When Nelson Mandela once said, “Great anger and violence can never build a nation”, I am pretty certain he spoke from experience. We could even assume that after confronting apartheid and becoming the first black president of European-dominated South Africa, building a nation would have been at the very bottom of his to-do list. In order to even spread his beliefs of equality and non-discrimination, he had to combat some of the extremist beliefs that had the world in its grip at the time.

That brings us to the question: What is extremism? Why is it brought up time and again in multiple election campaigns, not to mention its recurrence in almost every UN assembly? Extremism is a political or religious philosophy that is very far from the mainstream of what most people practice but has become quite popular in recent years. When it is taken a step further and implemented via violence and even terrorism, it becomes a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. The International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as a Cause of Terrorism is observed annually on February 12th to highlight the importance of this concept.

While majority of us live in democratic nations where freedom of expression is a given, many times, it is twisted by those with their own diabolical agendas, and the unsuspecting citizens fall prey to their wiles. While extremism in itself can be dangerous as it is presented to the public in such a way that those without sound knowledge regarding the topics are easily swayed, when it is connected to violence as well, it becomes something quite deadly. The horror of it is that the majority of the time, the ones carrying out the violence do not even understand why they are doing it or how it can help their so-called cause and are so blinded that they cannot even distinguish between friend and foe. The majority of the wars through the ages, such as the Second World War, could even be said to have been fought due to such extremist ideals ending in violence. This serves the very essence of humanity and leaves only a machine behind that is programmed to go on a killing spree.

We can go on harping about freedom of expression, but ultimately it will be pointless if the ones to whom it is granted do not have the capability to think for themselves. The majority of civilizations think freedom is the right to do as they please rather than what is right, and this is the root cause of all things. While none of us are saints, we all have a good side that can be cultivated. It is only when those who court the darkness within us arise that the world is shaken by the monstrosities that follow. As Nelson Mandela also said, “For to be free is not to merely cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others“.

Let this year turn out to be a year of hope for the future, and let it cause hope to alight in all our hearts, for if we despair of humanity, we despair of all that we are and ever will be.

Written by: Rtr. Aaysha Sufran

Graphic design by: Rtr. Malithi Fernando