Ethnic separatism can be based on cultural, linguistic as well as
religious or
racial differences. Ethnic separatist movements were relevant since they represented historical delineations between
states, or in recent times, were the cause of conflicts between peoples in Europe, Africa and Asia with different ethnic/linguistic origins.
Separatism by continent in September 2017 , eastern
Ukraine, April 2015 •
List of active separatist movements in Africa •
List of active separatist movements in Asia •
List of active separatist movements in Europe •
List of active separatist movements in North America •
List of active separatist movements in Oceania •
List of active separatist movements in South America Gender separatism The relationship between gender and separatism is complex.
Feminist separatism is women's choosing to separate from ostensibly male-defined, male-dominated institutions, relationships, roles and activities.
Lesbian separatism advocates
lesbianism as the logical result of feminism. Some separatist feminists and lesbian separatists have chosen to live apart in
intentional community,
cooperatives, and on
land trusts.
Queer nationalism (or "Gay separatism") seeks a community distinct and separate from other social groups. On the other hand, the
MGTOW movement is sometimes considered a
male-gender separatism, as at the center of this ideology is the notion of male separatism where men should not be a part of a feminist-biased society. Some fringe elements even propose a utopical no-women state.
Geographical and socioeconomic separatism protesters in Paris holding the
Berber flag, April 2016 Some examples include: •
Alberta separatism •
Berber separatism in North Africa •
Bougainville independence movement •
Cape Independence •
Casamance independence movement •
Cascadian separatists •
Catalan independence movement •
Provisional Revolutionary Government of Cibao •
Euskadi (Basque Country) independence movement •
Hong Kong independence movement •
New England New State Movement •
Malaysian Sabah and Sarawak separatists •
West Papuan independence •
Free South movement •
Quebec sovereignty movement •
Scottish independence movement •
Taiwanese independence movement Racial separatism Some separatist groups seek to separate from others along
racial lines. They oppose interracial marriage and integration with other races and seek separate schools, businesses, churches and other institutions, and often separate societies, territories, countries, and governments: •
Black separatism (also known as
black nationalism) is the most prominent wave advancing the concepts of "Black racial identity" in the United States and has been advanced by black leaders like
Marcus Garvey and organizations such as the
Nation of Islam.
Critical race theorists like
New York University's
Derrick Bell and
University of Colorado's
Richard Delgado argue that US legal, education and political systems are rife with blatant racism. They support efforts like "all-black" schools and dorms and question the
efficacy and merit of government-enforced integration. In 2008 statements by Barack Obama's former pastor
Jeremiah Wright, Jr., revived the issue of the current relevance of black separatism. •
Latin American concepts of racial identity such as the
bronze race and
La Raza Cósmica are found in the small separatist
Raza Unida Party. The
Chicano Movement (or
Chicano nation) in the United States sought to recreate
Aztlán, the mythical homeland of the
Aztecs comprising the
Southwestern United States. •
White separatism in the United States and Western Europe seeks separation of the white race and limits to nonwhite
immigration under the argument that these policies are necessary for the white race's survival.
Religious separatism in
London protesting against the Indian government
Religious separatist groups and sects want to withdraw from some larger religious groups and/or believe they should interact primarily with coreligionists: •
English Christians in the 16th and 17th centuries who wished to separate from the
Church of England and form independent local churches were influential politically under
Oliver Cromwell, who was himself a separatist. They were eventually called
Congregationalists. The
Pilgrims who established the first successful colony in
New England were separatists. • Christian separatist groups in
Indonesia, India and
South Carolina (United States) •
Zionism sought the creation of the
State of Israel as a
Jewish homeland, with separation from
gentile Palestinians.
Simon Dubnow, who had mixed feelings toward Zionism, formulated
Jewish Autonomism, which was adopted in eastern Europe by Jewish political parties such as the
Bund and his own
Folkspartei before World War II. Zionism can also be seen as somewhat ethnic too, however, as its definition of who is Jewish has often included people of Jewish background who do not practice the Jewish religion. It is further complicated as some who had ancestors who converted to Judaism, such as some Ethiopian Jews, may not share ethnic history with the Jews, however, are considered to be so but not without debate. fighter in the Philippines • The
Partition of the British Raj into
India and
Pakistan (later
Bangladesh as well) arose as a result of separatism on the part of Muslims. • The demand for an independent Sikh homeland called
Khalistan emerged during the 1970s and 1980s amid political tensions in
Punjab, particularly surrounding the
Anandpur Sahib Resolution, which primarily sought greater autonomy for Punjab and the protection of Sikh identity within the Indian Union. Escalation occurred when armed militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale occupied the
Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex. In June 1984, the Government of India launched
Operation Blue Star to remove the militants from the site. The military action resulted in casualties, including civilians, and caused deep anguish among many
Sikhs globally. Later that year, the assassination of
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards led to the tragic
1984 anti-Sikh riots, in which thousands of Sikhs were killed. While these events led to a rise in support for the
Khalistan movement in some sections of the Sikh diaspora, the movement steadily declined in India by the 1990s. Today, Sikhs in India are equal citizens under the Constitution, and actively contribute to the country's political, military, economic, and cultural life. The idea of Khalistan holds little to no support among Indian Sikhs, and is generally viewed as a fringe movement, largely sustained by diaspora activism abroad. Attempts to revive it within India have consistently failed to gain traction. • Muslim separatist groups in the
Philippines (
Mindanao and other regions:
Moro Islamic Liberation Front,
Abu Sayyaf), in
Thailand (see also
South Thailand insurgency), in
India (see also
Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir), in the
People's Republic of China (
Xinjiang:
East Turkestan Islamic Movement),
Tanzania (
Zanzibarian separatist movements), in the
Central African Republic (Regions that are inhabited by Muslims:
Séléka), in
Russia (in the
Northern Caucasus, especially in
Chechnya:
Caucasus Emirate), in
Yugoslavia (
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Alija Izetbegovic espoused an Islamic inspired separatism) ==Governmental responses==