The many recent acts of #anti semitic vandalism in the United States are just one face of an international problem. Racism has always been part of political debate, but recently politicians in many countries have been more open in expressing negative opinions regarding minorities in their populations.
Threats
In a recent tweet, President #Donald Trump said on MSNBC “Anti-Semitism is horrible, and it’s going to stop”. The answer was not enough to answer criticism that he had delayed making a comment regarding bomb threats against Jewish centres around the country.
The answer to racism is not on a quick phrase, but in action and support for those groups that are targeted.
The problem of anti-Semitism is the most public and known expression of racism in political debate.
Sadly, part of this problem was created by President Trump himself. During his successful presidential campaign he called Mexicans “rapists and drug dealers” in the course of rallies and other statements. The effect of this was to give legitimacy to a fanatical minority to discriminate against those they considered suspect.
What difference?
We must ask what difference is there between anti-Semitism and the other forms of Racism? There is none.
Again during the presidential campaign Donald Trump targeted Moslem refugees as a source of terrorist threats to the country and in fact one of his first acts was to ban Moslem immigration from seven “at risk” countries in the Middle East.
This order in now suspended pending the final result of a number of court challenges.
The paradox to the ban on ostensibly security reasons was that so far no terrorist attacks on the United States have been caused by people from the seven countries listed in the order. Stranger still, the countries of those involved in the 9/11 have not been included in the list.
This sends mixed messages to the population.
Once more, the effects of the President’s words is seen in reports of individuals harassing people in the streets, airplanes, or other public spaces as their dress may identify them as “Middle Eastern”. This phenomenon is the basis for a functional definition of Racism.
What is Racism?
Effectively Racism is judging people on their skin colour, religion or origins and not on their personal individual behaviour.
As a result discrimination occurs because people are suspected of being a terrorist, a drug dealer, a Mafioso, or any other category simply on the basis of their accent, style of dress, surname, or even a religious symbol they may be wearing. This behaviour is not only incorrect ethically and morally, it is illegal as it is guilt by association.
Recently the Supreme Court ordered a new hearing in Texas in the murder case against Duane Buck. As reported by Chron.com, Harris Country District Attorney Kim Ogg, "Racially charged evidence has no place in any courtroom and this administration will not tolerate its presence,"
Attorney Ogg’s declaration states clearly that acting on the basis of race, or religion is wrong and must be opposed.
But this must start from the top.
Education
Foreigners are easy targets. A strange accent, a different skin colour, different ways of behaving and dressing make them easy to spot and often they are too scared to react, or even to make a complaint about any discrimination.
Worse still, these issues are difficult to confront because they are often ingrained through generations in the homes which are difficult to counteract, especially by education in school.
The only true answer is in decisive actions by country’s leaders and their immediate and automatic condemnation of any action based on race or religion. This does not happen enough and all it does it to make the tension even worse.
Racism is an insidious beast and must be confronted by the population as a whole. But this will not happen until the countries’ Leaders have the courage to grasp the nettle.
Do Donald Trump and the other world Leaders have the courage to show this example to their citizens?
