Broader minds

Intolerance, in its true nature, is an unwillingness to accept another’s beliefs, opinions or behaviour if they differ from one’s own. The rise in intolerance is nibbling away at the very fabric of Pakistan. Intolerance towards cultural, religious and ethnic minorities is increasingly common. The malaise of intolerance cannot be eradicated through force alone, instead, a collaborative mechanism must be developed that takes a deeper look into the underlying causes that lead to an intolerant mindset.

Many believe that intolerance is a result of lack of education, while others point to the quality of an education as the root cause. I think both arguments are sound. A good education encourages one to be self-critical and not to immediately dismiss the opinions of others if they conflict with one’s own. Thus, to thoroughly uproot intolerance from society one must eliminate the intolerant mindset, which is only possible through inculcating logical and rational thinking and broad-mindedness amongst the young people as early as possible.

Usama Mughal

Kandhkot