News & Comment
Eternal Double Standards for Muslims in the Issue of "Ethnic Discrimination"

News

Malaysia Rejection on ICERD (International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination) on December 8, known as action 812, was also becoming debate in Indonesia the neighboring country.

Even there was a viral argument between TV presenter Arie Untung and movie director Ernest Prakasa on social media. Arie Untung posted a photo of the 812 action in Malaysia coupled with the caption: “The power of ukhuwah. Malaysia 812”. This upload received a response from director Ernest Prakasa via his Twitter account: "812 was a demonstration against ICERD. The Malaysian government wants to eliminate discrimination, but opposed by these people. So, are you personally more pro-ethnic discrimination? There are many jobs on (one of the television stations) whose boss is Chinese, FYI, "Ernest wrote.

As we know, the convention was adopted and opened for signature by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 1965, and entered into force on 4 January 1969. As of January 2018, it has 88 signatories and 179 parties. But as reported by Malay Mail, in addition to Malaysia, a number of countries also refused to sign the ICERD Convention, some of which were Myanmar, North Korea, South Sudan, and Brunei Darussalam.

Comment

There is no guarantee that the country which has ratified ICERD will become ethnically friendly or anti-discrimination, ICERD dysfunction is very evident when China ratified it but Uyghur Muslims continue to be discriminated. India has ratified it but Kashmiri Muslims continue to be suppressed. The Jewish entity has ratified ICERD even though the world knew that it colonized Palestine. While Rohingya Muslims were slaughtered, it wasn’t because Myanmar refused to sign the ICERD, but because the predatory Myanmar regime was indeed anti-Islam, and because the Muslim rulers in the region are silent.

As Muslims, we deserve to reject (ICERD). Why? Because ICERD is a legal product of the United Nations, a secular institution that is doing nothing in resolving Muslim conflicts. Plus, what underlies ICERD is human rights and values that conflict with Islam. HAM supports freedom and equality in all things, while Islam regulates all aspects of life. The UN also seems to be more concerned about "ethnicity" than "religion". Discrimination against religion is considered as non-existent. So, it is only natural that the official Twitter account of the World Uyghur Congress @UyghurCongress which once expressed disappointment over the Indonesian government's attitude towards discrimination against Uyghur Muslims on November 15, 2018: “#Indonesia @Kemlu_RI also made absolutely no mention of religious discrimination, religious persecution or the mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs in internment camps. Once again, the Indonesian Mission seems to a different set of standards for #China”.

This is the eternal double standard that always afflicts Muslims in various parts of the world. Muslims are clearly not only discriminated against because of their ethnicity but also because of their religion, apart from their status whether majority or minority.

It is undeniable that the incidents of burning the tawhid flag in October 2018 in Indonesia also became a wound for Muslims throughout the world, as well as Muslims in Malaysia. This reaction grew bigger, manifested in the reunion of 212 actions in Jakarta, beginning in December and slowly but surely growing into a popular movement that helped inspire massive action in Malaysia on December 8, despite the differences in the political context and issue structure. So it’s natural that Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia moved to take action to defend Islam and defend the banner of the Prophet (saw), which signal the unity and revival of the Ummah. On the other hand, there are many interested parties that try to divert and manipulate the power of the ummah's voice for their secular political agenda.

Because of this, the spirit of the Ummah for unity and defending tawhid is what we MUST guard. It should be guarded by full Islamic brotherhood, and true awareness of Islam. And the elimination of discrimination will not actually be realized by ratification of ICERD or any other UN legal products, but only by returning to Islamic rules that have proven protecting racial and religious diversity in the centuries of the Khilafah.

(وَمِنهُم مَّن يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لاَّ يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُفْسِدِينَ * وَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل لِّي عَمَلِي وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ أَنتُمْ بَرِيئُونَ مِمَّا أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَاْ بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ‏)

“And of them are those who believe in it, and of them are those who do not believe in it. And your Lord is most knowing of the corrupters. And if they deny you, [O Muhammad], then say, "For me are my deeds, and for you are your deeds. You are disassociated from what I do, and I am disassociated from what you do.” (TMQ. Yunus: 40-41)

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Fika Komara
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir