The jury's decision on Nov. 25 not to charge the policeman once again led to violence, including looting and arson. The verdict came just three days after a 12-year-old African-American boy, Tamir Rice, was shot dead by police in Cleveland, Ohio, for holding a non-lethal replica gun. To add to the fury of those criticizing the justice system, a New York grand jury on Dec. 3 cleared white police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the July death of 43-year-old Eric Garner in a chokehold. It led to violence in the city.

The decisions have raised question over the credibility of the U.S. justice system not only within the country but also among the international rights groups. The UN also showed anxiety over the trend of increasing cases of black men finding themselves at the wrong end of the law. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, issued a strongly-worded statement after the Brown verdict, calling into question the treatment of African-American population in the United States. He said that without knowing the details of the evidence laid before the Missouri Grand Jury, "I am deeply concerned at the disproportionate number of young African Americans who die in encounters with police officers, as well as the disproportionate number of African Americans in U.S. prisons and the disproportionate number of African Americans on Death Row."

It does not mean that there is some kind of planned and systematic effort to let the policemen involved in the killing of people of color go scot-free. But it is natural that minorities, whether ethnic or religious, consider such incidents with deep suspicion and even those who in normal conditions are far above the racial prejudices are compelled to think in a tainted way. The key question is not whether the jury decisions were unfair; the point is that a number of people consider them as such and protested, often violently. Now, it is responsibility of the local authorities to address the concerns of the affected community because when perceptions become stronger than reality, then a violent reaction cannot be ruled out.

I think President Barack Obama, entering his final years of presidency, is in a unique position to address this simmering racial tension and overhaul the justice system if needed. It is time for confidence building measures.

The writer is a Pakistan-based analyst.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)