I know I am not alone in being horrified by some of the scenes that have emerged on television in recent days. People who started out protesting a terrible incident in America now seem to have lost their minds and are behaving in a nihilistic way. Social media is awash with hate and revenge, with people lashing out and demanding the destruction of whatever they choose to stand against. There have even been people calling for the Gandhi statue to be torn down, claiming it was racist. Where will all this madness end? I find it even more disturbing that academics and the media seem determined to stir up a frenzy without regard for consequences. We should all grieve over racial injustices, but I haven’t seen protests for poor immigrant slaves in Libya or marches in support of Uyghurs in China or protests against the murder and persecution of minorities in many parts of the world. There are multiple injustices in this world that deserve attention, but are routinely ignored, why? Whose agenda is being pushed? Without a doubt, all lives matter. If we follow logic from somewhere, will things lead with all this toppling of statues, will Rome be dismantled because it was built by slaves, should we rid the world of the pyramids in Egypt because they were built by slaves? The people of the past were of his time. They often held views that we found offensive, no doubt people centuries from now will look at us with a similar distance. We need a kinder, more responsible, and more tolerant world, not one filled with those who seem to thrive on hate.

We all have the right to express our opinion, as it is well protected and respected in many developed societies. I firmly believe that everyone’s individual opinions should be respected and should not be threatened. However, it is particularly important for us to understand that there is a clear distinction between what we say and how we say it, our conduct, not the content. Our conduct must be in line with the morals, rules and parameters of society. If our freedom of expression or our activities cause serious disturbances, violence and go against social values, create disharmony, this will be seen as an abuse of freedom, illegal, in which case our freedom of expression may be questioned and restricted by The authorities. We all have the right to protest. However, if we enjoy the essence of human rights, we must also bear the responsibilities for human errors. This is when we get moral justice. Free debate, good deeds and convincing arguments are important to counter hate, prejudice and inequality in society.

But the recent episodes of events on both sides of the Atlantic are the great reminder of our moral and social obligation. What happened to social distancing? Those who claim to care about BAME (Black Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities suffering from COVID-19 are now behaving irresponsibly and potentially endangering lives. What we are witnessing is not a legitimate peaceful protest, it is bordering on anarchy. Nasty elements seek to exploit legitimate harm and direct it at others. All races, religions and cultures have at some point fallen short. No ethnicity is born more racist than another, and yet some people, including some academics, are selling a dangerous and poisonous narrative that sows division, mistrust and fear. This lynch mob mentality must end. I was horrified to see that in London statues of Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill were glued and defaced, do these people know nothing? The Cenotaph, that sacred monument to the fallen, was even attached, an act that was little short of treason. What has been happening is truly terrifying and deeply disturbing.

Terrible things are happening all over the world, and not just in the United States. We all could do with finding out what’s going on elsewhere that’s not in the media and educating ourselves and then trying to find a constructive way to do something positive about it. We can make a difference, let’s make it positive. We need respect, understanding and love. At this moment, I would ask where is the love?