THE ISSUE OF COMPARISON

During a trip to America, I met some Muslims who had migrated from India to settle in the United States. I asked them why they left their homeland to come here. Everyone’s response was that they found peace in America, but not in India. I said that this is only half the truth. Peace is not tied to any country. Instead, peace has a price, and wherever you pay that price, you will find peace. This price is adjustment.

Then I pointed out that Muslims in America face the same issues they do in India. However, in India, Muslims tend to become intolerant when confronted with these problems. In America, they often remain silent about them. This is why they experience peace in America but not in India. I mentioned that in India, Muslims face issues such as interference in personal law, discrimination in employment, non-Islamic content in textbooks, and desecration of mosques, among others. These same issues are also present in America. However, the key difference is that in India, Muslims engage in protest politics over these issues, whereas in America, they tend to ignore them and move on. It is this difference in how Muslims respond—more than the difference between the countries—that has led to unrest.

This example illustrates how easily people fall into making incorrect comparisons. In fact, most errors in thinking stem from comparing things incorrectly. When the comparison is accurate, thinking is correct; when the comparison is flawed, thinking is flawed. In this world, only those who understand this simple rule of thinking can form correct opinions. Those who do not understand it will never be able to reach sound judgment.