If we can exit a relationship, pressure to reconcile lessens; if we must live with those who have wronged us, we are pushed to reconcile.
Miroslav VolfRead
There is no more effective way to radicalize American Muslim youth than for political leaders to make public displays of prejudice against all Muslims. Suspicion will undermine their sense of identification with America and alienate some from both the culture and from politics.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Prejudice against Muslims can lead to radicalization and alienation of Muslim youth.
Miroslav Volf highlights the detrimental impact that political prejudice can have on American Muslim youth. When political leaders express bias against Muslims, it not only fosters suspicion but also weakens their connection to American identity, potentially pushing them away from mainstream culture and political engagement. This alienation can create a divide that makes radicalization more likely as these youth struggle to find their place in society.
Themes
PrejudiceRadicalizationIdentityAlienationPolitics
In practice
Example use cases
During a community workshop on diversity, this quote can be used to highlight the harmful effects of prejudice.
More from Miroslav Volf
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If no one remembers a misdeed or names it publically, it remains invisible. To the observer, its victim is not a victim and its perpetrator is not a perpetrator; both are misperceived because the suffering of the one and the violence of the other go unseen. A double injustice occurs-the first when the original deed is done and the second when it disappears.
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There is no space in which worship should not take place, no time when it should not occur, and no activity through which it should not happen.
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To affirm that God is God is to want to live in a particular way.
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