THE JEWS!
An essay about ‘the Jews!’ by Imran Ahmad
Antisemitic Muslims who attack ‘the Jews!’ serve the cause of Zionist Supremacism.
Judaism is a noble religion defined by: morality, ethics, self-discipline, introspection, philosophy, social justice, compassion, kindness to the stranger, prayer and fasting. During the Golden Age of Islam, Muslim rulers always valued having Jewish advisors. (Both Muslims and Jews suffered under the Inquisition, from their common enemy — the Christians!) The ‘othering’ of Jews, and the modern tensions between Jews and Muslims, are due entirely to historical socio-political causes — demonisation often serves a political purpose (as we can all witness today). How have we reached this deplorable state of knee-jerk antisemitism of some Muslims (and others) against all Jews?
For the purpose of this article:
- ‘Antisemitism’ is taken to mean opposition to and hatred of anyone with an attribute which defines them in some way as ‘Jewish’.
- ‘Zionism’ is taken to be a political objective, operating within civilised and morally acceptable norms.
- ‘Zionist Supremacism’ is taken to be a brutal, compassionless, inhumane, racist ideology which seeks total eradication and bulldozing (literally) of all Palestinians across the entire biblical land of ancient Israel — without regard to civilised or internationally recognised legal norms.
People who have an attribute which would define them as ‘Jewish’ exist across such a broad set of spectrums — religious, ethnic, national, cultural, philosophical, theological, historic, heritage, political, social, theist — that there is no such entity as ‘the Jews’ as a unified and cohesive group. There are even atheist Jews, Buddhist Jews and pagan Jews. Somehow, whatever the chosen religious philosophy of the subject, the ‘Jewish’ attribute can never leave them.
The very concept of ‘the Jews’ evokes in many people an aura of paranoia, suspicion, distrust, ‘otherness’ — underpinning conspiracy theories and hate-based nationalism etc.
Ironically, it is broad and undiscriminating antisemitism itself which drives people across these spectrums to coalesce into a more unified ‘Jewishness’ — and less likely to stick their necks out in support of justice for the Palestinians.
So, when, for example, unthinking so-called ‘Muslims’ in, for example, the United Kingdom go on indiscriminate anti-Jewish rampages — then even the most pro-Palestinian, anti-Zionist, pro-peace, progressive, liberal Jews are inclined to throw in the towel and be less vociferous in their support of Palestinian rights and dignity.
Thus, mindless Muslim antisemitism is a major enabler of unchallenged Zionist Supremacism.
There are Orthodox Jews who oppose the state of Israel, and support justice and rights for the Palestinians, and yet — because they look so obviously and stereotypically Jewish — they may be subjected to verbal and physical attacks by rampaging, unthinking so-called ‘Muslims’. This provides invaluable support for the cause of Zionist Supremacism.
In this way, ‘Muslims’ who engage in mindless antisemitism are alienating the most valuable supporters that the Palestinians could have — the non-Zionist-Supremacist Jews.
Muslims who attack ‘the Jews’ are — just like the raging militants of Hamas — reinforcing the official narrative of Zionist Supremacism: ‘You see how they hate us. They cannot be reasoned with. They are inhuman, barbarians. We are forced to defend ourselves. You understand?’
Zionism has always benefited from overt antisemitism — but the insane, hysterical hate-filled rage into which we have now collectively descended fuels and gives momentum (and perceived legitimacy) even to Zionist Supremacism.
It should not be this way.
Rationality, Peace, Justice, Love, Compassion — these have all been bulldozed in the current hate-filled hysteria … to the benefit of Zionist Supremacism … and Humanity is the loser.
Shakespeare describes this hatred and rage by arbitrary association perfectly in Julius Caesar.
