Racism

Racism whether open or hidden, is an evil aspect of life which Islams seeks to eradicate. It is clear from the verses of the Quran; the book of the muslims, and many sayings of The Final Prophet  which have been narrated by his companions, that differences in colour, tribes, races, or traditions are not to be excuses for unjust behaviour or treatment. The Quran rehearses the words of the Almighty Allah which reasons against racial discrimination and puts an end to it.

"O Mankind, we created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you in to tribes and nations so that you may know each other (not that you despise each other). Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who is most righteous of you." (Al-Quran, Chapter 49, Verse 13)

Allah explains the reason behind why he created mankind and then put them in to alternative tribes and nations. It is made clear and all doubts are seized when the most merciful Allah states: "that you may know each other". Without distinguishable recognistion (e.g. clones) life would be very difficult. Some cultures have occupational or hereditary caste systems, such systems institutionalise the sin of pride, stagnate community development by class and are against the basic islamic principle of equality

Also referred to as: Islamaphobia, Taassub, Anti-Semitism, Neo-Nazi, Extremism, Fascism,racial discrimination, discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, intolerance, xenophobia, bias, racialism

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Islam & Racism

Racism? 
Islams view on racism with reference to the Quran 
The last prophets declaration to eradicating discrimination in race 
Scientific approach defining change in colour 
Compulsory acts in Islam justifying unity

Racism?
Racism is a innate belief in superiority in oneself over another. This mainly occurs in groups who have difference in colour. Discrimination also arises with difference in traditions also. However intolerance develops the most in colour alterations between communities. Although science has already proved the fact about everyone leading up to the same parents, Adam and Eve, the ideology still exists within many communities, tribes, and in generation until the truth is displayed and made manifest before them.
In the early nineteenth century racism was an open act made evident before the world. In U.S.A a group known as the K.K.K (Ku. Klux Klan) arose with objectives such as wiping out the black community. The majority of this suppressed community looked forward as the many states in America gathered together and supported the group of K.K.K who  fought against the black community trying to eradicate them from the face of the earth. In many states, the black community were compelled to separating from the white people. Each community had their own facilities. The living standards of the black community was made poor due to the lack of assistance in improving the facilities of this restrained group. However the final outcome was that the white community were far better treated than the black. One could almost call it "The days of ignorance in United States of America".
America was not the only country to accept this ideology, places such as South  Africa also suffered the same fate where racial discrimination was practised openly. There are many countries still present in this world in which many tribes and nations still have to put up with this inhumane torture. The above mentioned is a lot less than a brief account of the results in which any type of discrimination takes place. Many peoples lives are made difficult and the rate of suicide events increase due to suffering too many hardships in life from the oppressing group.

Islams view on racism with reference to the Quran (The word of Allah)
Racism whether upon open or hidden, is an evil aspect of life which Islams seeks to eradicate. It is clear from the versus of the Quran, the book of the muslims, and many sayings of our final prophet which have narrated by his companions, that differences in colour, tribes, races, or traditions are not to be excuses for unjust behaviour or treatment. The Quran rehearses the words of the almighty Allah which reasons against racial discrimination and puts an end to it in Islam.

"O Mankind, we created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you in to tribes and nations so that you may know each other (not that you despise each other). Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who is most righteous of you." (Al-Quran, Chapter 49, Verse 13)

Allah explains the reason behind why he created mankind and then put them in to alternative tribes and nations. It is made clear and all doubts are seized when the most merciful Allah states:

"that you may know each other".

This statement is made unquestionable if comprehended and looked at one step further. In one tribe, there are many generations and families in which one name resembles another. To pinpoint the exact individual the family name will be called out within a tribe so that no one else is puzzled with the one who is demanded. However in a governing country, the tribe name will also be used so that the one demanded is not puzzled in between nations and tribes. Nevertheless, if a person looks for someone world wide, than one can imagine himself how difficult a task would it have been to find someone if tribes, nations, generations and families were not made separate. This is why the most generous Allah has made us in to alternative tribes so that we may recognize each other.

"and made you in to tribes and nations so that you may know each other"

Allah the most generous, has in the above verse of the Quran withdrawn racism and expressed a golden point. This golden point is unity and equality in each and every human being existing upon the earth. Allah (S.T) has made apparent and shone light upon the fact that everyone has been created from the same mother and father. We are all brothers and sisters. The relationship has been illuminated in the very same verse:

"We created you from a single pair of male and a female"

The above sentence in the Quran also expresses one more aspect which is supposed to evolve around the human life.  Although the aspect of  racism is totally wiped out, Allah (S.T) has encouraged us to exercise one attribute. This attribute is righteousness.  Glory be to Allah (S.T) who mentions that the honoured is he who has the quality of righteousness in life. Allah (S.T) in the Quran has emphasized that in place of racism, righteousness should be practised, if you would like to be honoured in my sight.Almighty Allah has acknowledged in another verse in the Quran referring to why he created man in different colours:

"And amongst his signs is the creation of heaven and the earth, and variation in your language and colours; Verily, in there are signs for those who know" (Al-Quran, Chapter 30, Verse 22)

The above verse also identifies one of Allah (S.T) magnificent performance in separating the human kind in to groups. Allah (S.T) has first mentioned the heavens (the sky) which changes in many colours during the day as his first sign. After the sky Allah then informs us of the earth which also varies in colour. The earth can be green with grass like in rain forests, yellow in desserts and many other colours depending upon the environment. At the end of the verse, Allah (S.T) talks about people and variation in the language and colour. The all knowing Allah (S.T) then enlightens his reasoning to why he made variation in the surroundings of a person, variation in skin colour. The reason is that these are signs of Allah (S.T) for the believers, and also those who are intelligent. Allah (S.T) has cared and thought about his people so much that if they are to think about doing a sin, they will look around and by his signs they will return and repent to him for their mistakes and wrong practises. 

The last prophets declaration to eradicating discrimination in race
In Islam we believe that approximately 124000 prophets were sent down by Allah (S.T) to teach the people the word of god. Allah (S.T) sent some prophets, messengers, to only a certain group, some to a whole nation. However Allah (S.T) did not send a prophet to teach the whole world his word except the final prophet, Mohammed(). His teachings were to last until the end. This is why Mohammed () is known as a "guidance to Mankind". His actions, practises and traditions are Islam itself.
At the age of forty, Allah (S.T) blessed Mohammed () with prophet hood after which Mohammed () understood his objectives profoundly. During the era of his prophet hood, Mohammed () informed and emphasized to his people on the eradication of the traditions of ignorance. Within this category fell racial discrimination. This was an open act willingly practised at the time of our prophet Mohammed ().
Mohammed () had many companions who preached his word to the people living in the outskirts of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and around the world when they entered the country for trade. Amongst his accomplice was Hazrat Abu Zar. He remained with the prophet and watched his actions, noted his sayings, and preached his commands. Hazrat Abu Zar reports that before the prophet Mohammed () demise from this world, he stressed strongly the equality of each being before Allah (S.T) and his honoured before him. Mohammed () mentions to the believers:

"You are no better than a red skinned person nor a black but he who has fear of Allah (S.T) in his/her heart"

In the above statement a law has been passed by Mohammed () to the muslims. This order is of equality. It is clear from the above that in Islam, the colour, beauty, wealth of a person does not make him more superior to anyone else, but his fear of Allah (S.T) and having faith in him gives him a higher status and elevates him in the eyes of Allah (S.T).Mohammed () only spoke of the red skinned and black skinned. The reason behind this is that the holy prophet included slaves amongst the liberated in his speech. The red being the one in liberty and the black skinned being the slaves, so that mistakes are not made in giving oneself priority over the labouring class too.
Mohammed () expresses his need to a group of his eminent companions about annihilating pride in oneself over another. However the main aim of mentioning the statement was that his associates could realize that self conceit and egotism have no value in Islam. The importance of sincerity in over these qualities is all that matters in the court of Allah (S.T). Mohammed () speech is recorded and narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah:

"Allah does not look at your appearances or wealth but looks at your actions"

It is understood from the above racism or any type of discrimination does not exist in Islam. Righteousness, sincerity, modesty is what all that is needed to gain honour and become loved in the sight of Allah (S.T), no matter if you are black, white, red or brown, everyone is equal. One is not superior to another. We are all the same. 

