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The internet has accused veganism of being white and anti BIPoC. Most anti-vegans online claim that veganism is rooted in colonialism and white supremacy. Despite the fact that the phrase was just coined seventy something years ago and the majority of its present influencers are white, its roots may be traced back to ancient Indian and west Asian traditions.
Al-Ma'arri, an Arab philosopher and poet, was one of the first supporters of what we now call a vegan diet, abstaining from animal products for his health and ideas in soul transmigration and animal care. Some of the earliest and most prominent instances of modern societies that do not consume meat originate from India. They brought the globe Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, which influenced vegan diets throughout Asia and Europe.
Today the western world—which is undoubtedly more privileged than the global south, presses on making veganism look like a product of white supremacy. Which is weird because how does a white person sitting in the comfort of his air conditioned room feel comfortable saying that the diet of a person living on lentils and rice somewhere in the Indian subcontinent is white supremacist?
Many non vegans argue that veganism cannot be an asian concept because Asians eat most meat in the world—a claim that is again rooted in prejudice and anti-asian racism. The stereotyping of East Asians, when a lot of them are culturally vegan, and the exclusion of West Asians both contribute to anti-asian racism. Most meat substitutes, or how westerners like to ridicule it—'fake meat', come from Asian cultures. Most religions that talk against the consumption of meat or animal products are from Asia or Africa. Most of the indigenous forests are being wiped out for the production of meat and other animal products. When such an overwhelmingly big part of veganism—from diet to ideologies—comes from non-western countries and cultures, how come it is still perceived to be a white thing? It is time we stop erasing BIPoC vegans and the roots of veganism. It is racist.