How fascism comes under the garb of nationalism: Inflaming passions through propaganda, claims about 'insecurity' among natives

By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

A woman tells a story about her child in a class that has students from other backgrounds too. She made it sound emotional and even 'scary'.

Definitely, no kid should feel lonely or hurt. No one should feel offended by others' culture. Acceptance is needed. But I will explain how propaganda is used, lies are relayed, sentimental appeals are made and hateful propaganda is brought under the garb of 'patriotism' and the 'emotional' link is added to turn it more palatable.

Let me explain that how fascism comes wrapped in wild conspiracy theories. Even if a place is 95% white, they can claim to be 'turning into minority'. It's your right to accept or not accept others. But once anyone gets obsessed with the thought of looking at fellow humans as 'them' and 'outsiders', bigotry forces them to make any claim and sound so sweet and innocent but inner soul consumed by hate. Even if 1% outsiders come, you can believe that it is 18%. Yes, it happens, because of manic obsession. Then, there is another issue. Those 1% will come and stay in a part and that part will be labelled as 'ghetto' by your xenophobic media that always does it this way. Such fears and panic spread and no amount of data or clarity, will ever clean the minds that get dirtied or bitten by this 'us versus them' bug. It is natural that in a few schools and colleges, there would be more immigrants or outsiders. But everyone is always a minority in one sense or the other. Country, ethnicity, religion, race, gender and so many other things are involved here. You try to sound passionate and helpless but it's basically hatred that comes out in this form. Right-wing cleverly does it, specialists at it. We are all humans. If you guys want to take this route, be clear, just stay as an island. Discrimination with own species on own planet. How mean and petty! Out of 1,00,000 if 3,000 are 'different', they will be naturally stay somewhere. If you can't bear the sight of a person of different race or feel that there is an invasion, clearly say that you don't like humans who come to this land that you got registered from God and decided to drop here, with the decision to be here, forever. There is a difference between 'not wanting to hear' or 'getting irked because you don't want anyone else'. It's a cunning style and talk of 'my kid or family' not feeling comfortable, because 'other kids and families who have come here', is a crude way that is aimed more to gain sympathy and create scare This actually aims to rouse your feelings and fears. Any complaint must be redressed. There is bullying too, white kids bully whites, browns too do it to their own race and blacks too do it. It is human behaviour. Complaints are made, and there must be immediate action. But open discrimination, anger over presence of the 'other' and deep seated prejudices, the worldview that makes you feel superior and others as unworthy to be around you, is sickening. It happens again and again. Even within one country, it is possible on linguistic or ethnic, religious or regional basis. If you give a race or outsider angle, it is just a soft cushion you adjust behind your back, ready to shoot your inner biases at the other. You don't need to believe me, but fact is that world doesn't function in this way. People who burning with hatred, they and their societies disappear, very fast, because they feel they are entitled to not just own lives but also entire environment, city, sky, streets, world around them, as a CONSTANT, never changing and always remaining same as per their whims. A white serial killer becomes 'disturbed' and immediately after crime, reports appear that he suffered from childhood trauma due to 'parents separation' or any such issue, or even his 'loneliness', all attemps are made in media that he would be humanized and shown as 'just like us' and 'how could he be bad', as 'bad' is always the 'other'. If 'our' guy commits an act, then he is 'from our race', 'our own' and its like family, because if we consider him 'opponent', we'd have to accept that our people can be bad too. No, that would make us own up that our society too has bad apples. Now blame the rest and term them 'outsiders' and put all your own failings in life, all reasons, all blame on rest--issue solved. After all, it's easy to believe that we are angels and we never commit any crime & it's always the other who is at fault. In fact, all the countries engaged in war or colonizing or robbing or sending soldiers to committing massacres in other countries, was just aimed at 'civilizing' (sic) them, and World Wars were fought because you guys were all so simple, naive and civilized, and somewhere read that 'others' fight, so you learnt to fight and killed millions in process. Your eyes, heart and ears are hurt by 'others', you are full of yourself and sorry, there is no solution. In fact, I really like the way you people act. Keep walking this path and make your race safe, keep your land and yourself, amazing and extraordinary. Media loves it, politicians too know this system against 'them' helps as it turns out the worst and most passionate anger from 'locals' who get 'worried about own existence', buy these badly educated inhuman persons' theories, feel they are better than rest, turn hateful and this never stops. Everyone has a brain and they are entitled to nasty thoughts too. They have freedom to choose and world history tells us, what happens to people who have contempt for fellow humans, but present it so 'innocently' as you did. Completely insulating self is also an idea. The best way is to openly accept own prejudiced views, say that you are uncomfortable with 'others' and that there is no need to hide feelings.Tell people that you hate other humans and there won't be any need to work hard to sound noble even as being evil or circuitously reaching this point. 'Blame the vulnerable' and branding the real vulnerable or outsider as a threat, spreading rumours, demonizing them, terming the outsider as an enemy or alien (sic) as if they are coming to get your resources, is shameful. Conceal own petty thoughts and appear as custodian of all great humane values! All is crystal clear now. Racists can't fool everyone, all the time.

