In a society of Muslims the presence of stereotypes should be uncommon.

In a society of Muslims the presence of stereotypes should be uncommon. The stereotypes cannot hold and portray compassion for all mankind in common, while Islam, in a nutshell, is "Serving the Creator and showing compassion for His creatures. (Hadith). Islam esteems the whole mankind as one people with no distinction with regard to race, tribe or colour.

It has however set one distinction, a spiritual one, transcending all others and that is: those who are dutiful to Allah are the ones who are honourable in the sight of Allah. (Verse 49: 13). Stereotypes are prone to stooping further for an added comfort of their weakness. They will be seen peddling supposedly "a righteous hate", again with no valid basis for it. Hate is even worse than prejudice.

A child let toying with a prejudice to grow into hate is like letting him have a pet who grows into a monster, who later in life can- not be controlled, caged or made to disappear. And There Was This Child... There was this small child with her maid seated in a public garden. She was deriving fun by engaging her maid in a game of teasing her sense of concern for the child. She would wander off away from her to prompt the maid to plead to her to come back.

When the maid makes a move to stand up to go after her she would sprint back and cling to her with her small arms around the maid's neck, and cheeks pressed hard against each other's to assure the maid that she is back safe. At times, the child would fondle the maid's ears or play with the maid's hair with her small hands in instinctive human attachment. It never dawns upon the child that they both are "different" in race and colour from one another.

Such a behaviour of a child is always a manifestation of the inherent human nature free of contrasting behavioural traits which are acquired later. The holy Qur'an is eloquent regarding this basic human nature of commonalty by saying that all human- beings are one single people (verse 5:48), with a common dignity to all mankind (verse 17:70). Any prejudice with regard to the fact that people though one, are not one single "Ummah" (nation), is to question the Creator's wisdom (11: 118).

Discourse and discussion of the subject mentioned in the verses with children at home at opportune moments are remarkably effective. Apart from other considerations, children will be saved from the unworthy emotions and their consequent effects on their mental and physical health.