By Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim
The smoke over Gaza, the frozen trenches in Ukraine, the simmering tensions fracturing democracies – these are not isolated tragedies. They are symptoms of a deep, and increasingly virulent disease: racism. It now rivals climate change as a global threat, a chilling recognition of reality. Climate change imperils our physical world; racism, unchecked, destroys the very fabric of human cooperation necessary to save it. It is the ultimate self-sabotage, a poison in the well of collective survival. The assertion that racism fuels these conflicts is not mere rhetoric. In Gaza, decades of occupation are underpinned by ideologies that systematically dehumanize Palestinians. This dehumanization provides the psychological fuel for indiscriminate violence and the political justification for collective punishment. In Ukraine, it is also not much different. Racism isn’t just about skin color; it’s about constructing hierarchies of human worth based on ethnicity, nationality, religion, or caste, and wielding power to enforce them. It is, indeed, a pandemic – one that has infected human societies for millennia, but whose current mutations are lethally potent in our interconnected, weaponized world.
Climate change demands unprecedented global cooperation – sharing technology, financing adaptation, accepting shared sacrifice. Racism actively destroys the trust and solidarity required for this. Why should nations, currently marginalized, trust dominant powers to lead a just transition? Why should populations grappling with racial injustice at home prioritize a global crisis when their basic dignity is denied? Racism doesn’t just cause conflicts; it makes existing ones infinitely more brutal and intractable. It justifies atrocity, entrenches divisions, and makes reconciliation seem impossible. When the “other” is seen as fundamentally inferior or threatening, compromise becomes weakness, and violence becomes righteous. It transforms political disputes into existential, zero-sum struggles.
Racism corrodes the ethical foundations necessary for a functioning global society. It normalizes hypocrisy – championing human rights while denying them based on origin. It erodes the rule of law when justice is applied selectively. This moral decay undermines every international institution and norm we rely on for stability. Calling for a “vaccine” is apt. We need more than band-aids; we need systemic interventions to build immunity and eradicate the pathogen. Where can the cure begin? Nations and communities must confront their racial histories with honesty. This isn’t about guilt, but about understanding. It is about reparative justice, not just financial, but cultural and institutional. And the integration of unvarnished history into education are essential.
Germany’s confrontation with the Holocaust, however imperfect, offers a useful template; America’s evasion of its foundational sins of slavery and indigenous genocide shows the cost of denial. Racism is encoded in laws, economic structures, policing, housing, and healthcare. Fighting it requires concerted policy dismantlement and reconstruction. This means robust enforcement, independent oversight, and severe penalties for systemic violations. Also mandatory, transparent assessments of racial impact in all major legislation, budgeting, and institutional practices. It should include targeted investment in historically marginalized communities – education, healthcare, infrastructure, business capital – to address centuries of deliberate disinvestment.
Racism is a transnational force. Fighting it requires transnational solutions. Empower bodies like the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) with sharper investigative teeth and enforcement mechanisms. Make crimes against humanity driven by racial hatred a universal priority for prosecution. Develop frameworks for targeted sanctions against leaders and institutions actively perpetuating systemic racial oppression. Support and amplify anti-racist movements across borders, sharing strategies and resources, and applying diplomatic pressure. We desperately need leaders who don’t just avoid racism, but actively rise above it and dismantle it. This means, leaders who name racism clearly, even when it’s politically uncomfortable. Also actively building governments, judiciaries, and corporate boards that reflect the diversity of their populations, not as tokens, but as essential voices shaping policy. Leaders in dominant groups must hold their own institutions and communities accountable, not just point fingers elsewhere.
There is no quick “vaccine.” Eradicating racism demands a generational commitment, immense courage, and a fundamental reimagining of power and belonging. It requires moving beyond the comfortable myth of incremental progress and confronting the malignant structures head-on. Ignoring this malignancy, while focusing solely on climate or economics, is like trying to build a fireproof house while ignoring the arsonist living inside. Racism is the firestarter in the tinderbox of our global challenges. Until we treat it with the urgency and radical commitment it demands – pursuing truth, justice, systemic change, and courageous leadership – our efforts to solve any other global crisis will remain fractured, fragile, and ultimately futile. The path out of this malaise is arduous, but it is the only path towards a future where humanity survives, and perhaps even thrives, together. Malaysia is no exception!
The author is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an associate fellow at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya.