Other African Hot Spots
In the Sudan, race war with religious overtones has taken the lives of 500,000, according to one estimate.
The problem?
The Sudan is dominated by nine million dark-skinned Arabs of the Nord who think of themselves as true Egyptians. The South's four million blacks feel discriminated against. They are sure that politicians in Khartoum care nothing about them.
Next we skip to the island of Zanzibar. In 1964, blacks killed so many Arabs on Zanzibar Island that bodies were hauled away in truckloads to be buried in mass graves. The death toll has never been accurately pinpointed. Perhaps 3,000 died.
In fact, much of the racial strife in East Africa is due to the many centuries of Arab abuse of their fellowmen — the blacks — especially during the slave trade. The motive for the massacre of Arabs on Zanzibar Island was vengeance.
In Portuguese Angola, guerrilla war between Portuguese whites and guerrilla blacks is still on. As early as 1961, guerrilla leader Holden Roberto claimed that more than 1,000 Portuguese and 12,000 loyalist blacks had been killed. At the same time 25,000 "Angolan" blacks had been killed by Portuguese and loyalist blacks.
Recently, it was reported in the news that Portuguese mercenaries had attacked Conakry, the capital of Guinea.
Move into Asia, and you find that racial conflict rages there also.
India vs. Pakistan — Nations in Crisis
Perhaps the single most explosive problem in the Indian subcontinent lies in the seemingly irretractible religious differences between Moslem Pakistan and Hindu India. Educated classes in both nations are at wits end in trying to resolve this seemingly irreconcilable animosity.
So violent was the disagreement between Moslem and Hindu that a partition of the Indian subcontinent into two nations, Pakistan and India, had to be effected in 1947.
But to the shocked consternation of Indian and Pakistani leaders, partition did not prevent religious war. During the tragic days after partition, some estimate that ONE HALF MILLION PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES in rioting.
Low and high estimates run from 300,000 to one million. Entire trainloads of refugees arrived in eerie silence, all of remains to our day. Said one observer, "No one can understand China unless he appreciates the hatred and bitterness of the intelligent Chinese for the businessman who treated him like a coolie in his own land."
One oriental master, Lin Yutang, explained why China is so belligerent when he said: "When China succeeds in building her own tanks and guns and battleships, there will be no need to argue about equality."
Ethnic Strife in the Soviet Union and Europe
Even the Soviet Union has had to reckon with the Chinese Colossus. But the Soviets' problems are not limited to Asiatic Chinese. Negro students from Africa complain about racial antagonism in the Soviet Union and her East European satellites.
In the past few years, more than 1,000 young Africans have quit universities in the Soviet bloc. Racial reasons are given in most cases. In Bulgaria, for example, Africans have been referred to as "black apes."
The Soviet Union itself keeps many nationalities in tight control. Any ideas of independence by Ukrainians, Latvians, Uzbeks, for example, is considered treason. And anti-Semitism persists in the Soviet Union to this day.
As we swing around to Western Europe, ethnic animosities are only too well burned into our consciousness. The Nazi Aryan Myth, a racial ideology, promulgated the idea that the white race, especially the Germanic branch of the Nordic sub-race, was superior. This was one ideological excuse, in World War II, for the murder of Jews, Gypsies and Slays.
Today, the European Continent as a whole is relatively quiet — although ancient national animosities still simmer, waiting for a catalyst.
However, racial and religious animosities do break out. As in the case of the Northern Ireland riots. In 1969 Britain was forced to intervene as Protestants and Catholics battled in Northern Ireland. Few of course realize that there is a distinct racial background to the rioting. There are two basically different, though related, stocks of people in the area. Each has adopted a different religion.
How Race Bias Must Be Solved
Throughout history, human beings of various groups simply have not been able or willing to get along with each other.
But why? What causes ethnic, tribal, national and racial strife? Are we doomed to live in a world which cannot eradicate strife, torture, killing?
The causes of such racial and group strife and the needed solutions are rather self-evident. Here are some of them:
If all the world had and practiced one religion, there would be no religious strife.
If all the world had one supreme, all-wise government — a single political system — there would be no wars between nations espousing differing political ideologies.
If the world had and spoke correctly one language, there would be no wars over how one talks.
If the whole world shared the same cultural, social and educational heritage — there would be no conflict in these areas.
If no nation had a military establishment, there would be no war machine to call upon to obliterate another nation.
If the leaders of nations taught respect for OTHER peoples — instead of denouncing them — then the masses would not be hating each other.
If all citizens of every group were taught to love their neighbor, there could be peace!
Obviously we DO NOT have the conditions mentioned as the prerequisites for world peace. We have no universal language, no uniform cultural values, no one true religion practiced by all, no all-wise government. What then can be done?
A Matter of the Human Mind
Remember, it is the attitude of the human mind which is responsible for racial or ethnic animosity.
So, first, it behooves every individual, of whatever ethnic group, that he NOT hate a member of another ethnic group. That, rather he learn to truly love his neighbor AS himself.
Second, the very great importance of individual leaders is obvious. During the rioting between Moslems and Hindus in the subcontinent of India, when Gandhi was able to go to troubled areas, he CONVINCED opposing groups to settle their differences. Blood-shed was avoided.
But all too often leaders HAVE DONE THE OPPOSITE. For example, politicians began many years ago to fan the flame of hatred in the Middle East. Today, these same leaders have been trapped by the frenzy of the uneducated masses. In order to stay alive politically, they are forced to continue their policy.
Therefore, the leaders — on national and grass roots levels — must learn what is their responsibility in preventing racial and group strife.
All this emphasizes the basic, underlying necessity of a change in the human heart. lt is a change too few people seek, or know how they can acquire. But either that change comes or we will witness continuing bloodshed around the world.