Islam's answer is clear: race is irrelevant. The Prophet ﷺ led by example. Here is what the Quran and Sunnah say about interracial marriage — and why cultural racism is against Islam.
The Quran is clear: the criterion of honour with Allah is taqwa (God-consciousness) — not race, not tribe, not nationality, not skin colour. The verse was revealed in the context of the Prophet's ﷺ farewell sermon where he explicitly abolished racism: "An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have superiority over an Arab; also a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does a black person have any superiority over a white person — except through taqwa." (Ahmad, authenticated)
Pakistani culture has deep-seated biases around skin colour (the obsession with "gori/white" skin), caste (the biraderi system), and ethnicity (Punjabi, Pathan, Mohajir, Sindhi, etc.) in marriage choices. These biases have no Islamic basis whatsoever. They are remnants of pre-Islamic tribal culture or Hindu caste influences — not Islam.
A family that refuses a marriage proposal solely on grounds of ethnicity, caste, or skin colour is acting against the explicit teaching of the Prophet ﷺ. The Islamic criterion is deen (religiousness) and character. These are the only grounds Islam endorses.
Interracial marriages face real practical challenges — cultural differences in food, family structures, celebration styles, and social expectations. These are worth discussing honestly before marriage. But these are practical discussions — not Islamic prohibitions. The Islamic criterion is: is this person a good Muslim? Can they fulfil the rights of marriage?