Is Racism Universal?

I made a broad comment in my latest post, stating that racism is strictly an American problem.

I recognize that the comment was too broad. Now I would like to explain.

I know that prejudice of one type or another exists in nearly every society. My husband's aunt taught me that. "Tay" was a very special woman. Very sweet and gentle. She had no formal education, and she spent her life working to help the family and bring in the rice harvest in rural Thailand.

On the day I met "Tay", she took my hand and said, "Khow, khow." White. She had the naturally-brown skin of a Malay, and the naturally-formed rough brown skin of a farm laborer. She was impressed by my hands because they were the hands of the middle-class. White is good. White is rich enough not to have to work in the fields.

There are many examples of ethnic strife throughout the world. Most are politically- or economically-based. As in the case of my husband's aunt. White skin is better off. White skin doesn't perform manual labor.

But I have been a Muslim for over twenty-five years. And I can honestly say that racism does not exist in Islam.

That is not to say that racism does not exist among Muslims. Arabs discriminate against non-Arabs. Saudis think themselves better than Palestinians. A light-skinned South Asian may be more respected than a dark-skinned South Asian. Among those who don't know better.

But Islam does not recognize race. And I've been fortunate to meet a large number of Muslims who actively practice equality. Saying the prayers. Making the hajj. Shoulder to shoulder, with no distinction.

When racism does exist, in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, it often has an economic base. The white man trying to hold on to his piece of the pie. Why do you think racism started in the first place? The white slave owner had to convince himself that he was doing God's work. The white soldier had to convince himself that God had given America the land from which he was evicting the Natives. And racism was a very convenient way for the rich white man to make sure the poor white man didn't turn on him. Imagine how different the history of this country would have been if the poor white man had allied himself with his darker brothers and sisters. The rich white man knew that.

I'm going to take a stab at religious "racism" too. The old Sunni v. Shiite, Protestant v. Catholic. These, too, are based in economics and politics. Religion is simply an excuse.

In my twenty-five years as a Muslim, I've never taken the time to categorize myself. I suppose I am a Sunni. As to further divisions, I don't even bother. It doesn't matter. As with all other divisions, the Sunni-Shiite thing is just one more distraction invented to take our minds away from what really matters.

For me, the worship of the one God, who created us all, is what matters.

What about you?