Antisemitism in Islamic Discourse
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This article provides statistics and lists the many anti-Semitic references made in Islamic scripture and by early and modern scholars, and in doing so it also discusses anti-Semitism and its place within orthodox Islamic theology.
Introduction
Anti-Semitism is deeply rooted within Islamic scripture. According to Islamic theology, the Jews are one of the "People of the Book", who were given the Taurat which was revealed by Allah to Musa (Moses). Initially Prophet Muhammad's attitude towards the People of the Book, the Jews and the Christians, was a positive one. However, having encountered rejection from the Jewish scholars after his hijra (migration) to Medina, this positive view slowly began to fade. The Jews were skeptical of the compatibility between the Qur'an and their own scriptures, and while many in Medina converted to Islam, very few were from the large Jewish populations. This period marked the beginning of the long history of ridicule, persecution, and subjugation of Jews by the followers of Islam.
Definition
Technically, Arabs, Ethiopians, and Assyrians can be described as Semitic people, however in the context of "Anti-Semitism" it is commonly understood to refer to people who identify as Jewish.
• (n) anti-Semitism, antisemitism (the intense dislike for and prejudice against Jewish people)
Princeton University's WordNet
hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
A recent scientific study has also proven that Jews, unlike Muslims or Christians, are genetically identifiable as a race, many of whom also share a common language and culture.[3] Therefore the Jewish people are not only a religious group, but also an ethnic minority.
Antisemitism in Islamic scripture
The Qur'an
The following is a list of some of the anti-Semitic statements found within the Qur'an.
According to the Qur'an; Jews are only satisfied if you follow Judaism.
Jews must believe in the Qur'an or else Allah will distort their faces and take away their fame so that they become unrecognizable, turning them backwards, or curse them.
According to the Qur'an, the Jews knowing full well that Isa was a Messenger of Allah, attempted to kill him in defiance of their deity.
Because the Jews are sinful, Allah made more rules for them than for anyone else, and they have hindered many from the way of Allah.
Jews will listen to any lie.
The Jews were stamped with humiliation and wretchedness.
Muslims must not take the Jews as friends and protectors or else Allah will not guide them.
Jews are the most hateful towards Muslims.
The Jews say Ezra is the son of Allah which makes them perverse, and even Allah fights against them.
Allah turned some Jews into apes and pigs for breaking the Sabbath.
Most of the Jews are faithless, perverted transgressors.
And Muslims must fight the Jews, until they submit in shame and pay the Jizyah.
Since the Jews have said that Allah's hand is tied up, their hands will be tied up and they will be cursed. They are obstinant, rebellious, and blasphemous, and Allah has cursed them with enmity and hatred until Judgment day. Allah halts their efforts of warfare, and they are always causing mischief.
Satan (Iblis) too is cursed by Allah in the same way the Jews are cursed. He also granted respite to Satan until the Day of Judgment. Therefore, in Islamic theology there is no difference between Satan and Jews, because both are accursed.
The Hadith
Muhammad is central to Islam. As the uswa hasana (perfect example), even the most insignificant of actions on his part (recorded in the hadith) have a drastic effect upon the doctrines and laws of Islam, as emulating his Sunnah is seen as the most pious of endeavors.
Muhammad's dying words included a curse on Jews for building their place of worship at their prophets' graves.
He claimed that during his "Night Journey" to heaven on the mythical flying Buraq, Moses wept because there would be more Muslims in heaven than Jews.
He claimed that Jews earn Allah's anger.
He told Muslims not to greet Jews before the Jews greet them, and that they should force Jews to go to the narrowest part of the road.
He claimed the Final Hour will not come until Muslims slaughter Jews, and even the rocks and trees will betray the Jews hiding behind them. This portrayal of the Final Hour means a Muslim, who by faith has to believe in the Hour, has to also believe in this mass slaughter of Jews.
And he claimed Muslims will be spared hell-fire by Allah on the Day of Resurrection by making Jews take their place and be thrown into hell.
Islamic Scholars and Antisemitism
Early Islamic Scholars
The views expressed in early Islamic writings and authoritative Qur'anic commentaries (tafsir's) further prove that Muslim anti-Semitism is not some recent development which was passed on through Western imperialism, but something that has always been a part of Islamic thought.
