Checkpoint near Yaotai in Guangzhou, China. The country closed the region to Africans. Photo courtesy of The Guardian
Instead of recognizing Covid-19 as a common enemy, world leaders have channeled nationalist and discriminatory practices, reflecting a global trend of leaders around the world prioritizing politics and image over cooperation and unity.
For instance, on April 14, President Donald Trump P’00 announced the U.S. would be pulling funding from the World Health Organization (WHO), arguing that the health agency mismanaged the coronavirus outbreak and sympathized with China.
The Trump administration failed to consider the consequences of this decision, disregarding the fact that the WHO is an essential resource for developing nations who are at risk of being severely affected by the coronavirus. In addition, the WHO is responsible for mitigating both polio and cholera in Yemen and stifling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thus, pulling funding from the WHO puts more responsibility on the U.S. to control not only the coronavirus outbreak but also many other diseases. The Trump administration is unprepared to assume this role, as demonstrated by the skyrocketing number of coronavirus cases in the U.S.
Insistent on the idea of WHO “taking China’s side,” the Trump administration is now conducting an investigation to try to prove that the coronavirus was made in a Wuhan laboratory. This theory is nonsense, denied by the WHO and leading scientists around the world, whose evidence suggests that the disease came from an animal. While the WHO continues to search for scientific evidence, Trump is only looking for a rea- son to fuel his racist prejudices.
Both the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron have made pleas for the U.S. to restore WHO funding. However, the administration has responded with a stubborn and ignorant stance, refusing to compromise.
In India, where there are more than 32,000 confirmed cases, the Muslim community — 14% of the population — is facing additional marginalization and bigotry. This anti-Muslim sentiment stems from propaganda falsely claiming that the Muslim community is deliberately spreading the virus to the Hindu population. In response, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Covid-19 does not see race, religion, color, caste, creed, language, or borders before striking. Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood.” However, out of the limelight, Modi has been furthering the agendas of his right-wing political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stepping aside as Muslims are targeted.
Similarly in China, racial tensions emerged after Chinese officials warned the public that the rising number of imported coronavirus cases could be attributed to Africans. Hundreds of Africans in Guangzhou, China have received quarantine mandates even though they haven’t been in contact with known coronavirus patients or recently traveled abroad.
On April 12, a McDonald’s in Guangzhou displayed a sign that read “Black people are not allowed to enter.” Africans in Guangzhou have testified to facing other hostilities, such as unjustified eviction notices. In response to fears among the African community, the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou said in a statement, “As a part of this campaign, police ordered bars and restaurants not to serve clients who appear to be of African origin.”
Even while combating a virus that doesn’t respect boundaries or borders, governments and leaders continue to promote discrimination. In an atmosphere of frustration and widespread economic hardship, the only solution is unity. We must overcome whatever artificial differences we may have in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