Scientific approach defining change in colour
The phenomena of the physical change in the human skin has been defined by biology which branches of the systematic study, science. Science has clearly explained and concluded correctly about the alteration of skin colour in different parts of the globe. The factor causing the change is the sun. Different concentrations of  light can defy the skin colour. In regions which have high concentrations of light, the probability of acquiring a dark complexion is at its peak. In regions where there is a low concentration of light such as the Antarctica where the sun shines very less, the probability of acquiring white skin is high. The final decision depends upon the sun.
The human body is always protecting itself from any harm which can be caused to it from the surroundings around it. The epidermis of the body is very sensitive and delicate. It reacts instantly to any affect caused to it from the outside. This is why when the skin is cut, the epidermis tries its utmost to try and heal itself before any further harm can be caused to the human body. Similar to this is the role of the sun on the skin. High concentration of sunlight is very harmful to the body because the chance of acquiring skin cancer increases enormously. The body counteracts this affect by darkening the skin. This allows the body to absorb the sun rays and with help of other substances in the body, together with a series of actions and changes produces vitamin D which is important in the every day diet.
The protein molecule allowing the above process possible is known as melanin. Melanin is what causes variation in colour. This is why people living near the equator have very dark skin colour and people living near the Arctic or the Antarctic have white skin. The final outcome is having Melanin in the skin which causes dark complexion on the body is a benefiting factor to the human.
Although nobody is to blame for the skin colour, many people believe that being white is a symbol of being unique over other people or being black is proof of their group being more superior. However both sides are wrong as proof of this is shown above. This ideology is full of deviation and to be prejudice or biased is clearly an act of ignorance.

Compulsory acts in Islam justifying Unity
The Hajj- the annual pilgrimage to Makkah is the prime example of the multi-racial aspect of Islam: muslims of all races gather with one common purpose to worship Allah. This is a compulsory act which should be done by all those muslims with the strength and ability to do it. During this act, it is also very important to wear two white pieces of cloth to cover the body. People of all nations, countries gather together with one purpose, to worship Allah (S.T). Each and everybody appear the same, do the same actions, speak identical words, so much to say that everyone is Equal. This is why Allah (S.T) states in the Quran:

"Only believers are brothers" (Al-Quran, Chapter 49, Verse 10)

Mohammed () has also commented about excessive unity in Islam to the muslims and Mohammed () also commentates on the above Quranic verse. It is reported by that the holy prophet Mohammed () stated and which was later narrated by Abu Hurairah that:

"A muslim believer is a mirror reflection of another muslim, A believer is a brother to another believer, he safeguards him from destruction and prevents his annihilation during his absence"

In the above statement of the holy prophet Mohammed (), the example of a believer is like a mirror reflection to another. The reason being is that a believer is he who cares about another believer as much as he cares about himself or his brother in reality; i.e. he safeguards him from destruction and prevents his annihilation during his absence. This is one of the foundation laws of a believer. To wish and desire for another believer that which is loved by you.The phrase "a mirror reflection" can also be notified as the actions of a believer. A believers actions are almost identical to another. The proof to this is the five time daily prayer performed by every muslim in its fixed times. The gathering of them and together bowing, supplicating and prostrating to the same lord is evidence of similarity and equality. The obligatory act of Hajj concerns around wearing a white cloth around the body. The shaving of the head after the completion of Hajj makes everyone performing pilgrimage a reflection of another. This is why the prophet Mohammed () has also been heard saying:

"The entire muslim group is like one single body, if the eye aches, then the whole body is in pain, and if the head aches, then the whole body is in pain"

The prophet Mohammed () explains to the muslims about the relation between one of them in comparison to another. The holy prophet Mohammed () informs the muslim community that if a group of muslims is taunted or suppressed, then consider those actions and feelings flowing through you, and if you cannot feel the pain, then you can be considered to be a  incomplete muslim.The Question of racism cannot be argued about in Islam and amongst the believers. As shown by the above versus of the Quran and the words of Mohammed () racism is such an aspect which cannot be manifested in the mind of a believer. The Quran clearly prohibits racial discrimination and the words of the prophet Mohammed () prohibits all type of discrimination or being prejudicial in Islam. The quality of human being in all matters is the same except piety (which we are encouraged to try and increase) is clear. Under no circumstance can a person be ill treated or abused simply because they happen to be of different race. In Islam, we are all brothers and sisters.

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racism in europe

Le Soir

A new report published by the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) details how racism in

Belgium increasingly manifests itself through Islamophobia. The country’s 600.000-strong Muslim community faces, according to the report, an increasing amount of structural discrimination in the employment and educational sector as well as in questions of access to public and private services.  Of the racism classified as religiously based, 80% is aimed at Muslims in Belgium. What’s more important however is the role of the Belgian media, which is presented as highly Islamophobic with 51% of the annul media complaints received to be connected to Islamophobia. Additionally,  19% of employment complaints and 11% of educational complaints were related to anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiments and actions.

The ENAR also points out to the exclusion of students who choose to wear the hijab from the education system, even if no legal degree endorses these regulations. The organisation requests the Belgian government to implement and ensure the freedom of religion of Muslims by repealing all provisions on the prohibition of the hijab and other signs of convictional practices at school

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The Facts about Racism & Islam

by Hisham Zoubeir
http://members.tripod.com/etori/racism.html

Racist against other religions?

"Say: We believe 
In God, and in what
Has been revealed to us
And what was revealed 
To Abraham, Isma'il(Ishmael);
Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes,
And in (the Books)
Given to Moses, Jesus,
And the Prophets,
>From their Lord:
We make no distinction 
Between one and another
Among them and to God do we
Bow our will( in Islam)."
Holy Quran 3:84

"Let there be no compulsion in matters of Religion"
Holy Quran 2:256

"Verily, those who believe (in the Quran) 
And those who follow the Jewish( scriptures)
And the Christians and the Sabians,
Any who believe in God
And the Last Day,
And work righteousness 
Shall have their reward
With their Lord; on them 
Shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."
Holy Quran 2:62 

Racism towards other races?

"(The Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca) was an exhilarating experience to see
people belonging to different colours, races and nationalities, kings,
heads of states and ordinary men from very poor countries all clad in two
simple white sheets praying to God without any sense of either pride or
inferiority. It was a practical manifestation of the concept of equally in
Islam."
Cassius Clay, now Muhammed Ali.  

"The Europeans in South Africa dread the advent of Islam, as they( Muslims)
claim equality with the white races. They may well dread it. If brotherhood
is a sin, if it is equality of the coloured races that they dread, then
their dread is well-founded."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

"I have been struck over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that
makes a man instinctively a brother. When you meet an Egyptian, an
Algerian, an Indian and a Turk in London, what matters is that Egypt is the
motherland of one and India is the motherland of another."
Sarojini Naidu

"Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and the overwhelming
spirit of true brotherhood as is practised by people of all colours and
races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammed, and
all the other prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have
been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed
all around me by people of all colours."
Malcolm X

"Allah is to be praised and thanked for ridding us of the vices and pride
of the days of ignorance. O People! Note that all men( the noun includes
women as well) are divided in two categories only: the pious and
God-fearing who are esteemable in Allah's reckoning, and the transgressors
and hard-hearted, who are lowly and contemptible in the eye of Allah."
Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him.

