Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Jews and Arabs/Muslims (The Angry Arab)
"I have lived for a bit less than 30 years in this country. I have never seen a more blatant and explicit festival of hate as I have been observing against Muslims in the US as of late. What is more, or most, dangerous is the embrace and championing of this hate by Zionist Jewish leadership in the US. That is so dangerous on the long term and is destined to poison for years and decades to come the relationship between Jews as a whole and all Muslims and Arabs. I of course want only poisoned relationship with Israel, but I believe that our fierce and categorical rejection of Zionism in Palestine should be separate from the attempt to establish--especially after the demise of Israel--harmony and brotherhood/sisterhood between Arabs/Muslims and Jews. There are some 13.5 million Jews in the world and the reckless participation in the campaign of hate by the likes of ADL and other Zionist Jewish organization will be harmful for Jews, let alone the goals of peace and justice--real peace and justice and not the so-called "peace process." I don't understand why Jewish organizations in the US don't lead the campaign against hatred of Muslims; it is in their self-interest to do so after all."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have lived for a bit less than 30 years in this country. I have never seen a more blatant and explicit festival of hate as I have been observing against Muslims in the US as of late.
ReplyDelete...That makes sense, because, personally, the biggest festival of hate I have seen here was in the late seventies during the Iran Hostage Crisis, even worse than after 9/11. It seemed almost the entire country was in "nuke Mecca" mode. This business about the mosque in Lower Manhatten seems to be contained to a vocal group of bigots and their powerful sponsers. It's not that everyone else is championing the cause of tolerance-I don't get a sense of most people caring that much one way or another if the mosque/community center gets built...but I could be wrong.
But I do have an answer to why Zionists are fighting the mosque. While their cause may be harmful to American Jews for various reasons, it is helpful to Israel. Anything they can rally around, whether it is fighting the Mosque/community center or BDS, keeps the troops motivated and donations rolling in.
Absolutely Joe..It's always for Israel..and here I don't understand when As'ad says he doesn't understand why Jewish organisations do not lead the campaign against Muslim hatred because to me the answer is obvious.
ReplyDelete<span>Absolutely Joe..It's always for Israel..and here I don't understand when As'ad says he doesn't understand why Jewish organisations do not lead the campaign against Muslim hatred because to me the answer is obvious.
ReplyDelete</span>
To be fair to As'ad he said "Jewish organizations" and not "Zionists". He's always consistent regarding the distinction between the two. There are many Jewish organizations that do a lot of good with respect to social causes in American, even while silent about the plight of the Palestinians. For As'ad, I believe, these organizations have enough sense to realize the danger of what is happening here. And so, he asks, why are they not acting.
ReplyDeleteGood article on the subject and question asked by AAK by a Rabbi Bruce Warshal in Florida; he said:
ReplyDelete"... Right-wing Jews think that they are doing Israel a favor by painting Islam as a terrorist religion thereby proving that Israel need not negotiate with the Palestinians. The idea is to project the concept that we are civilized and they are not. This theme is picked up in the right-wing press of Israel. Commenting on the New York proposed “mosque,” a columnist in the Jerusalem Post declares that “Islamism is a modern political tendency which arose in a spirit of fraternal harmony with the fascists of Europe in the 1930’s and ‘40’s.” Ground Zero isn’t Israel’s “holy ground.” Why would he be involved with this discussion? Simply because right-wing Jews in Israel as well as the United States believe that demonizing the religion of 1.3 billion people is good for Israel. God help us.
Right-wing politicians join the fray. On Fox News Newt Gingrich compares a mosque at Ground Zero to Nazis protesting at the United States Holocaust Memorial. The Democrats are cowed by the American outpouring of hate and even Harry Reid voices disapproval of the Park 51 site. It’s a perfect storm of hate.
Periodically we go through this in America. The anti-Catholic No-Nothing party ran ex-President Millard Fillmore in the presidential election of 1856 and garnered 27 percent of the votes. We deported over 10,000 people during the First World War because they opposed our entry into that war and we incarcerated loyal Japanese Americans during the Second World War. Now during this “war on terror” I shudder to think where we are headed..."
For full article with some interesting facts:
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/09/01/rabbi-bruce-warshal-shame-on-america-jews-and-the-adl/
The tool used in this hate campaign is the concept of collective guilt
ReplyDeleteThe Rabbi makes many excellent points but he appears to be guilty of what he is accusing the opponents of the Islamic Center of doing. He says shame on America, Jews, and the ADL. Sorry, with the exception of the shame on the ADL, really NOT fair. Are we blaming all Americans and Jews for the actions of a few?
For every single protest against a mosque, and the proposed Islamic Center in NY, there have been Americans of all faiths and no faith who have rallied to speak up and support the Muslims right to build. This festival of hate As'ad writes of, has included a tiny percentage of the 310 million U.S. citizens.
<span>The tool used in this hate campaign is the concept of collective guilt
ReplyDeleteThe Rabbi makes many excellent points but he appears to be guilty of what he is accusing the opponents of the Islamic Center of doing. He says, Shame on America, Jews, and the ADL. Sorry, with the exception of the shame on the ADL, really NOT fair. Are we blaming all Americans and Jews for the actions of a few?
For every single protest against a mosque, and the proposed Islamic Center in NY, there have been Americans of all faiths and no faith who have rallied to speak up and support the Muslims right to build. This festival of hate As'ad writes of, has included a tiny percentage of the 310 million U.S. citizens.</span>
Good to see you here Walid..I'll have to read the full article a bit later....but who's (or what's) AAK
ReplyDelete<span>Good to see you here Walid..I'll have to read the full article a bit later....but who's (or what's) AAK?</span>
ReplyDeletevza, re the "Are we blaming all Americans and Jews for the actions of a few?", notwithstanding the pro-mosque protests you mentioned, isn't that how most American including its Jews feel about the Muslims in America? If this wouldn't haven't been the case, all this mosque brouhaha would have died of a natural death within a couple of days. I'm a great fan of the American people in spite of all these current feelings but they have let this hate continue to grow. The Rabbi may have an axe to grind but at least he is speaking out against what is happening.
ReplyDeleteHi TGIA, it's As'ad Abu Khalil; I never know where to put the hyphen or if I should put a double-a in his name, so I got lazy and simply wroke AAAK.
ReplyDelete<span>Hi TGIA, it's As'ad Abu Khalil; I never know where to put the hyphen or if I should put a double-a in his name, so I got lazy and simply wrote AAK.</span>
ReplyDelete<span>Hi TGIA, it's As'ad Abu Khalil; I never know where to put the apostrophe or if I should put a double-a in his name, or if it's abou or Abu so I got lazy and simply wrote AAK.</span>
ReplyDelete<span>"...isn't that how most American including its Jews feel about the Muslims in America?"</span>
ReplyDeleteI just do not see that. I think most Americans are basically live and let live. I am not muich of a believer in the valdidity of polls, but even if polls suggest that a growing number of Americans have an unfavorable view of Islam, so what? I have an unfavorable view of organized religion, including the one in which I was raised, but I do not interfere with the rights of those who are religious.
What do you suggest we do? Are we going down the thought police road? Do we curtail freedom of speech for those who critique Islam? And just who will be the judge of what is hateful or not? Some Catholics just might think that the sneering ridicule of Mother Theresa and miracles on the angryarab's website is hateful. Where does all of this lead? Lots of people have spoken out against what is happening. What more do you suggest should be done?
The manipulation of fear and prejudice by the few:
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago I wrote that the current crisis over Park51 (also known as Cordoba House, and to its detractors, the “Ground Zero Mosque”) is America’s Danish cartoon crisis. I meant that in the sense that a wide segment of public opinion had been roused against the project partly because of the manipulation of fear and prejudice by a few. I also noted that some of the ringleaders in that campaign were mostly known for being pro-Israel right-wingers. It turns out I may have understated that point.
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/opinion/rabble-rousers
<span>The manipulation of fear and prejudice by the few:
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago I wrote that the current crisis over Park51 (also known as Cordoba House, and to its detractors, the “Ground Zero Mosque” is America’s Danish cartoon crisis. I meant that in the sense that a wide segment of public opinion had been roused against the project partly because of the manipulation of fear and prejudice by a few. I also noted that some of the ringleaders in that campaign were mostly known for being pro-Israel right-wingers. It turns out I may have understated that point.
