DOC Muslim Anti-Semitism in Christian Europe: Elemental and Residual Anti-Semitism by From Routledge in History

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. An ideal scholarly addition to any modern social issues collectionBy Midwest Book ReviewAnti-Semitism still lives; and in some regions is as strong as ever. "Muslim Anti-Semitism in Christian Europe: Elemental and Residual Anti-Semitism" discusses Muslim anti-Semitism and its presence in Europe today. Portraying a unique situation which fails to garner much attention since much of it happens in societies where both Jews and Muslims are minorities; "Muslim Anti-Semitism in Christian Europe" paints a vivid picture of a serious standoff that goes unnoticed by a Christian public. Produced by a man with much education in the fields of Muslim culture and history; "Muslim Anti-Semitism in Christian Europe" is an ideal scholarly addition to any modern social issues collection.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. From Mullah to MediaBy Peter UysMuslim immigration to the Western world and Europe in particular has brought Islamic anti-Semitism in contact with its western residues in the host societies. Raphael Israeli reveals how the elemental anti-Semitism of Islam interacts with two residual varieties of the European tradition; that of the xenophobic Right the anti-Zionist Left. Andrew Bostom has produced the definitive work on the Islamic ingredient which is now being mixed with those of the 20th century's secular salvationist ideologies that caused so much death and destruction. This work investigates the nature; ideology and major themes of this new mutation in the West.The immigrant version itself is a blend derived from Islam's foundational texts and the European virus whence derives the blood libel; calumnies of 'poisoning' the conspiracy theories that surfaced in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion; a bestseller in the Muslim world today. The author points out something that is rarely mentioned but quite significant: Attempts to analyze anti-Semitism have relied mainly on rational tools that are unsuitable to measure or explain an irrational phenomenon.European governments are increasingly unable to protect their Jewish citizens. The book provides data on the alarming rise of attacks on Jews in the UK and on the continent. The impotence of the authorities is demonstrated by e.g. the Community Security Trust in the UK whereby Jews provide their own security. Israeli assesses the situation in various European countries where immigrants maintain their ethno-religious attachments. In Reflections on the Revolution In Europe: Immigration; Islam; and the West; Christopher Caldwell cites an estimate of 15 million in Western Europe: 5 million in France; 4 million in Germany and 2 million in Britain. Raphael Israeli suggests -- for the European Union as a whole -- a figure as high as 30 million.Whatever the exact number; there's no disputing the fact that immigrants are becoming majorities in Amsterdam; Rotterdam; Strasbourg; Marseille; the Parisian suburbs; parts of London and Malmö. The 2005 unrest in France and that surrounding the 2006 Danish cartoon controversy plus the threat of terrorism have had repercussions involving restrictions on movement; media freedom and civil liberties.It is claimed that about 15% of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims are radicals or fundamentalists. But it is the standards of these that characterize the Islamic world. The concept of Jihad undermines respect for life as proved by the violence against their co-religionists in Afghanistan; Algeria; Darfur; Iraq; Lebanon; Pakistan; the Palestinian Authority; Somalia; Syria Yemen. In so-called "moderate" Egypt and Jordan; clerics use the same Qur'anic verses to incite violence whilst Saudi Arabia is the foremost funder of Wahhabism in the West.The hatred of Europe's alienated immigrants is fed by (a) Qur'anic verses; the Hadith and the Sirah (biography of Muhammad) (b) the vast body of Christian Anti-Semitic literature which was spread in the Arab World in colonial times (c) Contemporary propaganda on the plight of the Palestinians disseminated by both Arab and Western media such as the BBC and newspapers like The Guardian and Sweden's Aftonbladet. The Palestinian theme is used to transfer propaganda from Mullah to Media. This Red-Green Axis is becoming ever more mainstream as sophisticated artists and authors wield their talents against Israel.Unlike in the West where the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism is (at least superficially) maintained in mainstream media; the brazen anti-Semitism in countries like Somalia and Saudi Arabia is tellingly revealed in Ayaan Hirsi Ali's recollections of her childhood. The crude caricatures in the Arab print media have been exposed in a book by Arieh Stav and the infamous Protocols was made into a popular TV series in the Arab world.The aforementioned distinction has been challenged by Bernard Harrison in The Resurgence of Anti-Semitism which shows how ancient imagery is being revived in publications like The New Statesman; whilst recently the largest-circulation Swedish newspaper revived the blood libel in a grotesque story about organ harvesting. Holocaust Denial has become the preferred way of expressing the ancient hatred among most anti-Semites.One strategy is to use Christians for spreading the message. The motives of some vocal anti-Zionists from the Middle East's oppressed Christian communities are obviously to stay on the safe side of their Muslim rulers. Others; like The Sabeel Ecumenical Center of the liberation theologian Naim Ateek are transparent ideologues who aim to rally Christian opposition to Israel amongst liberal protestants whose weapon of choice is divestment; as documented by Paul Charles Merkley. Sabeel has ties to liberal churches in North America and the UK where its allies include the Anglican author Stephen Sizer who specializes in targeting Christian Zionism. And then there's the shameless propagandist Jimmy Carter and the paleoconservative Patrick Buchanan.In the chapter Battling Anti-Semitism in the West the author deals with the phenomenon of influential Jewish individuals who blame Israel first; the Israeli Left; Israel's humanitarian assistance to the world and Jewish support for left-liberal parties like the Democrats; UK Labor and the French Socialists. These are universalist-humanist endeavors to appease anti-Semites; some individuals go as far as denying their Jewish identity in the process. Also here the author quotes the moving 2005 article by the Spanish journalist Sebastian Vilar Rodriguez in which the Holocaust is contrasted with the massive immigration after the Second World War. Unfortunately European governments continue to have a roaring trade with Iran.On the global stage the West is unwilling to take meaningful action against the soon-to-be-nuclear Ayatollocracy; its terrorist proxies Hamas Hezbollah and its ally Syria. The book concludes with a summary; bibliography and index. If things look bleak; supporters of Israel ought to take courage from the book The Dawn: Political Teachings of the Book of Esther by Yoram Hazony. Indifference and fear are the foes; taking action will lead to victory over the enemies of civilization.