Terrorism is not born in a vacuum. Behind every act of ideological violence lies a history of grievance, social injustice, and identity politics.
While the world often focuses on
religion or geopolitical strife as the root causes of terrorism, a more
insidious and deeply embedded trigger is often overlooked: racism and
discrimination.
These factors, when left
unaddressed, do not just isolate communities they push individuals to the edge,
where violence becomes a form of expression. This is especially dangerous when
such sentiments are stoked deliberately by those in power.
In Malaysia, the issue of
"2R" i.e. race and religion has become increasingly volatile. Some politicians
and hate preachers have, at times, exploited these identities to rally support,
marginalise minorities, and sow distrust.
In a multiracial country where
national unity is always a work in progress, such tactics can have disastrous
long-term consequences.
When race and religion are
weaponised for political gain, they do more than divide they radicalise.
The 2R Politics and Social
Polarisation
In recent years, several
Malaysian politicians have openly engaged in racially charged rhetoric, often
portraying the majority group as under threat, or blaming minorities for
economic and cultural decline.
Simultaneously, certain preachers
have disseminated sermons portraying other religions and races as inferior,
untrustworthy, or even enemies of the faith.
This rhetoric does more than just
poison the national discourse it normalises racism and religious supremacy,
especially among youth who are searching for identity and belonging.
This is particularly dangerous in
online spaces, where echo chambers amplify hate speech and conspiracy theories.
When combined with frustrations
over unemployment, disenfranchisement, or lack of direction, young people can
become radicalised not necessarily into international terrorist networks like
ISIS or al-Qaeda, but into violent ethnonationalist or supremacist ideologies.
Racism as Radicalisation:
Lessons from Abroad
The Christchurch Mosque shooting
in New Zealand (2019), where a white supremacist murdered 51 Muslims during
prayer, was driven by a theory of racial replacement a belief that immigrants
were eroding white identity. Similar motives drove the Buffalo supermarket
shooting (2022) and the Norwegian mass killings by Anders Breivik.
In these cases, terrorism was not
imported from foreign ideologies it was homegrown, fuelled by racism, fear, and
false narratives of victimhood.
Malaysia is not immune. The
temple riots in Subang Jaya, the racial clashes of past decades, and
hate-filled ‘ceramahs’ by religious figures all demonstrate that we, too, have
a volatile undercurrent of racial tension.
While Malaysia has not
experienced large-scale domestic terrorism linked to 2R rhetoric, the
conditions that foster such extremism are not foreign to us.
When Discrimination Breeds
Desperation
Globally, marginalised groups
often face daily humiliation and structural exclusion, which can turn simmering
resentment into rage.
In France, the Muslim communities
of North African descent living in suburban banlieues are frequently subjected
to aggressive policing and social exclusion.
Many of the Charlie Hebdo and
Bataclan attackers were second-generation citizens who grew up feeling
alienated from French society. Radicalisation, in these cases, was born out of
racism and rejection.
Likewise, in Myanmar, decades of
ethnic discrimination and state-sponsored racism against the Rohingya Muslims
culminated in the rise of militant groups like the Arakan Rohingya Salvation
Army (ARSA).
Though these groups never reached
the scale of global jihadist movements, their emergence shows how persistent
racial oppression can transform victims into armed actors.
Even Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers
(LTTE) were not born of ideology alone but of prolonged marginalisation by a
Sinhalese-majority state. Racism and exclusion, when institutionalised, become
breeding grounds for extremism.
Malaysia’s 2R Dilemma: A
Preventable Crisis
The Malaysian government has
rightly taken steps to curb religious and racial extremism, such as prosecuting
those who incite hatred under laws like the Sedition Act and Section 298A of
the Penal Code.
However, legal deterrents alone
are not enough. What is urgently needed is a political and social commitment to
dismantle the structures that enable racism and discrimination to flourish
including among political elites.
When some national leaders engage
in dog-whistle politics, suggesting that certain communities are “pendatang”
(outsiders) or that others are undermining Islam, they plant seeds of distrust.
When some preachers claim
superiority of one race or religion over another, they create an atmosphere
where violence seems justifiable to those on the fringes.
Left unchecked, such rhetoric
becomes normalised in schools, workplaces, and even state institutions.
Youth who grow up in this
environment may begin to see other Malaysians not as equals, but as threats.
This is how radicalisation begins
not with a bomb or a gun, but with a word, a sermon, a campaign speech.
Countering Racism to Prevent
Extremism
In order to combat terrorism
effectively, it is essential to address the underlying conditions that
facilitate its proliferation.
This necessitates a comprehensive
approach that includes educational reforms aimed at fostering critical
thinking, civic responsibility, and mutual respect among diverse racial and
religious groups.
Furthermore, there must be a
commitment to media accountability to prevent the amplification or
legitimization of hate speech.
Political leaders should be held
accountable for their actions, particularly those who exploit racial and
religious divisions for personal gain.
Additionally, community
engagement initiatives that encourage intercultural dialogue are vital in
preventing radicalization at the grassroots level. Malaysia's diverse
population should be viewed as a source of strength rather than a vulnerability
to be manipulated for power.
Failing to address the impact of
racism and discrimination on the rise of extremism could lead to a generation
of Malaysians who are increasingly divided, filled with animosity, and
susceptible to violence.
Racism and discrimination are not
merely social ills they are national security threats.
When embedded in the rhetoric of
politicians and preachers, they do more than offend they radicalise.
Malaysia must take a long, hard
look at how the “2R” issues are being weaponised, especially in our political
landscape.
Because the true danger is not
just in the loud extremists, but in the quiet normalisation of hate that makes
terrorism seem, to some, like justice.
01.05.2025
Kuala Lumpur.
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Published at: https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/743140
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