"O Mankind!
Most certainly, it is
We( God almighty) who have
Created you all
>From a single (pair)
Of a male and a female,
And it is we who 
Have made you into
Nations and tribes,
That ye may recognise each other
(Not that ye may despise each other).
Verily, the noblest of you
In the sight of Allah
Is (he who is) the most
Righteous of you."
Holy Quran 49:13

"And mankind is naught but a single nation."
Holy Quran 2:213

"And among His Signs
Is the creation of the heavens
And the earth, and the variations
In your languages
And your colours; verily
In that are Signs
For those who know."
Holy Quran 30:22

"All men(includes women) are equal in Islam, the Arab has no superiority
over the non-Arab, nor does the non-Arab have superiority over the Arab,
save in the fear of God."
Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him.

"The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the
outstanding achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is,
as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue."
Professor A.J. Toynbee in New York 1948

"I hope the time is not far off when I shall be able to unite all the wise
and educated men of all the countries and establish a uniform regime based
on the principles of the Quran which alone are true and which alone can
lead men to happiness."
Napoleon Bonaparte

Islam is not a racist religion, nor does it preach racism. The peoples of
other faiths have always enjoyed religious toleration under Islam; when the
Jews were being persecuted in the rest of Europe, they found freedom and
sanctity in Muslim Spain. Their historians regard that as one of their
Golden Eras. In the Muslim countries today, Christians are permitted to
practise their faith as freely as any country; the Churches in my home town
of Abu Dhabi are large in number, and one of my closest family friends, an
Anglican priest. Inter-cultural marriages are common in Islam; I am the
composite of five different cultures. 
 
Peace be upon you.

References :

by Hisham Zoubeir

http://members.tripod.com/etori/racism.html

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United Colors Of Islam

One only need look to the Nazis' brutal persecution of the Jews earlier this century or the more recent genocide of the Bosnian Muslims to see how ethno-religious groups can suffer so terribly at the hands of racists. Quite often however, religion is itself responsible for racist oppression.

 Middle-Eastern origins aside, Judaism is regarded as a Western religion. But the almost complete assimilation of Jews into all levels of Western society actually betrays Judaism's elitist reality.

        'There is no God in all the world but in Israel.' (2 Kings 5:15)

 A pious interpretation of such biblical verses would be to suggest that in those days, God (Allah) was not worshipped except by the Israelites. However, even today Jews still consider themselves as the exclusively chosen race of God.

 Conversely, while most Christians are overwhelmingly non-Jews, Jesus as the last of the Israelite Prophets was sent to none but the Jews. In the Bible, he is reported to have said:

'I have not been sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.' (Matthew 15:24)[1]

 And likewise every other prophet was sent exclusively to his own people; every prophet that is, except Muhammad.

 Say (O Muhammad):  People! I am the Messenger of Allah sent to you all. (Qur'an, 7:158)

 As Muhammad was Allah's final Messenger to humanity, his message was a universal one with the capacity to unite not only his own nation, the Arabs, but all the peoples of the world.

 And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but to the whole of mankind as a giver of glad tidings and a warner, but most people have no knowledge. (Qur'an, 34:28)

 BILAL THE ABYSSINIAN One of the earliest converts to Islam was an Abyssinian slave named Bilal. Traditionally, black Africans were a lowly people in the sight of Arabs who thought them to be of little use beyond entertainment and slavery. When Bilal converted to Islam, his pagan master had him brutally tortured in the scorching desert heat until Abu Bakr, the Prophet's closest friend, rescued Bilal by buying his freedom. Muhammad appointed Bilal as his muezzin and the call to prayer announced from minarets in every comer of the world today echoes the exact same words proclaimed by Bilal. Thus, a onetime despised slave achieved one of the highest positions of honour in becoming Islam’s first muezzin. Although ancient Greece is accredited with being the birthplace of democracy, it was a democracy only for its Free citizens - the majority of its population, being slaves, were denied the right to elect their ruler. Yet Islam ordained that a slave could himself be ruler! The Prophet ordered: 'Stick to obedience (i.e. 'Obey your ruler) even if he be an Abyssinian slave.' (Ahmad)

 SALMAN THE PERSIAN Like most of his countrymen, Salman was raised a devout Zoroastrian but after an encounter with some Christians at worship in their Church he accepted Christianity as 'something better'. As a Christian, Salman travelled extensively in search of knowledge. His journey took him from the service of one learned monk to the next, the last of whom said to him:

 'O son! I do not know of anyone who is on the same (creed) as we are. However, the time of the emergence of a prophet will shade you. This prophet is on the religion of Abraham.'

 The monk then proceeded to describe this prophet, his character and where he would appear. Salman immigrated to Arabia, the land of the Prophecy, and when he heard about and met Muhammad, he immediately recognised him from hi, teacher's descriptions. Salman's long search for the truth was finally over and he embraced Islam.

 Salman became renowned for his knowledge and was in fact the first person to translate the Qur'an into another language, Persian. Once, whilst the Prophet was amongst his Companions, the following verse was revealed to him:

 It is He (Allah) Who had sent among the illiterates (i.e. the Arabs) a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves ... and (also to) others (i.e. non-Arabs) among them who have not yet joined them. (Qur'an, 62:2-3)

 Allah's Messenger placed his hand on Salman and said:

'Even if the Faith were near (the star of) Pleiades, a man from amongst these (Persians) would surely attain it.' (Muslim)

 One such man was Imam Muhammad Isma'eeI of Bukhara (a predominately Persian city). His famous collection of hadith (narrations of the Prophet) entitled As-Sahih was unanimously declared by the scholars of Islam to be 'The most authentic book after the Book of Allah (i.e. after the Quran).'

 SUHAYB THE ROMAN Blonde-haired and fair complexioned Abu Yahya SUHAYB was born into the luxurious house of his father, a client governor for the Persian emperor. Whilst still a child, SUHAYB was captured by a Byzantine raiding party to be eventually sold into slavery in Constantinople[2] SUHAYB eventually escaped from bondage and fled to Mecca, a popular place of asylum, where he soon became a prosperous merchant nick-named 'ar-Rumi' (the Roman) due to his Greek tongue and Byzantine up-bringing. When SUHAYB heard Muhammad preach, he was at once convinced of the truth of his message and readily embraced Islam. Like the rest of the early Muslims, SUHAYB was persecuted by the idolatrous Meccans and had to trade all his wealth in exchange for safe passage to join the Prophet at Medina. When SUHAYB finally arrived at Medina, the Prophet, delighted to see him, greeted him thrice: 'Your transaction has been fruitful, O Abu Yahya. Your transaction has been fruitful.' Allah had informed the Prophet of Suhayb's exploits even before they were reunited:

 And there is a type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is full of kindness to His servants. (Qur'an, 2:207)

 The Prophet loved SUHAYB a great deal and described him as having preceded the Byzantines to Islam. Suhayb's piety and standing among Muslims was so high that when Caliph Umar was on his deathbed, he selected SUHAYB to lead the Muslims whilst they were choosing a successor.

