Once I was hanging out in a party. We were two guys talking in a corner of the party. Other guy was Indian Hindu. Few feets away a Pakistani Muslim was standing and eating something. He was not involved in our conversations but he might be overhearing our conversation. In that party, Another Indian Muslim guy X and his wife were also there and they were hanging out somewhere in the party. I noticed them and turned our conversation, “Hey, Have you seen X’s wife, she is damm hot.”
Indian Hindu guy looked around and said with little anger, “You are a complete idiot. Before saying things like this, you should check around that who can be listening”
I said carelessly, “Man! we are in a corner and only this Pakistani Muslim can hear us and I know him well. He wouldn’t mind”.
Indian Hindu guy was surprised with my naive thinking and whispered, “You don’t know them(Muslim). They collude beyond your imagination. Certainly, your friend will tell X about what you were saying.”
My jaw fell and only thing i could say, “What!”
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In India, checking out married woman is considered very rude but you can safely speak about an unmarried woman among your friends without raising eyebrows. I wouldn’t have surprised if he would have asked me not to say such thing for that woman. But, He objected on very specific situation. He told me not to trust a Pakistani friend. He may tell another Indian Muslim that I was checking out Indian Muslim’s wife. Just because both are Muslim. This was something which was beyond my imagination. I have seen same Indian Hindu guy hanging out with Pakistanis. He is so friendly to them such that I couldn’t believe his mistrust on Muslims.
This is something which I have observed in all kinds of people. No matter how friendly relationship people have.* There exist an underline mistrust or a distance between people just because of difference of race, country or religion. Many argue that it is natural human behavior. I have hard time to accept this argument. I am still searching for a solid counter argument to defeat it.
*Certainly, there are exceptions
I don't know 