Contemporary Islamic Scholars
They have continued to scheme against Islam and the Muslim community ever since. They were instrumental in the chaotic events that led to the assassination of the third rightly-guided Caliph. 'Uthman ibn 'Affan and to the emergence of division in the Muslim community. They were the main culprits in the conflict that took place between 'Ali and Mu 'awiyah. They led the way in the fabrication of false statements attributed to the Prophet, historical reports and baseless interpretations of Qur'anic statements. They also paved the way to the victory of the Tartars and their conquest of Baghdad and the fall of the Islamic Caliphate.
In modern history, the Jews have been behind every calamity that has befallen the Muslim communities everywhere. They give active support to every attempt to crush the modem Islamic revival and extend their protection to every regime that suppresses such a revival.[6]Other Anti-Semitic Literature
Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf, written by Adolf Hitler, is a modern-day best-seller in the Arab and Muslim World including; Egypt, Palestine,[9][10] Turkey,[2][11] and is also selling well in London areas with a large Arab population.[9] It is often sold along-side religious literature and interestingly, Mein Kampf can be translated as "My Jihad" in Arabic. Mein Kampf is also selling as well as Dan Brown's latest novel in Dhaka, Bangladesh,[1] where sales soar towards Eid, as it is bought by many as gifts.
Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a 19th century anti-Semitic tract that remains immensely popular among Muslims.[12][11] It is a forgery made in Russia for the Okhrana (secret police), which blames the Jews for the country’s ills. It was first privately printed in 1897 and was made public in 1905. Adolf Hitler later used the Protocols to help justify his attempt to exterminate Jews during World War II.[13] Its popularity has led to it being adapted as a TV mini-series for broadcast in various Muslim countries.[14]
Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks
As with homosexuality, anti-Semitic literature in the Muslim world is not confined to bookstores. The following are extracts taken from 2010-11[15] Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks for Islamic Studies:
Modern-day Islamic Antisemitic Statements
When you look at the many anti-Semitic sermons and articles by Muslims, the inspiration behind them is hard to miss. Without the anti-Semitic sentiments found within Islamic scripture and classical Muslim thinking, these attacks on the Jewish race would lose much of their meaning and impact among the Muslim listeners.
Statistics
Worldwide
Anti-Semitic incidents around the world have more than doubled in 2009 over the previous year, and most violent attacks in Western Europe comes from people of Arab or Muslim heritage.
. . .
In Europe, Britain and France led with the number of incidents, according to the report. There were 374 violent incidents against Jews recorded in Britain in 2009, compared to 112 in 2008, according to the institute. France saw 195 attacks in 2009 compared to 50 the previous year. Britain and France have the highest Jewish populations in Europe, as well as the largest Muslim populations.
Only 78 incidents of anti-Semitic violence were recorded in 1989, the year that the institute began recording such incidents. In 2009, some 41 of the incidents were armed assaults directed at Jews because of their religion; 34 incidents were arson, according to the report.[24]. . .
The year in the wake of Operation Cast Lead was the worst since monitoring of anti-Semitic manifestations began, in terms of both major anti-Semitic violence and the hostile atmosphere generated worldwide by the mass demonstrations and verbal and visual expressions against Israel and the Jews," the report said.
The report, considered an important bellwether of anti-Jewish sentiment worldwide, was released ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day in cooperation with the European Jewish Congress (EJC).
Among its most dramatic findings was a 102 percent increase in anti-Jewish violence worldwide, from 559 incidents in 2008 to 1,129 in 2009.
In addition, there were "many more hundreds of threats, insults, graffiti signs and slogans and demonstrations featuring virulently anti-Semitic content... sometimes resulting in violence," according to the report.
A significant part of this increase took place in the UK, where violence jumped from 112 incidents in 2008 to 374 last year; in France, where the jump was from 50 to 195, and in Canada, where incidents soared from 13 to 138.
The US, which ordinarily enjoys a very low rate of anti-Jewish violence compared to the size of its Jewish community, nonetheless saw a modest rise, from 98 to 116 incidents.
In some countries, these figures are only the latest spike in a continuing trend. The British Jewish community's monitoring system counted a three-fold increase in anti-Semitic occurrences since 1999, while Canada counted a five-fold increase since 2000.
Most violent attacks in Western Europe came from people of Arab or Muslim heritage, the report found.
. . .
In 2009, however, “white” attacks [in the UK] dropped to 48% and “Asian” or “Arab” attacks jumped to 43%.
