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Racism: A Quranic perspective |
The
subject of ‘race’ is somewhat controversial. To begin with,
the term has no agreed upon definition and means different
things to different people. This article briefly describes
two different concepts of ‘race’ - scientific and political
– and examines them in the light of The Qur’an.
1.
The Scientific Concept of
Race
Scientifically-speaking, ‘race’ refers to a species or
sub-classification of a species. Since all human beings
belong to a single species – Homo-Sapiens – they are
all members of a single race, the human race. The false
notion of multiple 'human races' is a pseudo-scientific
concept born of the misapplication of this term. In large
measure, scientists and others who know the true meaning of
the word ‘race’ are to blame for either directly
perpetuating the myth of human races, or not clarifying that
humans are one species.
The
notion of any group of people constituting a ‘pure race’ is
absurd. It is a confirmed scientific fact that all human
beings proceeded from the same earthly mother and father.
Scientists have known for some time about the parallel
relationship between the development of human languages and
the emergence of diverse ethnic groups throughout the world.
However, these truths were revealed in The Qur’an over 1400
years ago, long before such questions were considered
important and long before man had the means to
scientifically investigate such phenomena:
O
people, observe your Lord; the One who created you from one
being, and created from it its mate, then spread from the
two many men and women. You shall regard God, by whom you
swear, and regard the parents. God is watching over you.
(4:1)
Among His signs are the creation of the heavens and the
earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours.
In these, there are signs for the knowledgeable. (30:22)
Also, the people, the animals, and the livestock come in
various colours. This is why the people who truly reverence
God are those who are knowledgeable. God is Almighty,
Forgiving. (35:28)
2.
The Political Concept of
Race
Racism can be defined as “belief in the superiority of a
particular race; prejudice based on this (racism),
antagonism towards other races” (Oxford American Desk
Dictionary, 1998). This definition of racism is correct
in its content, but incorrect in terms of the word being
defined. As previously stated, humans are one species or one
race. An accurate definition of racism among humans would
read: “belief in the superiority of a particular group,
antagonism towards other groups.” This is an example of
intra-species prejudice wherein one group feels superior to
another group within the same species. The ‘human racist’
assumes a posture of believing that he or she is a member of
a superior ‘species’ of humans.
If a
group claiming superiority defines itself as a ‘race’, and
if there is only one race – the human race – then it
follows that those individuals and groups that do not belong
to the ‘superior’ group must belong to an ‘inferior’ group
and be classified as either sub-human or non-human. It might
be said that ‘race’ is here being used in a political
sense since it defines non-natural – in the sense of
artificial or man-made - relations of power that are set up
between individuals and groups.
A
detailed examination of the historical record shows that the
concept of ‘race’ was originally defined in terms of colour
and/or factors associated with colour, and that this
definition was constructed – that is, invented - by
people who classified themselves as ‘White’ and saw
themselves as superior to other ‘Non-White’ people. The
legacy of this approach to differentiating among human
beings on the basis of colour classification lives on in the
contemporary world, where those who self-classify as
‘White’ are generally considered superior to – and,
materially-speaking, are actually superior to
– those ‘others’ who they classify as ‘Non-White’
and/or ‘Coloured’.
On
this basis, it might be said that, politically-speaking,
‘race’ is racism, that is, race-ism or Racism,
“a system of thought, speech, and action, operated by people
who classify themselves as ‘white’, and who use deceit,
violence, and/or the threat of violence, to subjugate, use,
and/or abuse people classified as ‘non-white’, under
conditions that promote the practice of falsehood,
non-justice, and incorrectness, in one or more areas of
activity [e.g. economics, education, entertainment,
language, labour, law, politics, religion, sex and war], for
the ultimate purpose of maintaining, expanding, and/or
refining the practice of White Supremacy (Racism).” [1].
White Supremacy (Racism) is, arguably, the dominant system
of power in the contemporary world, and is structured as a
hierarchy (or pyramid) of power relations: White
Supremacists (Racists) at the top of the hierarchy (apex of
the pyramid), ‘White’ people at the next level down, ‘Black’
people at the bottom of the hierarchy (base of the pyramid),
and other Non-White people in the ‘space’ between ‘White’
people and ‘Black’ people.
3.
The Pre-Historical Roots of
Racism
As
stated above, according to The Qur’an, all human
beings are coloured, including those who self-classify as
'White'. Therefore, by setting themselves off against or
‘distancing’ themselves from 'coloured' people, White
Supremacists (Racists) are rejecting their God-given
colouring. In this connection, it is significant to note
that the Arabic verb, sha-th'a-na, from which is
derived the noun, ash-Shay'th'aan (‘The Satan’),
means “to become distant”. On this basis, it might be said
that ash-Shay'th'aan refers to the aggressive,
alienating (or ‘distancing’) personality type among human
beings and that White Supremacists (Racists) are examples of
people who manifest this type. (Significantly, ash-shay'th'aan
is designated in The Qur’an as 'aduuwun mubeen (open
enemy) for humanity; hence, White Supremacists (Racists) are
open enemies to all peoples, 'White' and 'Non-White'
alike.)
