Fear and Ignorance

As mankind stands at the threshold of the 21st century, never before in history has it been clearer that our biggest challenge for the future is dealing with the age-old problems of fear and ignorance. Never before in history have we had the sort of communications and information technology that potentially allows humanity permanently to do away with fear and ignorance, spreading enlightenment and understanding to the darkest, most God-forsaken corners of the earth. And never before in history have the forces of fear and ignorance, in the form of fundamentalism, extremism, fanaticism and religious terrorism, posed a more direct threat to the future of humanity.

F.D.R.'s inspired words, uttered in the heart of the Great Depression, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself," have never been more relevant than today. Truly, we are plagued by nothing else than our fears and our ignorance. These regressive forces have been apparent in the past as primitive ritualism, superstition, shamanism, and the tendency to fear the unknown. Most primitive cultures had a “shaman”—a figure of mystery and terror who wielded authority in the society based on their ability to intimidate the rest of the populace and keep them psychologically enslaved, in a state of primitive fear of the unknown characterized by superstition, misogyny and xenophobia. As primitive society matured into urban civilization, the shaman potentially faced extinction as his ability to control society through intimidation was severely compromised by the perpetuation of education and technology.

In modern times, while shamanism is no longer a reality, the role of the shaman, namely that of the terrifying mystic who wields a position of authority based on the intimidation of the ignorant masses, is invariably assumed by figures of religious fundamentalism and extremism. This tendency is most evident in backward, regressive Islamic states such as Iran and Pakistan—cultures in which figures of religious authority are, very often, supreme, and which thrive on religious bigotry, misogyny, and the suppression of individual rights and freedoms. Regressive cultures such as these invariably feel threatened by their progressive, democratic neighbors, like India, which have historically been major centers of culture and commerce and are now growing technological hubs. As such, these backward, regressive, failing societies whose very existence is threatened by the advance of technology and the perpetuation of enlightenment, tend to respond with cowardly acts of terror and violence, striking out at urban progress in a desperate bid to legitimize their own failing existence.

This trend is only the latest phase in an age-old problem. As long as there have been regressive forces that thrive on fear and ignorance, whether it be in the form of primitive superstition or religious fundamentalism or fanatical extremism, they have invariably, often violently, opposed the progress of education and enlightenment. Never before in human history has there been a greater promise for the total eradication of fear and ignorance from the face of the earth through the widespread proliferation of communications and information technology in the form of the Internet and networked mobile devices. And never before in history has there been a greater threat to modern society posed by terrorism sponsored by fundamentalist and extremist religious groups rooted in regressive, backward societies clinging to obsolete doctrines and dogmas that seek to perpetuate religious authoritarianism, misogyny and xenophobia.

I guess, ultimately, the choice is ours—do we succumb to our irrational fears and negate the promise of modern understanding and technological advancement to work towards a better educated, more progressive society, or do we resist these fears and the forces of terror that seek to destabilize and undo us? Horizon Cybermedia is wholeheartedly committed to the causes of progressiveness and modernism and to opposing the forces of primitivism, fear and ignorance. Check out our website at http://www.explorationtheseries.com for continually updating content dedicated to promoting understanding between cultures and societies and overcoming the destructive forces of fear and ignorance that threaten to divide and enslave us.

Wishing you the very best,

Uday Gunjikar,
Founder and CEO,
Horizon Cybermedia, Inc.