 ABDULLAH THE HEBREW The Jews were another nation that the pre-Islamic Arabs held in contempt. Many Jews and Christians had been expecting a new prophet to appear in Arabia during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Jews from the Levite tribe in particular had settled in large numbers in and around the city of Medina. However, when the much-anticipated prophet came not as a Hebrew son of Israel, but as the Arab descendant of Ishmael, the Jews rejected him. Except that is for a few like aI-Husayn bin Salam. Al-Husayn was a learned rabbi and leader of the Medinan Jews but was denounced by them when he embraced Islam. The Prophet renamed al-Husayn, 'Abdullah', meaning 'Servant of Allah' and in his own lifetime the Prophet gave Abdullah the glad tidings that he was destined for Paradise. Abdullah addressed his tribesmen, saying: 'O assembly of Jews! Be conscious of Allah and accept what Muhammad-has brought. By Allah, you certainly know that he is Allah's Messenger and you can find prophecies about him and mention of his name and characteristics in your Torah. I for my part declare that he is the Messenger of Allah. I have faith in him and believe that he is true. I recognise him.' Allah revealed the following verse about Abdullah:

 ... and a witness from the Children of Israel testifies that this Qur'an is from Allah like (the Torah). So he believed while (most of) you (Jews) are too proud (to believe). (Qur'an, 46:10)

 Thus, in the ranks of the Prophet Muhammad's Companions could be found Africans, Persians, Romans and Israelites; representatives of every then-known continent. The Prophet said: 'Indeed my friends and allies are not the tribe of so and so. Rather, my friends and allies are the pious wherever they may be.'

 (al-Bukhari & Muslim)

 This point was further emphasised by the Prophet when he said: 'There is truly no excellence for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for a white man over a black man, nor for a black man over a white man; except through piety.'(Ahmad)

 O humanity! We have created you from a single male and female and have made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another (not that you may have pride over one another). Verily the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the one most pious. (Qur'an, 49:13)

The Prophet Muhammad said: 'The parable of the Believers in their mutual love and mercy is like that of a (living) body; if one part feels pain, the whole body suffers in sleeplessness and fever.' (Muslim)

 Such a universal brotherhood was championed by the' Prophet's Companions after him, including his immediate temporal successors: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali (known collectively as the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs). When the Companion Ubada ibn as-Samit led a Muslim delegation to Muqawqis, the Christian patriarch of Alexandria, Muqawqis exclaimed: 'Get this black man away from me and bring another to talk to me. ... How can you be content that a black man should be the foremost among you? Is it not more fitting that he be below you?' 'Indeed no,' Ubada's comrades replied, ‘for although he is black as you see, he is still the foremost among us in position, in precedence, in intelligence and in wisdom; for darkness is not despised among us.'

 Verily, the Believers are but brothers (to one another). (Qur'an, 49:10)

 The spread of nationalism with its separating of Muslims along ethnic, linguistic and tribal lines is an evil and divisive innovation in Islam. Allah says in His Book:

 Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your tribe, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving hard in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision. And Allah guides not a rebellious people. (Qur'an, 9:24)

 In fact, the Muslims in and of themselves constitute one nation:

 Thus We have made you (Believers into) a (single) justly balanced nation. (Qur'an, 2:143)

 The Prophet said: 'Whoever leaves off obedience and separates from the Jam'ah[3] and dies, (then) he dies a death of jahiliyyah (i.e. pre-Islamic ignorance and disbelief). And whoever fights under the banner of the blind, becoming angry for nationalism or calling to nationalism or assisting nationalism and dies, (then) he dies a death of jahiliyyah.' (Muslim)

 While those who disbelieved placed in their hearts pride and haughtiness - the pride and haughtiness of jahiliyyah, Allah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers. (Qur'an, 48:26)

 A FINAL POINT Still repeated in some circles and perhaps one of the greatest barriers to its acceptance by Westerners is the fallacy that Islam is primarily a religion for blacks or dark skinned people. No doubt, the racial injustices against many blacks, be they Abyssinian slaves of pre-Islamic Arabia or twentieth century African-Americans, has prompted many to embrace Islam, but this is beside the point. The Prophet Muhammad was himself of pale complexion, described by his Companions as being 'white and ruddy'. And unbeknown to most people is the fact that Europe has more indigenous white Muslims than it has coloured immigrants. Albanians, for example, descended from the ancient Illyrian-Celts, are one of Europe's oldest tribes and amongst the earliest inhabitants of the Balkans. Today, 80%. of all Albanians Are MUSLIMS.[4] In fact, the world's leading Muslim scholar, the Reviver of Islam, Champion of the Sunna (practice of the Prophet) and mountain of knowledge, Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani, is, as his title suggests, Albanian. Some anthropologists believed that the Caucasus Mountain region of SE Europe was the cradle of 'the white race' and white people are still described as 'Caucasian'. Today, six of Russia's seven autonomous Caucasus republics are Muslim republics. In fact, Islam peacefully entered parts of Europe long before Christianity. Over a thousand years ago, 'In times long ago, when the Russian Slav had not yet started to build Christian churches on the Oka nor conquered these places in the name of European civilisation, the Bulgar[5] was already listening to the Qur'an on the banks of the Volga and the Kama.' (S.M. Solov'ev, Istoria Rossis Drevneishikh Vremen. Moscow 1965, p.476)

 This century too has seen large numbers of Europeans embrace Islam. In the UK alone there are estimated to be tens of thousands of reverts to Islam (mostly Anglo-Saxon and Celtic women) and within the next 20 years their number is expected to overtake the immigrant Muslim population that brought the faith here (The Times, 11/9/1993). Neither has the large awakening to Islam gone unnoticed by US administration. Hillary Rodham Clinton recently remarked: 'Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability for many of our people...' (First Lady Breaks Ground with Muslims, Los Angeles Times, 5/31/1996)

 Truly, We created (all) humans in the best of moulds. (Qur'an, 95:4)

 Every faith besides Islam calls for the worship of creation in some way, shape or form. Moreover, race and colour play a central and divisive role in almost all non-Islamic belief systems. In Christianity, through the Prophet Jesus and the saints and in Buddhism, through Buddha and the Dalai Lama men and women of a particular race and colour are worshipped as deities in derogation of Allah. In Judaism, salvation is withheld from the non-Jew Gentile. Hinduism's caste-system likewise degrades and checks the spiritual, not to mention social, political and economic aspirations of the 'unclean' lower castes. Islam, however, seeks to unite and make one all the creatures of the world upon the Unity and Oneness of their Creator. Thus, Islam alone liberates all peoples, races and colours in the worship of Allah alone.

 Verily, I am Allah - there is nothing worthy of worship but Me. Therefore worship Me (alone). (Qur'an, 20:14)

 'No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity and endeavour so many and so varied races o mankind. The great Muslim communities of Africa, India and Indonesia, perhaps also the small community in Japan, show that Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements Of race and tradition.'

 (H.A.R. Gibb, Whither Islam, London, 193Z p. 379)

 'The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue...'

 (A.J. Toynbee, Civilisation on Trial, New York, p. 205)

 ,How, for instance can any other appeal stand against that of the Moslem who, in approaching the pagan, says to him, however obscure or degraded he may be "Embrace the faith, and you are at once equal and a brother." Islam knows no colour line.'

 (S.S. Leeder, Veiled Mysteries of Egypt)

 And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the (wonderful) difference of your languages and colours. Verily, in that are indeed signs for people of sound knowledge. (Qur'an, 30:22)

P.O. Box 10528, Jubail 31961 - Tel.: 03-341-8639

 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

---

[1]. Hence every one of the famous twelve disciples of Jesus was an Israelite Jew. The one biblical passage where Jesus is supposed to have told his disciples to 'Go and preach unto all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.' (Matthew 28:19), commonly quoted to prove the Gentile mission as well as the Trinity, is not found in any pre-sixteenth century manuscript and is thus considered 'a pious fraud'.

[2] The Byzantine or East Roman Empire was finally brought to an end when its ancient capital, Constantinople, was conquered by the young Ottoman Sultan, Muhammad al-Fatih, in 1453CE. The conquest was a watershed in world history, marking the end of the Middle Ages as well as the fulfilment of a prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad.

