First and foremost, I love these pictures. So much. I just had to write that again in order to emphasise how much I love these pictures.
Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of asylum seekers from different religious backgrounds including Hindu, Muslim and Christian during an Easter mass outside of Rome on Thursday. The "gesture of brotherhood" epitomised tolerance and I am glad that the Pope did this act because he showed that despite the increasing tensions around the world, it is important to continue treating people with respect and having tolerance towards people who are not from the same religions or cultures as us.
It is without a shadow of a doubt that there are some people who do not and can not possess tolerance in the way that the Pope exemplifies within these pictures. After the Brussels attacks, many Europeans (and to an extent Americans) are now vehemently anti-immigration and they want the open door policy revoked as well as boarders closed. They have concluded that welcoming immigrants, especially those from Islamic states, only causes hostility and terrorist attacks. In addition, many also hold the misconception that Islam is a religion of terrorist attacks and this is worsened by the likes of Donald Trump who has proposed an anti-Muslim policy by saying "they're not coming to this country if I am president" as he believes that America is "out of control" and needs to be protected.
Nevertheless, the Brussels attacks have also caused some within the United Kingdom to strongly want to "vote out" of the European Union in the June 2016 referendum. It seems that the people who want to leave also believe that immigration only causes harm and does not have any benefits. In addition, some individuals strongly feel that the European Union controls the country as it allows immigrants, through the free movement, to "flood" the country without the permission of the government. "Don't let them in!" is a statement that I have seen circulating among the Daily Mail comments in regards to the refugees in camps and in the Calais jungle.
In addition, many refugees within the refugee camps are treated in an abysmal manner. Their human rights are almost non existent, they have no access to food, clean water shelter and basic sanitation. Last week, there was outrage over a woman who gave birth and the infant was washed with muddy puddle water due to lack of clean water. The incident at the Greek boarder with Macedonia opened the eyes of many in regards to the lack of resources the refugees have access to. Furthermore, there has also been many reported incidents of sexual assault on women and children within camps however this is hardly addressed nor dealt with. Migrants in Calais have sewn their lips shut in protest of the way that their human rights are not being respected. Unfortunately, however, it seems that all the efforts are not even being acknowledged by the authorities or the people who have enough political power to change all these deprivations.
This is why I said I love the pictures above because among all the hostility, hate, tension, intolerance, hatred and ignorance, the Pope may be the only European person who has shown these refugees respect since their arrival at the refugee camps. His actions are a breath of fresh air considering that we only see immigrants in the media outlets being discussed as the enemy that want to cause harm to Europe. Someone stated that he is a religious leader so he has to do that. Even if that is the case, at least he showed the respect and utilised this opportunity to showcase that they are people too... just like us.
