What are the types of discrimination?

 Racism – judging someone because of their nationality or skin colour.

Sexism – judging someone because of their gender. This usually applies to the treatment of women.

Disability – disabled people sometimes feel that people judge them or discriminate against them.

Other types could include age, sexuality, social class and so on.
 

If you find yourself invited to a neighborhood or gathering that mostly has people of a different race or culture, do you feel nervous and are more cautious with your belongings? If you see a mixed-race or mixed-culture couple, do you feel discomfort, look down on them, or feel anger?

What is discrimination? “Whoever possesses in his heart discrimination (prejudice in any of its forms such as tribalism, racism, or nationalism) even to the extent of a mustard seed, God will raise him on the Day of Resurrection with the unbelieving Bedouins of the Pre-Islamic era.” – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy Household).

Related terms in English include stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination. A stereotype is an exaggerated belief, image or distorted truth about a person or group; it is a generalization that allows for little or no individual differences or social variation. They are based on images in mass media, propaganda, reputations passed on by parents or peers, and so on. Stereotypes can be “positive” – such as, “Asians are always good at math” – or “negative” – such as, “Blonde women are ditzy”. Both types are ultimately harmful.

A prejudice is an opinion, prejudgment, or attitude about a group or its individual members. Prejudice is often accompanied by fear, ignorance, or hatred, as well as attempts at psychological bolstering or even real-world gaining of status by building attachment to an in-group and trying to separate oneself from out-groups. It could be considered discrimination of the heart or mind, in contrast to discrimination, which is discrimination in action, even if the action is only in speech or a look that someone else can see.

Discrimination is the behavior that treats people inequitably because of their group memberships and includes everything from verbal slurs and social slights, failure to provide reasonable accommodations or access, to media images, preferential hiring, pay, renting and admission policies, apartheid, and hate crimes. Discrimination can be committed by individuals, groups or institutions.

Another narration from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) shows that discrimination is a fatal sin for both the one who commits it and the one who knowingly benefits from it: “The one who exerts discrimination or the one on whose behalf it is exerted, the tie of faith is taken off his neck.” This is in line with the consequences of other greater sins like backbiting – not only is a backbiter a sinner, but the ones who hear it and allow it to take place are also sinners.

Discrimination is one of the first and greatest sins to ever be committed, for it is a sin of Satan. Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, the angels counted Satan as one of themselves, and it was in the knowledge of God that he was not of them; then he spoke out whatever was inside of him, out of anger, and said: ‘You created me of fire and him [Adam] you created of clay.'”

In this case, the prejudice exhibited by Satan seems to be associated with other greater sins such as a pride over being made of fire rather than clay, and unjust, uncontrolled anger toward God when his ego was challenged. This illustrates one of the characteristics that make certain sins into fatal ones – one of them creates an opening and breeding ground for others, clusters of sins compounding upon clusters of more sins to follow, eventually rotting the entire heart.
 

Now what does discrimination look like?

In practice, discrimination can take many forms, such as the following:

Lying for a relative or a friend in a court case to keep him from being punished.Hiring relatives or people of the same ethnicity for important positions when not the most qualified, or paying them preferentially, etc. Or, on the other hand, not hiring someone because of a disability that could be accommodated, because their ethnic “look” is not what you think your customers will prefer, etc. Preferring someone for marriage to yourself or your son/daughter because of their ethnic background, country of origin, or skin color, even if he/she is otherwise not the most suitable spouse.

Excluding people from social circles due to their heritages, or limiting your social circle on ethnic/cultural lines rather than lines established by Ahlul Bayt in choosing friends of virtue, etc. Cutting in line at a store or expecting to be served before them because they are an immigrant, lower economic status, “servant/worker class”, etc. Supporting a government regardless of the moral quality of its actions or exhibiting blind patriotism.

These are all examples of clear discrimination that the Prophet (Peace be upon him and his holy household) will not be pleased with.

If we have ever been party to any of the above, or if we have had any of the following feelings or thoughts, we must consider self-examination for discrimination, as each of these are known possible signs of the spiritual disease:

If someone has an accent (either regional or foreign), you may find yourself inadvertently thinking they’re lower class, less educated, incompetent, etc. If a woman or minority is in a leading position, you question if he/she got the position through affirmative action, illicit favors, or other means besides pure merit. If you find yourself invited to a neighborhood or gathering that mostly has people of a different race or culture, you feel nervous, are more cautious with your belongings, etc. If you see a mixed-race or mixed-culture couple, you feel discomfort, you look down on them, or you feel anger, etc. You believe that stereotypes are often based in truth – that is how they become stereotypes in the first place. You believe that some ethnicities or cultures are inferior to others. If a group of people is experiencing problems, they most likely brought it on themselves.

