How Racism Undermines Religiosity
One branch of racism is nationalism in its extremist form. Racists and nationalists have sometimes imposed their views on Islam and caused the distortion of Islamic thoughts. For example, some nationalists claim that Islam is a manifestation of Arab nationality.
They even forged Hadiths after the demise of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to advance such a distorted view.
Another example is the Jews who distorted facts to prove their superiority over others.
After Moses (AS), for centuries Jewish scholars distorted the Torah based on their wishes to maintain their influence and power.
According to a thinker, the word Tahreef (distortion) is used in the Quran especially about Jews who are the champions of distortion not only today but since the beginning.
It was a custom that Jewish scholars would be paid by Jews to tell them about the characteristics of the last messenger of God (Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)).
However, when Muhammad (PBUH) was appointed to prophethood and they realized he is the last prophet of God, they feared that if they tell the truth, Jews would start to embrace Islam and the scholars would lose the money they annually received. So they distorted the Torah and changed the characteristics mentioned about the last messenger, thus leading Jews astray.
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In the Holy Quran, God reveals this characteristic of Jews:
“Some Jews tampered with the words (altering) their places saying: ‘We have heard and we disobey,’ and ‘Hear, without hearing,’ and ‘Observe us (Ra'ina, in Hebrew means evil)’, twisting with their tongues traducing religion. But if they had said: ‘We have heard and obey,’ and ‘Hear,’ and ‘Regard us,’ it would have been better for them, and more upright.” (Verse 46 of Surah An-Nisa)
