Discrimination and Aggression

It does not take much effort to see that cases of aggression, abuse, and exploitation often emanate from a single pattern: Dividing people into categories, and using the notion of "we are better than them" to justify aggression, exploitation, and violation of human dignity.

Tyrants, racists, and bigots always make sure before they embarked on a campaign of exploitation and abuse that the victims of their aggression are degraded and demonized. The ways of the Pharaoh of divide, degrade, and rule are the ways of all those who exploit differences and use ideology, both religious and secular, to justify claims of superiority. The Qur'an succinctly summarizes the Pharaonic ways: "Truly Pharaoh elated himself in the land and broke up its people into sections, overpowering one group of them: their sons he slew, but kept alive their females; for he was indeed a maker of mischief." (28:4)