Living in a multicultural society among people of different faiths, ethnicity, and nationalities has a number of obvious advantages as well as disadvantages. If an individual, or the society as a whole, is able to tap the positive synergy of diversity, there are enormous benefits to be gained. On the other hand, we are just as likely to reap the equally destructive downside of religious hatred, ethnic rivalries, and nationalist jingoism, if we choose to ignore the pitfalls.
             Multicultural and diverse communities enable societies to benefit from a diversity of skills. Consider the reasons behind the rise of the United States as a major world power in the last two centuries. The philosophy of the country's Constitution was based on the strict separation of religion from the affairs of the State, freedom, and liberty. This enabled people of different faiths to make America their home without fear; the country also attracted a diverse mix of talented people from around the globe and provided them with the opportunity to pursue the "American Dream." As a result, the enormous energies of a whole mass of people, working for their own individual well-being, unleashed a positive synergy for the benefit of an entire society. The path to the country's development and a harmonious society has, however, not been without its share of hiccups. The issue of slavery, for example, had threatened to tear the Union apart at the very outset and racism has, at various times in the country's history, jeopardized the harmonious development of its multicultural society.
             Another advantage of living in a multicultural society is that it provides us with an opportunity to appreciate, understand, and accept other people's customs and cultures. Such ability, apart from developing our own personalities in a positive way, has become particularly important in a globalized world where it can be put to good effect. In an increasingly co...