If Malcolm X Was Alive Today, He Wouldn’t Recognize Islam Today As The Islam He Knew 5o Years Ago

In the last sermon of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, on mount Mina, he said

“There is no preference for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab. Neither is there preference for a white person over a black person, nor for a black person over a white person.”

this shows you that Islam is a religion not only for everyone, but a religion that does not put a person of a certain race, color, ethnicity, or nationality over the other. Islam embraces all humans regardless of where they come from, or the language they speak. This is reaffirmed in the Qur’an, when Allah says

“And We made you nations and tribes so that you may know each other. The most honorable among you in the sight of God is the most pious of you. God is All-knowing and All-aware.” — Holy Qur’an, Surat Al-Hujurat (49:13)

As I read through the final chapters of the autobiography of Malcolm X, one chapter in particular “Mecca,”, Malcolm talks about the “brotherhood” of the Muslim world. At one point he even says “I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered ‘White’ — but the ‘white’ attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam.” When he was asked what impressed him about the Hajj the most, he replied “The brotherhood! The people of all races, colors, from all over the world coming together as one! It has proved to me the power of the One God.” He mentions that in Hajj, “you could be a king or a peasant and no one would know” because wearing the Ihram, and being at Hajj, makes us equal.

However, as I was reading this, it actually really bothered me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. Every part of it. What bothered me was that Muslims, do not act that way anymore. Muslims do not treat each other that way anymore. Muslims are not a “brotherhood” as Malcolm X said. Muslims have divided themselves into classes, races, colors, ethnicities, nationalities.

Arab Muslims see an Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, any South Asian with disgust, with disdain, looking down upon them, and many don’t even treat them like humans. We have enslaved the people of those countries, making them work day and night for us for a salary way below the poverty line. Giving them nothing, treating them like nothing. The often heard about abuses of domestic and labor workers is a proof of the racism against South Asians. We have also seen the amount of racism against Indians when the Indian businessman by the name of “Raj Sahni” a.k.a “Abu Sabah” bought a special number at an auction in Dubai, and people were quick to make jokes of him, despite the fact that he speaks fluent Arabic.

Arab Muslims have become so nationalistic, that they would treat other Arabs, from Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, with disrespect, acting as if they are, in someway above them. Muslims from the Gulf have even used a word from the Levant to use as a divisive racial slur “Zalama” which is slang for “person”

And how racist it is from the Arabs, to be so egoistic, so narcissistic, that they would think that they are better than those who are non-Arabs (Ajam and Baloch) and despite them being of the same nation, country, citizenship, they would without any hesitation say that the Ajam and Baloch are of lower status than them. The Ajam and Baloch are also often made to feel as if they need to prove their loyalty as Emiratis. Many Arab friends of mine have told me personally that they were taught, when they were young, that Arabs are superior than the Ajam and Baloch. One of them told me that they were told that “God created people as classes” and that Arabs are among the top class, while the Ajam are inferior.

And you cannot deny the fact there is a division based on color. Muslims continue to treat Black people, even those who identify as Black Arabs, as inferior. The general image of a Black person to us is dirty, poor and uneducated. Which pretty much sums up the ignorance of the Muslim Arab world. When a Black girl traveled to Egypt, and spoke of the racism she experienced there, she said that she was told that white Arabs and Black people don’t marry because Black people are “not as good.” She also mentioned that she was “complimented” by people saying to her “You’re really pretty. I didn’t think Black people can be pretty” She speaks the reality of how the Arab world treats Black people. And that happened despite the large population of Black people in Egypt.

Or that in the UAE, and I’m sure other countries as well, if you’re half-Emirati, you get treated like you’re not a “real Emirati” and you’re made to feel that way. You are made to feel as if you need to prove your loyalty as an Emirati. And a lot of times, you’re treated based on your half that isn’t Emirati, which is wrong in itself.

Now, I know what many of you will say “But I have a [______] friend” Well, you can have a Black, Ajami, Balochi, Levantine, or wherever from friend and be a racist. The fact that you have a minority friend does not mean that you aren’t racist. You could even be more racist than a person with no minority friends. Because then, your minority friend is a token friend. Using your minority friends to prove your point of being not a racist is racist in itself.

The racism might not be shown in the surface, but covert racism surely exists. And it is just as bad as, if not worse than, subtle racism. Because when somebody is a racist to your face, you know you can either avoid them or confront them. There are different cases for when this covert racism comes to the surface. Usually, in our part of the world, it comes when a proposal has come for a girl’s hand in marriage. This is an undeniable case of racism. When a Black, or non-Gulf Arab, or non-Arab (Ajami or Balochi) guy proposes to an Arab girl, 99.9% of the time, the girl’s family will reject. As someone once said “Nobody’s family is racist until someone comes to propose.”

“America needs to understand Islam because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem.” — Malcolm X

Perhaps, Arab Muslims need to understand Islam, because as it seems like they do not respect anyone who is of a different race, ethnicity, color, or nationality. It seems like Muslims have divided themselves, and kept dividing themselves further and further through nationalistic, classist excuses. If you are not of a certain nationality, or a certain ethnicity, you are made to feel as if you are inferior. Arab Muslims have to look again at their own religion, learn from their own religion.