Putting an end to discrimination and all its negative consequences begins with each of us. We must be aware of our hidden biases so we do not let them inadvertently affect us, and so that we can work on removing them. If you have been wronged or have been a victim of discrimination, do not let bitterness lead to you returning the behavior. Avoid hanging around people who show prejudice, and actively pursue opportunities to mix with people of different backgrounds socially. Discourage unwanted acts like building a new mosque that would split a community on cultural grounds. If you are not sure how a person or group will perceive an action, or if you want a reality check for possible blind prejudices you might have, ask someone who can tell you the truth. Speak up when you witness discrimination and prevent it when possible, whether against yourself or others. Finally, ask God for guidance and help in removing and/or keeping discrimination from polluting your heart, damaging your community, and affecting world politics.

Muslims are usually on the other side of discrimination; they are usually the ones who are being discriminated against.

The United States has a long history of discrimination and prejudice that has led to a lot of struggles and negativity for a lot of groups. Currently, our the United States holds discriminatory attitudes and practices towards many minority communities. A lot of this can derive from ethnic, religious, racial, and gender prejudices that set our nation back. Ever since the horrific events of September 11, 2001, the Muslim community has been under strict scrutiny when it came to people’s fears and paranoia. After the terrorist attacks, Muslims across the nation were immediately looked down upon and many even saw themselves being watched by the American government. Specifically during this time, America was essentially seeing a rise in Islamophobia (dislike/prejudice against Islam/Muslims) that would eventually hurt community relations, and scrutinize innocent Muslim Americans. This is essentially down to all the bias media outlets and ignorance.

‘Prejudice’ means to pre-judge – so you have decided in advance what you think of someone or a group of people based simply on knowing a fact about them (e.g. they are elderly).

Discrimination is putting your prejudice into action.

Prejudice and discrimination usually come from ignorance, fear, upbringing and stereotyping. In the UK, discrimination because of race or gender is illegal. All religions teach against prejudice and discrimination.

Islam has a very clear policy on discrimination and prejudice. All humans are created equally. The great variety of Allah’s creation is shown in the difference in languages, colours, etc.

Differences in colour, tribe, race, traditions should not be used as an excuse for unjust treatment. Even on Hajj, Muslims wear simple white garments to show they are all equal in the eyes of Allah. The word Ummah is emphasised – the worldwide community of Muslims from all over.

Even in the Holy Quran Allah (SWT) says: ’ Mankind, we created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into tribes and nations that you may know each other.’ (Qur’an, surah 49:13)

A holy Hadith says ‘Allah does not look upon your outward appearance; he looks upon your hearts and your deeds.’

Muslims have often had prejudice against them through history. Muhammad (pbuh) had friends and followers from outside Arabia and he said that they were as entitled to attend the mosque as anyone else. Anyone may become a Muslim, no matter what their background.

From Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) final Hajj. ‘All of you descend from Adam and Adam was made of earth. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab nor for a non-Arab over an Arab, neither for a white man over a black man nor a black man over a white man.’

Within the Islamic Ummah, men and women are of equal status but have different roles.

With that said women cannot become imams in the mosque and either do not go or sit separately. They must bring up the children in their faith. Although in some Muslim countries women are not given full rights, this is against the teachings of the Qur’an.

In the Holy Quran it says: ‘Whether male or female, whoever in faith does a good work for the sake of God will be granted a good life and rewarded with greater reward.’ (Qur’an, surah 16:97)

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) said ‘Women have certain rights over you and you have certain rights over them. Treat them well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.’ (Farewell speech)

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him)  was once asked who deserved the best care, and replied, ‘Your mother, your mother, your mother, then your father and then your nearest relatives.’

To Conclude discrimination is a premature judgment -- a negative attitude towards a person or group of people which is not based on objective facts. These assumptions are usually based on stereotypes which are oversimplified and over-generalized views of groups or types of people. A prejudgment might also be based on an emotional experience we had with a similar person.

Discrimination is what makes us justify oppression. Discrimination is a hostile, resentful feeling, an unfounded dislike for someone or an unfair blaming or degradation of others. It is a degrading attitude that serves no purpose except to make us feel superior. It is You against Me. Everything of mine is better than yours--my country, my religion, my kind of people, my family and myself.

People show discrimination when they form an opinion without knowing all the facts. These opinions might be about someone else's race, religion, or ethnic background. They might be based on a person's gender, age, or disability, or even income or education level. The root of all prejudice is fear and ignorance.

From the Islamic perspective, the division of human beings into nations, races, groups and tribes is for the sake of distinction, so that people of one race or tribe may meet and be acquainted with the people of another race or tribe and cooperate with one another. To learn from each other, to appreciate the differences and celebrate the similarities. It is not any different than the variety in plants, flowers and animals... it is an expression of Allah's creativity and artistry. It is meant to evoke a feeling of awe and wonderment, and respect for His creation.