UK Riots: Outburst of “White-Ego” against non-Whites?
Citizens of UK must be commended for coming out strongly, and in great number, to display their stand against rioters having indulged in violence. But is this enough to correct what appears to be ingrained deeply and strongly in sections of the British society?
Would it be totally correct to assume that only wrong news about a criminal’s identity led to riots in United Kingdom targeting minorities and people of color?
This refers to the murder of three young girls at a dance event in Southport on July 29 by a British citizen of Rwandan origin, a Christian by birth. Initially, his identity was not revealed but reportedly “news” spread about his being a Muslim leading to riots. Later, authorities disclosed his identity in a bid to check the unrest.
However, racial riots targeting non-Whites continued. This month (August 7) has been, incidentally, marked by thousands of people participating in anti-racism protests in several parts of the United Kingdom. They carried banners saying, “Stop the far right", “Fight racism", “Will trade racists for refugees", “No space for hate, End Fascism", “Smash the Far-Right” and similar such words.
Certainly, citizens of UK must be commended for coming out strongly, and in great number, to display their stand against rioters having indulged in violence. But is this enough to correct what appears to be ingrained deeply and strongly in sections of the British society?
Whether described as “far-right thuggery", “racism”, “extremism” or any other such term, the harsh reality that these racial riots reflect the degree to which bias, on the ground of religion and color, is strongly ingrained within a considerable of people residing in the West cannot be ignored. Here, this refers specifically to Whites, not all but as indicated a considerable percentage. The stereotyped attitude of their looking down upon those who are not Whites tends to dominate their cultural attitude significantly. To a degree, this also affects political, economic, social and other patterns of their life.
One may draw attention here to controversy linked with Paris Olympics. Notwithstanding certain observations about holding Vinesh Phogat and her team as also responsible for her disqualification and being denied the gold medal for being over-weight by 100 gms, one is tempted to wonder as to whether the same attitude would have been displayed if she were a White?
The same question may be raised about gender-controversy earlier raised about boxers Imane Khelif (Algerian female) and Lin Yu-ting (Taiwanese female). Earlier, the International Boxing Association, which is not recognized by International Olympic Committee (IOC), had disqualified them for world championships for failing an unspecified gender test.
Ethically, perhaps it would be wrong to hold decision about Phogat as color-based. But, considering that Khelif and Lin Yu-ting were not disqualified from Paris Olympics, won gold medals, possibility of color-bias having surfaced in their earlier disqualification cannot be sidelined.
Besides, the intensity with which color bias is still practiced is naturally bound to prompt most non-Whites to deliberate on nature of attitude displayed towards them by Whites. The primary question is, if Whites’ behavior toward non-Whites is suggestive of any negative attitude, whether it is color-based or not?
Against this backdrop, the harsh reality about considerable section of Whites viewing themselves as above non-Whites at practically all levels cannot be ignored. Even if fake news about criminal’s identity was not spread, the fact that three White girls were killed would have instantly prompted them to assume that a non-White and a non-Christian had indulged in that crime.
In fact, in all probability the “fake” news was spread on basis of an assumption held against minorities in UK, particularly Muslims. Paradoxically, a similar attitude- based on color- is visible in US campaign for Presidential elections quite strongly at certain levels.
Of course, this does not imply that each and every White entertains a bias against non-Whites. If that was the case, counter-protests against “racists” would not have been held in UK. Nevertheless, the question remains regarding its prevalence when this is not the age of colonialism and when democracy is supposed to be practiced in USA as well as UK.
It cannot be missed, visual images of those protesting against migrants and those whom they assumed to be of the same community as the suspect responsible for murder seem suggestive of a pent-up anger and frustration prompting them to indulge in violence.
Besides, a disbanded anti-Muslim organization is believed to be responsible for spreading false news about the alleged criminal’s religious identity. Slogans spread by such groups on their social media channels state, “We are not far-right, we are just right", “Enough is Enough” and so forth to apparently “justify” their indulgence in rioting against Muslims.
Certainly, they don’t represent entire White population of UK. But there is no denying that sections have been deliberately provoked to this stage of rioting by extremists harboring anger against Muslims and other non-White migrants. There is another side to it which cannot be missed. This refers to in all probability their attributing their own socio-economic grievances to quite a few “migrants” faring better than them in UK. They probably don’t want to recognize and accept them as British citizens.
In a way, non-Whites’ success seems to have in several ways punctured the “White Ego” which prefers entertaining a “negative” attitude towards them on ground of their color and religion. Equally significant is the fact that all Whites and non-Whites have largely ceased to close their eyes to this negative approach. In fact, this may be said about most parts of world, where ethnic differences are exploited to propagate a discriminatory approach towards certain sections. That this is practiced cannot be ignored. Nor can the fact that voices are being raised and action is also being initiated against the same.
Anti-racist counter protests in UK are a symbolic indicator of this socio-political move. But can these together with punishment of rioters help change the negative approach held by them against non-Whites?
Not really.
Riots also reflect the hatred towards the targeted persons. Till this prevails, prospects of their being easily aroused to the same stage cannot be ignored. Perhaps, more steps are needed for changing their negative attitude towards non-Whites and convincing them that the latter should not be held responsible for their grievances.
It is also a question of ensuring that their ego ceases to feel pricked by non-Whites!
[The writer, Nilofar Suhrawardy, is a senior journalist and writer with specialization in communication studies and nuclear diplomacy. She has come out with several books. These include:– Modi’s Victory, A Lesson for the Congress…? (2019); Arab Spring, Not Just a Mirage! (2019), Image and Substance, Modi’s First Year in Office (2015) and Ayodhya Without the Communal Stamp, In the Name of Indian Secularism (2006).]
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