[3] 'Al-Jam'ah' refers to the group of Believers who are united upon the pure, unadulterated Islam of Muhammad and his Companions.

[4] Other 'native' European Muslims include the Bosnians, Pomaks and Ajarians,

[5] In 922CE Islam became the official religion of the Volga Bulgars, a turkicised Iranic tribe originating from the ancient Afghan city of Balkh. The present-day Bulgarians, Volga Tatars, Chuvash and various Caucasus tribes all trace their ancestry back to the ancient Bulgars.

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33 Tips to launch your personal Jihad against Racism and Nationalism

By Abdul Malik Mujahid

Alhamdu lillah, all Masjids in the world are open to all people. Muslims pray shoulder to shoulder with no regard to any national, ethnic, class or color differences. Islamic egalitarianism still gains converts from the untouchables of India to Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali in America. However, this dominant reality is sometimes marred by individual behavior, which is contrary to the ideals of Islam.

Some Muslims fall for the age-old trick of Satan and start playing the silly inferiority/superiority game. Some stereotype others and tolerate prejudice against other human beings, despite the fact that all human beings are equal, from the same man and woman. (Quran 49:13)

How should we save ourselves from falling into this trap? How should we help others stay above the killing fields of racism and nationalism? What can we do now to become a better human being? Here are some tips on how we can launch our personal Jihad against this disease.

The Prophet said: If one of you sees something evil he should change it with his hand. If he cannot, he should speak out against it, and if he cannot do even that he should at least detest it in his heart, this being the weakest form of faith (Sahih of Muslim).

1. Knowledge is power

Do we know what the Quran and Sunnah say about racism? The Quran established individual character as the criteria of success, not color, tribal or economic status of a person. The Prophet preached and established these ideals in the peace sanctuary of Madinah and Islamic society which he developed.

Let our parents, children, Islamic schools, and Imams learn and teach the ideals of Islam.

2. Ask the only One who can really help

We can get rid of racial and prejudicial attitudes within ourselves with the help of God.

Make sincere and focused Dua for those people and groups who remain oppressed, subject to humiliation, subject to difficult behavior. After all, Dua increases love between people (Hadith).

Also make Dua for yourself and others to gain an appreciation of others. Pray together with your family for those friends in the Masjid or at your job who are from other groups. And remember that dua without actions is nothing.

3. Hate the hatred

The Prophet never hated anyone. He neither hated Makkah nor the Makkans who tortured him, starved him and his people and killed his companions, may Allah be pleased with them. He continued to pray even for his worst enemies like Abu Jahl.

4. Make sincere Tawbah (repentance to God)

If we have hurt someone through our tongue or attitude, we need to seek God's forgiveness. It is also important to seek the personal forgiveness of that persons as well if s/he is within reach as an Islamic pre-requisite to seek God's forgiveness. There has to be a personal acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a commitment to change. This is done by turning to God and seeking His Forgiveness for looking down on other beings due to a false belief in someone's inferiority.

5. Watching Our Tongue

The Prophet said: Whoever can give me a guarantee for what is between his two jaws and between his two legs, I can assure him Paradise (Sahih of Bukhari).

Keeping this in mind, effort should be made to curb useless talk, which can lead to worse things like backbiting and slander of individuals and groups of people.

Defining backbiting, the Prophet said that backbiting is anything that you say about someone in his absence that may displease him. When he was asked by one of the Companions, ‘even if he is as I describe him?' he responded by saying, If he is as you describe him then you are guilty of backbiting, otherwise you are guilty of slander (which is worse than backbiting) (Sahih of Muslim).

To add emphasis to how awful slander is, consider that the Prophet said it is worse than adultery because if a person commits adultery, Allah can forgive him if he repents. But a slanderer will not be forgiven until the person he had been speaking about forgives him (Baihaqi).

6. No ethnic jokes please

Ethnic jokes are not innocent humor. They carry the virus of bigotry most of the time. Think about how hurt we feel when some comedians depict Muslims as terrorist.

Consider this verse of the Quran: "O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed wrong doers" (Quran 49:11).

Such silly and hurtful jest clearly goes against the type of manners Allah and His Prophet expect from us. It's a sin in Islam to ridicule or laugh at any beings, and if they are a group, the sin is stronger.

7. Don't call people, Kalla, Gora, Desi, Chapta, Abd or Rafeeq

Muslims disliked being called Moslems, Moor, or Mohammaden. We insist that since we write our name Muslims that's how everyone should spell our name. So let's call other people with the names they like for themselves. Fair enough?

Alhamdu lillah most Muslims don't do this. But once in a while we hear names, which we need to challenge. The Urdu term "Kalla" is used by some for African-Americans. While it literally means "black", the way it is used most of the time is demeaning. The same is true for the Urdu term Chapta or Peela, which refers to the color, and features of South East Asian people. Gora in Urdu for Caucasians falls in the same category although it also just means a white person, but is used to convey historical distrust and betrayl of the white colonial lords. Desi on the other hand is mostly used to describe stereiotypical images of South Asians "curry smelling" Indians and "pakis." It is often used as a term of self hate in the second generation.

Similarly some Arabs use the term Abd to describe black people, despite the fact the Prophet catogarically prohibited use of this term. Another term Zingy is used for the same people in the demeaning way. Some Arabs use the term Rafeeq (literally comrade) for Pakistanis in demeaning way similar to how the "N word" is used in the west. Ibn al Khinzeeer (son of a pig), a reference to whoever you are angry with amongst some Arabs and specially towards Jews is not only unworthy of the followers of Prophet Muhammad, it is a direct violation of his command not to insult one another's parents (Sahih of Bukhari and Muslim).
Even the Islamic term Kafir has to be use with care. Not every non-believer is a Kafir. This Quranic term, regarding those who rejected Allah's guidance after recognizing it to be the truth, should not become a term of hate.

8. Challenge the offensive, names, jokes and comments

If someone uses a hurtful name in our presence, we might simply say, "Don't call him/her that. Call him/her by his/her name." If you are the victim, simply say "That kind of joke offends me," or say "You don't like to be called bad names and neither do I".

We should feel comfortable in pointing out unfairness. It is very rewarding in the eyes of Allah, since by challenging this we are following three of Allah's commands:

Stand up against injustice
Discourage the evil
Don't call people with bad nicknames
It's part of a Muslim's duty to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. Let's do it with wisdom and patience. Be polite but firm.

9. Do not generalize

If you observe something wrong in some persons' behavior, don't generalize it to their ethnic group. Attribute it to those persons not their group. For example, I have heard several times that Arabs in Chicago run liquor stores. While it is true that there may be 100 or so Arabs who have this type of Haram business, they are a small minority among hundreds and thousands of Arabs living in Chicago. Without condoning what they are doing, we must see that there are Muslims of other nationalities who are also involved in Haram businesses.
10. Defend the abused group

Note unique and special qualities in other people. Show the positive points of an ethnic group that is being made fun of. Whether it's the hospitality of the Arabs, the respect for elders in Indo-Pakistani culture, the resilience of African-Americans, for instance, point out the positive to those who don't want to see the other side of the coin.

If you're still tongue-tied, consider this Hadith: the Prophet said: If a man's Muslim brother is slandered in his presence, and he is capable of defending him, and does so, Allah will defend him in this world and in the next. But if he fails to defend him, Allah will destroy him in this world and in the next.

11. Speak everyone's language

What do you do when there are say, three people, one of whom speaks your native language and the other doesn't?

Too often, many of us do the wrong thing.

