THEY WALK IN SHADOWS, have long black beards, a dark complexion and are of Middle Eastern appearance. They hijack planes and bomb innocent people. Who you ask? Muslims. Terrorists. Arabs. The fundamentalist demons of the 21st century of which we have all become so afraid. And why are we so afraid? Because they pose a threat to our established views, ethics and beliefs.
             With all this talk of terrorism and the 'other' in our world, I am beginning to feel a sense of Déjâ vu. There seems to be a reiteration of an established pattern, repeated over and over again throughout history.
             It is almost as if we have been catapulted back in time, into the Puritan mentality of Salem 1692. We now have modern day witch-hunts, extended incarcerations without trial and torture instead of hangings. Anyone and everyone who fits the desired description of the dangerous 'other' is suspected of terrorism, whether they have committed a crime or not.
             This issue was detailed in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. There was mass hysteria about witchcraft and the 'devil' being rampant in their society. When it spread beyond control people whom the dominant members of society disliked, and saw as different, or 'other' were targeted and branded as witches. This resulted in hangings and various other tortures.
             The accused, labelled as 'devils' or 'witches' are the victims in this scenario. They are deprived of the right to be innocent before proven guilty.
             Society's fear of the devil and this desire to eliminate the threat provided the justification for the gruesome acts they committed.
             Unfortunately we cannot say, almost 600 years later that this mentality has disappeared from dominant societies. Rather, it has become a more established and reinforced pattern. It is especially evident in the situation in Iraq, the aftermath of September 11 and in the cas...