August 2000: Page 1, 2, 3

Submitters Perspective

Page 3

Racism

Cont’d from page 2

The author and psychiatrist, Alfred Adler generally defined the superiority complex as a compulsive drive to overcome anxiety and feelings of inferiority by exalting one’s self (or group) above humankind and who depreciates everyone else and puts them in the shade (Adler, A., 1979; p. 117).

Satan also suffers from delusions of grandeur. Delusions of grandeur are defined as false beliefs resting upon self-aggrandizement, boastfulness, pride, and self-assertiveness; extravagant and impossible claims are made and plans are drawn (Cameron and Rychlak, 1985).

Many humans fall prey to this ploy of Satan—racism accompanied with the superiority complex and delusions of grandeur. Psychological and social seeds of racism have been firmly planted in all societies, past and present. In any community, there are individuals who have a compulsive drive to feel innately superior to other individuals. This compulsive drive is a means of:

1) compensating for their real or imagined limitations,

2) feeling better about themselves, and

3) coping with anxiety.

Ignorance is not the cause of racism. Arrogance is.

Like the First Racist, all racists want to position themselves as “Superiors.” Racism is usually spawned from: 1) distorting the significance of natural differences in characteristics such as skin complexion, physical features, culture, language, and place of geographic origin, or 2) accepting bogus false “differences” concocted by individuals and groups who distort facts to promote racist ideas.

Some individuals are “reactive racists.” Having been victims of racism, reactive racists embrace racist ideas as a defense to repudiate racist beliefs directed against them. They justify their racist beliefs by saying that they are only “balancing the scales,” and claim to be “revealing true facts.” (Some of their “facts” are really shared fantasies). Reactive racists may also turn against another group(s) they deem as inferior to them. In the dawn of the new millennium, there are societies and communities where the social and cultural stratification of individuals based on long-held racist ideas is even integrated into religious practices and beliefs.

An intelligent person realizes that racism is more than a biased attitude or prejudice towards others. Racism should be duly classified as a mental disorder by mental health professional organizations, national and international. Racism is also a spiritual illness first manifested by humanity’s ardent enemy, Satan.

Racism is wholly incompatible with submission to God alone (Islam). A person who submits to God alone does not have a need to embrace racist ideas and beliefs to feel better about him or her self. A Submitter (Muslim) recognizes that God alone is the Superior One over His creation with no equal or ‘competitor.’ In contrast, a racist gives him or her self over to the First Racist. True Submitters are protected by God from Satan and his tool of racism.

You have no power over My servants. You only have power over the strayers who follow you. (15:42)

O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant. (49:13)

Dr. E. Douglass Brown

References
Adler, A. (1979). Superiority and social interest. Toronto, Canada: W.W. Norton & Company.

Abate, F. (Ed.). (1998). The Oxford American Desk Dictionary. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Cameron, N. and Rychlak, J.F. (1985) Personality Development and Psychopathology. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.