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To quote Dr. Douglass Brown: “The word, race, literally denotes a species or sub classification of a species. Human beings are one single species—homo sapiens. Contrary to common belief, humans are not composed of different races. The false notion of ‘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 ludicrous. It is a confirmed scientific fact that all human beings proceeded from the same earthly mother and father.”
[4:1] 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.
[30:22] Among His proofs are the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors. In these, there are signs for the knowledgeable.
[35:28] Also, the people, the animals, and the livestock come in various colors. This is why the people who truly reverence GOD are those who are knowledgeable. GOD is Almighty, Forgiving.
Wikipedia defines racism: “Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to physical appearance and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against other people because they are of a different race or ethnicity.”
If people really saw everyone else as a very distant cousin, they might be able to let go of some misconceptions and biases and ego and selfishness. But our ego works to convince us we are better than someone else. Even when skin color is not a factor, people still oppress others based on other characteristics: poverty, cultural differences, gender, etc. Women as second-class citizens in society, religious oppression—these things don’t go by skin color or ethnicity but still constitute discrimination.
Racism has had a long history, e.g., colonization, slavery, apartheid, Nazism, etc. (unfortunately, it’s a very long list).
Satan was the first racist. He refused to obey an order from God to prostrate before Adam, saying: [38:76] He said, "I am better than he; You created me from fire, and created him from clay." And Satan continues to inspire his followers to be arrogant and to treat people badly. Satan loves injustice and arrogance and fear. He does not want peace and harmony. He does not want people to be united. He does not want people to be happy or prosperous.
But Satan can only whisper/invite. It’s up to us to turn back to God. Racism is practiced by the mind / heart / soul not the body. The body is just atoms that come, grow and go away. The problem of ego (arrogance augmented by ignorance) started back before creation during the great feud (38:67-88). And that is compounded by greed and selfishness, a disregard of truth and God’s principles.
We all have some ego, may God forgive us and help us do better. And while none of us are sinless or perfect in our words and actions, by God’s infinite grace and mercy, we’re blessed to have a diverse submitter community. And I think, as long as we’re doing our part to worship God, He protects us from racism / bigotry / oppression. People may call us names or look at us funny, but thank God, we’re very blessed to be able to go about our day without fear of injustice or oppression.
But that doesn’t take away from the societal problem, which unfortunately still persists. If people stopped to think about simple principles like “treat others like you want to be treated”, they’d be able to do better. But the ego, mental conditioning, selfishness and other human traits get in the way. What’s the solution? Ultimately, to be the best society, we have to worship God alone, prepare for the Day of Judgment, lead a righteous life—being fair and truthful, kind and compassionate, and give everyone maximum freedom and social justice.
[3:104] Let there be a community of you who invite to what is good, advocate righteousness, and forbid evil. These are the winners.
And always remember we all share the same race and ancestry:
[49:13] O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant.
References:
Brown, E. D. (2000), Racism. Submitters Perspective, August 2000.
Racism, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
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[3:109] To GOD belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth, and all matters are controlled by GOD.
To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. [Deuteronomy 10:14]
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