As Swedish
media reminds us of the dangers of ant-Semitism, the Jewish congregation in
Malmo installs an iron fence around the synagogue, whose main function is to
declare that society at large has failed to protect its little minority of
Jews. It has now become well known that the Jews of Malmö have been subjected
to anti-Semitic attacks in several years. Many families have abandoned the city
after serious threats, probably from groups within the larger minority with
roots in the Middle East and North Africa.
The
terrorist attacks in Paris against the magazine Charlie Hebdo and Jewish
civilians in a kosher shop, is still a fresh memory. Random Jews are again chosen
as a target for Islamist aggression and terror.
In media and political committees that work against violent extremism, the
analysts and politicians mix anti-Semitism together with Islamophobia, homophobia
and other forms of racism. When they are asked who the perpetrators, extremists
and haters are? The answer is general and the racist is an abstract, mysterious
figure that exists nowhere and everywhere. What is the cure then? The answer is
more moralizing homework, training in tolerance that should be done by all
citizens.
It is unfortunately not a particularly Swedish phenomenon to lay a smokescreen
on the problem, but it is the situation in greater or lesser degree in a
European continent where tensions and racism have become more complex in the
global time. Anti-Semitism in Europe after 1945 cannot be understood, much less
be counteracted, without illuminating ideas and attitudes that the major new immigrants
from the Middle East, North Africa and Muslim countries, has brought to the
continent.
What we are witnessing today, the return of coarse anti-Semitic propaganda and
attacks on Jewish individuals, synagogues, businesses and property, has its
explanation in the meeting between the European-Christian and the Arab-Muslim
anti-Semitism. Each of these two forms of dehumanization has theological roots
and unique cultural characteristics. With increased communication in the modern
era and a new immigration wave from Arab and Muslim countries, they have formed
a synthesis of demonology. "The Jew" occupies a special place again.
Dormant prejudices in the European collective national memory has been
reactivated and stimulated by an open and vulgar hatred of Jews.
The Arab-Muslim anti-Semitism is spread through mass media (satellite TV and
publications in non-European languages), Internet and radical Islamists. The
anti-Jewish propaganda uses a political vocabulary. Pointing to an ongoing
political conflict, such claims are given legitimacy. The rhetoric is even presenting
"true witness" against the "satanic power" Israel (Jews).
The reaction on the political scene in Europe is twofold. The radical left is
notoriously weak for black / white, week/ strong- rhetoric. In addition it has,
through cooperation with the new immigrants, found an outlet for its
anti-Americanism through verbally and politically attacking an ally, Israel. A
disturbing trend is that this propaganda has moved towards the center left during
the last years. There is an increased tolerance and attraction for anti-Jewish
stereotypes and myths. It is increasingly common to deny, excuse and trivialize
grave anti- Semitism.
Meanwhile, the consequences of immigration and economic turbulence in recent
years have triggered nationalist currents. Parties from the populist right wing
have reached the EU parliament. Neo-Nazi groups exist openly and nationalist
parties are gaining ground in population groups that earlier voted for the
conservative center. The fact that hatred of Jews today is complemented by
hatred against Muslims, does not weaken the power and harmfulness anti-Semitism.
The mechanism of hatred is: the more groups to exclude from the national “We”, the
more effective the methods become.
In the end the arrows of blame and hatred point all against Jews and the state
of Israel with various rationales. Historian Henrik Bachner, has to conclude in
his research on contemporary anti-Semitism in Sweden: "The dam which was
built the second World War against hatred of Jews has begun to erode."
I belong to the group immigrants from the Middle East and the Muslim world.
Europe is my new home and my children's first and only home. My firm belief is
that Europe cannot handle this alarming situation unless one locates the
largest power center for today's anti-Semitism, the Arab and Muslim population,
and presents an ideological and ethical resistance adapted to this peculiar
anti-Jewish myths and propaganda. The dam must never demolish as we risk that
the fundament of democracy may be swept away by a violent flood wave.
Anti-Semitism in Middle East
Last spring I traveled down to Jordan to write reports about the Syrian refugee
crisis. As the daughter of the Middle East, I had no problem melting in. A
feeling of identity and my journalistic method lays behind my choices, not lack
of money. I stayed in a room in a garage, shopped food in local shops, and when
I would visit al-Zaatari refugee camp, I had to change buses three times
between Amman and the Syrian border.
In the midst of the highway between Amman and Zarqa city, suddenly the bus stopped
and the ticket collector shouted that everyone had to get off. I thought it was
an engine failure. But as soon as all the passengers stood on the roadside, the
bus made a sharp swing drove back to Amman. People around me were resigned; I
was the only one who was shocked. A man talled me: “They drove back to retrieve
new passengers”. We stood in the rain for a while before we got the chance to
push our bodies into a half-full bus. Of course we had to pay full ticket again.
I expressed my frustration: "Is it possible to do something like that?!"
The answer was short: "They are Jews." Many nodded approving.
There was no doubt that the swindler bus driver and ticket collector were
Muslim Jordanians. I understood the answer and kept silent. As a daughter of
the culture, I realized that it was not just meaningless there and then to
discuss whether it was appropriate to use "Jew" as a swearword. It
was also dangerous. The aggretion against Jews can easily be manifested against
their defenders, especially an Arab Muslim one, a “traitor”.
The dam which postwar Europe has built against antisemitism has its contrast in
the Middle East and Muslim countries. Autocratic and theocratic regimes and
religious scholars have pumped out wave after wave of anti-Jewish propaganda to
the region's population. Meanwhile, significant historical and political facts,
which do not harmonize with the pan-Arab or Islamist historical narrative, have
been censored. The accusation is that the Jew is guilty. The opposite cannot be
proven. Jews control the media, finance and policy at the global level.
Therefore the Jews are collectively responsible for the Muslim countries poverty,
social problems and the failure of political systems. Attacks on Jewish
individuals and property are justified as "self-defense" and
expression of national loyalty and good characteristics.
This primitive form of anti-Semitism is regrettably indisputable on the Arab
street. In several bookstores I visited in Lebanon and Jordan, I have been able
to buy grossly anti-Semitic books. One was titled as historical scientific
research and circled around alleged ritual murder of children conducted by Jews
at the beginning of the 1900s in Damascus. The sources were newspaper clippings
from that era. The second predicted the destruction of the state of Israel and the
Muslims final victory over the Jews in 2022. The prophecy was based on
"mathematical" reading of Quranic verses. Religious (Islamic)
literature where Jews are depicted as the outermost enemy is a genre in itself.
There is no
lack of ideological challenges from Arab and Muslim intellectuals in regard to criticism
of extremist Islam, the general criticism of the classical theology of Islam
and the pursuit of democratic civil rights. Many Arab and Muslim intellectuals
and secular democrats are active in defending the rights of religious and
ethnic minorities in their regions. But Jews are to be found in this type of
literature only exceptionally. In addition, publications of this kind are often
written in European languages and reach therefore very few highly educated people
in the Middle East and the Muslim world. The Arab and Muslim street has not got
any serious challenge in an adequate language.
It is worth noting though that education itself does not vaccinate against
anti-Semitism. A general increase in knowledge level and standard of life in
the Arab and Muslim World is not a cure for hatred against Jews, conflict and
war. The Arab-Muslim wall of hostility will only fall in the face of relevant
historical facts, about the Jews long history in the Middle East and North
Africa and their exodus from Arab countries, about the European anti-Semitism
and Holocaust, about the concrete political circumstances that have led to the
establishment of the state of Israel. The wall should be challenged by a
historical-rational perspective on religion (Islam) and its relation to a
competing monotheistic religion. It is indisputable that this knowledge must
first be available in Arabic and other languages of the Middle East as persons
who need it most are not well versed in English and other European languages.
With my book project, I aim to drill some holes in the wall and open up avenues
of reflection by serving the young educated Arab and Muslim generation important
historical facts.
The scope and complexity of the task makes it perilous. It is therefore
necessary to choose a frame and focus of the book.
Focus of the book
- A historical view of Jewish existence and culture in the countries of the
Middle East and North Africa that goes back to the time before our era. Review
of processes that have led to the exodus of Jews from these countries. With
this, I will argue that Jews throughout history have been a part of the
region's mosaic, and not western invaders.
- A critical examination of Arab-Muslim historical understanding of the
establishment of Israel. I will mostly use Arab sources, mainly newspaper
articles from the World War period and up to 1950. This valuable material has
been made available in English by new research in Tel-Aviv University of Meir
Litvak and Esther Webman. It shows that Arab media was fully aware of the Nazis
atrocities and the Jewish refugee problem after the Holocaust.
- A rational refutation of Islamist conspiracy theories, especially the big
world conspiracy based on the obvious falsification, Zion Protocols of the
Elders. I would also challenge the myth that the Holocaust is a fabricated
story that is been used for political gains.
- Criticism against the instrumental and selective approach to the Islamic Holy
scriptures where Jews are accused for being the Muslim s eternal enemies. I
will criticize the radical Islamist propaganda from a liberal-Islamic
perspective.
Research and fields work
In working
with the project I'm going to travel to several countries, conducting interviews
and doing field surveys. The Plan is as followed.
- Visit to Poland, Warsaw and Autschwitz.
- Study Stays in berlin at Center for Holocaust Studies
- Study Stays and fieldwork in Cairo and Alexandria.
- Study Stays and fieldwork in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem and the Palestinian
territories
What kind of book?
My goal is
not to write an academic treatise, but a political book that is based on
academic research. The book will have a language that is easily accessible to
the Arab reader. The main objective is to challenge the worst anti-Semitic
myths that flourish in Arab and Muslim countries and in immigrant communities
in Europe. I want to do it with an interior perspective to give my work
credibility among Arab and Muslim readers.
I'll write the book in Arabic (my mother tongue), and have it translated
initially into English. When it comes to the Arab version, it will be distributed
as an E-book since there are neither Arab publishers nor booksellers who would
promote it. The script will thus be available on the internet, and easy to
download, both as a whole or as chapters. It will be with no costs as I would
not earn money on the Arab edition.
The English edition will be published at the same time and made available in
bookshops in Sweden and other European countries.
The release will take place in early autumn 2016.
