In recent years, controversy has erupted in the Arab world over the negative portrayal of black people. Arabic TV shows have often ridiculed Black people appear often with lighter-skinned actors black face.
The perpetuation of racism against black people in Arab societies has its roots in what a Bahraini cultural critic Nader Kadhem identifies because the dehumanization of black people. This includes traits that caricature their mental weakness, moral impotence, excessive sexual energy, stupidity and tendency to laziness.
This offensive depiction originates from medieval Arabic discourse, which was largely influenced by historical pre-Islamic conflicts between Abyssinians and Arabs, biblical narratives similar to Noah’s curse on Ham and his descendants, and Greco-Roman theories of medication, geography, and natural law.
During the Islamic conquests, this discourse was used as a tool to subjugate black people through the slave trade, which flourished for a lot of centuries and covered parts of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. While Abbasid Caliphatethere was a notable event generally known as For him, insurrection in southern Iraq (869-883).
Black people rose up against widespread injustice and oppression, marking one in every of the biggest slave revolts in history. Subsequent eras, including periods of Ottoman and European colonization, further entrenched racism through the slave trade, perpetuated the assumption in black inferiority, and exposed black people in the Arab region to continued oppression and exploitation.
Unfortunately, the legacy of this oppression and racism has endured into modern times. One sec racist portrayals we faced one another growing criticism anti-Black racism has endured in recent years, sustained in part by a type of white fragility.
White fragility in the Arab world
Influenced by the book by American creator Robin DiAngelo entitled my observations give attention to the intricate nature of this fragility and its impact on the dynamics of racial hierarchy in Arab societies.
As I explore this topic, I grapple with my very own position as a “white” or lighter Arab in the Arab world, and concurrently a “person of color” navigating the Canadian space and grappling with the complexities of accepting an idea recommend by a white American scholar.
The term “white fragility” refers back to the defensive reactions and discomfort that white people display when discussing race and racism.
This fragility hinders meaningful dialogue and perpetuates systems of oppression. Not all features of white fragility translate seamlessly into the trendy Arab cultural landscape, but its impact reverberates and sheds light on the multifaceted nature of anti-Black racism in the Arab world.
In the Arab context, white fragility reinforces and perpetuates racist views of black people, thereby perpetuating anti-black racism and maintaining existing power inequalities. As such, addressing the nuances of whiteness and the fragility related to it is important in addressing issues and dismantling racial hierarchies in Arab societies.
Examples of white fragility
(McGill-Queen University Press)
When confronted with discussions about anti-Black racism, light-skinned individuals with privilege in Arab societies often exhibit displays of white fragility. These may include expressions of anger, refusal, avoidance, debate, withdrawal, or denial. Responses may include citing your individual anti-racist stances, associating racism with moral judgment, appealing to religion to make sure an inclusive and non-racist perspective, or appealing to nationalistic sentiments that transcend skin color.
These defensive responses illustrate the common responses of lighter-skinned Arabs when their racial privilege or involvement in systemic racism is questioned. Some reactions resemble those in DiAngelo’s book, while others are typical of Arab culture. Here are some examples:
“I treat everyone the same.”
“I do not see colours; I see people.
“I grew up in a home that values justice and rejects racism.”
“Some of my closest friends are black and I have known them since childhood.”
“Talking about race only causes division.”
“In Islam there is no distinction between black and white. Bilal, one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, was Black.”
“We are all Iraqis; Race doesn’t matter.”
“We have more urgent problems to solve in our society than racism.”
“It’s not about race; it’s about a person’s skills and capabilities. Judge people by their actions, not their identity.”
“Racists are bad people and I am a good person.”
According to DiAngelo, such responses are shaped by problematic ideologies and beliefs similar to individualism, objectivity, color blindness, meritocracy, good/bad binary and moral judgment. This defensive posture contributes to the persistence of racial inequality by impeding constructive discourse and sabotaging attempts to confront systemic racism.
Exploring white Arab fragility
(Random Penguin House)
Some responses invoke Islam’s overarching message of inclusivity to refute the presence of anti-Black racism in Arab societies.
Kadhem highlights the concept of “self-deception” or “social hypocrisy”, in which individuals with internalized racist views attempt to avoid responsibility by feigning tolerance and openness.
Recognizing the prevalence of anti-black racism in Arab societies could undermine this belief, resulting in discomfort and insecurity amongst “white” Arabs.
It can also be vital to openly acknowledge and challenge taboos surrounding interracial relationships. Claiming to have a black or other racist member of the family is yet one more manifestation of white fragility in DiAngelo’s American view. However, this practice is especially absent in Arab societies.
Marriages between black and white Arabs are less common in the Arab world, and even when there may be a black member in the family, there may be a reluctance to confess it. There can also be a bent to disregard the black history of Arab societies. Both of those tendencies assume whiteness is the norm and blackness is the opposite.
This situation is further reinforced by the nationalist agendas prevalent in Arab countries, which systematically obscure the varied composition of their societies.
By prioritizing national identities similar to Tunisian, Egyptian, Syrian and Iraqi, these policies foster a type of color blindness that effectively denies the historical realities of slavery and the complexities racism in Arab communities.
Engaging in uncomfortable discussions about race and racism can break down barriers and foster mutual understanding. White fragility is a robust mechanism for maintaining privilege. It perpetuates racial inequality by stopping meaningful dialogue about racism and hindering efforts to deal with systemic problems.
Arabs must work together to beat apathy and make efforts to actively take heed to and learn from racial inequalities in our societies. Only then can we address the systemic issues facing everyone and work in alliance with Black liberation movements.