Monday, December 20, 2010

Extremism asphyxiates moderation

Perhaps it is not just a Pakistani but a human trait. And to dream is not to err, but to err in order to realise your dream could be questionable. May be a reason extremism is becoming rampant is this urge to realise those dreams, be it spreading religion or a religion-like theory or a conceived ideal world. Erroneous paths leading to the ultimate realisation of ones dreams are often strewn with fanaticism.

This leaves one no choice but to be impeccably correct, for which not just courage but a lot many things are needed, most of all being spontaneity, as it cannot breed fanaticism.

Humans’ fixation with control and order is perhaps breeding fanatics’ right, left and centre. However, it is not just breeding it but also asphyxiating moderation, the anti-dote of radicalism.

The more some idea is being indoctrinated, the less room moderates have. Some by virtue of embracing it become fanatics, others in their opposition. So, despite being opposites they remain each others strength. But their polarity is responsible for the general instability, like two bulls going in opposite directions make a rope snap.

They forget that this duality is what is giving this world the needed diversity for the evolution and creation of a million myriad ideas, including their own, and to keep it so the idea does not have to be implemented in totality. As uniformity would distort all bounds of the world as we know it.

Unfortunately, the horrors of uniformity are still not conceivable for many who preach of the world united under one religion or one theory or some perfect ideology that proposes heaven on earth, or a heavenly afterlife.

Either way, the in-betweens who have nothing to gain or loose from any of the dreams’ realisations, get to bear the burden of responsibility. Not because of their strength or ideals, but because of their sheer power for being the catalysts. They are like maggots on a diseased, rotten body, who have to do away with the dead tissues, namely radicals or their opponent fundamentalists.

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