Rise in racism, anti-immigrant sentiment in the world: Native's claim on country on the basis of majority's race, religion and skin colour

[In view of the recent anti-immigration sentiment in United States and other countries, this article has been written. Ten points, an explanation in this form for easy understanding.

By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi 

1. People have no control over own birth and one can be born anywhere as it is not a baby's choice. Sadly, parents' race, religion, country or skin colour, faith, determines a lot. 

2. A White Christian in Europe or UK, too is born in his home, and he or she has no control over own birth either. But later in life, the person feels he or she owns entire country & casually tells 'other' that latter doesn't belong to them. 

3. Even a right-wing Hindu in India casually asks a Muslim whose ancestors lived here for 1,000 years, to 'go', 'leave', as if the former owns entire land in India and can even decide who should live here or be expelled.

3 (ii) This is a strange sense of entitlement! Humans are indeed weird species. I or you can decide who will enter our house but such megalomania that all land, entire nation is my or my community's property and anyone who is 'different' can be otherized and discriminated with?

4. The sickening audacity that 'I belong' here & a belief that I can decide, tell others to 'leave', judge others, issue diktat on the basis of my skin tone or faith is extremely difficult to understand. One must remember that Whites in US are also European immigrants' descendants, not the natives.

5, Interestingly, even if someone is a first generation immigrant, but due to complexion or ideology, faith or race, he can pass judgment on a local living for ages, and otherize him/her...!!! 

6. If the issue is analyzed, then we realize that Media has played a dirty role in dividing society, terming 'outsiders' for every issue, which in turn emboldens people to spread hate, racism, xenophobia. It influenced people the wrong way. 

7. It's shameful majoritarianism, everywhere. In Gulf region, many regions now have 75-85% outsiders and millions of Christians, Hindus live, without any such discrimination. There is no restriction or bias on the basis of culture, faith or food.

 8. In some cities and countries in West Asia, locals are less than 25% or just 15%, but they are not insecure or hateful. Compared to past, the immigration system is more relaxed and diverse communities live in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Doha, Kuwait, Sharjah etc.

9. But, in Europe and US, even 2-3% minorities are seen as 'others' and anger, jealousy, insecurity is visible. The psychological fear, hysteria and the anger over immigrants' arrival as if it's an 'invasion' is bizarre.

10. A serious discourse is needed. Western countries that have in the past, enslaved countries in the East, Asia and Africa, or took steps that caused migration and arrival of refugees, all these aspects can no longer be ignored.

Bangla migrant Vs Nepali migrant: Bangladeshi is foreigner, Nepali immigrant is welcome in India?

No to Bangladesh (Left), Yes to Nepal (Right)

A recent Delhi-based English newspapers editorial on the issue of migrants' influx is thought-provoking.

The entire nation and politicians cutting across the party lines have made the issue of Bangladeshis' influx as the biggest threat to India.

Strangely, the Marxists are also crying hoarse like the right-wing groups and the BJP that always did it in the past over this issue.

The communalization of Indian politics is so intense that on one hand the country has open border with Nepal, the entry of Bangladeshi migrant who is culturally more closer to India is a strict no-no.

Lakhs of Nepalese citizens enter India every year just because Nepal is a Hindu country? Though culturally, it was not a part of India. It was a separate kingdom. 

But Bangladesh [that was just 57 years ago part of India], is a Muslim country and is it the reason that the migrants from this country are unwelcome.

What the Bangla migrant does? He mingles easily and lives peacefully. On the other hand, even if a man from Nepal is involved in an offence, there is no anger against the entire group. But in case of Bangladesh, if a man is even termed 'Bangladeshi', is is used as a derogatory term in media.

Had there been even a couple of incidents of crime by Bangla migrants, the national media would have made a great hue and cry. The Bangladeshis and the West Bengal residents share same language, culture and traditions. 

They were a unified race that was divided. It was the British administration that once tried to divide Bengal in 1905. Barely 42 years later, the British again chose to cut Bengal, with the assent of the leaders of Congress as well as other parties.

Of course, that's history. But, as long as Hindus came to India from Bangladesh, it was not made an issue. The settlements of Bangladeshi Hindus through out the India are reminder to the fact but now the Bangladeshi has been labelled as troublemaker.

The difference between figures of immigrants, is huge. In fact, there is a clear exaggeration about claims regarding figures of Muslims from Bangladesh, and the constant rhetoric that Muslim immigrants are arriving purposely to affect religious demography of West Bengal.

These claims have been repeated so many times on a regular basis for years, that it has got into the minds of citizens. Certain people at the top positions, made wild guesses in order to create panic among Hindu population, that the arrival of Bangladeshis...

...would increase the proportion of Muslims, so dramatically, that it would affect the population balance. Actually, it's a form of hate. Demonizing a country and people is not fair. Besides, rather than taking it up seriously and at bilateral level, the chest thumping and hatred on display, affects our image & relations.

In Assam, we have similar issue that keeps raging perennially. Read an exhaustive post on the same issue that was written later on this blog. The article, 'Branding the Bangladeshi migrant as terrorist: Illegal immigration or a humanitarian crisis', is related.