Human Rights in a Multicultural World:
by Muhammad Hatim
African-Americans Can Take Their Concerns
for Group Rights to the U.N.
In light of the 1991 breakup of the former Soviet Union, which comprised 12 republics; the political and social changes in South Africa and the former Yugoslavia, an intriguing discussion has been taking place at the United Nations: What is a minority? What civil and political rights are they entitled to enjoy? And are these rights extended to individuals within an ethnic or racial minority or to the collective group?
This discussion has implications for America's minorities. For most of its history, the United States considered Americans of African descent, perhaps its most despised minority group, to be "dark Anglos"--different, but not classifiable as a distinct people with a particular culture, history or heritage. The view was, once discrimination stops, they'll just blend in with everyone else. They may have some romantic notion about coming from Africa, but they are Americans.
African-Americans are not the descendants
of slaves, merely the descendants of
a people enslaved in America.
Perhaps some Americans still hold that view, but most acknowledge that African-Americans are a distinct people group. Like all other minority groups in the U.S., they are entitled to collective rights as a people, not just as individuals. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights documents, the U.S. government is responsible for protecting the civil, political and human rights of African-Americans and other minorities within its borders. Now, thanks to the U.N.'s vision and commitment to championing the right to self-determination, African-Americans and other minorities worldwide can make their voices heard.
As we approach the first century of the next millennium, the most important issue for African-Americans is "collective/group and human rights" or the right of a people to exist as a group distinct and identifiable from other groups. This quest for group rights is especially critical for African-Americans, considering current attacks on the hard-fought gains of "civil rights and the intentional dismantling of affirmative action." African-American group rights was never addressed by civil rights or affirmative action; nevertheless they are precursors to African-Americans exercising their collective and group rights as an internationally recognized people.
The Unique Experience of African-Americans
African-Americans hold a unique place in U.S. history. They are the only American people who have experienced prolonged and sustained discrimination and a marked disenfranchisement. They endured not only slavery but also terrible abuses and indignities that persisted on a large scale long after slavery ended. American history often defines itself in terms of the relationship between American peoples. This is especially true of the relationship between Anglo-American and African-American peoples. For example, historical terms such as the "antebellum period" (before the Civil War, when slavery was legal), "reconstruction," "civil rights" and the "post civil rights" eras all speak to the unique relationship between African-American and Anglo-American peoples.
African-Americans have a history of enslavement in the U.S., but this history does not reflect their ancient heritage, only the brief period that accounts for their stay here. African-Americans do not have a heritage of enslavement, merely a history of enslavement. They are not the descendants of slaves, merely the descendants of a people enslaved in America. Today, African-Americans are embarking on an exciting journey toward a new definition of their relationship with other people groups. America's people of African descent are recovering their heritage and laying down a new foundation for the future.
The ability of a people to define themselves
and to exercise their will
is the very essence of liberty.
What is True Freedom?
Many nations of the world are less than 30 years old. In their immaturity some are still reeling from the effects of colonialism, yet they want to assert their economic independence and political identity through self-determination. The United Nations has been a major standard-bearer for championing the rights of these new nations, and it remains the only place where serious discussion on the issues of national sovereignty and self-determination can take place.
Concurrently, ethnic peoples worldwide are demanding the right to freely express their cultural, religious and linguistic differences. They want to rid themselves of racially oppressive systems and institutions that maintained the domination of majority ethnic groups. These demands are similar to the national issues raised by member states of the U.N.
Whether we are discussing the rights of nations or the human rights of peoples, the issues of self-identification and self-determination are always crucial. The ability of a people to define themselves and to exercise their will is the very essence of liberty. African-Americans were emancipated from slavery but were and are not freed. True freedom for a people can come only with the liberty to make choices and to map out their own destiny, even if their destiny is related to the destiny of others as, of course, it must be.
In some countries, ethnic dominance is often maintained under the rule of law called majority rule. But all people groups need to exercise their human rights and self-determination. The ethnic conflicts erupting around the world today are a result of majority rule or dominance. These facts alone argue for a more pluralistic democracy with authentic ethnic proportional representation in the electoral process. With this understanding, and because African-Americans have endured a long and tested struggle for human rights, civil rights and fundamental freedoms in the U.S., they are poised to lead the struggle in America for an authentic pluralistic democracy.
You Make the Rules, You Win the Game
In the U.S. there resides at least three distinct nations: Native Americans, immigrant Americans and African-Americans. Each group has a unique relationship with the U.S. For example, the Native American nations--the only ones formally recognized as separate--have treaty rights and relative sovereignty within U.S. borders. They may speak their own languages, practice traditional religions and enforce traditional laws on their own lands. The U.S. recognizes the collective rights of the Native American nations.
The second "nation," if you will, is made up of settler immigrants who for the most part volunteered to immigrate here. The U.S. is therefore a settler nation like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and French Guyana. These volunteer immigrants to the U.S. submitted to Anglo-American ideology, accepted English as the dominant language and accepted American laws.
The new immigrant-citizens swore allegiance to their new country, and many continued the culture of racial discrimination and domination. They were also entitled to dual citizenship, which allowed them to affirm their ties to the U.S. and with their home culture.
African-Americans were forced to accept U.S. citizenship.
Yet, unlike Native Americans, African-Americans do not
have treaty rights with the U.S. government.
The third "nation" in America is the nation of African-Americans. This nation consists of the descendants of various African clans, tribes and nations. Most of the people from these groups were forced to immigrate to America as slaves. Later, they were forced to accept U.S. citizenship; although they were called citizens they were treated with contempt. Individuals were given only token resources, and as a group they were denied any real access to the larger society.
African-Americans were enslaved as a group, discriminated against as a group and jailed and lynched because of their race. Yet there is no official designation in the U.S. constitution, laws, policies or executive orders that ensures the right of African-American people to exist as a group or that protects their collective/group human rights. African-Americans do not have treaty rights with the U.S. government, nor are they entitled to citizenship with any other "home" country.
The UN and Human Rights
In conjunction with other ethnic, religious and cultural peoples, African-Americans can now bring the issue of their collective/group rights to an international arena. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights met last year for the first time to discuss the needs of minority peoples. The Commission's Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities has been created to determine how minorities can best pursue their political, economic and social goals. African-Americans can come to the U.N. and share their unique perspective on human rights issues and fundamental freedoms with the rest of the world.
The United Nations' advocacy of human rights is state-of-the-art. The organization has international, impartial experts and can assist member nations in providing internationally sanctioned remedies to ensure human rights or to correct past injustices. Because the present status of collective/group rights for African-Americans is comparable to that of other formerly oppressed peoples around the world, the U.N. is the most appropriate place for African-Americans to bring their concerns.
The United Nations is where African-Americans
can bring their unique concerns.
Muhammad Hatim, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is a Ph.D. candidate at Polytechnic University. Hatim serves on the board of Opera Ebony--for which he also sometimes plays piano--a 20-year-old opera company that has toured mostly in Europe. In addition, Hatim is the UN non-governmental organization representative of the Admiral Family Circle Islamic Community, which was recently presented with a human rights award for its work in the African-American community.
This column is meant to improve understanding and explore various points of view so we can work together better in this increasingly diverse American workplace.