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Month: June 2020

Becoming Antiracist

Published by Muhamad Ali on June 26, 2020

Muhamad Ali 

More than a month since the death of a black man George Flyod in Minneapolis, racial turmoil and its aftermath has become less but the conversation and anti-racist struggle continue and should continue. The white policeman’s cruelty ignited the flames of anger to so many protesters and peoples of all races beyond the streets in the US and many parts of the world. But the fire this time will not last. How to make the moment a long-term anti-racist struggle?  

Violence is always so complex that one solution can’t stand alone. Racism is so acute and systemic that it demands serious efforts from all peoples of all races. The negative feelings and actions and hostility towards other groups have existed since the birth of the United States, when black slaves became part of the settlers on the New World in the American continent. It was when white superiority, originating from parts of Europe, was carried over and institutionalized in America. 

Although in the 21st century, racism is often used for any form of hostility towards other groups for any reason, including gender, age, language, culture, and religion, skin color remains the most tangible and prominent element of group identity and struggles. 

Even many people today are still convinced that differences in skin color are not only natural, but also permanent and cannot be bridged. For many non-black peoples, black people are demeaned, impure, wild, primitive, uncivilized, not fully human. 

Science is often used to justify the dogma of racial superiority. Biological determinism, and racial Darwinism by Eugenics from England and later influential in America, believed the white or Caucasian race was nobler than blacks from Africa, and other colored skins, including the native and Asian peoples.

Modern racism takes various forms of practice, institutions, and socioeconomic structures that perpetuate differences in skin color, including legal products that perpetuate black slavery and racial injustice. Even until 1863, black people who were already independent could not become citizens. Only after the 14th Amendment to the Law of 1868, citizenship includes every person born in America.

But since the 1830s, legislation known as “Jim Crow laws” has been the longest standing product of racist law, restricting blacks to intermarriage marriages, interacting in the public sphere and electing leaders.At the same time, America is a country of paradox and struggles. She has also experienced an anti-colonial movement, the abolition of slavery, a civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, with key figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom-X, and many mores. In the contemporary period, black figures in various public fields have also become prominent of anti-racist voices: Muhammad Ali, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, Keith Ellison, and Ilhan Omar, to name just a few. Keith Ellison became the first Muslim senator, now the General Attorney in the Floyd’s court case. Families, and the wider community are waiting for justice and the legal process has begun.

But political participation is a must. Obama, for example, calls for blacks to be involved in politics, choosing politicians who voice justice. Among many, he has voiced criminal law reform, police officers, and called for changing the legal products that do not guarantee justice. Many have called that the acts of torture be abolished and if they do, they must be subject to severest punishment. Many politicians and activists seek support for electoral reform through the post office or online, without having to come to the ballot box because it is very difficult for many black peoples and other peoples of color to vote.

They have raised their voice for legal reform, to change rules that made it difficult for blacks and other disfranchised peoples, to have a place to live, to borrow funds, to get education, health, employment, and other public services.

The “Black Lives Matter” movement should continue to reverberate. Many protestors recalled the speech of Martin Luther King Jr. Citizens must judge people based on their character content rather than their skin color.

On campuses and the media, humanitarian solidarity is also voiced. Many black students on campuses have suffered tremendous trauma, while demanding justice and everyone’s solidarity. There is indeed training on pluralism and inclusion on US campuses and anti-discrimination rules. But this is not enough.

Many claim “I’m not racist,” but they could be racist. Or they are nonracist today, but racist tomorrow. Being nonracist is not enough. Many could pretend that when they do nothing.

A person can support racist policies through his actions or can be complicit in perpetuating racism by doing nothing at all to educate themselves and others. Being anti-racist means supporting any anti-racist policy through action. Nor does it stop voicing anti-racist thoughts.

There have been global reactions to the police brutality and racism in America. There are voices of anti-racism globally in their own regional and national contexts. There is much hope, especially among the young generation of all races, who are more open to change the course of history and feel more connected to the problem and eager to explore and work in lasting solutions.

The fire this time would not last. But the promises will last. We should fulfill our promises.

Every human being is equal and noble. We should not stop fighting for justice. Peace and fairness can’t be separated. To become fully human is to see others as equally and fully human.

Rasisme dan Antirasisme di AS

Published by Muhamad Ali on June 26, 2020

Muhamad Ali 

Memasuki sekitar satu bulan, gejolak rasial dan jam malam di banyak kota di Amerika Serikat (AS) telah menurun, namun percakapan dan perjuangan mereformasi kebijakan terus berlangsung. Kematian pria kulit hitam George Flyod setelah ditangkap dan ditekan lehernya dengan dengkul polisi kulit putih, memantik api kemarahan begitu banyak warga di AS. Keluarga Floyd menuntut keadilan bagi pelaku penyiksaan itu (polisi Derek Chauvin dan ketiga polisi yang terlibat). Bagi mereka dan kita, tidak ada damai tanpa keadilan.   

Masalah warna kulit paling akut dan sistemik di AS. Rasisme, rasa dan tindakan negatif dan permusuhan terhadap kelompok lain – khususnya oleh kaum kulit putih terhadap kaum kulit hitam, telah ada sejak AS berdiri, ketika para budak kulit hitam menjadi bagian para pendatang ke Dunia Baru benua Amerika. Ketika superioritas kulit putih, berasal dari Eropa, terbawa dan melembaga di Amerika. 

