I read the article “ ‘Caste’ and ‘Race’ between Delhi and Durban” by Wajahat Ahmad (GK 03-08-07) It is really great to see such articles exposing the myth of racial superiority. The author has written about the Racism in South Africa but Racism is a global phenomenon and apart from South Africa its traces can still be found in all Western countries including the most advanced US and Britain.
Racism has indeed brought a lot of disasters to humankind. The hatred which is felt against other races is responsible for the majority of conflicts, clashes and civil wars around the world. For instance, “Racism” brought to the Africa Continent for long years violence, clashes, wars, starvation and misery. Until the 1950s, the people of this continent suffered from all the forms of violence and racist policies which the imperialist countries imposed. The concept of Racism suggests that one particular race is, either physically or mentally or both, superior to another and that it is unnecessary for the superior one to have feelings of mercy, compassion and respect for the other.
The foundation of the modern Racism was actually laid by the Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Some people who have heard of “the theory of evolution” think that it is only concerned with the biological field. The theory of evolution, however, represents more than this. Not merely a biological concept, it is the underpinning of many philosophies that hold the masses under their influence. Darwin’s theory had a significant dimension. Darwin based the development of living beings, including human beings, on the term “the struggle for survival.” According to him, there is a fierce struggle, a constant conflict, going on in nature. In this struggle, the strong always defeat the weak and thus progress occurs. Darwin maintained that this “struggle for survival” is also true for human races.
The leaders of Nazism and Fascism were greatly inspired by the Darwin’s theory of evolution. One of the founders and the leader of the German Nazi Party, Adolph Hitler, was an ambitious and aggressive man who based part of his outlook on life on Racism. Hitler firmly believed in the superiority of the Aryan “master race” and that this was the race that would lead all other nations. Also the principle features of Fascism are dictatorial state rule, and an aggressive foreign policy. But alongside all of these, its really dominant characteristic is Racism. When we look at the Nazi ideology, in particular, we can see that it is Racism that makes Fascism what it is. The Nazis set out with the dream of establishing the hegemony of the Aryan race, which they believed to be superior, over the whole world, an idea on which all their policies and social measures were based. Racism was also the fundamental ideology of other fascist regimes, such as those of Mussolini , even if not to the extent it was in Nazism. Mussolini suggested that the Romans who had governed the Roman Empire were a “superior race,” and that the Italians, as their descendants, also possessed this superior nature. The conquest of Ethiopia was based on this notion of the superior race, and that the black skinned Ethiopians need submit to the Italians, in accordance to what was perceived as a natural racial hierarchy. Franco made similar claims for the Spanish.
In the holy Qur’an, Allah declares that various nations and tribes exist so that “people might come to know each other.” The diversity of nations, races, tribes and languages is a beauty peculiar to Allah’s creation. These peculiarities are all the distinctive creation of Allah with countless beauties, purposes and subtle secrets within them. The Qur’an mentions: “Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah’s sight is the one with the most taqwa of Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware”. (Surat al-Hujurat: 13)
The above verse is perfectly clear. No matter by what criteria human beings are judged in this world, in God’s eyes, superiority consists of closeness to Him, and fear of Him. An individual or group which chooses to see one race as superior, or tries to demonstrate it to be so, is deceiving itself. Further the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab over an Arab and a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor a black person over a white person - except by piety and good actions”.
Regarding Caste system although there are many movements for caste reform and offenses against “untouchables” are now banned by law, caste alliances remain a powerful political and social force in India. And the caste system still retains great strength in the countryside, where the majority of India’s people live. However, Urbanization and industrialization have increased Indian social mobility and thereby modified the caste system. But Modernization and economic development have just tended to modify the caste system and has not eradicated it completely. But if we want to eradicate the curses of caste and race from our society completely, then it is only possible by living by the principles of the right religion and making others obey them.
(This Article Has been written by Yaqeen Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander. It was published in Greater Kashmir, a leading english newspaper of Kashmir on 10-08-07. Please Click the following link to read this article directly from the Greater Kashmir Website http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=10_8_2007&ItemID=2&cat=11 )
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