Q&A
Question: For nearly two weeks, the United States has been swept by protests that appear significant in some regions, interspersed with acts of violence, looting of shops, and the burning of police stations. Does the killing of a black man in America ignite such protests? This has happened many times in the past few years, yet such protests did not occur! Furthermore, are there any repercussions of these American protests on America's foreign policy?
Answer: To clarify the answers to the above questions, we review the following:
1- The American police killed a man of African descent, George Floyd, in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. It was a heinous crime, during which the police officer applied the training he received in the police force—restraint by applying pressure on the carotid artery in the neck. The crime lasted nine minutes, during which Floyd shouted, "I cannot breathe," until he passed away. All Americans witnessed this horrific crime and saw with their own eyes the brutality of the American police against Black people. Demonstrations broke out in the city immediately the next day, denouncing this level of brutality in dealing with human beings. The demonstrations then began to spread to other American cities, with widespread circulation of the painful choking video via social media sites, until the demonstrations covered more than 80 American cities in various states. The authorities then announced a curfew to prevent the demonstrations, many of which were accompanied by violence, killing, looting, and the burning of shops and police stations. The American police resorted to dealing harshly with the protesters, arresting more than 4,000 people in various cities, and several deaths were reported. The National Guard was called in to enforce security and control the streets; indeed, the American army was summoned in a precedent that had not happened before in America to enforce security in the capital, Washington, D.C. President Trump was even hurried to a secure underground bunker for fear of protesters storming the White House.
2- The scenes of American protests shattered the image of domestic stability that successive American governments had boasted about. The erupting fires, looted stores, and destroyed police stations on such a significant scale warned Americans of the hell that their governments have long created for other countries. It threatened that the oppression and arrogance with which America is accustomed to dealing with the world is finding its way to dealing with the American people themselves. These were shocking scenes by all standards: a president warning and threatening peaceful protesters with "vicious dogs" around the White House and with the most lethal weapons in the world if they dared to storm the White House walls, which were surrounded by wire barriers and concrete walls. The President demanded that state governors respond harshly to protesters in their states, impose security by force, and offered them the assistance of the National Guard, putting the U.S. Army on high alert to intervene within four hours wherever necessary if the police and the Guard failed to impose security. Indeed, the army was deployed in the capital, Washington, before this step was reversed following widespread criticism directed at the President for pitting the American army against the people. From another angle, angry crowds—unstopped by the police, the Guard, or the risks of the Coronavirus—were divided: one part was peaceful, demonstrating to demand civil rights, accountability for killers, and police reform; a second part intentionally attacked government centers, especially the police, burning and destroying them, which President Trump then declared to be the "left-wing Antifa" movement, which is fiercely anti-capitalist; and a third part engaged in looting, theft, and acts of sabotage.
3- The reality of the American police, in which the white element is the backbone, is that they have become accustomed to insulting the Black population. Many of them have been killed at the hands of police officers, and some of those incidents were documented and filmed, as in the recent incident of Floyd's death. These incidents were not rare occurrences but were repetitive; racial discrimination in the United States is a tangible and striking phenomenon in their societies.
However, there are reasons that made Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis expand the scope of popular anger against the policy of racial discrimination pursued by state agencies in America against Black people in particular. Some of these reasons are old and others are new, including:
a- The failure of the "melting pot" process in American society: The current American society emerged with a distinctly racist origin. English immigrants in particular, and Europeans in general, colonized America over the bodies of millions of Native Americans, its original inhabitants. Due to the need for labor in the new colonies, slaves were brought from Africa. Thus, Americans view all those of African descent as slaves; this was official for centuries, during which these Africans were subjected to racial segregation and forced labor in white-owned farms and industries. The 1790 Naturalization Law granted American citizenship to whites only, while refusing to recognize Black people as citizens. Despite Africans gaining some rights, such as voting in the 1860s, racial discrimination remained an official policy practiced in America even after the end of the Civil War. After the mid-twentieth century, a major movement called "Civil Rights" broke out, in which Martin Luther King became famous as a leader for Black people in America, resulting in the official recognition of their full rights as American citizens. Consequently, these Africans thought they had gained the civil rights their fathers and grandfathers lacked, but this did not much change the mentality of white Americans, whose inferior view toward these Africans continued, as did racist practices against them. Despite American leaders' claims about the end of racism, various reports speak of the deep-seated racist view in America against those of African descent. Manifestations of racism against Black people in America include the clear increase in the number of Black prisoners compared to white Americans, high unemployment rates among them, the large and clear difference in average income between African-American families compared to white Americans, as well as the sharp decrease in health services and other services between areas dominated by Black citizens, called Black neighborhoods, and areas often considered upscale, where decent health services are available and housing rents are high, inhabited by white Americans.
