Posted on 09/14/2009 8:46:12 PM PDT by ventanax5
Were Jews living in Islamic societies victims of antisemitism? If so, to what extent? How did conditions for Jews in the Moslem East compare with those in Christian Europe? Is Islam intrinsically antisemitic? Are today's Moslems more antisemitic than those of the past and if so, why? These questions have been the subject of vigorous discussion over the past few decades.
Andrew Bostom's new book, The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History, brings massive evidence to show that Jews suffered greatly in Moslem societies due to an antisemitism intrinsic to the Moslem religion. In this he goes against the commonly held belief that Jews under Islam suffered relatively little for being Jewish and that Islam itself is relatively tolerant, ideas put forward by the philosophes of the Enlightenment as part of their battle with the Catholic Church, by Jewish historians who contrasted a mythical Muslim past with their own lachrymose conception of the history of their own people in Christian Europe and by contemporary historians of Islam, many of whom tend to view Moslem antisemitism through rose-colored glasses.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Powerful book. In fairness to Moslems, Jews did not fare too well in Europe over the centuries either. It is rather odd to hear Chistians from Europe and Middle eastern Moslems argue who treated their Jews better.
Read the book..The Hadj.
Actually I tried reading The Hadj. There are some tomes that hurt my head to read and that is one.
I believe this is inaccurate, or at least incomplete.
Anti-semitism generally refers to the ethnic/racial hatred of Jews that developed starting in the 1700s. It was often associated with "progressive" politics and was not specifically Christian in origin. Its leaders were often anti-clerical or even anti-Christian.
The old "traditional" Christian anti-semitism Lewis talks about generally aimed to convert the Jews. Those who did convert were usually welcomed with open arms and immediately given lavish material and social rewards.
True ant-semitism believes that "Jewishness" is inherent. Conversion to Christianity is more or less irrelevant. The Jew cannot stop being a Jew.
Most of the history of "anti-semitism" in the Muslim world is a lot closer to traditional Christian anti-Jewishness than to true anti-semitism. Converts to Islam were welcomed and considered Muslims from that point forward. The 20th century led to an incursion of "true" anti-semitism into the Muslim world.
I should also point out that the Koran and other Muslim holy books contain a great deal more specifically anti-Jewish content than does the New Testament. Not surprising when you consider every writer of the NT, with the exception of Luke, was a Jew. Not to mention Christ himself.
Plus one has to distinguish among various Muslims. The first Arab armies aimed to conquer and exploit. Those of several generations later, began to assimilate the conquered. But Jews and Christians were in “caste” that were definitely in a position inferior to Muslims. Barbarous Muslims like the Turkish invaders of the 11th century were intolerant. as the the Moors who invaded Spain in that same century.
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