Religious hate spurs animosity, is unjustifiable

I was six years old when I accidentally stepped on a hard-shelled beetle. 

I imagined the beetle had kids, and they were waiting for their parent to come home — the same “parent” I had just stepped on. I kneeled and prayed for hours, asking for forgiveness. I could not fathom the idea of hurting any being. 

My father assured me that it did not really matter, as I had hurt “just an insect.” This idea was so foreign to me, even as a child. How could something as insignificant as being a different type of creature make it acceptable to cause harm?

Fourteen years have passed since, and I have encountered similar mentalities, but these mentalities separate humans from each other. I still cannot understand how people hate, harm and even kill each other due to differences in the religion they follow.

Something that brings people together, and teaches them to love one another should not be used as justification for cruelty and violence. We are all part of the same family, seeking spirituality and something greater than ourselves. The way we choose to be so blind so as to not recognize that we bleed the same red blood — no matter what faith we choose to adhere to — is astonishing.

It does not make any sense to me that a person who wears a visible mark of their faith is viewed as foreign, that they are labeled as terrorists. It will never not be strange to me that someone wearing a hijab, a burqa, a turban or a beard inspires more hate and animosity than someone who actively preaches xenophobia, homophobia and religious intolerance itself.

I have had so many conversations where “terrorists” comes up at the mention of “Muslim/Sikh.” It pains me deeply to see how pervasive the stereotypes and vilification of religious communities have become. How easily, and randomly, people link the millions of individuals’ peaceful faith traditions with extremist elements is scary. 

I am a Sikh. Does that make me a terrorist? My religion teaches me the values of peace, compassion and non-violence towards all living beings. The core principles of Sikhism are centered around equality, service to humanity and a respect for all of God's creation. How could embodying such spiritual ideals ever be confused with the mindset of terrorism, which is rooted in hatred, violence and the devaluation of human life?

When I see religious intolerance and persecution in the world, whether currently or throughout history, I'm reminded of how I felt saddened by the idea of devaluing the life of an insect. If the premature death of a simple beetle could weigh so heavily on my heart, how could the senseless suffering and death of fellow humans be rationalized and dismissed? 

We may practice different faiths and believe in different theories of existence, but at the core of it all, we share the same inherent worth and dignity. Every life is valuable.

I cannot look into the eyes of someone from another religion and see anything less than a complete human being. Their beliefs may differ from mine, but our basic humanity unites us. 

Religion is meant to be a compass towards ethical living, not a force to dehumanize or brutalize others. Just as I could not fathom the beetle's life not mattering, I cannot comprehend hatred over religious differences. 

My question remains: Is this hatred deserved?