Meskipun di abad ke-21, rasisme sering digunakan untuk setiap bentuk permusuhan terhadap kelompok lain untuk alasan apapun, termasuk jenis kelamin dan jender, usia, budaya, dan agama, warna kulit tetap menjadi unsur identitas paling menonjol. 

Bahkan banyak orang masih yakin, perbedaan warna kulit bersifat alami, tetap, dan tidak bisa dijembatani. Orang kulit hitam direndahkan, tidak suci, liar, primitif, tidak beradab, bukan sepenuhnya manusia. 

Sains pun dipakai untuk membenarkan dogma keunggulan ras. Determinisme biologis, dan Darwinisme rasial oleh kaum Eugenik dari Inggris dan kemudian berpengaruh di Amerika, berkeyakinan ras putih atau Kaukasian lebih mulia daripada kaum kulit hitam dari Afrika, dan kulit-kulit berwarna lainnya termasuk orang asli dan Asia. 

Rasisme moderen mengambil berbagai bentuk praktek, kelembagaan, dan struktur sosial ekonomi yang melanggengkan perbedaan warna kulit itu, termasuk produk hukum yang melanggengkan perbudakan orang kulit hitam. Bahkan hingga 1863, orang kulit hitam yang sudah merdeka pun tidak bisa menjadi warga negara. Baru setelah Amandemen ke-14 Undang-Undang tahun 1868, kewarganegaraan mencakup setiap orang yang lahir di Amerika. 

Namun sejak 1830an, perundang-undangan yang dikenal “Jim Crow laws” menjadi produk hukum rasis yang paling lama, membatasi kaum kulit hitam untuk nikah antar ras, berinteraksi di ruang publik dan memilih pemimpin.  

Menjadi Anti-Rasis  

Pada saat bersamaan, Amerika juga mengalami gerakan anti-penjajahan, gerakan penghapusan perbudakan, gerakan hak-hak sipil pada tahun 1950an dan 1960an, dengan tokoh-tokoh utama seperti Martin Luther King Jr dan juga Malcom-X.  Di masa kontemporer, figur-figur kulit hitam di berbagai bidang publik pun bermunculan. Ada Oprah Winfrey, Keith Ellison, Barack Obama, dan Ilhan Omar, untuk menyebut beberapa nama. 

Obama misalnya, menyerukan kaum kulit hitam terlibat dalam politik, memilih politisi yang menyuarakan keadilan. Ia suarakan reformasi hukum kriminal, aparatur kepolisian, dan semua produk hukum yang tidak menjamin keadilan. Tindakan penyiksaan aparat harus dihapuskan dan jika terjadi, harus mendapat hukuman setimpal. Banyak tokoh dan aktifis mencari dukungan reformasi pemilihan melalui kantor pos atau online, tanpa harus datang ke kotak suara karena sangat menyulitkan banyak orang terpinggarkan untuk memilih.

Mereka menyuarakan reformasi hukum, mengganti aturan yang menyulitkan kaum kulit hitam dan kaum miskin lainnya, untuk memiliki tempat tinggal, untuk meminjam dana, untuk mendapatkan pendidikan, kesehatan, pekerjaan, dan pelayanan publik lainnya. 

Berita baiknya. Keith Ellison menjadi senator Muslim pertama, sekarang menjadi Jaksa Penuntut Umum pengadilan kasus Floyd ini. Keluarga, dan masyarakat luas sangat menunggu apakah tuntutan keadilan terpenuhi. Proses pengadilan dimulai. 

Tapi gerakan “Black Lives Matter”, Nyawa Orang Hitam Bernilai, terus bergema. Brutalitas aparat kepolisian menjadi sasaran utama. Aktifis mengingatkan lagi pidato Martin Luther King Jr. Warga negara harus menilai orang berdasarkan muatan karakternya bukan berdasarkan warna kulit. 

Ada hampir 45 juta atau 14 persen orang kulit hitam di Amerika saat ini. Kebanyakan masih dalam kondisi marjinal. Perjuangan anti-rasisme masih panjang. 

Di kampus-kampus dan media, solidaritas kemanusiaan juga disuarakan. Banyak mahasiswa kulit hitam di kampus-kampus, mengalami trauma luar biasa, seraya menuntut keadilan dan solidaritas semua orang. Memang ada pelatihan tentang kemajemukan dan inklusi di kampus-kampus AS. Ada aturan-aturan anti-diskriminasi. Tapi itu belum cukup.   

Hampir semua orang berkata, “saya tidak rasis”, tapi nyatanya mereka bisa saja rasis. Atau tidak rasis hari ini, tapi rasis hari besok hari. Menjadi tidak rasis, belumlah cukup. Berpura-pura. Atau seolah-olah tidak ikut berdosa. Sekarang momentumnya. Menjadi anti-rasis. 

Seseorang bisa mendukung kebijakan rasis melalui tindakannya, atau tidak berbuat sama sekali. Menjadi anti-rasis berarti mendukung setiap kebijakan anti-rasis melalui tindakan. Juga tidak berhenti menyuarakan pikiran anti-rasis. 

Setiap manusia adalah sejajar dan mulia. Mereka, juga kita semua, tidak boleh berhenti berjuang menyuarakan keadilan. Damai dan adil jangan dipisahkan. Menjadi manusia sepenuhnya, dan menilai orang lain sebagai manusia, juga sepenuhnya.