Prejudice and Discrimination
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Will C. van den Hoonaard, Prejudice and Discrimination, bahai-library.com.
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Prejudice and Discrimination

Will C. van den Hoonaard

1993-11

Prejudice and Discrimination. Prejudice is a cultural attitude that
rests on negative stereotypes about individuals or groups because of their
cultural, religious, racial, or ethnic background. Discrimination is the active
denial of desired goals from a category of persons. A category can be based on
sex, ethnicity, nationality, religion, language, or class. More recently,
disadvantaged groups now also include those based on gender, age, and physical
disabilities.
Prejudice and discrimination are deeply imbedded at both the individual
and societal levels. Attempts to eradicate prejudice and discrimination must
thus deal with prevailing beliefs or ideologies, and social structure.
Prejudice and Discrimination in a Historical Context. As far as
historical records show, no society or nation has been immune to prejudice and
discrimination, either as victim or victimizer. Contemporary forms of prejudice
and discrimination date back to when European colonizers penetrated and
transformed previously isolated societies and peoples. The more extreme forms
of discriminatory practices include genocide, slavery, legislated
discrimination (such as Apartheid), discriminatory immigration laws, and
disenfranchisement. Less extreme forms of prejudice and discrimination, but
nevertheless pervasive and oppressive, include social exclusion at the
institutional level (such as in schools and hospitals), and the more subtle
forms practised by the media. Some groups appear to suffer from more persistent
forms of discrimination, such as Jews (as in anti-Semitism) and the Roma
(a.k.a. Gypsies), regardless of time and place.
As to the root cause of prejudice and discrimination there appears to be
no clear acceptance of any theory of causation. Scholars do agree, however,
that prejudice and discrimination are not universals as something humans are
inherently born with. There is ample evidence that prejudice and
discrimination are social constructions. If indeed prejudice and discrimination
are inherent in the human condition, we would not be able to account for
intermarriage and assimilation among highly differentiated human groups. There
is, moreover, considerable evidence that prejudice is absent in young children
(e.g. Allport, 1954).
Although there is no wide agreement as to the "cause" of prejudice and
discrimination, there is a consensus that they constitute a learned behavior.
The internalization of prejudice starts with parents and, later, teachers--the
groups primary in the formation of attitudes within children. The media and
social institutions solidify prejudicial attitudes, giving them social
legitimacy. In a sense, it is incorrect to speak of "eradicating" prejudice,
since prejudice is learned. (In a similar vein, one cannot eradicate evil
except by ensuring the presence of goodness.) At best, one can reduce prejudice
and discrimination. Society looks most often to education and legislation to
alleviate prejudice and discrimination--for reasons still not clearly known,
intergroup contact alone is not enough to reduce prejudice (Klineberg, 1968:
441). On one hand, multicultural education, whether direct or indirect,
constitute the mainstay of educational efforts to eliminate prejudice. On the
other hand, the emphasis on civil rights, enlightened immigration policies,
and mandates for quota hiring are the cornerstone of legal approaches to
alleviating the effects of prejudice and discrimination. The most overlooked
area in resolving the problems of prejudice and discrimination lies in the web
of close relationships where genuine feelings of love can be fostered and
strengthened (Robert Henderson, American Bahá'í, Nov. 1993
[check].) The private sphere may indeed be the last frontier where a solution
to the problems of prejudice may have to be found.
Prejudice and discrimination produce immense effects in the psychological,
social, political, and economic domains. Whether intended or not, the effects
are compounded by the loss of self-worth, a sense of alienation from the wider
society, political disempowerment, and economic inequalities. Klineberg (1968:
440) asserts that "[p]rejudice and ethnic hostilities constitute a major danger
to peace both within a nation and among nations." As a consequence, the
emergence of a new global moral order increasingly provides a leverage point to
counter the effects of prejudice and discrimination. While many agree that the
various international instruments to protect people against prejudice and
discrimination are still not universally followed or even implemented, it is
clear that a new international consciousness is indeed emerging and is, in
fact, intensifying.
The Bahá'í Approach. The belief in the unity of
humankind constitutes the fundamental premise through which the
Bahá'í revelation deals with the question of prejudice and
discrimination. `Abdu'l-Bahá states that humanity "is one kind, one race
and progeny," and that in "the creative plan [of God] there is no racial
distinction and separation." Such separation is a cultural artifact, "not
natural and original" (PUP: 118). These statements imply that unity is
humankind's natural condition, and that prejudice and discrimination are not
part of the natural order. While human diversity has historically proven to be
the basis of separation, the Bahá'í writings view diversity as an
essential ingredient of global life, which should be appreciated within the
context of humanity's essential oneness. Just as it is humanity's capacity to
create prejudice and discrimination, it is also within its capacity to
eradicate them.
From the Bahá'í perspective, it is religion that gives
humanity its capacity to remove prejudice and discrimination. Without
religion, according to `Abdu'l-Bahá, we "may be able to realize some
degrees of fraternity ... but these are limited associations and subject to
change. When human brotherhood is founded upon the Holy Spirit, it is eternal,