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/opinion/rabble-rousers</span>
I know this does not jive with the picture of an intolerant America, but...:
ReplyDelete2 Muslims travel 13,000 miles across America, find an embracing nation
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/09/10/ramadan.roadtrip.folo/index.html
Astroturf - 'manufactured grassroots' - good one.
ReplyDeleteIssandr al Amrani has a blog called 'The Arabist' which is worth a visit.
"... What more do you suggest should be done?"
ReplyDeletevza, other than continuing to keep slogging away with what we are doing, there isn't much we can do to neutralize the powerful Zionist hasbara campaigns that are thriving on Americans that are ignorant of what is going on. I just read over at Mondoweiss that the site attracted something like 700,000 hits in the last 3 months and this is very encouraging news. Sooner or later, Americans will start waking up to the truth of what's happening to the Palestinians and it's hoped that by then, there will still be something to salvage of Palestine. I share your unfavourable view of organized religion.
"... <span>To be fair to As'ad he said "Jewish organizations" and not "Zionists".</span>
ReplyDelete<span></span>
<span>What are you trying to say, Abu Zuhair? Jewish organizations include the good ones you talked about as well as the not good ones that are adding fuel to the mosque and Palestinian fires. As to the good ones, we know them and they know themselves so there is nothing to worry about ruffling any feathers in criticizing the Jews. </span>
vza, the intolerance in America is limited. Something tells me that our 2 riders did not go through redneck counties where they would have probably been tarred and feathered. All in all, I believe that Americans in general are good people as much as believe that those in Israel are not. There are tens of millions of Christian Zionists that have been brainwashed into siding with Israel no matter what it does and these people became that way because of the dictates of their organized religion. In spite of what is going on, America still rtemains very tolerant.
ReplyDelete<span> "I believe that Americans in general are good people as much as believe that those in Israel are not." </span>
ReplyDeleteI like that sentence although I probably shouldn't as I haven't personally met many Israelis but I think that given the history and the level of indoctrination they've been subjected to, it's no wonder they ould be "forgiven" as the result of such brainwashing couldn't not be any other..There are many exceptions of course and we see or hear them frequently talking against the very concept of Zionism and everything it led to from the occupation to the land grab to the generally accepoted notion of dehumanisation of the Palestinians..
<span><span> "I believe that Americans in general are good people as much as believe that those in Israel are not." </span>
ReplyDeleteI like that sentence although I probably should add a nuance to it as I haven't personally met many Israelis and can't be sure but I think that given the history and what transpires in the news about their common behaviour during their "defensive" wars of aggression, and the level of indoctrination (the victim status) they've been subjected to, it would be a miracle that they would be any better ..There are many exceptions, as always of course, and we see or hear them frequently talking against the very concept of Zionism and everything it led to from the occupation to the land grab etc..
</span>
Walid,
ReplyDeleteCalm down, you don't need to insinuate anything. Just re-read the last two lines of As'ad's post (who's sincerity is above reproach even when one disagrees with him), re-read my comment, and then you'll better understand what I'm "trying to say."
<p><span>I'm calm, Abu Zuhair. <span> </span>I felt you were somewhat apologizing for As'ad for a distinction he hadn’t made. I've been reading him for a long time and I have yet to disagree with anything he said. I said in so many fewer words that when referring to Jewish involvement, we have to stop worrying about taking extra special care to specify the "Zionist" aspect of what we are talking about and all this pussy-footing is not necessary since good Jews know that they are. If I misread what you wrote, I apologize.</span></p>
ReplyDeleteThere are exceptions in Israel of course, TGIA, but the generality I'm thinking of is based on the various polls that have been coming out of Israel from around the time the phosphorus was raining on Gaza II and Israelis were enjoying picniking on a hill to enjoy the foreworks show. These polls have consistently shown the majority of Israelis in favour of what was being done to Gaza and against any retreat to 67 lines or of abandoning any of the settlements. We have been letting the evil ones hide in the shadow of the good ones in our extreme politeness and courtesy towards the good ones and this has only served to embolden the evil ones. We have to stop letting the good ones act as buffers for the bad ones.
ReplyDelete