Live and let live!

https://www.thecollector.com/greco-persian-wars-timeline/

Humans are a peculiar species. They do not always behave in accordance with their own teachings. Rules are often for others to follow, not themselves. These social beings gather along lines of ethnicity, lifestyle, social standing, and even skin colour. They forget that every one of them has blood of the same colour. They feel happiness or sadness for similar reasons. They love their kin equally, but not necessarily each other's, though. 

Entering a world so cold, ancient Man believed strength came from numbers. A group becomes more powerful when like-minded individuals unite. 

Although everyone is heading towards their own destination and there are no instruction manuals to guide life, each group believes that they alone hold the key to the universe's secret. Sometimes they wonder whether theirs is truly the correct path, and they convince themselves of this by being among those who share the same belief, perpetuating cognitive dissonance. Each group is convinced that the other belief system is on the verge of ruin. If so, they should just leave them to self-destruction. But no! They make it their life's mission to oppress and suppress the other. The glaring example of this can be seen in two events unfolding right before our eyes. 

What began as a small group of warriors spreading their influence beyond their territory some 2,500 years ago grew into the mighty Persian Empire. Like everything else in life, they too had a shelf life. The expanding Islamic Army from the West brought them to an end and ruled over an area so vast that it incorporated many civilisations as its own. They believed they must be doing something right to expand so rapidly. They must be doing God's work. Their Army must be God's Army, and their warriors were fulfilling God's divine duties. Over time, their scriptures began to reflect a similar view, and the eradication of other beliefs became their life's ambition.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/12/7/
malaysia-urged-to-protect-temples

Even though this Islamic Empire also crumbled under its own weight, the fringe member groups do not believe so. They are cocksure that it is the conniving work of its enemies. 

Another radical group has emerged in the homeland, insisting that houses of worship of non-Muslims must be destroyed at all costs. This group, comprising mostly converts, 'born agains' - as if they were born from the same wrong orifice the first time around. Perhaps they are uncertain about their conversion and feel insecure about acceptance in society by their peers, so they attempt to appear more Islamic than natural-born Muslims. Their crusade on this mission threatens the societal harmony that Malaysians have built over generations. 

This kind of oppressive culture must surely be wrong and self-defeating. Acquiring knowledge is an ongoing pursuit that never ends. Instead of dismissing others' input, why don't we sit down together, try to see the shared teachings, which I am sure are abundant, and build a better world — one where no superpower destroys another and no group breaks the temple of worship of another.

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