Xenophobia may seem like a new term for many people. However, it is very similar to forms of prejudice that many are familiar with such as racism, sexism, or homophobia. Xenophobia is the “fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.” Simply, it is when a person holds prejudice against a certain nationality because of ignorant stereotypes that have been engraved in the society. For instance, with the COVID-19 outbreak back in 2020, not only was there a pandemic from the virus but also a pandemic of hatred towards the Chinese people, which directly falls under xenophobia. A very infamous xenophobic remark was made by Former President Trump when he called the coronavirus the ”Chinese” virus. Xenophobia can be prevalent within members of the same ethnicity such as Arabs. Although Arabs share the same roots and have similar cultures, xenophobia is still a pertinent issue within the Arab community. There is this rampant amount of malice and hatred between Arabs despite our shared values and qualities. Unfortunately, this issue is scarcely discussed.
Xenophobia Within the Arab Community
Psychologists claim that the preconceived notions we have at an older age develop in early childhood and are mainly influenced by the parents or whoever the child spends the most time with. Living in an Arab traditionalist household, a child would adhere to whatever their parents are regularly saying in terms of their beliefs on other nationalities. Also, political conflicts that arise between several Middle Eastern countries can be a huge causation for the hatred between them. Hypothetically speaking, if a country cuts ties with another country, then the people of both countries would have animosity towards each other. Finally, Arabs believing in different religions does play a role in enchanting xenophobia within the community. A prominent example would be the sects within Islam, Shia and Sunni. Whilst both sects have similar yet different beliefs, they have some sort of bias towards one another.
Arab Racism
As mentioned, xenophobia is an umbrella term for racism, so Arab racism is a very important aspect of xenophobia within the Arab community. Racism is not only found in the West – it is critical in the Middle East, but there is little to no acknowledgement to it. One way anti-blackness is presented in the Arab community is the Eurocentric features that Arabs tend to favor. There are many Arab communities that have levied Eurocentric beauty standards that include fairer “bright” skin. In 2018, women in Egypt started poring chlorine into their bath to lighten their skin. This is a prominent example of Arabs’ fascination with whiteness and their bias against blackness in general. Even on Arabic television and networks, rarely do we see an Afro-Arab or a Black Arab being televised, which directly corroborates the entrenched racism that is found within the Arab community. Racism is not only directed towards African Americans, it is also directed towards any black person. The media just does not cover what happens in the Middle East.
Decreasing the Amount of Xenophobia
There is not a clear solution to completely eradicating the xenophobia that is prevalent within the Arab community, but there are certain ways that can help ameliorate the situation itself. Raising awareness about a certain topic can surely reduce the stereotypes found in the community, thus reducing the xenophobia, too. The media is such a powerful tool that needs to be utilized in case any xenophobic situation occurs since the media can spread information quickly. Moreover, Arabs need to educate each other on their cultures, for that would show how interconnected they are.