The first step in normalising death and destruction on such a massive scale lies in turning society against the victims — whip up the hatred that drives the juggernaut of violence forward.

How do you do that? The answer is dehumanisation.

The victims, as a group, are turned into a symbol of fear and loathing. With the help of propaganda, leaders steer the narrative to reduce them to subhuman creatures — vermin and savages and monsters who will only destroy society if allowed to remain. They’re not really people, not in the sense that others are. They are less than human, they are dangerous to humans and so, enslaving them, torturing them, even killing them is justifiable.

Read the full piece by Yumna Fatima here.