ABSTRACT
Rumors about "others" become especially prevalent in times of riots and violence, which "are virtually always preceded by rumor, fueled by rumor, and then interpreted by rumor". But rumors about "others" are also present in the peaceful and ordinary life, even when an official ideology of tolerance forbids the open expression of hostility. Ingo Schneider presents a cluster of persistent rumors that express hostility between groups but are not accompanied by violent riots comparable to those that are a regular feature of life in India. However, Schneider demonstrates the interest that even minor events can have for unraveling the complex factors that establish a "tense situation" between groups who share a territory but wish to differentiate themselves from neighbors they have not chosen. In prejudice and conflicts, rumors express emotions that are pre-existing but also fuel them. Stereotypes not only distort reality but also create it, locking accusers and accused in an all too real prison of envy and fear.