changeless, unlimited" (PUP: 392).
Basis and Effects of Prejudice and Discrimination. The root cause
of prejudice and discrimination, according to the Bahá'í
writings, lies in the accretion of blind imitation of the past. It is through
this "aping of the past," that the "foundations of the social order" are "blown
to the four winds," and that "humanity be continually exposed to direst peril"
(SWAB: 247). Prejudice and Discrimination lead to disunity which results in
the dissolving of society (SWAB: 31), through strife and war. World peace will
elude our grasp while prejudice and discrimination continue to bedevil the
collective life of humanity (PUP: 373).
The centuries of unequal relationships between dominant and minority
groups have, of themselves, compound the difficulty of eradicating prejudice
and discrimination. What can be said of the nature of such relationships among
whites and blacks in the United States, seems to also apply to other groups
around the world. In the Bahá'í view, the dominant groups are
unable or unwilling to see discrimination "as a chronic social, psychological,
and spiritual illness," while subjugated groups have a "deep-seated mistrust,
suspicion, and bitterness" (Racial Unity: 96). Without the recognition
of the spiritual nature of the problem, long-term transformation will not occur
and social progress of both dominant and subjected groups will be retarded.
What effects enduring transformation and progress is recognition of
Bahá'u'lláh's divine call for the recognition of the unity of
humankind. It implies a rejection of past conceptions, and "blind imitations"
of a fragmented world.
The rejection of these "blind imitations" requires, according to Shoghi
Effendi (ADJ: 33-34), "ceaseless exertions," "sacrifice," "care and
vigilance," "moral courage and fortitude," and "tact and sympathy." Racism in
America, for example, should be regarded as constituting the "most vital and
challenging issue" facing its Bahá'í community (ADJ:
33-34). For Bahá'ís, the Bahá'í community, both in
its internal relationships and in its relationship to the wider world, offers
an optimal environment to eradicate prejudice and discrimination.
Internal Bahá'í Relationships. There are several
elements of Bahá'í communities that foster the removal of
prejudice and discrimination from individual and collective life. These
elements include an active appreciation of unity in diversity; the
encouragement of mixed marriages based on race, religion, or class; the
avoidance of strife and estrangement among the believers; the practising of
love and unity through fellowship; and promoting justice. Shoghi Effendi offers
advice when members of inequal groups have decided to strive towards unity when
he suggests that no "trace of mistrust, no sense of superiority, no mark of
discord and aloofness should characterize" their relations (Power of
Unity: 76). It is clear that both groups, the dominant and less-dominant
ones, carry the obligation to move forward to unity.
At the level of governance, minorities are to be given the preference
when, upon the election of a local or national body, a tie of votes occur. This
process articulates the "first and inescapable obligation," of every
Bahá'í community, "to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every
minority belonging to any faith, race, class, or nation within it" (ADJ:
35-6).
External Bahá'í Relationships. The First Universal
Race Congress in London in 1911, provided a formal opportunity for the
presentation of Bahá'ís ideas on the subject of racial unity and
fellowship. Unable to come himself, `Abdu'l-Bahá sent a message to the
Congress and emphasized the need to appreciate the beauty of humankind's
diversity (Racial Unity: 7). Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the North
American Bahá'í community organized Racial Amity conferences, in
conjunction with other groups which strove to eliminate prejudice and
discrimination. Bahá'ís in other countries have followed this
lead, with varying degrees of effort and intensity. As a consequence,
Bahá'ís have focussed the public's attention on the plight of
subjugated groups and on the need to provide remedy through the elimination of
prejudice and discrimination.
Bahá'ís are encouraged to apply both courage and wisdom in
the eradication of prejudice and discrimination in their relationships to
society at large. Although intermarriage is encouraged, it is a "highly
delicate and vital question," in which the people involved "should forget their
former and traditional prejudices, whether religious, racial or social, and
commune together on a common basis of equality" (Dawn of a New
Civilization: 198).
Efforts to expand the Bahá'í community through conversion
should not give preference to any particular category of people. However,
Bahá'ís have in many instances undertaken practical measures to
foster harmony among various groups. Such measures include the holding of
United Nations Human Rights Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and International
Women's Day, and the promotion of institutional measures design to protect
minorities, at both national and international levels.
Nationally, Bahá'ís participate in events and institutions
that attempt to reduce discrimination and prejudice and promote harmony. These
efforts include the establishment of race amity councils, native friendship
centers, and the distribution of specific literature designed to dispell
prejudice among the general population. Of note, are the joint efforts of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States
and the Human Relations Foundation of Chicago in 1991 in finding a model of
unity. They identified ignorance, general social forces, and apathy as the
principal reasons for resisting intergroup unity. What brought success were
commitment to diversity, finding points of common concern, building on shared
values, recognizing grass-roots efforts and individual initiative, and
networking with similarly-minded groups.
Some Bahá'í communities have urged their national
governments to become signatories to international human rights covenants (such
as the elimination of genocide).

Sources

Allport, Gordon W. (1958) The Nature of Prejudice. Reading,
Mass.: Addison-Wesley. A classic and important study.
Klineberg, Otto (1968) "Prejudice: The Concept" International Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences. New York: Macmillan and Free
Press.: 439-448. A critique of conventional approaches to the study of
prejudice and discrimination.

Bibliography

The Power of Unity: Beyond Prejudice and Racism (comp. by Bonnie J.
Taylor, 1986) is a useful compilation of the many references in the
Bahá'í Writings to prejudice and discrimination.

Circle of
Unity (ed. by Anthony A. Lee, 1984) has a number of articles that explore
race relations in the American Bahá'í community.

To Move the
World: Louis G. Gregory and the Advancement of Racial Unity in America
(Gayle Morrison, 1982) is an evocative analysis of the struggles faced by a
prominent Bahá'í who worked for the removal of racial prejudice.

Nat Rutstein's book, To Be One: A Battle Against Racism (1988), provides
a personal account of one's struggle in overcoming prejudice in the light of
the Bahá'í teachings.

Models of Unity: Racial, Ethnic, and
Religious (publ. by US NSA, Feb. 1992) contains findings of factors that
hinder or promote social harmony.

Richard W. Thomas' work Racial Unity: An
Imperative for Social Progress currently provides the best analysis of
factors that contribute to racial unity, integrating Bahá'í and
non-Bahá'í perspectives, while H.B. Danesh's Unity: The
Creative Foundation of Peace (1986) offers a theoretical treatment of the
subject.

Reports submitted by the Bahá'í International Community the
various United Nations agencies on the subject of the status of women, racism,
genocide, and religious persecution, offer an international perspective of
Bahá'í activities.

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-- Prejudice and Discrimination (Used by permission of the curator)