Hate and violence includes all forms of abuse. 'Zulm' (cruelty) and 'ithm' (harm)... the terms used for abuse or cruelty in the Quran are best translated as 'putting asunder anything from its natural state.' This includes misuse, eg: misusing or abusing the natural elements in the environment; wastage of any kind, be it water, food or wealth. Keeping this broad and all-encompassing definition in mind, this section deals with abuses of varying kinds. The goal is to learn from our mistakes, to not repeat them and to become a better human being and human race.
Ethno-political violence is based on any differentiation by group; race or religion. Such violence tends to evolve toward the ultimate crime of genocide that begins simply with difficult conditions of life. Hitler Nazi regime, India and Pakistan's independence from the British, South Africa, France and Algeria, Palestine and Israel, Bosnia, Chechnya, Albania, Serbia and countless similar scenarios.
In the context of ethno-political warfare, group identification means expanding the boundaries of what an individual cares about to its larger group. It grows past the boundaries of narrow self-interest to group interest. Fundamental human needs are frustrated. There develops a need for control, of positive identity and a need for connection. A larger coalition brings them this strength.
Out of such needs comes the beginning of restlessness and a demand for more. People begin turning to groups for their identity. The psychological and social process turns one group against another. The result is an ideology based on antagonism fear and paranoia. People elevate their own group to gain a better sense of themselves, while at the same time devaluing another group.
What makes this destructive is that one group is usually identified as an enemy that stands in the way of the fulfillment of their position. They view the other group as mortal enemies; it becomes part of their group’s identity. And it has a vision of a better world in which the other is eliminated.
This may be a very simplistic way of representing it, but this is how abuse, hate and violence progresses... if we are abusive toward ourselves at the individual and personal level, chances are that we will be abusive toward our families, which then is taken into the community and finally into the world.
At the personal level, we see conflicts within self, conflicting desires and values.
At the family level we see conflicts between family members and with extended family.
At the community level we see conflicts at the social, religious, work place environment.
At the world level we see wars.
How we handle conflicts at home, will be the style we use to handle community and world conflicts. Unhealthy problem-solving ranges from avoidance and denial to aggression and violence. Healthy problem-solving begins with listening and understanding all sides of the conflict and then creating solutions that are mutually satisfying. No power games allowed.