b- The arrival of the racist Trump administration and its adoption of white supremacists: The groups supporting President Trump believe in the superiority of the white race over others, and these groups were elevated after Trump's arrival at the White House. They found in Trump a national leader for them, and they blend with Evangelical Christians who add a religious tint to this superiority. With President Trump's overt actions against Muslims, preventing some from obtaining visas to enter America, his anti-Mexican statements, his plans—part of which he implemented—to build a wall on the Mexican border, his trade war against China, his naming of the Coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," the emergence of a wave of hostility toward Chinese people within America, his tolerance of Neo-Nazi demonstrations in Virginia in 2017, the language not devoid of insult with which he speaks about minorities, as well as his comments on the death of "Black" Floyd and the necessity of suppressing the protest movement supporting "Black" rights in America... as a result of all this, President Trump became one of the biggest factors inciting racial discrimination in America. Therefore, the pace of hostile acts against Black people, Muslims, Mexicans, and Chinese people in America increased during his term, and they became viewed more than before as intruders who came to steal Americans' jobs and loot America's wealth. Thus, racial discrimination became prominent in many sectors of American society.
c- The repercussions of the Coronavirus within American society: Among the reasons that increased the intensity of the protests over Floyd's death in America is that it coincided with the spread of the Coronavirus and the accompanying quarantine, which caused distress for Americans on one hand. On the other hand, it created large-scale unemployment, increasing Americans' anxiety about their future. Thirdly, Americans saw a dismal failure in their government's handling of the epidemic's spread in America, with a significant shortage of medical supplies and equipment and a failure to prepare for the virus, despite the fact that the wave of the virus hit America after Europe and China, which should have provided a good opportunity for preparation that was not utilized. Furthermore, the American administration's fumbling in dealing with the epidemic resulted in another reason for division in the American political sphere regarding the Trump administration's way of handling the epidemic crisis. Among the deep and important internal issues is that American society's feeling of the wickedness of the Capitalist system has grown; the process of wealth distribution in America is worsening at a frightening acceleration in favor of a very small class of capitalists, the owners of political influence lobbies. This policy moves toward granting them more tax exemptions at a time when middle and low-income earners bear the greatest burden of crushing taxes. These American protests highlighted the rising power of the anti-capitalist movement in America, "Antifa", which President Trump demanded be classified as terrorist. This is the movement that called for the occupation of stock markets in "Wall Street" as a major symbol of Capitalism after the 2008 financial crisis. This movement is increasing its followers and becoming more rooted in American society, calling for violence against Capitalism, and it is accused today of directing protesters to burn and destroy government facilities such as police stations.
4- All of this had repercussions on America's foreign policy, and these are influential repercussions for the following reasons:
a- The state of division in America: The Trump administration has shown since 2017 that America is not united. There are many policies over which Americans are divided, such as wars, international aid provided by America to its agents around the world, tax policy, dealing with minorities, immigration, and many other policies. But with the arrival of President Trump, he himself has become one of the most prominent causes of division in America. His personality, with its features of excessive arrogance, attachment to power, excessive love of appearance, lack of wisdom, tendency to engage in internal conflicts, and showing ecstasy in breaking opponents, has made America truly divided over President Trump—either with him or against him. Dismissals and resignations in the pillars of his administration increased to an extent never seen with any previous American president. The Coronavirus crisis and the verbal sparring between the President and the governors of some states showed an aggravation in the intensity of American division. This division hits the American political and financial center and reflects on society as a whole. The way the President and his administration handled the crisis of popular protests has also become a major reason for feeding the division; Trump opposes the protest movement after Floyd's death and wants to establish security by force, opposed by the Democratic Party, state governors, and even his Defense Secretary, who apologized for the President's participation in a visit to a church near the White House after security forces cleared protesters from around it, which was considered political propaganda for Trump. Among the latest examples of these conflicts and their intensity, (Former U.S. defense secretaries and dozens of military officials accused—in a joint letter—President Trump of betraying his oath and the Constitution for considering deploying the army to face the protesters; among the signatories was former Defense Secretary James Mattis. Al-Jazeera Net, 07/06/2020)... The matter was not limited to former defense secretaries but included the current one sharply. According to the same previous source (CNN quoted a Pentagon official as saying that President Donald Trump requested the deployment of ten thousand soldiers in the capital, Washington, and other American cities to face last week's protests, and that Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley refused this request, amidst massive demonstrations in Washington and other American and European cities against racism and police violence. The New Yorker magazine stated that it learned from White House sources about a verbal altercation occurring between President Trump and General Mark Milley. The magazine reported that General Milley raised his voice at the President in objection to his request to deploy the army in the streets of American cities to end the protests, as Milley believes that the army's presence in the street is contrary to the law.)