However, the aggressive, alienating personality type – or
ash-Shay’th’aan - is not the source of racism. According
to The Qur’an, the root of racism lies in the arrogant
refusal of Iblees to bow down before ‘Adam
when commanded to do so by God:
Your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being
from aged mud, like potter's clay. Once I perfect him, and
blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate
before him.” The angels fell prostrate; all of them, except
Iblees. He refused to be with those who prostrate.
(15:28-31)
He (God) said, “What prevented you from prostrating when I
ordered you?” He (Iblees) said, “I am better then he; You
created me from fire, and created him from mud.” (7:12)
The
noun, Iblees, is derived from the Arabic verb,
ba-la-sa, which means “he became wrapped up in grief” or
dejected. It appears from The Qur’an that Iblees
could not accept that ‘Adam had been created as a
successor (khalifah) in the earth and became
frustrated. In psychological language, it might be said that
Iblees was non-compliant, externalized or blamed
others for his failings, needed a scapegoat to project his
anxieties and weaknesses on to, and was in denial of the
truth. Among his other pathologies, Iblees suffered
from a neurotic condition known as a superiority complex
which masks feelings of inferiority. (The superiority
complex may be defined as a compulsive drive to overcome
anxiety and feelings of inferiority by exalting one's self
(or group) above humankind.) Iblees also suffered
from delusions of grandeur. Delusions of grandeur are
defined as false beliefs resting upon self-aggrandizement,
boastfulness, pride, and self-assertiveness; extravagant and
impossible claims are made and plans are drawn.
Many
humans fall prey to this ploy of Iblees-racism
accompanied with the superiority complex and delusions of
grandeur. Psychological and social seeds of racism have been
firmly planted in all societies, past and present. In any
community, there will be individuals who have a compulsive
drive to feel innately superior to other individuals.
This compulsive drive is a means of compensating for their
real or imagined limitations, feeling better about
themselves, and coping with anxiety.
It
is crucial to appreciate that ignorance is not the cause of
racism; arrogance is. Like ‘the First Racist’, all
racists want to position themselves as ‘Superiors’. Racism
is usually spawned from: (1) distorting the significance of
natural (God-given) differences in characteristics such as
skin complexion, physical features, culture, language, and
place of geographic origin, or (2) accepting bogus false
‘differences’ invented by individuals and groups who distort
facts to promote racist ideas.
It
is worthwhile pointing out that some individuals are
“reactive racists”. Having been victims of racism, reactive
racists embrace racist ideas as a defence to repudiate
racist beliefs directed against them. (This might be
referred to as ‘petty racism’ in contrast to Racism (White
Supremacy) which is a system of global oppression.)
They justify their racist beliefs by saying that they are
only “balancing the scales”, and claim to be “revealing true
facts”. (Some of their “facts” are really shared fantasies).
For example, those who advocate replacing White Supremacy
(Racism) with Black Supremacy (a non-existent system) are,
in fact, advocating replacing Racism with Racism. The
real alternative to Racism (White Supremacy) is not
Black Supremacy; it is justice. This means
recognising all human beings, irrespective of their
colour, as human beings and affording them respect
merely on that basis, that is, on the grounds that they
share the same original mother and father and are,
therefore, all equally human. According to The Qur’an,
recognition between peoples must be mutual, the only
valid criterion for rank being the extent to which an
individual acts in accordance with the Laws of God in order
to safeguard him or her self from the possibility of self
destruction:
(49:13) O
Mankind! Behold, We have created you male and female, and
have made you nations and tribes so that you might recognise
one another. Verily, the most honoured among you, in the
Sight of God, is the one who most closely guards himself
from the possibility of self-destruction (by following the
Laws of God). Behold, God is Knower, Aware.
4.
Conclusion
Racism, irrespective of whether it is of the ‘petty’ kind or
the global, systemic type that is White Supremacy (Racism),
is a psychopathological condition that is wholly
incompatible with self-surrender to God (Al-Islam).
One who self-surrenders (a Muslim) recognizes that
God alone is The Superior One over His creation with no
equal or ‘competitor’. By contrast, a racist gives him or
her self over to ‘the First Racist’, Iblees and the
aggressive, alienating personality type, ash-Shay’th’aan,
the open enemy of humanity.
There is only one solution to the psychopathological problem
that is racism – or Racism (White Supremacy) – and that is
complete self-surrender to God, Al-Islam.
References
[1]
Fuller, N. (1984) The United Independent Compensatory
Code/System/Concept – a textbook/workbook for thought,
speech and/or action for victims of racism (white supremacy).
[2]
Mills, C. W. (1999) The Racial Contract. Cornell
University Press.
[3]
Jensen, D. (2004) The Culture of Make Believe.
Chelsea Green Publishing.
Contact
For
comments, email: Dr Syed Mustafa Ali (being_there@hotmail.com)
20/11/2004 |