The main thrust of racism is to create divisions within society and break up any human and class solidarity. As well, to stifle any sensitivity and compassion towards other nationalities who may be fleeing poverty and overseas government repression. In society, a small elite RULE, make all the decisions, pick the politicians and grab most of the wealth. This can only be accomplished by promoting divisions, for example, the politicians are presently promoting anti-moslem hatred. Ireland is an example of colonial rule and plunder using religious divisions that are consciously cultivated including a border dividing the north from the south. Even the IRA indirectly bolstered and helped British rule by promoting a nationalist creed. Wages were kept down for Irish workers and they picked up the tab.
Nationalism and racism have their roots in the nation state system whereby other races and nations are promoted in a reactionary and derogatory way as 'different.' As well, it is a tool used to scapegoat a layer in society in order to distract attention away from what the politicians are thieving and doing to the social infrastructure. Howards 'national values' is to groom a layer of youth to be used for cannon fodder in his "indefinite wars in the pacific region" as well as, Iraq and soon Iran. All the gains workers won was through uniting their struggles internationally. That almost every defeat inflicted on workers over the whole of the last century has revolved around nationalism.

Technically - muslims are a religion, not a race, so hating them is another form of prejudice. Religionist or something.

That doesn't make it any more acceptable however.

Horus, love the analogy re redheads. Goes to show that stats can prove anything.

Tootsie, look at it another way, and try to understand why some of the mistrust and dislike comes about. If I were attacked by a big man with tattoo's, wouldnt you say that it was understandable that I was pretty wary of big men with tattoos in the future? It would be an emotive reaction rather than a rational one, but understandable in the circumstances? So its not that much of a stretch to say if a member of my group (be it friends family or even race) were attacked by a muslim, then it might be understandable that muslims werent my favourite group of people, or that I was wary of them. I'm not in either case saying that it makes it ok, just trying to show how such a mindset can come about - its not necessarily that we are "evil" people for not liking another group of people.

Wobbles:
"I think it's when you willingly and knowingly discriminate against all people of a particular group on the basis of the actions of a tiny minority."

Wobbles I completely agree with this.

I'll add on to that,when you pretend that racism is something else and you make-up excuses for it. I think everyone has racist tendencies but people who try to deny it are comfortable being racist because they don't see anything wrong with their attitude. Just about everyone has something racist about them. I try not to be prejudice or racist towards other people. Especially when I'm in my conscious mind.

Country Gal,

totally understand what you are saying. There is bad and good in every culture and religion

Amel nationalism and racism is promoted in every country. But to understand it you have to go to its underlying source; where and why it originated and who benefits? It is certainly not inherant nor a natural occurrence within people, for the founding of the nation state is fairly recent, in this country a little over a century ago. Behind the so called 'national interest' lie the banks, oil cartels, capital, and big business who all operate globally! At one time the founding of the nation state was progressive but that time passed. It ceased to be when the world exploded into the first world war, which marked the end of any progressive national solution. Today, the situation is rendered even starker because of the globalization of production making the seperate nation states more obsolete and reactionary. The only alternative to nationalism is internationalism.