b- The presidential election period: What added heat to this issue is that these protests broke out coinciding with the election campaigns for both candidates, Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Trump. If President Trump feels deeply concerned about his future as president and wants to be re-elected in November of this year—indeed, this issue is his priority number one—his main source of concern is the repercussions of the Coronavirus, its impact on the American economy, the loss of jobs for millions of Americans, and what is said about his poor handling of the virus crisis. He fears that this will be a factor exploited by his Democratic rival against him in election campaigns. Then comes today's wave of recent protests in which President Trump wanted to highlight his personality as a strong man capable of maintaining security and preserving property, which would increase his electoral chances. However, his rival Joe Biden, the Democratic Party, and other forces are working to portray this differently, highlighting him as a man working to entrench division in America, incapable of healing the wounds suffered by American society after the incident of Floyd's death and the demonstrations, and they hold him responsible for the nature of violence and rioting in the demonstrations because of his fiery statements against the protesters.
c- The state's suppression of protests: The countries of the world watched the painful and brutal way the American government dealt with popular protests, the President's talk about imposing security by force, "vicious dogs," and the most lethal weapons, and they watched thousands of detainees, batons, and tear gas in America, after it had been immune to such scenes for decades. All of this strips America of an argument it has long used against its opponents around the world under the headings of human rights, the right to express opinion, supporting the opposition, and so on. This has a direct impact, stripping American foreign policy of one of its most famous international justifications. This is confirmed by what Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, ("As of late May and early June 2020, the United States loses any right to direct any remarks to anyone on the globe regarding human rights issues." Zakharova added, commenting on the American authorities' handling of protesters participating in protests against racism and police violence in the United States: "It's over! From this moment on, they do not have this right." Al-Youm Al-Sabe', 02/06/2020).
5- Thus, racial discrimination is localized in the United States. It may fall silent for a while, but it moves often. It is an intellectual disease at the origin of the emergence of the American Capitalist system; indeed, no man-made system is free from it because it is subject to the whims and desires of humans that determine the preference of white over brown, and red over yellow... even if this discrimination causes all harm to others, or even to themselves later on!
Islam is the only thing that removed, and removes, this racial discrimination. There is no superiority in it among people based on color, status, or wealth; rather, they are all equal, and they do not excel except through taqwa (piety). Allah the Exalted says:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوباً وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِير
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." (Surah Al-Hujurat [49]: 13)
And the Messenger ﷺ said, in what was narrated by Al-Bayhaqi (384 AH - 458 AH) on the authority of Abu Nadrah, on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ addressed us in the middle of the days of Tashreeq in the Farewell Sermon, saying:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، أَلا لا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى عَجَمِيٍّ، وَلا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ، وَلا لأَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ، وَلا أَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَحْمَرَ، إِلا بِالتَّقْوَى، إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ، أَلا هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ؟
"O people, your Lord is One, and your father is one. Behold, there is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for a red (fair) man over a black man, nor for a black man over a red man, except by piety (taqwa). Indeed, the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the most pious. Have I delivered the message?" They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Then let the one who is present inform the one who is absent." And Al-Busiri (762 AH - 840 AH) narrated similarly, as did At-Tabarani (260 AH - 360 AH), who said in his narration:
وَلَا لِأَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَبْيَضَ وَلَا لِأَبْيَضَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ
"Nor for a black person over a white person, nor for a white person over a black person."
Islam is the only thing that eliminates racial discrimination, for it is revealed from the Lord of the worlds, guides to the truth, and spreads goodness throughout the world.
أَفَمَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لا يَهِدِّي إِلا أَنْ يُهْدَى فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ
"Is then He who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed or he who guides not unless he is guided? Then what is [wrong] with you - how do you judge?" (Surah Yunus [10]: 35)
20 Shawwal 1441 AH 11/06/2020 CE