Detrimental nationalism abuses human rights

Most unfortunately, because of the changes in the geo-strategic paradigm an osmotic effect is being created in interactive relations between communities and people originating from different countries. Sometimes, an intense dislike or fear of strangers is moving us, according to sociologists towards xenophobia. This dynamic can involve perceptions of an in-group toward an external group, not recognised as part of the community. It manifests itself in suspicion and a fear of losing national, ethnic or racial identity. Such an approach is becoming apparent in different parts of the world, particularly in Myanmar, India, Pakistan, parts of the Middle East and Africa. Such an approach affects nationalism and assumes a divisive connotation because it highlights perceived differences between people that might be self-induced.

These factors have led UNESCO to suggest that the term pseudo-racism often incorporates prejudice based on physical characteristics where behaviour based on the notion of a specified people creates adversity.

This evolving scenario has led Andreas Wimmer to mention that such socio-political struggle about who has the right to be cared for by the state and society generates its own denotation. This scenario in many cases is transcending the matrix of human rights and transforming itself into a fight for the collective goods of the modern state. This can be interpreted as a format where people feel that their right to benefit from the government is being subverted by other people's rights. Such an approach subsequently acquires a subverted taste of nationalism in the beginning and later changes into fundamentalist racism.

It may be recalled that such existential nationalism sentiment has existed for more than two thousand years. Such feelings have apparently been present in western culture in the form of ancient Greek denigration of foreigners as "barbarians". It emerged from the belief that Greek culture was superior to all others. Such a notion of preeminence also existed among the ancient Romans who believed that all other peoples-- Macedonians, Thracians, Illyrians, Syrians and Asiatic Greeks should be subservient to them. We are noticing at present such an illusion in the context of extreme right-wing activists in Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy and some other regions of Europe.

Unfortunately, the colour of skin has also taken on a harmful role and is contributing to racism in Canada, USA, Australia and Brazil. Consequently, in Brazil, those with darker skin colour are typically depicted as being suitable for becoming housekeepers or hold positions of lower socioeconomic standing.

There is a growing feeling among the network of scores of US and Canadian civil rights and human rights organisations that discrimination exists that has permeated many aspects of life in these countries-- extending to all communities of colour. Discrimination against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, especially when it comes to citizens of African-Latin origin, is widely acknowledged. Some demographer analysts also agree that like in Latin America and Europe, ethnic and religious minorities living in these two countries sometimes face discrimination in their dealings with other minority racial and religious groups. In addition to this scenario, there are also efforts aimed at creating unacceptable anti-Semetic feelings- and this contributes towards a reverse effect.

Demographic strategic analysts have referred in this regard to a study that ran from 2002 to 2015. It was undertaken by Harvard University to map out the social attitudes in several European countries with regard to incidents of racial bias, based on data from 288,076 white Europeans. The reaction-based psychological test was designed to measure implicit racial bias. It was discovered that modified racism existed in several Eastern European countries-- the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Bulgaria and Slovakia.

Similarly, a report prepared by the University of Oslo Centre for Research on Extremism in 2017 has cautiously suggested that individuals of Muslim background stand out among perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence in Western Europe. There have also been reports of individuals and groups perpetrating acts of terror against the nomadic Romanis scattered in different parts of Europe.

In this regard, one needs to refer to France, known for its cultural dimensions. In 2004, France unfortunately experienced rising levels of anti-Semitism in French schools. Reports related to growing tensions between the children of North African Muslim immigrants and North African Jewish children. This dynamic apparently resulted in over 7,000 members of the Jewish community petitioning for asylum in the United States in 2007, citing existing anti-Semitism currents in France. This growing development resulted in French authorities appointing a special coordinator for fighting racism and anti-Semitism.

In Hungary, Analysts have also noted that in Hungary racial discrimination is unfortunately prevalent against people of Roma nomadic origin who often face disadvantages, including unequal treatment, discrimination, segregation and harassment. Fortunately, the government there has been taking necessary steps in the recent past to overcome such negative aspects.

Anti-Roma sentiment has also been seen sometimes in Italy and has been reflected through prejudice that they are quite often engaged in crime. Such feeling has led sometimes to community leaders declaring their plans to expel Roma from settlements in and around major cities and to deport these "illegal immigrants". In Netherlands, in 2012, the Dutch right-wing Party for Freedom started using a website which deliberately featured an anti-Polish and anti-Romani paradigm. It was used by the Dutch people to air their frustration about losing their jobs because of cheaper workers from Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and other non- Germanic Central and Eastern European countries.

This aspect has led many to rethink about the harmful effects of deep nationalism. Some nationalists exclude certain groups. Some other extreme nationalists define the national community in ethnic, linguistic, cultural, historic, or religious terms (or a combination of these). This is done to outline that certain minorities are not truly a part of the 'national community' as they define it.

This scenario has led some to observe that sometimes a mythic homeland is probably more important for the national identity than the actual territory occupied by the nation. A sacred quality is associated in the context of what is a nation and in the popular memories it evokes. Citizenship is idealised by territorial nationalists. In this context, a criterion of a territorial nationalism is defined as the establishment of a mass, public culture based on common values, codes and traditions of the population. This is sometimes taken forward by wrongly using religion as a factor.

When the UN's annual report on Children and Armed Conflict was released in June 2021, it was expected to "name and shame" some of the world's worst human rights violators - particularly the abusers of children. But these violators were protected and never stigmatised-despite the thousands of children killed by warring parties in ongoing conflicts, particularly in Gaza, Yemen, Syria and Myanmar, involving the US, Russia and China as arms suppliers, triggering criticism from UN watchers and human rights organisations.

Jo Becker, Children's Rights Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch, observed in 2021, "We continue to be disappointed that the Secretary-General (SG) is not using the "list of shame" to hold all parties accountable for their grave violations against children. We also saw in the case of Myanmar how disastrous it was to remove the Tatmadaw (the country's armed forces) from the list while they were still recruiting and using children; the number the following year tripled. The SG should not make listing decisions based on his hopes for future improvement, but based on the facts on the ground. China, one of the largest arms suppliers to Myanmar, has undermined Security Council attempts to impose an arms embargo in the conflict-ridden country".

Ian Williams, President of the New York-based Foreign Press Association (FPA) has also suggested that Guterres has adopted a human rights profile that is low enough to be subterranean.

Perhaps the most hard-hitting comments has come from Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW). "Guterres's first term was defined by public silence regarding human rights abuses by China, Russia, and the United States and their allies," he said, referring to the three veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council. "With his re-election behind him," he added, "Guterres should use the next five years to become a strong vocal advocate for rights. His recent willingness to denounce abuses in Myanmar and Gaza should expand to include all governments deserving condemnation, including those that are powerful and protected."

In any case as it stands today, the world is experiencing usurpation of human rights and that needs to be addressed-the sooner the better.

Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador is an analyst specialszed in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance.
muhammadzamir0@gmail.com