Chapel Hill shooting

Hate crime and sociopathy

We live in a world where international conflict, racial prejudice, and social and political injustices are common in almost every society. Killing in the name of religion, class, political differences, personal agendas, etc, is a disgraceful act that not only generates hate among the parties involved but influences the entire society in a negative way. This, however, has become a norm in recent times and can be witnessed frequently in many parts of the world. The world over debate about diminishing terrorism has led to nowhere, rather it has created hate against Muslims among westerners and other non-Muslim populations. The world has created an image that every riot, killing, terrorist attack is carried out by none other than Muslims and that has now become a mindset of every non-Muslim, hence they do not hesitate to label every innocent Muslim, ‘terrorist’.

But if the crime or a terrorist activity is carried out by non-Muslims against Muslims living in majority areas like US and Europe, it is not taken into consideration and the world presses a snooze button and pretends as if the incident never happened. This attitude will definitely create negative sensations between Muslims and non-Muslims, and the world.

The Chapel Hill shooting of three innocent Muslim students is an act of serious brutality and ruthlessness. A difference generated on a mere parking space does not lead to inhumanely massacring innocent lives but undeniably depicts detestation against Muslims that has been submerged in the minds of non-Muslims

The Chapel Hill shooting of three innocent Muslim students is an act of serious brutality and ruthlessness. A difference generated on a mere parking space does not lead to inhumanely massacring innocent lives but undeniably depicts detestation against Muslims that has been submerged in the minds of non-Muslims. The entire world believes in the stereotypical depiction of Muslims defined by non-Muslims and refers to the attributes that people think characterise an extremist group, which is not true.

In social psychology, stereotype is a thought that can be adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things and these thoughts or beliefs may not necessarily reflect reality. Three concepts; stereotype, discrimination and prejudice, respectively are widely seen today. Stereotype is more of a cognitive component and often occurs without conscious awareness. Prejudice is the affecting component of stereotyping and discrimination is the behavioural component of prejudicial reactions. In this multilateral view of intergroup attitudes, stereotypes reflect expectations and beliefs about the characteristics of members of groups perceived as different from one’s own, prejudice represents the emotional response, and discrimination refers to actions. For stereotyping to function on an intergroup level an individual must perceive themselves as part of a group and being part of that group must also be salient for the individual. First the Paris attack and now the Chapel Hill shooting case is a true representation of these three concepts which work side by side.

The Chapel Hill shooter presents a perfect example of socio-pathology and abhorrence, lacking a strong sense of conscience and profound empathy for the problems of others

Individuals are and have been since ages attacking other individuals on the basis of class, race, religion, national origin, gender, etc. Hate crime is often committed, especially by older adults, by people who have one thing in common. They usually don’t regard their hate offense as a game or sport committed for the fun of it, instead they sense a real and a personal threat being directed against them and are deadly serious in what they consider to be an appropriate reaction. The Chapel Hill shooter presents a perfect example of socio-pathology and abhorrence, lacking a strong sense of conscience and profound empathy for the problems of others. In today’s world, a sociopath is like a nice neighbour who one day ‘goes off’ killing three innocent individuals on a mere argument over a parking space.

To make our realm safe from atrocities, it is the responsibility of every individual belonging to whichever race, class, religion, political party to bury differences and perspectives fashioned years ago and ponder over the idea that human lives certainly matter. Be it Muslims or non-Muslims, all lives are precious and labelling one group over a stereotypical image will not do justice to anyone, but will rather make lives miserable.