We are living in a time when the whole world seems to be consumed by one overpowering emotion: hate. Clusters of hate emanate from every corner. Hate complemented by fear has become a powerful, effective political tool used by leaders, groups, media outlets and YouTubers in order to fulfil an agenda. Because nothing unites people more than hate these days; it creates a common enemy and forms a groupthink against the "other." It unites people and allows them to overlook flaws or differences of the group members for the time being to fight that common enemy that is the root cause of all misery.

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Beyond the war of ideals: Bangladesh must be governed with pragmatism

However, while hatred for something harmful to people can sometimes yield positive outcomes, such as the people's uprising against a repressive regime in Bangladesh in July-August 2024, it can also become a venomous tool when used to falsify truth and manipulate people to act violently against a target. The spread of false propaganda against Bangladesh by certain Indian media outlets illustrates this danger, exploiting pre-existing anti-Muslim sentiments to instil hostility and resentment. Politicians in India have long used hate speech to demonise Bangladeshis, particularly Bangalee Muslim immigrants, reinforcing the idea that their presence would "pollute" India. Politicians in India have openly called Bangladeshis "termites" and "infiltrators" many times. This foundation of hate laid by political figures continues to fuel hostility, as evidenced by the recent events surrounding the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Bangladeshi Hindu monk and former ISKCON leader, which spurred a campaign of hate against Bangladesh in India.

Some Indian media have had a field day cashing in on this hate by spreading all kinds of disinformation. Without any qualms, these media outlets have been showing video footage and pictures falsely implying that they were of Hindus being persecuted. So far, these images and footage have been debunked by fact-checkers, but the damage has been done. The hate has already spread.

And as we know, hate begets hate. The attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission office in Tripura's Agartala, with the Bangladesh flag being burnt or desecrated, have successfully provoked the anger and hatred on this side of the border. In Bangladesh, Indian flags have been disrespected, and political and religious groups have marched towards the Indian High Commissions—though there have been no attacks. But the seed of mistrust has been sown deeper into many hearts. Following the arrest of Chinmoy, a few Indian doctors said they would refuse to treat any Bangladeshis—a decision they reversed later. The hotel owners' association in Tripura announced they would not allow Bangladeshis to stay there, but this too was reversed when hoteliers realised the financial losses that would be incurred after such a decision. Meanwhile in Bangladesh, while the government is trying hard to calm tensions and unite various groups to avoid any communal clashes, there have been a few hate-related incidents of violence. A Hindu lawyer was critically wounded in Dhaka after he got caught in a clash at Shahbagh, during a demonstration by members of Hindu community protesting Chinmoy's arrest. A young boy had to be taken into custody by the army because he allegedly commented on Facebook which was deemed to be hurtful to the religious sentiments of Muslims. Temples have been vandalised and business places of Hindus have been attacked.

Why is hate such a favourite political tool? The politics of hate flourishes on fear and division. The fear of the "other," whether it is about "them" taking away our jobs or trying to eradicate our culture or threatening our religion, the "us vs them" debate is the most effective way to psychologically influence the public.

Hate often comes from a feeling of alienation or the need to belong to some group—a religion, race, ideology or nationality. Because it gives a sense of security and comfort. So, everyone else not in this group is an alien and must be treated with suspicion.

We are now going through times of extreme anxiety caused by economic uncertainty, rapid social change, and complex global issues. It is overwhelming and stressful. We feel angry and powerless. We need a punching bag, someone or some group to blame for our state of helplessness. This is the perfect environment for political hate to thrive. Politicians all over the world have capitalised on this by projecting messages of hate through mainstream and social media campaigns of disinformation. By fuelling pre-existing prejudices or even creating new ones, the powerful consolidate their power. Thus, hate has been used to justify genocide by dehumanising people (Best example: Isreal's relentless military actions to annihilate the Palestinians in Gaza), to violently attack members of vulnerable communities in the name of religion, and to label countries as terrorist states for electoral victories and expansionary ambitions.

Social media and technology have made it dramatically easier and faster to spread hate. Anyone can publish anything on a social media platform. As we all know, negative content, especially those that promote divisiveness, always does well on social media, thanks to the algorithms. So, hate speech gets even more amplified and further influences the target audience. Media companies, meanwhile, make money out of such content because they get more clicks, shares and comments and hence keep on promoting hate-filled content.

So, without even realising it, people become the stooges of this vicious cycle.

But is there no way out of this cesspool of vitriol that only results in death and destruction? Do we not realise that the path of hatred is a suicidal journey for humankind?

Bangladesh has historically been a region of religious harmony and multiculturalism. Over the decades, unfortunately, this has changed with pluralism being overshadowed by religious dogmatism. Foreign ideologies have seeped into the void left by the undemocratic nature of democratic governments, leaving people with no choice but to take one side over the other. Those wanting to brainwash people will convince them to hate anyone who does not conform to their way of thinking. Meanwhile, those who consider themselves "progressive" fall into the trap of othering groups that don't share their perspectives, thus perpetuating the sequence of mistrust, fear and hate.

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Hundred days of hope

The good news is every poison has its antidote, and so does hate. The cure lies in embracing empathy, compassion, and kindness—precious virtues that must be protected, nurtured, and spread across communities and nations. We must recognise our shared humanity, one that transcends every barrier, be it religion, nationality, ethnicity, class or gender. We must rise above the urge to simplify complex issues and blame others. Instead, we must strive to truly connect with one another, seek to understand diverse perspectives and craft solutions that uplift us all, not just a select few.

Time is running out for us humans. We are on the brink of extinction from the consequences of our greed and ignorance, and hate is the rolling rock that will push us over the cliff. It's time to stand together and push back on hate. It's the only way we will survive.

Aasha Mehreen Amin is joint editor at The Daily Star.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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