Sometimes people make stupid decisions. Sometimes whole nations take stupid decisions. It doesn’t make them bad people, necessarily. Look deeper and you may find that they were led astray, and the real blame, if that’s even the right word, rests with those who spread lies and deceit. Or just gossip and rumour. Even those folk may not really have known what they were doing and should be treated with compassion.
But folk who spread hatred, intolerance and bigotry to further their own ends and accumulate wealth and power? I’m not sure they should be so easily forgiven.