Comments on: On Muslims and Bias

By: kusum

kusum — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:21:21 +0000

Believing in God as a higher power that is in all nature and creation will help! As trustees of our Creator God,we are all one and inseparable from the source of all creation.Instead of looking at the common shared values,we tend to focus on the uncommon things!Should have a vision as one people,one nation and one destiny!

By: syed ahamed saqi

syed ahamed saqi — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:51:15 +0000

We are bound to differentiate someone belonging to a different social group – be it based on gender,religion, caste or occupation. Though popular movements have elevated our understanding over the equality of gender, the reverse has happened in the case of religion and caste. There are far more people trying to find the difference than promote some underlying unity. Add to that the communities we live in are structured along lines of caste.So, interactions with people of different religion is always less ( as also pointed in your post),so its easy not to question our notions, hence develop bias , which over time get deeply entrenched.
Education and civil society plays a big role in the same.

By: Kavi

Kavi — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:09:11 +0000

Sir, upbringing and education play an important part. So do circumstances and events in life !

Values like secularism are present in people ! it may take a keen eye to notice them, for it may not be vociferously worn on the sleeve !

By: Babu Bhaskaran

Babu Bhaskaran — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:53:39 +0000

In my experience, these are rooted deep into your being from childhood. I, for example, had strong bias against Muslims and SC/ST. This was due to what was told to me at home and the friends circle that I had. I still have the same family and friends but my outlook has changed after various experiences and readings.

I believe that though I have understanding of these aspects of life and know that these are nothing but biases, there are few occasions where I just can't get these out of myself. The true test of non-bias, for me, would be to marry some one who is Muslim or an SC/ST. I just can't get myself comfortable with that. Sir if I, with the education and understanding, can't get over it, it sure would be very difficult for the uninitiated. Its, I guess, like the monkeys-in-the-cage-given-shock-for-taking banana story, where no one knows why they are doing it, but they do it. Even if they know, the punishment(social) is too much a price.

Yes Sir, I agree that it has to do with the upbringing and education, but there are few kind souls who do it because thats the way they are!