Racism is a universal phenomenon. In some Arab countries, it is met with discontentment, in others with rejection. The irony in a situation like this is tremendously troubling. We live in a world where Arabs have long been subjected to racism that it has become obvious that too many of those Arabs have failed to consider how they treat minorities.
Racism in the Arab World
In various parts of the Arab world, a word that is often used in the Arabic language is “abid” (plural: “abeed”) remains a part of everyday speech. “Abid” literally means “slave”. Its continued usage perpetuates lifelong stereotypes and acts as a reminder of the prominent existence of racism in the Middle East. There is a culture of silence towards racist incidents in the Arab society that needs to be eliminated. Many Arabs have defended their silence by saying things such as “I am not a racist, but…”, “we are all one, I do not see color between us”, or “I would rather not get involved in politics”. From blackfaceto the use of the N-word as well as other racial slurs, anti-Black racism in Arab communities is severe and detrimental. When we, as non-Black Arabs, choose to remain silent, we are complicit to the violence against black people. When we choose to remain silent when a family member or friend says a racial slur, we are part of the problem. Arabs cry out from islamophobia and racism when discussing the Arab minorities in the West while failing to realize they treat others in the Arab world just the same. Lastly, the greatest example that truly illustrates how deeply racism is rooted within our culture is the Kafala system. Domestic workers are stripped away of their rights and neglected. People need to recognize that the abuse against domestic workers is not the cause of “a few bad employers” but rather by a system that allows and even encourages society to treat these workers as second-class humans.
Impact of Racism in the Arab world
The unfortunate reality of racism in the Arab world is the fact that there will still be people saying things such as “at least we are not as bad as the West” or “no, there is no racism in Arab countries”, which minimizes an enormous problem. Blackface is widespread in our comedy, racist slurs are rooted and fixated in our language, and, when Black bodies are raped, attacked, and murdered in the Arab world, we refuse to acknowledge it and talk about it. That does not make us any different from when a police officer kneels on the neck of a black man in the West. The main difference is that, in Arab countries, this violence does not get a hashtag due to the lack of care people hold towards this issue. People of color are almost constantly verbally or physically abused, deemed not as worthy to a community as a white-passing person, and treated unfairly. These experiences lead to significant consequences on a person’s mental health. Anxiety disorders and depression are very high amongst those affected by racism. Also, if physical assault is involved in some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder may emerge. When people of color or ethnic minority heritage see themselves as targets of racism, they are bound to live in a constant state of fear, and this is a chronic stressor, which consequently affects those around them as well.
How to Help
Unfortunately, a lot of Arabs are more concerned with their social media aesthetic and how their friends and family will perceive them, rather than focusing on the paramount benefits they would gain from fighting for such a valuable cause. However, those Arabs forget that their silence is just as violent. As Arabs, we need to move forward from the prevalent denial to overcome the stigma surrounding black people. We need to stop glossing over the history of slavery. Abid has always been and will always be offensive and demeaning, no matter how many people make up excuses to prove otherwise. Most significantly, we must call out casual racism. The reason many people and Arabs get away with racism is because it is not acknowledged and brought up. Call out your friends and family members. Saying the N-word is racist. Singing along to the N-word in a song is still racist because of the derogatory meaning it holds. Making fun of a person’s skin color or ethnicity is racist. Treating a human being as anything less than a human being simply for the way they look is racist. In the Arab world, black people are not invisible, but are rather made invisible. We need to do better.
Much too often, the conversation regarding racism in the Arab world has been met with denial and defensiveness. This culture of silence is indicative of the lack of awareness and knowledge of the complex history of racism and its consequences – both mentally and physically – on a person.
Excellent article! This is an issue that really needs more awareness, education and action in the Middle East.