Most unfortunately, because of the changes in the geo-strategic paradigm and its politics an osmotic effect is being created in inter-active relations between communities and people originating from different countries. Sometimes, an intense dislike or fear of strangers is moving us, according to sociologists towards xenophobia. This dynamic can involve perceptions of an in-group toward an external group, not recognized as part of the community. It manifests itself in suspicion and a fear of losing national, ethnic or racial identity. Such an approach is becoming apparent in different parts of the world, particularly in Myanmar, India, Pakistan, parts of the Middle East and Africa. Such an approach affects nationalism and assumes a divisive connotation because it highlights perceived differences between people that might be self-induced.
These factors have led UNESCO to suggest that the term pseudo-racism often incorporates prejudice based on physical characteristics where behavior based on the notion of a specified people creates adversity.
This evolving scenario has led Andreas Wimmer to mention that such socio-political struggle about who has the right to be cared for by the state and society generates its own denotation. This scenario in many cases is transcending the matrix of human rights and transforming itself into: a fight for the collective goods of the modern state. This can be interpreted as a format where people feel that their right to benefit from the government is being subverted by other people's rights. Such an approach subsequently acquires a subverted taste of nationalism in the beginning and later changes into fundamentalist racism.
It may be recalled that such existential nationalism sentiment has existed for more than two thousand years. Such feelings have apparently been present in western culture in the form of ancient Greek denigration of foreigners as “barbarians”. It emerged from the belief that the Greek culture was superior to all others. Such a notion of preeminence also existed among the ancient Romans who believed that all other peoples- Macedonians, Thracians, Illyrians, Syrians and Asiatic Greeks should be subservient to them. We are noticing at present such an illusion in the context of extreme right-wing activists in Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy and some other regions of Europe.
Unfortunately, the color of skin has also taken on a harmful role and is contributing to racism in Canada, USA, Australia and Brazil. Consequently, in Brazil, those with darker skin color are typically depicted as being suitable for becoming housekeepers or hold positions of lower socioeconomic standing.
In Canada and the USA there have been reports of attacks on persons who might have beards or are dark in color. This discriminatory approach is probably the residual of the effects of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. The unacceptable terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic State have also not helped.
However, there is a difference in the context of the USA and Canada. Unlike many other parts of the world there is no refusal to accept that racism is contributing towards chauvinism and needs to be stopped. There is a growing feeling among the network of scores of US and Canadian civil rights and human rights organizations that discrimination exists and has had an osmotic effect that has permeated many aspects of life in these countries- extending to all communities of color. Discrimination against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, especially when it comes to citizens of African- Latin origin, is widely acknowledged. Some demographer analysts also agree that like in Latin America and Europe, ethnic and religious minorities living in these two countries sometimes face discrimination in their dealings with other minority racial and religious groups. In addition to this scenario, there are also efforts aimed at creating unacceptable anti-Semetic feelings- and this contributes towards a reverse effect. Demographic strategic analysts have referred in this regard to a study that ran from 2002 to 2015. It was undertaken by Harvard University to map out the social attitudes in several European countries with regard to incidents of racial bias, based on data from 288,076 white Europeans. The reaction-based psychological test was designed to measure implicit racial bias. It was discovered that modified racism existed in several Eastern European countries- the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Bulgaria and Slovakia.
Similarly, a report prepared by the University of Oslo Center for Research on Extremism in 2017 has cautiously suggested that individuals of Muslim background stand out among perpetrators of antisemitic violence in Western Europe. There have also been reports of individuals and groups perpetrating acts of terror against the nomadic Romanis scattered in different parts of Europe.
In this regard, one needs to refer to France- known for its cultural dimensions. In 2004, France unfortunately experienced rising levels of anti-Semitism in French schools. Reports related to growing tensions between the children of North African Muslim immigrants and North African Jewish children. This dynamic apparently resulted in over 7,000 members of the Jewish community petitioning for asylum in the United States in 2007, citing existing anti-Semitism currents in France. This growing development resulted in French authorities appointing a special coordinator for fighting racism and anti-Semitism.
In Hungary, Analysts have also noted that in Hungary racial discrimination is unfortunately prevalent against people of Roma nomadic origin who often face disadvantages, including unequal treatment, discrimination, segregation and harassment. Fortunately, the government there has been taking necessary steps in the recent past to overcome such negative aspects.
Anti-Roma sentiment has also been seen sometimes in Italy and has been reflected through prejudice that they are quite often engaged in crime. Such feeling has led sometimes to community leaders declaring their plans to expel Roma from settlements in and around major cities and to deport these “illegal immigrants”. In the Netherlands, in 2012, the Dutch right-wing Party for Freedom started using a website which deliberately featured an anti-Polish and anti-Romani paradigm. It was used by the Dutch people to air their frustration about losing their jobs because of cheaper workers from Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and other non- Germanic Central and Eastern European countries.
This aspect has led many to re-think about the harmful effects of deep nationalism. Some nationalists exclude certain groups. Some other extreme nationalists define the national community in ethnic, linguistic, cultural, historic, or religious terms (or a combination of these). This is done to outline that certain minorities are not truly a part of the 'national community' as they define it.
This scenario has led some to observe that unfortunately sometimes a mythic homeland is probably more important for the national identity than the actual territory occupied by the nation. A sacred quality is associated in the context of what is a nation and in the popular memories it evokes. Citizenship is idealized by territorial nationalists. In this context, a criterion of a territorial nationalism is defined as the establishment of a mass, public culture based on common values, codes and traditions of the population. Unfortunately, this is sometimes taken forward by wrongly using religion as a factor.
In any case as it stands today, the world is receiving notice of usurpation of human rights and that needs to be addressed- sooner the better.
Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador, is an analyst specialized in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance, can be reached at <[email protected]>)