Anti-Semitism
Alaa Mencke
Anti-Semitism has become the new buzz word again. This is due in part to the attack made by French men at a magazine office and a kosher deli in France, by the new ‘holiday’ of Holocaust Remembrance Day, on January 27th, and the rise in aggression in the Middle East. While this new buzz word is circulating everywhere, from Hollywood to China most citizens of the world do not know the definition of anti-Semitism and who it includes. The word itself carries a negative meaning from the prefix ‘anti’ in front of the word ‘Semitism.’ According to the online dictionary, www.dictionary.com, ‘anti’ is defined as, ‘a person who is opposed to a particular practice, party, policy, action,’ and a more detailed definition, ‘prefix meaning “against,” “opposite of,” “antiparticle of,” as it is used in the formation of compound words (anticline); used freely in combination with elements of any origin (antibody; antifreeze; antiknock; antilepton).’ From the same web source, the second half of the word, ‘Semite,’ is defined as ‘a member of any of various ancient and modern peoples originating in southwestern Asia, including the Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs.’ They also have this definition on the same page, ‘a member of the group of Caucasoid peoples who speak a Semitic language, including the Jews and Arabs as well as the ancient Babylonians, Assyrians, and Phoenicians.’ These are the first two definitions of the word, ‘Semite,’ but a secondary definition says that it refers to Jews, exclusively. But, how can that be, when the first definitions of the word refer to all ancient civilization that speak an ancient, Semitic language?
It is obvious that a particular group is redefining words in favor of themselves. If we take the original definitions of the words, anti, meaning against, and, Semite, meaning anyone from the groups listed in the definition, we realize that the word, ‘anti-Semitic’ cannot refer exclusively to Jews. This point is further strengthened by the, About World Languages, website that states that Semitic ‘languages constitute the most populous branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.’ They state that this language group is spoken by more than 500 million people across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa. They are believed to have evolved from ‘a hypothetical common ancestor called Proto-Semitic whose place of origin is still disputed: Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Mesopotamia are the most probable locations. The Semitic branch can be divided into East, West (or Central), and South (or Ethiopic) Semitic. The term “Semitic” is thought to have come from Shem, one of the three sons of Noah (Gen. x:21-30), regarded in biblical literature as the ancestor of the Semites.’
However, this word has been stolen by one specific group of Semites to the total exclusion of the others who have the birthright to claim the use and definition of the word, as well. In addition, others have joined in support of this theft, repeating the claim that only one group is Semite, that being, those who claim to follow Judaism. Interestingly, the proof that non-Semites have begun discriminating against Semites other than Jews, can be found on the website SOA. When anti-Semitism is discussed, it is only in terms as they relate to Jews. Conversely, as an afterthought, and maybe not to appear too pro-Jewish and anti-Semitic against all other Semites, there is a little footnote with an asterisk at the bottom of the lengthy, Anti-Semitic page. The footnote states, “The term Anti-Semitism was developed to refer to oppression of Jews; however, it is important to remember that Arabs are also Semitic people who are oppressed,” but Arabs, it seems, cannot use the exclusive right of Jews to the term, ‘anti-Semitic.’ So, in other words, if a Jew is oppressed because they are Semitic, and Arabs are also oppressed because they are Semitic, only Jews can use the expression, ‘anti-Semitic,’ for themselves and against others.
