Discrimination and sectarianism 

Editorial from AMP Youth Leaders Mariane, Julia and Saadalah

Rohingya, Kurds, Syriacs, all names you might not have heard before, who even are they? 

These are only a small part of stateless indigenous communities that are currently facing persecution and discrimination in their homes, forced to abandon their languages and history just to stay safe and please others, but why should we care? 

Let me tell you a short story, The Rohingya In Myanmar are named “world’s most persecuted Minority group” by the United Nations, where At least 420,000 Rohingya have since fled into neighboring Bangladesh to escape what a senior United Nations official has called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”. and even when they requested safe passages, their requests were denied by the secretary of the Rakhine state government, since they had enough rice and were protected by a nearby police outpost.

“Their reasons were not acceptable,” he said. “They must stay in their original place.” so their only option was to stay, and their fraught relations with equally edgy Rakhine neighbors could snap at any moment. It’s said that Rakhine men have made threatening phone calls and recently congregated outside the village to shout, “Leave, or we will kill you all”.

Terrifying right? Ready for another one?

In Syria, Kurds and Syriacs were used to getting hit by their teachers in school if they ever communicated in their language, they strictly had to use Arabic, these innocent kids were banned from using their mother languages just to please a radical racist teacher, as well as being threatened and persecuted by ISIS daily during that period.

Another force just as destructive as ethnic cleansing has been eating away at countries and their peace, you guessed it, Sectarianism. Sectarianism isn’t just about individuals hating each other, it’s when entire systems, governments, and communities split people along religious, ethnic, or cultural lines.

Sectarianism isn’t new, it’s been here for centuries, shaping empires and destroying others. In the Middle East, ruling through favoritism while sidelining another deepened divides, allowing it to deepen its roots into daily lives. South Asia saw similar tactics during British rule, where religious communities were pitted against each other. Which put the spotlight on sectarianism allowing leaders to discover its immense power and how it could be used to control populations, justify violence, or secure political power.

Looking at the global impact, in Lebanon politics are literally built on sectarian quotas, chaining people with identities that they didn’t choose to be born into, fueling instability instead of unity. In Iraq and Syria, Sunni-Shia tensions and extremist groups turned neighbors into foes, taking innocent civilian lives in the process. South Asia bleeds as well, India and Pakistan remain scarred by violence and hate that flare up whenever politics ignite it.

Everything you read in this blog ties back to this larger pattern: the Rohingya crisis wasn’t just ethnic cleansing, it was built into law. The 1982 citizenship Law stripped Rohingya of citizenship, branding them as “foreigners”. And in Syria things escalated again in 2025 resulting in the Alawite and Druze genocides, showing how dangerous sectarian hate is. From targeted killings to entire villages and even parts of one city burnt to the ground. Reminding us that sectarianism doesn’t just destroy lives, it poisons entire generations.

So, is sectarianism inevitable? NO! It’s created and maintained by humans, and it CAN be challenged. It doesn’t just kill people, it erases traditions, languages, and entire communities, leaving countries scarred for generations. The stories of the Rohingya, Kurds, Syriacs, Alawites, and Druze are not just sad stories, they are warnings for the future, reminding us that hatred thrives in silence, and by standing up for the marginalized and demanding justice, we break that silence and with it their power over us.

That’s the first step towards healing fractured societies.

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