AS the Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll on lives and the livelihood for many of us, the chaos and protests across the United States signal the impact of unwavering concern over race relations by the powers that be after the death of George Floyd during a police arrest on May 25 triggerred protests in the US.

A Pew Research findings in 2019 stated that about six in 10 Americans (58 per cent) say that race relations in the US are bad and most Americans (65 per cent) believe that it is more common now for people to express racist or racially sensitive views. The current chaos is what most analysts would regard as a perfect storm in the US.

Racism destroys the foundation of human society and, if not treated, could bring about collapse to a nation. For a government that belongs to a dynamic and multiracial country, race and ethnic relations are crucial aspects that require serious attention and must be managed well.

Diversity of humankind is not an alien concept in Islam. God the Almighty says in the Quran: "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." (Al-Hujurat, 49:13).

People will feel at peace if they feel that they are being treated fairly and justly. Feelings of discontent and hopelessness arise when people start to feel that they are being discriminated against, prejudiced against and rejected because of the colour of their skin, the ethnic and the cultural groups that they belong to or the sounds of their surnames. In the Islamic worldview, justice signifies positioning things in their rightful place.

It is also understood as a moral virtue and an attribute of human personality. Justice needs to be determined and applied according to the principles and guidelines set by God through divine revelation. Islam's approach to justice is all-embracing whereby the means, procedures and processes which help to ease, refine, and advance the foundation of justice, and do not transgress the Islamic Law are acceptable and supported.

The Quran regards justice as a supreme virtue. It is a basic objective of Islam to the level that it is placed next in order of priority to belief in God's exclusive right to worship and the acceptance of Prophet Muhammad.

Allah says in the Quran: "Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as courtesy to close relatives. He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful" (An Nahl 16:90).

Injustices and inhumane treatment towards others under the claim of racial or ethnic superiority must be admonished and condemned. Conflicts occur as a result of the inability to understand the essence of diversity among mankind and the refusal to practise tolerance towards these differences.

Prophet Muhammad's leadership in the City of Madinah is the exemplary governance model of a plural society where justice and tolerance are the principal virtues in managing diversity of culture, ethnicity, race and religions. The reality of diversity should not be something to be swept under the carpet with the hope that through time, people will learn to live at peace with one another. History has proven that civilization flourished when people are treated justly and plurality of cultures are cherished and respected.

As Malaysia is also currently facing hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its socioeconomic impact, we should not allow the perfect storm to form or cloud over our heads. Together, we must remain resilient against any force may it be politically or socially, that tries to break the nation apart. If we fail to do so, we will lose the tranquillity, uniqueness, harmony and peace that we have enjoyed and safeguarded for so long.

Let us celebrate the cultural and racial diversity that exist in our society as something that enrich the nation. Take the opportunity to discover our cultural differences, learn to know each other better, reject any forms of prejudices and uphold the spirit of togetherness that has become part of our multiracial and multicultural nation.

The writer is a Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Shariah, Law and Politics, Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM) Malaysia

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2020/06/599908/racism-can-bring-down-nation