Xenophobia and Racism: A Growing Concern Across the World

Strategic Insights -

Xenophobia, a form of racism that highlights perceived differences between people, has become a significant concern worldwide. This phenomenon is often accompanied by a fear of losing national, ethnic, or racial identity, and it can manifest as a divisive connotation in different parts of the world, including Myanmar, India, Pakistan, parts of the Middle East, and Africa. UNESCO has suggested that 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 to a socio-political struggle about who has the right to be cared for by the state and society, generating its own denotation that transcends the matrix of human rights and transforms into a fight for the collective goods of the modern state.

Key Takeaways:

  • Xenophobia and racism have become a growing concern worldwide, with a fear of losing national, ethnic, or racial identity.
  • UNESCO has suggested that pseudo-racism often incorporates prejudice based on physical characteristics, where behavior based on the notion of a specified people creates adversity.
  • A study by Harvard University from 2002 to 2015 found modified racism existing in several Eastern European countries, including the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.
  • The University of Oslo Centre for Research on Extremism reported in 2017 that individuals of Muslim background stand out among perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence in Western Europe.
  • Anti-Roma sentiment has been prevalent in Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands, with reports of prejudice against Roma people engaged in crime.
  • The UN's annual report on Children and Armed Conflict in 2021 highlighted the need to hold all parties accountable for grave violations against children, particularly in Gaza, Yemen, Syria, and Myanmar.
  • Human Rights Watch and the Foreign Press Association have criticized the UN Secretary-General for his lackluster response to human rights abuses by powerful countries such as China, Russia, and the United States.
  • The world is experiencing a usurpation of human rights, which needs to be addressed urgently.

Statistics:

  • Over 7,000 members of the Jewish community petitioned for asylum in the United States in 2007, citing existing anti-Semitism currents in France.
  • The Dutch right-wing Party for Freedom used a website in 2012 to feature anti-Polish and anti-Romani messages.
  • A study by Harvard University used 288,076 white Europeans to measure implicit racial bias.
  • The number of children recruited and used by the Tatmadaw in Myanmar tripled after the armed forces were removed from the "list of shame".
  • China has undermined Security Council attempts to impose an arms embargo in conflict-ridden Myanmar.

Sources:

  • UNESCO
  • Harvard University study (2002-2015)
  • University of Oslo Centre for Research on Extremism (2017)
  • UN's annual report on Children and Armed Conflict (2021)
  • Human Rights Watch
  • Foreign Press Association
  • Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador and analyst