It creates suspicion and discomfort if you speak a language in front of others who may not understand it. Use a common language understandable to all. So if Br. Muneer and you both understand Arabic, but Sr. Yasmeen doesn't, speak in English instead, so she doesn't feel left out. If you observe this behavior tell them it's unfair. If you are the one who is doing the wrong thing, then don't defend it by saying, "you should learn our language".

The Prophet said: When three people are together, two should not talk secretly, leaving the third alone since this may grieve him. (Sahiah of Bukhari & Muslim).

12. Read about others

Read about people to gain positive insights into other cultures. Read what they have written about themselves. Read about, for instance, what African-Americans have contributed to America. Even better, read an autobiography like that of Malcolm X, which recounts the personal experience and struggles of one Muslim African-American. Much of what he has to say is also a reflection of the experience of other African-Americans.

13. Share your joy

Have you invited people other than your cultural group at an occasion of happiness in your family?

Whether it's Eid, a wedding or the Aqiqa of a newborn baby, expand your next guest list to include those of different backgrounds. Sharing joy is a great way for people of all ethno-cultural groups to bond.

14. Share your sorrow

Have you visited a sick colleague, class fellow or a neighbor of another ethnic group? Have you been to the funeral of other people?

Relationships are not only built on the good times, but on the hard ones as well. Visit the sick, attend funerals, and console those who need it, and don't reserve your sympathy to those of the same skin color or country.

15. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach

Have you learned to cook the food of other cultures? Have you shared your food with them?

I know people who have become Muslim because of the hospitality of Muslims. Food is a great way to bring people together, and to get to know others. Share food with neighbors. Food is power. Use it!

16. Smiling is a charity

Who do you smile at? Do you limit your grins to groups you know, especially your ethno-cultural group?

Smiling is charity (Sahiah of Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi), not just for your people. Expand your smile "directory" to include all. Smile opens close hearts.

17. Salam is for everyone

Quran demands that we greet others better than the way they have greeted us. (Quran 4:86).

After Juma do you say Salam and meet only those people you know or do you initiate a Salam to those from another ethnic group?

Consider this Hadith: The Prophet said: Those who are nearest to Allah are those who are the first to give a greeting (Sahiah of Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

Saying Salam is also a great way to increase your love for a fellow Muslim, no matter where they are from. Consider this Hadith: the Prophet said: You will not enter Heaven until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other. Let me guide you to something which will cause you to love each other: spreading the greetings of peace (Assalamu alaikum) (Sahiah of Muslim).

18. Hug someone today

Have you ever experienced a hug by a Muslim you never knew? What a feeling. This one just for the sake of Allah. Try it on a Muslim in your masjid and then introduce yourself to him. He is your brother. Isn't he?

19. Beyond Salam

Alhamdu lillah, we see a lot of faces of different ethnic groups in masjids, but have we gone beyond Salam with them?

Have we invited this brother or sister to our home this year? Let's take the initiative to go beyond the Salam and invite a fellow human being of a different background over to our place. Don't wait for a specific occasion. Just invite them over for dinner, lunch, or a game of basketball.

20. A Masjid tour of other neighborhoods

While in a number of cities in America and South Africa, Masjids tend to become ethnically homogeneous due to the population patterns of the city; we can try to overcome this isolation.

Let's visit other neighborhoods and pray in a Masjid there. So if you're an Urdu speaking person, visit the predominantly Arab mosque. If you're an Arab visit the mostly African-American mosque. If you're Turkish, visit the mostly Bengali mosque.

Let's defy the neighborhood divisions which we did not create. Let's take our Sunday school children on field trips to different neighborhoods and Masjids. Providing opportunities for interaction with people of diverse groups instills understanding.

Studies show that children playing and working together toward common goals develop positive attitudes about one another.

21. Do your duty, but a little differently

Who do you usually give your Zakat to?

Is it just to your ethnic group or do you use it as one of the categories-to win over hearts? Plan to give your next Zakat to a community or individuals who are not of your ethno-cultural background. This will be a practical way to give of yourself to those who are your brothers and sisters, and those who are in need.

22. Strangers should find an open Masjid door

How are you at welcoming strangers in your Masjid?

Do you move forward in welcoming, guiding and introducing them to others or do you allow a stranger to remain a stranger while you busily chat with your own cultural group? Open your heart and arms to the new brother or sister who may have come to the Masjid with great difficulty. Welcome their choice and don't let them regret visiting your mosque.

The security staff at Masjids need to have sensitivity training as well.

23. Watch those expressions and attitudes

Did you see that twist of the mouth, or the raise of that eyebrow?

Sometimes, it's not just words, but facial expressions that also indicate ethno-racial degradation and intolerance. It's not enough for us to just avoid verbal jabs. Language is not just about words; it's about body language too.

24. Defend yourself

If you are the target of ethno-racial humor, slurs or attacks defend yourself.

First seek refuge in Allah from Satan Following the Prophet's advice, if you are angry, remain silent, sit down, move away or make wudu.
If you feel your security is being threatened seek any help available.
If you are attacked defend yourself if you are capable of it.
Document and pursue the case with local police, the department of human resources and anti-hate groups.
God tolerates a person who is being wronged to respond in the same coin but He prefers us to be better: "The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof, but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah. Verily, He likes not the Zalimun (oppressors)" (Quran 42:40).

An ex-Marine member of the white supremacist movement the Ku Klux Klan became Muslim due partly to the polite and confident response of a Muslim doctor to his racist remarks calling him a "dog eater".

This is an example of following Allah's instructions that ask us to respond to evil with something which is better.

25. Stand up for justice

Take an active stand against injustices like profiling and discrimination in the workplace or at schools. Speak out against someone or a group being paid less because of their national background.

"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it is against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a better Protector to both (than you) are. So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do" (Quran 4:135).

26. Work with other anti-racism groups

Volunteer time to organizations and groups which are working for an anti-racism agenda or for social justice. All the prophets were sent to help people take a stand for establishing justice (Quran 57:25). Working for a common cause brings people closer. Islam encourages cooperation with non Muslims for the common good of humanity (Quran 5:2).

27. Multi-ethnic Marriages

Some Fiqh books that dislike and discourage multi-ethnic marriages amongst Muslims are wrong because they conflict with the Sunnah of the Prophet and with the Quranic principle of all people being one.

For instance, the Fiqh manual Reliance of the Traveler, in a chapter on Kafa'a (compatibility), while recognizing that there should be no consideration of skin color in marriage, does mention that a match between a non-Arab man and an Arab woman is unsuitable (page 523).

I am not advising anyone to offer him or herself for a social experiment. But we must accept our children's choice with an open heart instead of resistance based on the false interpretation of compatibility (Kafa'a) offered by some Fiqh books.

28. Jihad with your taxes

Your personal jihad against racism must also include a collective effort against racism and nationalism. Your taxes are used to institute policies, some of which you may agree with and others that you may completely oppose. You can use your tax money to fight against racism by supporting policies or institutions that encourage respect for differences. We should support subsidies to human rights organizations dedicated to fighting racism, specifically.

29. Vote against racism

Support candidates who oppose racism and nationalism both within America and without. For example, former US president Bill Clinton strongly campaigned against the use of tobacco in America but ironically he also helped the US tobacco companies to achieve record profits by helping them sell and promote tobacco in the Third World. If tobacco is wrong for America, it is wrong for every other human being as well. Let's not tolerate "Cancer for other people."

30. Vote for multi-ethnicity in your Masjid

Make sure your Masjid in North America has a multi ethnic board and leadership. Follow the Prophet in engineering social change. He paired each Ansar and Muhajir as brothers as he started building the Islamic society of Madina.

31. Put money where your mouth is

There are a number of organizations dedicated to fighting racism in America at various levels. Support them by your donation. If you don't want to donate, establish your own organization against bigotry.

