Faizal Patel

Dominating the headlines for the past decade has been the intolerance expressed by various regimes across the world towards other faiths. Not only that, but with homegrown groups such as the EDL and BNP claiming Muslims on the whole are an intolerant bunch things can get out of hand.On the face of it, tolerance seems a strange thing to ask for, it is asking for someone to accept that their view point is not the most important, that other people have a right to a view point. It is however, a fundamental right that should be universal to all. When a person in Iran may be sentenced to death for homosexuallity, when a so called church in America can condemn people by the millions for disbelief, when children speak of fire and brimstone from above as a perfectly fine conclusion, you understand that things have gone far enough. None of the three Abrahamic religions who are at the centre of this burning argument preach that it is okay to forcebally oppress the non-believer. None of them say that Religous is compulsory.

One of my favorite sayings goes as follows: "You can show someone the door, hell you can even open the door for them, but, ultimatley, it is they themselves who must walk through it, pushing them through it leads only to wrongdoing." This saying is exactly what my attitude to religion is, rightly or wrongly expressed depending on who you talk to. However, I remain confident that this is the right choice to make, why? Because free will exists. If God so wanted, everyone would be religious and there would be no evil. However, God in almighty wisdom gave us the choice. So who are other humans to take away that choice? Should a person be ostracised from society because they make non-relgious choices? No. We live in an era where differences are supposed to be accepted.

From my personal experience, many have complained to me, saying "Islam is intolerant," I will not deny, that in some places, it can seem so. In Saudi Arabia where clerics frequently rant against the evils of the non-Muslim world to Iran where Islam is mired in a deep political game. Needless to say, that there are examples of intolerance within the bible and the Old Testemant. But is that a reason to disregard the wider message of Peace and love to all of God's creatures?

The path of intolerance, on the part of Islamic extremist, on the part of Christian extremist, on the part of Jewish extremists leads only to destruction of all. Believer or non-believer, humanity was collectivley outraged at the attrocities comitted during the Holocaust. We must again ask ourselves, how did the holocaust start? Because of the intolerance of a few led to the intolerance of many. We must stand up for each other. I respect my atheist friends right not to believe in God just as I believe in my Hindu friends right to believe in a different God to me, just as they do for me. That is tolerance, that is what makes us strong, that is what leads humanity to a better path. When future generations look back at us, will they look back at us and say "They were the ones who taught us that every human has a right to a choice?" Or will they look back and say "They were the ones who destroyed other humans because they were too barbaric, too uncivilised to understand every person has a right to an opinion."

Which one do you want to be? You don't even have to proclaim to the world that you have had a change of heart. All you have to do, is the next time you see someone who has a different faith or opinion, even if you disagree, try to smile at them, try to learn about them, try to understand them. And maybe, just maybe you will come to understand that our free will is one of God's greatest gifts to humanity.