Muslim anti-semitism

Submitted by Terry Brodsky (Israel), Aug 8, 2006 at 14:34

I think it's difficult for anyone living in America to understand how profound anti-semitism is within Muslim communities world-wide. I lived in a Muslim country for almost 40 years & I can tell you that not one day went by without me hearing an anti-semitic remark, often directed at me. It was part of the language; calling someone a "Jew" was a normal insult to another Muslim.

Even among the most educated Muslims, anti-Jewish, anti-American, & anti-western bias is all pervasive. Many of my friends held opinions which in a non-Muslim setting would be considered outrageous. My friends were young, educated, & very bright individuals who were not even aware of the implications of their statements. Anti-Jewish opinions were part of the atmosphere, you breathed them in all day. It came from the newspapers, from school texts, and from religious teachers at the mosques. Conspiracy theories circulated literally in hours & everyone repeated them. After 9/11, the atmosphere was even worse than usual.

The preaching at the mosque after Friday prayers became alarming in its hatred. Cassette tapes from Saudi Arabia were sold outside the mosques calling on Muslims to fight the Jews & Americans. My relations with many of my friends became strained to say the least. By the time of the Iraq war, I had enough. I immigrated to Israel. What a relief - since living here in Israel, I feel like 1000 Kilos of stress were removed from my back.

But the point of my remarks is that it reminds me of things my father told me about Poland before W.W. II & what I read about the rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1920's & 1930's.

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