32. Raising race free children

Islam does not recognize race, but the society we live in does. Bridging this gap is the challenge of Muslim parenting.

Choose to live in a multi-ethnic community. Children with multi-ethnic interaction grow up to be better human beings.
Participate in your PTA with an antiracist agenda.
Help your children feel good about themselves. Children who feel good about themselves are less likely to be prejudiced.
Welcome children of all background in your home.
Debrief them if they come home with a racial slur from the school.
33. Let's have a straight niyyah to please Allah

Let's make our intentions (niyyah) that we will strive to build human society based on the equality of all human beings as Allah has asked us to do. Insha Allah, He will reward us for each step we take to get ourselves, our community, and our society rid of racism and nationalism.

Conclusion

As Muslims who are dehumanized day and night by the media and opinion leaders, it is our duty to emerge as a better human being through this ordeal instead of engaging in the satanic game of counter dehumanization.

Whoever starts to look at others as lower beings first kills his own humanity. Prejudice, racism and nationalism are equal opportunity diseases. Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Jews, all have a choice of either using their teachings to rise up for the ideals of humanity or sink in the killing fields of nationalism.

Dehumanization of Native Americans contributed to their almost complete annihilation. Dehumanization of Africans as nations and individuals resulted in generational loss of life and heritage. Dehumanization of Jews and Gypsies is associated with the mass murder by Nazis. Dehumanization of Japanese Americans contributed to their being sent to internment camps in America. The dehumanization of Muslims in America after the 9/11 tragedy is responsible for the virtual internment camp Muslims in America live today and the tortures in Abu Gharib and abuse at Guantanamo Bay.

Unfortunately there is a demonization of America taking place in the world, which by and large does not know how a majority of Americans today feel about the historical wrongs done on their names. Even the strong American reaction to the Abu Gharib images did not slow down the harm neo-con policies are causing to American standing in the world.

Racism and nationalism are twin evils which have killed more people in last one hundred years than probably all the wars in last one thousand years including crusades and massacres of the infamous Genghis Khan.

Let's launch our personal Jihad against racism. May God be with you. Allahu Akbar.

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How Muslims of the past dealt with racism and prejudice

If you think racism, as indicated by things like the 1994 O. J. Simpson trial, the 1992 race riots in Los Angeles, or the existence of the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan in America is something new, think again.
Racism existed before and during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), during the time of the Companions, and they devised strategies to combat it.
Here are some examples from the Muslims' past and present that testify to the dynamics of Islamic egalitarianism.
Who will enter the Kaba first with the Prophet (Year 629)
Ponder this: when the Muslims conquered Makkah, victorious after years of persecution, then war with the non-believing Quraysh, the Prophet went straight to the Kaba.
This was the height of the victory of Islam. He brought some other Muslims with him. He could have chosen only Muslims from the Quraysh, people of his own ethnic and tribal background. He also could have chosen only Arabs or only those of the old noble classes.
But two of the people who entered the Kaba with the Prophet were Bilal ibn Rabah and Zaid ibn Haritha. Bilal, an African and a former slave. Zaid was also not of high status from the tribal Quraysh point of view. Then entered a Qurayshi, Abdullah bin Omar, may Allah be pleased with all of them.
On this day of victory, success and happiness was for all Muslims, no matter who they were or where they come from.
This black man is our leader (Year 634)
When the Muslims conquered Egypt at the time when Omar ibn al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was Khalifa, a Muslim leader who happened to be a black man named Ubaydah ibn Thamit, took a party of the Muslims to meet Muqawqis, the Christian leader of Egypt.
When the Muslims came to Muqawqis, with Ubaydah in the lead, Muqawqis was frightened by the color of his skin.
‘Get this black man away from me and bring someone else,' he demanded. The Muslims refused. They insisted that Ubaydah was the best among them and was their leader who they obeyed and whose judgment they deferred to. They told Muqawqis that the color of a person does not matter to them. Finally Muqawqis had no choice but talk to the leader of that Muslim delegation.
These Muslims were practicing an Islamic principle that individual character is the base of preference not color of skin.
The Conquests of Jerusalem - a Study in Contrasts
Jerusalem and its surrounding territory were and remain holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews. It was during the Caliphate of Omar ibn al-Khattab (634-635) that Muslims first gained leadership of this territory. May Allah be pleased with him.
The Muslim reaction to this victory is something to remember.
Omar entered Jerusalem in humility. He walked in with not he, the Caliph, but his servent comfortably riding on a camel. They had been taking turns walking and riding.
At one point, the Christians asked him to pray in their church but he declined. He refused saying that he is afraid that in the future Muslims could use it as an excuse to take over the Church for building a Masjid.
The Christians gave the key of the Church of Resurrection to Muslims to be responsible for its safety. This key is still with the Muslims today.
In contrast, during the Crusades (1095 until 1291) European Christians attacked and occupied this holy land. They oppressed the Muslims, the local Christians and the Jews. These Crusaders killed over 200,000 innocent civilians.
It was in response to this horrific oppression and the need to free the area of Crusader control that Sultan Salah el Deen Ayyubi (Saladin) liberated Jerusalem from them in 1187.
His arrival brought relief for the local Christian population, who helped him, after the oppression they suffered at the hands of their co-religionists, the Crusaders.
Not only did Salah el Deen treat the Crusaders with kindness, and ensured that Muslim and non-Muslims live in peace and harmony with each other.
One particular story about him recounts that some Muslim soldiers were besieging a Christian fortress. Many Christians were seeking shelter inside, including a young couple who was planning to get married, but whose plans had been stopped by the fighting. They decided to get married anyway, even though they were trapped inside the castle.
Salah el Deen was in charge of the Muslim troops at this time. When he heard about the wedding, he ordered his soldiers not to attack the castle where the couple was staying, so that they could enjoy peace and quiet. In return for this respect, the bride's mother sent out trays of food, so Salah el Deen and the Muslim army could share in the wedding celebrations.
Indeed the best period of peace and justice for all in Jerusalem has been the period when Muslim were in control.
Muslim Spain versus Christian Spain: Civilization versus Inquisition
Many Muslims look back at Muslim Spain with pride. But few people know that Jews also call it their "golden era".
Spain became part of the Islamic world at the beginning of the eighth century. Under Muslims Spain became the center of civilization. Although many local Spaniards embraced Islam, Christians and Jews were free in all aspects of their lives. The Muslims respected their religion and institutions. The result was the birth of the first true cosmopolitan culture in the West.
Christians studied alongside Muslim scholars to such a degree that in 854, a Christian named Alvaro of Cordoba complained that these students were forgetting their own religion and culture.
Muslims and Christians of Spain did not live in their ghettos, isolated and not cooperating in various aspects of daily life together.
One manifestation of this cooperation ca n be found inside the Great Mosque at Cordoba.
Skilled Christian craftsmen, who were trained in Constantinople (which is the city of Istanbul in Turkey today), made beautiful mosaic panels for the walls of the mosque. The Christians worked along with the Muslims to decorate the interior of the mosque with colors and design.
Cordoba was not just the pride of the Muslim world though. The city under Muslim rule was famous throughout Europe.
One Christian nun named Hrosvitha who lived in the 10th century described Cordoba from her home in Germany as the ‘jewel of the world-a city well-cultured, rich... abounding in knowledge.'
It's not surprising that Hrosvitha described the city in this way. Muslim Spain was the center of science and arts. Muslims and Jewish authors wrote many important treatises about science in Arabic. Many ancient Greek texts also survived because Muslims translated them into Arabic.
For example, Aristotle's works on physics and natural history were translated into Arabic from Greek in Muslim Spain. Historians generally acknowledge that the Muslim world proved to be a major conduit of ancient scholarship into the West, especially through Muslim Spain.
It wasn't just Muslims and Christians who thrived in Spain, though. Jews, who were reviled and hated elsewhere, were not only living safely and peacefully alongside non-Jews in Muslim Spain, they were learning and contributing to its culture and knowledge which Muslim scholars had established.
One instance of this is the famous Spanish Jewish scholar, Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) who wrote in Arabic as well as Hebrew.
But this success in wealth, knowledge and co-existence came to end in a violent and very sad way.
As Christian Crusaders of Spain expelled Muslims, civilization that took centuries to build was destroyed. Muslims and Jews were either expelled or forced to convert to Christianity. Millions died as tolerance was replaced by the Inquisition. A suspected Muslim was to be k illed for the smallest act resembling Islamic tradition - such as taking a bath on Friday. Muslims in Bosnia: The Multi ethnic ideals versus racio-nationalism of Serbs (1992-95)
Bosnia is another bright example of Islamic, non-racial egalitarianism and tolerance in Europe. Bosnia today stands as an example of the principle of a multi ethnic society which refused to submit to the racial ideals and attacks of Serb nationalism.
Islam came to Bosnia in 1463 under Ottoman Turks. During Ottoman rule, many Bosnians embraced Islam. Bosnia remained under Ottoman rule until 1878, when it was given to Austria-Hungary as a colony.
While those living in Bosnia enjoyed the benefits of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, South Slavs in Serbia and elsewhere were calling for a South Slav state. World War I began when Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo. After the war, Bosnia became part of the South Slav state of Yugoslavia.
It was given to Croatia in World War II and during the Cold War the Communist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was established under Josef Tito. Bosnia was reestablished as a republic with its medieval borders.
Yugoslavia's unraveling was hastened by the rise of Slobodan Milosevic to power in 1986. Milosevic's embrace of the Serb nationalist agenda led to intrastate ethnic strife. Slovenia and Croatia both declared independence in 1991, and Bosnia-Herzegovina soon followed.
In February 1992, the Bosnian Government held a referendum on independence for all people living in Bosnia. Bosnian Serbs, supported by neighboring Serbia, responded with armed resistance aiming to partition the republic along ethnic lines in an attempt to create a "greater Serbia."
In April 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina was the most ethnically diverse of the Yugoslav republics, According to a Yugoslavian census in 1991, Bosnia was 43.7% Muslim, 31.4% Serbian, and 17.3% Croatian.
The Bosnians resisted the genocidal Serb attacks despite the arms embargo, through most of 1995, ending with the Dayton Accord, signed on November 21, 1995 which retains the multiethnic ideals which Bosnians cherished. However, because of the way Dayton accord is designed, this freedom is more a nightmare than a dream come true.
This was the worst case of genocide in Europe since World War II. 250,000 people were killed and 2 million people became homeless resisting the Serb's nationalism and racism to cherish the ideals that all human being can live together. This was a principled defense lead by Dr. Alija Ali Izetbegovich.
Conclusion
These are just a few examples from Muslim history, which are closer to the Islamic ideals of all humanity being one. This is by no means a claim that all Muslims have always behaved in the most ideal way. Muslims like other human beings are fully capable of falling short in their practice of these ideals. One can come up with a whole set of examples in which tribalism and nationalism have resulted in an unIslamic behavior among Muslims. Muslims as a whole have never condoned or embraced the personal behavior or ideologies which are based on color or race. Islamic ideals continue to challenge racial and national ideologies by inspiring Muslims to emulate the model of the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him.

