Diversity:
A Blessing and a Curse
By Nadir Khan, PhD
Alta Loma, California
The word diversity has Latin roots
which means “to turn apart.” In practical
terms this word and its interpretations and implications
are responsible for a variety of social, political,
and religious problems. The word and its practical
meanings have lost their positive connotations
and have been used to achieve certain goals and
objectives which have caused havoc for individuals,
communities and nations
The word simply means different. These differences
can be in appearance, character, contents, and
forms. These differences can be acquired or inherited.
If they are inherited, then the individual has
no control over them. In some cases even in an
acquired situation, an individual may not have
a choice. The learning of a particular language
by a toddler from his or her parents, is a case
in point.
Whether one believes in evolution or intelligent
design, diversity is a fact of life. And there
are enormous advantages that it offers. I personally
adore and cherish diversity. In some of my very
expansive moments, when the imagination has free
reins, I wonder what the cosmos would be like
without diversity. Even the thought of this non-existent
possibility, is frightening and severely depressing.
But then why is diversity so important? For one
thing, it makes every thing splendidly beautiful.
Just imagine for a moment what the world be like
if there were no animals and plants and only humans
populated the planet? And what if all humans looked
alike? Just the presence of flowers makes life
worth living. The aromas, colors, the arrangement
of petals, the entire process of pollination and
then the human intervention in attempting to create
better varieties - all this is so fascinating.
The sight of wild flowers in early spring in the
wide open spaces of Southern California reminds
one of the divine “signs” the Qur’an
so frequently talks about. And then the abundant
array of fruits, their colors, tastes, smells
and juices make a warm and humid summer afternoon
divinely refreshing.
The animal kingdom is an entirely different world
and equally fascinating. From the little earthworm
(which I used to dissect as a first year student
in my zoology labs) crawling on my patio after
the first rains to the ferocious wild life in
South Africa makes one wonder what life would
have been like without their company.
And of course, we cannot forget the birds and
their colors and then the chirping sounds of early
morning, and then watching them with binoculars
in their bird baths in the backyard makes a lazy
summer afternoon much more worthwhile than watching
a football game. I have often wondered about the
“birds eye view” of our world. Even
from the roof of my single story home, the neighborhood
looks so different. You have to be jealous of
them!!
Another reason for the beauty of diversity is
“that you can get to know each other.”
Diversity enriches our lives and makes it more
fulfilling. But there is a dark side to this diversity,
so dark, that one feels ashamed of being human.
And unfortunately it is all human made.
Humans, for reasons not known to anyone, have
decided to use diversity as a weapon to destroy
the richness and make all of us poorer. Instead
of enjoying the richness of other cultures, their
food, clothing, literature, and music, we have
wasted our effort and energy in treating people
differently because of their age, caste, color,
disability, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs,
and sexual orientation. The beauty of diversity
has been converted into a curse. The holocaust,
the genocide in Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, the
deliberate, planned and systematic ethnic cleansing
of the Palestinians by the victims of the holocaust,
the Sunni-Shia feud in Iraq, are all glaring examples
of the misuse of diversity.
In the case of Pakistan this diversity has turned
out to be really tragic. Our dismal failure to
weave a rich and beautiful fabric of our national
identity has never been realized. Instead of being
Pakistanis, we have become Balochis, Pathans,
Punjabis, and Sindhis. We forgot the simple fact
that the provincial boundaries are a remnant of
the colonial era and needed to be relegated to
history without regret. Instead of enriching our
national life by encouraging and enjoying diversity
of food, dresses, language, literature, and music
(in short, culture),we have used diversity to
discriminate, degrade, and monopolize. Diversity
which should be, by its very nature, inclusive
has became a vehicle for exclusivity. It not only
destroys our national identity but degrades our
humanity. Our treatment of religious minorities,
our women, our child laborers, our orphans, our
widows, and in some cases our elderly is shameful
and deplorable.
And this is happening in broad daylight, in the
21st century. We seem to have lost sight of that
balance, perspective, and vision so very necessary
for the enjoyment of diversity and its crucial
role in making our personal, communal, national,
and international lives more exciting, vibrant,
and rewarding. We need to return to the truth
and wisdom of the old adage that “variety
is the spice of life.”
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