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A turbulent year

Jan 10,2015 - Last updated at Jan 10,2015

There is broad consensus that 2014 was one of the most turbulent years in contemporary times, with violence raging in many parts of the world.

The reasons for many of the intense and explosive events of the past year were rooted in religious, ethnic or racial conflicts.

This may suggest that multiculturalism has been a failure despite of all hopes and aspiration to the contrary.

Hardly a multiracial, multi-ethnic or multireligion nation has escaped unscathed from some form of violence during 2014.

Racial tension in the US has been particularly pronounced in recent times. It is projected to increase, rather than recede, according to many US observers.

The demographic changes in the country in favour of the Hispanics promise a more volatile communal relation. The racial divide in the US is, therefore, particularly worrisome.

Elsewhere in the world, there are ominous signs that racial or religious tension is escalating as well.

I have come to the conclusion that contrary to mainstream contemporary thought, when peoples of sizeable numbers belonging to different sects, ethnicities or races live together, they are more prone to violence.

Peoples are by nature discriminatory and that unfortunate “inborn” trait cannot be changed.

No wonder we see the Shiites fighting Sunnis in Iraq, Alawites at loggerheads with the Sunnis in Syria, and Shiites, Christians, Druze and Sunnis in Lebanon locked in periodic bloody disputes.

There is hardly a country in Europe where a sizeable minority group is not in conflict with the majority and ready to explode at the first sign of economic, political or religious tension.

Now it is being taken for granted that sooner or later most countries of the Middle East will be divided along sectarian or ethnic lines and, therefore, borders will have to be redrawn.

The ethic and religious genie is now out of the bottle in the area and no amount of hope can put it back.

There is no doubt, for example, that the Kurds will go their separate way sooner or later.

Countries in the region appear poised to be recreated on ethic or religious basis. Maybe this projected outcome is better for the area. This way the reconstituted states would stand a better chance to enjoy peace and good neighbourly relations.

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