More examples of the clear support of this pilfering can be found in dictionaries that have recently added, and now state, that Semites are only Jews in secondary definitions. Furthermore, “Holocaust Day” was celebrated only by those who claim to follow Judaism, since they are trying to convince the world that they are the sole Semites and the only people who experience anti-Semitism. Authors such as Karen Armstrong, who are described as educated, literate and knowledgeable, use the term to refer exclusively to Jews. For example, in a recent lecture in Amman, Jordan, Armstrong claimed that “Anti-Semitism is not ingrained in Islamic culture. It has become largely prevalent as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict and it was brought to the Middle East by Christian missionaries” (http://jordantimes.com). In her address to the Jordan Media Institute, she was addressing Arabs, Semites, yet she speaks as though she were addressing non-Semites. This is anti-Semitism, by not acknowledging and addressing Semites as such. In other words, she discriminated against them by her very words and removed them from their rightful place as Semites. Of course, anti-Semitism is not ‘ingrained’ in Islamic culture; how could it be when they are Semites? If it were, they would be, very ironically, prejudice and discriminatory against their own selves. For such a so-called, ‘prominent author,’ Armstrong has much to learn about the world, history, bigotry, and anti-Semitism. Even notable linguist, Noam Chomsky, a Jew who is denied entry into Israel because of his opposition to the Zionist’s treatment of Arabs and to their apartheid policies, when asked if anti-Semitism is manipulated for its (Jewish/Israeli) own interest, replied, “It's very consciously manipulated. I mean, it's quite certainly real, there's no question about that, but it is also undoubted that they manipulate it. In fact, they say so.” He goes on to say, “Anti-Semitism undoubtedly exists, but it's now on a par, in my view, with other kinds of prejudice of all sorts.” It’s no wonder that he is called anti-Semitic as well, since he views it to be on par with any other kind of prejudice and does not see it as a special right and privilege of Jews. Furthermore, a recent article by, Sophia Eribo, in the Huffington Post resulted in her being attacked on the website www.breitbart.com, because her article, on ‘Holocaust Day,’ suggested that Jews get over themselves and stop playing the victim by using anti-Semitism. And of course, the writer of the article, Ben Shapiro, also had to add a negative comment against another Jew who refuses to play the victim game, Norman Finkelstein. Dr. Finkelstein, a professor of Middle Eastern Studies in Turkey and an outspoken critic of Zionist policy and the politics of the Jewish state, has referred to anti-Semitism as ‘an indispensable ideological weapon,’ in his book, The Holocaust Industry: Reflection of the Exploitation on Jewish Suffering. It is, as he describes it, ‘an ideology that uses guilt as a tool as effective and deadly as a surgeon’s scalpel.’ Reasons for using anti-Semitism which is so sharp, so painful and so precise: jealousy, hatred, narcissism, sympathy, desperation; the need to feel special and superior to everyone else on our shared planet.
However, not all Semites use their or other peoples’ race, color or place of origin against others. In fact, many Jews have embraced Islam, the religion brought by an Arab, a Semite, from the time Islam came, until today. If one goes to the website, www.jews-for-allah.org, one will find a list of Jews who happily, eagerly and completely embraced Islam as their religion. A great number of them embraced Islam from (because of) their Arab cousins; Semite to Semite, cousin to cousin, since they both descended from Shem, the son of Noah. Their acceptance of Islam is understandable since Judaism represents an ethnic group, those descended from Judah (Yehuda), and not merely a religion, as many people falsely claim.
In fact, Arabs, the largest Semite group in the world has, since the time of Islam, had another view of race and discrimination, both theirs and others. An example of the Muslim’s view of race, discrimination and anti-Semitism can be found in their religion. For example, Bilal Ibn Raba’h, a close friend of the Prophet of Islam and one of the earliest Muslims, had several major deficiencies in the eyes of Arab pagans; he was a black, non-Arab, Ethiopian, slave. However, it was through Islam that Bilal found the ultimate freedom from the chains of the pagan system of oppression, idol-worship, injustice, dishonorable conduct, and racism. He embraced a religion whose Prophet, peace be on him, declared, “All of humankind is the children of Adam, and Allah created Adam from dust” (Sahih al-Jami` [7867]). The Prophet, peace be on him, also said, “O, People! Verily, your Rabb (Lord) is One (Allah), and your father is one (Adam). Verily, an Arab has no virtue above a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has a virtue above an Arab, nor does a red person have a virtue above a black person, nor a black person above a red person, except by fear from and obedience to Allah.” (As-Sahih al-Musnad [1536])
Bilal won his physical freedom from slavery by the Prophet’s trusted and closest friend and disciple, Abu Bakr. After the death of the Prophet, peace be on him, and Abu Bakr, `Umar Ibn al-Khattab, the Prophet’s second closest friend, became the Caliph (leader) of the Islamic State, then the most prosperous and strongest nation in the world. Once when Bilal passed by a group including Umar, he greeted them and continued walking. `Umar said, “Abu Bakr was our Sayyid (chief; leader; master) and he freed our Sayyid (meaning Bilal)” (Bukhari [3471])
Historically, Arabs have experienced anti-Semitism since their first modern encounter with non-Arabs, as is evident in the writings of T.E. Laurence, the homosexual who went to the Arabian Peninsula, until recently, with the murder of three Arab university students in North Carolina. Their murder was a hate crime and an act of anti-Semitism, since they were all Arabs. However, we have yet to see the crime called what it really is. Ironically, also, is the anti-Semitism Jewish Zionists daily, individually, and collectively reign down on the Arabs in Palestine. Yet, no one comes to the defense of the Arabs, no one calls it anti-Semitism and no one cares. But, regardless of what others want to re-name it, it still is anti-Semitism, as we know from the definition of the word, since it is crystal clear that the Jews and their supporters are against any Arab. No matter how hard the Jews and their supports try, they will not succeed in stealing the identity, the language, the words and the reality that they are not the only Semites, or that they are the only Semites who are faced with anti-Semitism.