References :
http://www.islamawareness.net/Racism/past.html

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Islam's manifesto of Universal brotherhood of human beings

by Abdul Malik Mujahid

"O Mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you" (Quran 49:13).

Explanation: There are several principles, which this verse presents:

1. This message is not just for Muslims only because God is addressing all of humanity. While Muslims are one brotherhood, this is part of a larger brotherhood of humanity.
2. God is telling us that He has created us. Therefore He knows the best about us.
3. He says that He created us from one man and one woman meaning then that we are all the same.
4. It also means that all human beings are created through the same process, not in a manner in which some are created with a better mechanism than others.
5. God is the One who made human beings into different groups and people.
6. These differences are not wrong, rather a sign from God ("And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for those who know" [Quran 30:22]).
7. Note that no word equivalent to race is used in this ayah or any other verse of the Quran.
8. Islam, however, limits the purpose of these distinctions to differentiation and knowing each other. This is not meant to be a source of beating each other down with an attitude of ‘my group is better than your group' or false pride as is the case with tribalism, nationalism, colonialism, and racism.
9. The only source of preference or greatness among human beings is not on a national or group level, but it is at the individual level.
10. One individual who is (higher in Taqwa), more conscious of his Creator and is staying away from the bad and doing the good is better, no matter what nation, country or caste he is part of. Individual piety is the only thing that makes a person better and greater than the other one.
11. However, the only criterion of preference, Taqwa, is not measurable by human beings. Indeed God is the One Who knows and is aware of everything so we should leave even this criterion to God to decide instead of human beings judging each other.

These are the deeply embedded ideals of Islam which still bring people to this way of life even though Muslims are not on the best level of Iman today. This is what changed the heart of a racist Malcolm X when he performed Hajj in Makkah. This is the power that brought Muhammad Ali to Islam. This is what still attracts the Untouchables of India towards Islam. This is the theory which convinced noted historian Professor A.J. Toynbee in 1948 to say that: "The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue."

Let's ask ourselves if the Muslim Ummah today, in its individual and collective behavior is striving to adopt and promote these Islamic ideals?

From the Sunnah

1. Prophet's response to racist comments:

A man once visited the Prophet's mosque in Madinah. There he saw a group of people sitting and discussing their faith together. Among them were Salman (who came from Persia), Suhayb who grew up in the Eastern Roman empire and was regarded as a Greek, and Bilal who was an African. The man then said:

"If the (Madinan) tribes of Aws and Khazraj support Muhammad, they are his people (that is, Arabs like him). But what are these people doing here?"

The Prophet became very angry when this was reported to him. Straightaway, he went to the mosque and summoned people to a Salat. He then addressed them saying:

"O people, know that the Lord and Sustainer is One. Your ancestor is one, your faith is one. The Arabism of anyone of you is not from your mother or father. It is no more than a tongue (language). Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab." (As quoted in Islam The Natural Way by Abdul Wahid Hamid p. 125)

2. Statement of the universal brotherhood in the last Sermon:

O people, Remember that your Lord is One. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a black has no superiority over white, nor a white has any superiority over black, except by piety and good action (Taqwa). Indeed the best among you is the one with the best character (Taqwa). Listen to me. Did I convey this to you properly? People responded, Yes. O messenger of God, The Prophet then said, then each one of you who is there must convey this to everyone not present. (Excerpt from the Prophet's Last Sermon as in Baihiqi)

3. Don't take pride in ancestry:

The Prophet said: Let people stop boasting about their ancestors. One is only a pious believer or a miserable sinner. All men are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

4. Looking down upon other people will stop you from entering the Jannah:

The Prophet said: Whoever has pride in his heart equal to the weight of an atom shall not enter Paradise. A man inquired about a person who likes to wear beautiful clothes and fine shoes, and he answered: God is beautiful and likes beauty. Then he explained pride means rejecting the truth because of self-esteem and looking down on other people (Muslim).

5. The Prophet condemnation of Arab racial pride:

There are many hadith, which repeatedly strike on the Arab pride of jahiliyyah. Arabs before Islam used to look down upon others specially blacks. The Prophet repeatedly contrasted the believing Africans versus non-believing Arab nobles.

The Prophet said: You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian slave whose head looked like a raisin (Bukhari).

References : 

by Abdul Malik Mujahid

http://www.soundvision.com/

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