Powder Keg

Today I was reading a column in the Globe and Mail by Margaret Wente. Most of the time I read an opinion piece it leaves me with a ho-hum feeling but this caught my attention. Maybe it just struck a nerve but it scares me that a video has set off the latest round of violence and diplomatic tension. Of course, if you think about it, this really isn't about the video. 

I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of studying history. It is not my forte. That being said, the one takeaway I seem to have garnered from all the lessons I have sat through or read is every time a major conflict erupts, the circumstances that drove us to the inevitable bloodbath progressed too far to change the course. We, the global we, realized this is deteriorating to an unrecoverable situation much too late. It's easy to look back and see the breakdowns but nobody caught them when they were happening.

I think the world may be at a critical moment.

I hope it's not too late but we need to wake up and realize the world is sitting on a big keg of powder. I have enough faith in humanity to think that most Muslims are decent and tolerant people, who just want to live a comfortable life with their friends and family. Unfortunately, some factions have enough access, resources, and will to attack an embassy of the United States of America and kill the ambassador. At first glance, this may seem like a lucky strike but it's not. I live in Ottawa and often I am in the neighbourhood that the US embassy is located. Now keep in mind, Canada and the US have the longest undefended border in the world. There is no fence. It's routine for people to make day trips across in both directions. It is easier to walk into the Centre Block of the Parliament of Canada than it is to walk into the US Embassy to Canada. You may not get very far once inside Parliament but you can get inside the building before you are screened. This is not the case for the US Embassy. This is an Embassy in a city that has less than 20 murders a year that is the capital of a country that is a close ally to the US. How secure would an American Embassy be in the Middle East?

The factions behind the latest protests may not represent the majority but they have the wherewithal to make a mess and it won't just be spilled milk. They don't need the backing of the sitting government and they don't need majority support. They need access to capital, mobility, and the will to follow through. It seems some of them have that.

I don't know what it's like to be a Muslim or to live in the Arab world. I'm not an expert on the Prophet Mohammed or his teachings. I do know that his teachings are appealing to many people and Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. So, whatever is lighting a fire in these people is not going to simply go away.

There is something else I know. 

I know that diversity is a strength. Only spending time with people who share the same views and beliefs as you is boring and limiting. Limiting who you work with because of their gender, race, what god they worship, how they worship their god, the music they listen to, the clothes they wear, how they cut their hair, or who they go home to at the end of the day will only limit your chance for a good idea, a breakthrough, or an opportunity to better the world.

So, everyone needs to chill out. It's not going to be easy. There is still a lot of xenophobia in the world but there is hope. It can be overcome. It only takes patience, questions, and listening. It takes a willingness to learn and understand what others believe and why it's important to them. It doesn't mean you have to accept their ideas or beliefs. You can keep your own paradigm. It only means you have to understand what the other side is saying and why they believe it.

Everyone needs to chip in. Everyone needs to try to learn and I think a lot of people would be surprised by what they find out.