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Has the world seen the best and the worst of humanity since the Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand?  How did New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern handle the aftermath of the tragedy? Is her genuine compassion and decisiveness a shining example of leadership?  How was the response to the tragedy from major world leaders like US President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Imran Khan? What does it say about them?

Who came out to show support for Muslim communities around the world?  How did New Zealanders show solidarity with Muslims?  How did Muslims in Silicon Valley deal with the aftermath of the tragedy? Who joined them in mourning?

Who celebrated the massacre of innocent Muslims and why? What do White Nationalism and Hindu Nationalism have in common? Are these two sides of the same coin? Who was BS Moonje and why did he meet Mussolini? Who was Golwalkar and why did he admire Hitler? What is Modi’s connection with Golwalkar’s RSS movement?  What did he say about Hitler’s treatment of Jews as “a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by”?

What did Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik say about Hindu Nationalists in his manifesto? Are White Nationalists and Hindu Nationalists reinforcing each other on social media platforms? What role does social media play in promoting extremist ideologies? What can be done to manage this problem?

The question is, why the terrorism in the name of Islam has a similar narrative?  Is it also a form of nationalism with a religious mark like Hindu nationalism? Is Pakistan turning to a society where this narrative would lead the country especially after the Bhawalpur incident where a student killed a professor and confessed on national media without any remorse?  Is the new government in Pakistan, which used the most sensitive religious card during its election campaign and whose cabinet members openly show their ties with ultra-right wing and extremist organizations, is the first sign of such narrative making to the top leadership in Pakistan?

 Viewpoint From Overseas host Misbah Azam discusses these questions with Sabahat Ashraf (ifaqeer) and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)

Tags: Christchurch, terrorism, mosque massacre, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand, Donald Trump, Narendra Modi, White Nationalism, Hindu Nationalism, Islamic Extremism