Posted on 11/08/2005 3:44:57 PM PST by SJackson
Islam's Embedded Anti-Semitism
by Dr. Joseph Lerner , Co-director IMRA 8 November 2005
The calling by Iran's president for Israel's destruction prompted Walid Salem's Daily Star (Lebanon) Commentary "Address the 'Jewish question' without resorting to propaganda" (Nov.8 '05) which follows on these observations..
Salem is blind to the overwhelming negative attitude of Islamic populations towards Jews as measured in polls and published in the Pew Global Attitudes Report Spring, '05 . The polls related to Jews, not Israel. and thus negates the frequent assertion that anti-Israel attitudes are mistakenly regarded as anti-Semitic. The report shows unfavorable attitudes in selected Moslem countries towards Jews in Spring, 2005 to be: Jordan-100%; Lebanon- 98%;Morocco-88%; Indonesia-76%;Pakistan-74%; Turkey -60%. Some significant Islamic states were not included in the polls. Results for the remaining 11 countries polled are: China-49%; Poland-27%; Russia-26%; Germany-21%; Spain-20%; India-17%; France-16%; Netherlands-11%; Canada-11%; US-7%; Britain-6%.
Jordan never had a Jewish population. Lebanon had 5,200 Jews in 1948 which increased to 6,961 in 1951 as some Jews went there instead of to Israel. Today there are not even 20 Jews in Lebanon, And in Indonesia? Ant-Semitism without Jews!
The fundamentalist Islamic credo is that Jews and Christians received God's word but officially distorted it in their favor. Only Islam presents the true text, thus implanting the devastating tendency to see evil conspiracy everywhere. One such was the early charge that some Jewish scholars accepted Islam in order to fracture its unity...This addiction to conspiracy theory was grossly enhanced by European anti-Semitism as featured in "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion"..Essentially rejected in the Christian world,the "Protocols" virus persists in Islam with re-publishing , wide readership and incorporation in dogma --without identifying source -- as in the Hamas charter. Both secular and religious populations are so entangled. Cure is not easy.Until achieved, symptoms can only be ameliorated.
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THE DAILY STAR 8 Nov.'05:"Address the 'Jewish question' without resorting to propaganda"
Commentary by Walid Salem
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"How do we deal with the 'Jewish question' in the Israeli-Palestinian and also in the Israeli-Arab and Islamic contexts?
"Will we accept the challenge of integrating Israel into the area?"
"Is this the tolerant Islam that all average citizens know ... the Islam that promotes equal rights for all people whatever their religion...?"
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EXCERPTS:
. . . How do we deal with the "Jewish question" in the Israeli-Palestinian and also in the Israeli-Arab and Islamic contexts?
The first point is the Jewish question itself: Do we in the Middle East ask ourselves about this question? With the exception of a book written a few years ago by the Lebanese journalist Joseph Samaha, I have not seen other Arabic writings that recognize the Jewish question as not only a European question, but also as an Arabic-Islamic one.
The second point ... : if the Jewish question is recognized, then its phenomena should be discussed. ...frank questions need to be asked: Were the rights of the Jews throughout the ages guaranteed in Arabic and Islamic countries? If the answer to this question is yes, then why did the Jews of these countries emigrate to Israel? ... If it was only Zionist propaganda that led to their emigration, then why does a large portion of those who came to Israel from the Arabic and Islamic countries adopt right-wing positions toward the Palestinians and Arabs? Moreover, what have Arabs and Islamic countries done in order to maintain good relations with those Jews once they migrated to Israel? ... .
My third point centers on the strategy toward Israel. Do Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and others of his ilk think that their propaganda helps Palestinians? Do they ... , help Israel integrate into the Middle East? Or does their attitude just help to increase those trends that call for Israel to be part of the West and to disconnect itself from Eastern culture and ties - except those ties of hegemony and dominance?
Do such statements help bring peace to the Middle East or more hatred ... and the proliferation of nuclear weapons? Does Ahmadinejad hope to use these weapons to eliminate Israel? Moreover, does he realize that an Israeli response might bring about the elimination of Iran and probably other Middle Eastern countries? ... .
The fourth point regards our roles in resolving the Jewish question. Of course the greater part of this problem was created in Europe, but as Israel was established in the Middle East, it falls upon us to answer the question: Will we accept the challenge of integrating Israel into the area? Or do we want to create new problems just because we do not bear the responsibility of creating the original problem? ... it is still our overall humanitarian responsibility to find a common solution to the Jewish question rather than to react to the suffering emanating from the establishment of Israel by causing anguish for the Jewish people. These are issues that Ahmadinejad did not think of because his very blind strategy can't see the humanity of the opposing side.
The fifth point ponders whether these actions reflect Islam. Is this the tolerant Islam that all average citizens know ... the Islam that promotes equal rights for all people whatever their religion, color, sex, etc? These blind ideologies have nothing to do with Islam. They only create the opposite of what Islam stands for: they create hatred out of religious differences, thereby generating religious wars.
On all of the above points, moderate Muslims are called upon to raise their voices. Moderate Muslims must be vociferous against blind strategies, and instead should call for a real and intensive discussion about the Jewish question and about Israel's position in the Middle East. Without such fruitful discussion, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be resolved. Walid Salem is the director of the East Jerusalem office of Panorama, the Center for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development. He is also the author of books and articles on democracy, citizenship, youth rights, civil society development, Israeli-Palestinian peace-building and the right of return. ... .
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We are seeing the blind ideaology part...
The spectrum of hate:
The hateful end of the spectrum:
Jordan-100%; Lebanon- 98%;Morocco-88%; Indonesia-76%;Pakistan-74%; Turkey -60%, China-49%; Poland-27%; Russia-26%; Germany-21%; Spain-20%; India-17%; France-16%;
The Civilized End of the Spectrum:
Netherlands-11%; Canada-11%; US-7%; Britain-6%.
Oh and by the way, these are likely parameters for WW3. Minor caveat that those whose hate factor is around 20% may be salvageable prior to onset of major hostilities.
We never learn. We should have killed the cancer dead back in '45.
"Semites" includes Moslems as well as Jews. People think Antisemitism is the same thing as Anti-Jewish. 'Tain't so.
Embedded anti-Semitism, anti-women, anti-freedom of speech, thought, dress and religion, anti-pork...basically anti-just about everything I can think of. I just don't get the appeal.
Antisemitism has nothing at all to do with "semites". It's a term coined by a 19th century German politician, Wilhelm Marr, for the name of his political party, with the specific meaning of Jew hatred.
It demonstrates that the fanatic Left are more bark than bite. They appear to be a highly vocal minority. I am not surprised. The average bloke is fairly well turned off to politics and minds his own business. So, he ends up being grossly underrepresented by the old stream media.
Stop splitting hairs. We know what it means in this particular context. How many anti Semites hate Arabs? Nearly none of them do.
They claim to be more in tune with the majesty of nature than Christians and Jews. Maybe that's why the obsession with a big rock has meaning ...
"Anti-Semite" is not the opposite of "Semite."
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Well, somebody's got to do it. While I'm not the spelling police nor the correct police, I'm ready to step in at a moment's notice should an opening occur.
I suppose you think it's all right to use the non-word "irregardless", too? It doesn't take all that much more effort to get it right than to get it wrong, does it?
I beg to differ.
BTW, your tag line originally applied to South Carolina.
Have it your way, you young whippersnapper. It might do you some good to learn to respect your elders.
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