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by Sachin-14, 3 June 2008
How would you feel, if I told you that you had to make a human sacrifice of your child, or be cursed with bad luck?
How would you feel if I told you that you had to be buried alive with your late husband?
Fortunately for us, practices like these have long been left behind. Or have they?
Would you believe me if I told you that elements of these horrific cultures still existed?
Well, I’m afraid they do.
In recent years, India has grappled with the problem of human sacrifice, with certain regions reporting “dozens of sacrifices” over the past five years.
In an incident reported in “The Washington Post” five years ago, an infertile young couple, believing that killing someone else’s son would bring them one of their own, kidnapped and mutilated a young 6-year-old boy. The woman completed the ritual by bathing in the child’s blood.
It is because of ignorance and superstition that brutal acts like this happen.
Indeed, the blank edges of the map have long been filled in; people MUST move on, people MUST open their minds. Only then will other people cease to fear them and eventually respect them.
Just last month, a Hong Kong girl studying at Chinese University committed suicide allegedly because she was forbidden to marry her Indian boyfriend.
We see examples of cultural clashes turned terribly violent every day: in the Middle East, in the former Yugoslavia, in Taiwan, in Hong Kong, the list is endless. In their ugliest form, cultural clashes are full blown racism. In their early stages, they exist as intolerance.
These ancient, inhumane cultures must be left behind if WE are to move on.
It is VITAL that people learn to understand and respect; it is vital that people learn to appreciate other cultures, not only their’s. That can only happen if these cultures evolve.
I believe we can put our differences aside and strive for something greater.
I believe that with mutual respect, we can ALL live in harmony.
I believe in an end to cultural discrimination.
After all, it takes WISDOM to respect and understand others. And at the end of the day, whether you prefer the westerners "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" or the Chinese "an onion a day keeps everyone away," we can all contribute to making this world a better place for all of us.
All you need is an open mind.
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