Quotes about Inter-Ethnic Conflict

Mahatma Gandhi

About this mixing of the Kaffirs with the Indians, I must confess I feel most strongly. I think it is very unfair to the Indian population, and it is an undue tax on even the proverbial patience of my countrymen.

Gahdhi’s early career was in South Africa. What makes this quotation very interesting is that it shows Ghandi---one of the great disciples of brotherhood and equality of all men---had a period when he was outraged that Indians would have Blacks (Kaffirs) located in their neighborhood. It illustrates the personal transition that he made from prejudiced, parochial advocate for a particular ethnic group to an advocate and spokesman for all mankind.

Henry Walter Bates

The city and province were given up to anarchy; the coloured people, elated with victory, proclaimed the slaughter of all whites, except the English, French, and American residents.

Vlade Divac

For a lot of Croats, if you're a Serb, they don't want to associate with you. It's just stupid.

Chittaranjan Das

When English education was introduced in this country, the Mahomedans did not accept it… They did not accept English education and at the same time they were divorced from the culture which their fathers had advanced. The result was that whereas the Hindus got on in life, got into government employment, got many things which people value in life, the Mahomedans were left without it and gradually there came to be a sort of estrangement between the two nationalities

“Mahomedans” was a term at the time that was used to describe Muslims. This is one of the first serious analyses of why there was very differential achievement levels between Hindus and Muslims in Colonial India which have led to schisms that exist even now.

T. E. Lawrence

As long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people, a silly people, greedy, barbarous and cruel.

Narek Mesropian

It is in our blood to hate the Turks. However, we hate Bulgarians and Greeks also. The Jews like Turks, but they hate Arabs. The Arabs, in their turn, are not in favor with the Turks. And the level of hatred is rising...

Lakhdar Brahimi

In Rwanda that genocide happened because the international community and the Security Council refused to give, again, another 5000 troops which would have cost, I don't know, maybe fifty, a hundred, million dollars.

Ayman Odeh

If Jews don't come to Nazareth, Arabs don't go to Afula. There is fear on both sides.

Inter-Ethnic Conflict Quotes