Any traditional culture is challenged when it experiences modern technology, science, reason, mass migration, imperialism, globalised trade, education, women’s rights, television, travel and the sheer diversity of humanity. It is natural to find this unsettling. The traditional order often resists modernity, sometimes in a fundamentalist and violent way. History is littered with civil wars, revolutions, fascist uprisings, terrorism and many less violent but no less reactionary movements. This evolution and counter-reaction is happening to the developing world at a pace that far outstrips anything that we have experienced in the West and they are not in the driving seat.

People often seek a scapegoat to blame for their insecurity and feeling of violation. Victim consciousness can be very dangerous indeed because the person who perceives themselves to be a victim can become very violent against the perceived perpetrator. Hitler is a prime example of victim consciousness mixed with the national soul. The war he unleashed killed 55 million people including 6 million of the Jews he so hated.

Victim consciousness is even more dangerous when combined with religion. Where tribes get whipped up into genocidal rage, religions get whipped up into holy war which knows no boundaries or mercy until one or the other is annihilated. There are many religious people around the world who feel violated by modernity and hold the West responsible for that. In their mind we are the scapegoat and they want to destroy or dominate us so they can feel pure again. We must never encourage this victim mentality. To do so is very popular amongst that part of the West which most hates itself and unconsciously wishes for our annihilation. To incite victim mentality is to incite violence and hatred. That very toxic mix and must be made conscious, healed or absolutely taboo.

We must do our best to be sensitive to the religious feelings of people in other countries and, wherever possible, help smooth the path to a more comfortable future.