Xenophobia

What exactly is Xenophobia?

As the world gets to be a smaller place, connected as we all are through the Internet and social media, there seems to be a rise in the phenomenon of xenophobia, a fear or hatred of foreigners, or people who are different from us, culturally and otherwise. This has led to feelings of mistrust, hatred and discrimination leading to violence and warfare in many parts of the world.

It takes only a weapon and a heart filled with hatred for a man to exhibit symptoms of xenophobia.

In fact, xenophobia is most rampant against the weak, because they cannot stand up against it, maybe due to lack of strength or economic resources.

Racism and xenophobia spawned slavery, a practice which tacitly approved of human beings being subservient to races that considered themselves superior and more powerful.

The venerable Desmond Tutu offered a solution when he spoke of every person doing his bit of good for it is all those pieces of good put together that overwhelm the world. Nelson Mandela built up on that when he suggested that if people can learn to hate, they can also be taught to love.

If only the whole world could come together in love and happiness, it would be a much better place to live in. It is for our politicians, our statesmen, our educationists and for each one of us to turn into citizens of the world and bring down all the barriers of racism and xenophobia that divide us.