Prejudice hurts.

The recipient has several options: seek redress in court or through other lawful means, or simply step away. In normal societies where the decisions of an individual may be influenced by religion, race, and ethnic affiliation, the recipient usually observes the above. When one’s nuptial proposal is rejected on account of one’s affiliations, one nurses a broken heart and looks elsewhere for a spouse.

In normal societies, a dispute is settled between the contestants in a number of ways, including those mentioned previously. If someone destroys one’s property in one’s presence, one has the added option of preventing such a destruction. He rolls up his shirt-sleeves, removes his shoes, and any other attire that could pose a hindrance, and knocks some senses into the arsonist.

In some societies, one can dish out prejudice, but one must not receive it. If one is shunned for one’s appearance, someone, rather many persons, must die. Murder is the norm. If a girl is beaten by her family for befriending a boy belonging to a certain community, the boy jumps in to defend his darling and gets thrashed in the process.

Does he let the matter end there? He does not, so long as murder is the norm. He returns to his community, calls on his people, and, before you know it, a crisis ensues and people are dead on both sides. The same level of carnage occurs regardless of the insignificant origin of the crisis.

In some societies, a dispute must be escalated to the community level. If someone offends one, one makes sure the offender is reminded he/she is an outsider.

•Umm Sulaim is the Publisher of Umm Sulaim’s Thoughts (https://iamummsulaim.wordpress.com).

Copyright © 2019 Umm Sulaim. All rights reserved.

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