a “school” for children aged between 3 and 8 years had been found operating without any kind of authorization. The place was attended by 38 pupils and the teachings were clearly based on an extreme interpretation of the Koran. That a good number of families had opted to send their children to an establishment of that kind says a lot about the challenges our societies are facing. 

We have to be honest about those challenges. That does not mean we are against the freedom of religion. It simply means we are not blind about the dangers that might come from the radical elements in our communities.  

Hate or madness?

It is indeed too early to jump to conclusions but the mass killings in San Bernardino, California, raise a number of very worrisome questions. And these are not just about the access to weapons in the US. They would certainly be related to the growing culture of hatred we see taking roots in our societies. Is it so, or are dealing with another isolated drama?