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Donald Trump

By Sheikh Abdullah Makwinja
Donald Trump has proved to be a racist by referring to Haiti, El Salvador and all of Africa as “sh . . . hole countries” whose people are not desirable for US immigration.

The contemptuous statement shocked people around the world and provoked swift condemnation. Trump should remember that without Africa and Africans, who were kidnapped and forcibly trafficked to the US, modern America, as we know it, would not exist.

He should also not forget that the fragility of contemporary Africa is a direct consequence of two centuries of slavery, followed by colonial despotism that ruthlessly plundered the rich resources of almost all African countries.

Trump has shown a continuous display of racism towards Africa and people from poor nations. He has said things like this before when he talked about Nigerians who won’t go back to live in huts and he talked about Haitians who bring AIDS to the United States, and described Muslims as evil terrorists.

Perhaps we should remind him about article 1 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states; “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”; a value derived from the teachings of divine religions. In the Quran, the Creator says: “O mankind, verily We have created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Almighty God is the most righteous” (Quran, 49:13). We should not consider ourselves superior to another because we all are equal according to the Almighty except distinction in piety.

The differences of race, colour or social status do not affect the true stature of man in the sight of God.

Prophet Muhammad said: “O mankind, your Lord is One and your father is one. You all descended from Adam, and Adam was created from earth. He is most honoured among you in the sight of God who is most upright. No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, no coloured person to a white person, or a white person to a coloured person except by piety.”

Therefore, such are some of the principles behind the value of equality in Islam. Concepts of chosen and gentile peoples, words such as “privileged” and “condemned” races, expressions such as “social castes” and “citizens” will all become meaningless and obsolete.

We are deeply shocked and strongly condemn these abhorrent and obnoxious remarks by Trump. He makes every American embarrassed to have him as his or her president.

*Sheikh Abdullah Makwinja is the National Director of the Ahl-ul-Bayt (as) Islamic Guidance Council of Zimbabwe