During the month of January 2009, in the midst of Operation Cast Lead, “Asian” and “Arab” attackers accounted for fully 54% of incidents, although the Muslim community numbers just 4% of the general population.[25]Netherlands
. . .
Experience has taught him that the boys taunting him are almost always of Moroccan descent.
“Their reasoning goes something like this: Israelis are Jews, Palestinians are Arabs, so we Moroccan ‘Arabs’ in the Netherlands are going to take on Dutch Jews,” said Menno ten Brink, a rabbi for the liberal Jewish community in Amsterdam.[26]Belgium
Incidentally, what was being measured here was not antagonism toward Israel but traditional anti-Jewish stereotypes. No doubt, the former attitude is even stronger.
The anti-Jewish sentiments among Muslims don't vary depending on education level or living standards. Obviously, they aren't getting it from Belgian society.
"The antisemitism is theologically inspired," says the sociologist, Professor Mark Elchardus. "There is a direct link between being Muslim and antisemitic feelings...[27]Sweden
Among adults 39 percent of Muslim Swedes have a systematically negative view of Jews compared to 5 percent among the rest
Jews leaving Sweden as Hate crimes double
She raised a family in the city of Malmo, and for the next six decades lived happily in her adopted homeland - until last year.
In 2009, a chapel serving the city's 700-strong Jewish community was set ablaze. Jewish cemeteries were repeatedly desecrated, worshippers were abused on their way home from prayer, and "Hitler" was mockingly chanted in the streets by masked men.
"I never thought I would see this hatred again in my lifetime, not in Sweden anyway," Mrs Popinski told The Sunday Telegraph.
"This new hatred comes from Muslim immigrants. The Jewish people are afraid now."
. . .
The future looks so bleak that by one estimate, around 30 Jewish families have already left for Stockholm, England or Israel, and more are preparing to go.
With its young people planning new lives elsewhere, the remaining Jewish households, many of whom are made up of Holocaust survivors and their descendants, fear they will soon be gone altogether. Mrs Popinski, an 86-year-old widow, said she has even encountered hostility when invited to talk about the Holocaust in schools.
"Muslim schoolchildren often ignore me now when I talk about my experiences in the camps," she said. "It is because of what their parents tell them about Jews. The hatreds of the Middle East have come to Malmo. Schools in Muslim areas of the city simply won't invite Holocaust survivors to speak any more."
Hate crimes, mainly directed against Jews, doubled last year with Malmo's police recording 79 incidents and admitting that far more probably went unreported. As of yet, no direct attacks on people have been recorded but many Jews believe it is only a matter of time in the current climate.
. . .
After the war, just as liberal Sweden took in Jews who survived the Holocaust as a humanitarian act, it also took in new waves of refugees from tyranny and conflicts in the Middle East. Muslims are now estimated to make up about a fifth of Malmo's population of nearly 300,000.
"This new hatred from a group 40,000-strong is focused on a small group of Jews," Mrs Popinski said, speaking in a sitting room filled with paintings and Persian carpets.
"Some Swedish politicians are letting them do it, including the mayor. Of course the Muslims have more votes than the Jews."[29]Thus, Jews represent less than .0025% of the city, but account for 45% of all hate crimes. Could that have something to do with Malmo’s 60,000 Muslims?
Malmo Rabbi Shneur Kesselman says: “In the past five years I’ve been here, I think you can count on your hand how many (anti-Semitic) incidents there have been from the extreme right. In my personal experience, it’s 99% Muslim.” Jewish resident Marcus Eilenberg, whose survivor grandparents found shelter in Malmo in 1945, says Jews there are confronting “a degree of hate that none of us – except those who survived the Holocaust – had experienced before.”[30]United Kingdom
About 2 out of 5 British Muslims believe Jews are "a legitimate target"
Antisemitism reaches an all time high in the UK
A study published today shows the number of reported anti-Semitic incidents has almost tripled in 10 years, with more than half the attacks last year taking place in London. The findings prompted the report’s authors to warn of a “wave of hatred” against Jews. The number of incidents increased to 594 last year, up by 31 per cent on the previous year.
Violent assaults soared to 112, up by more than a third on 2005.[32]Various Muslim Majority Nations
Egypt
Jordan
100 percent of Jordanians view Jews unfavorably
Apologetic Claims
Muslim apologists and propaganda sites often try to show Muhammad in a better light by claiming that he attended a Jew's funeral[36] and forgave a Jewish woman who used to throw garbage and carrion at his doorstep. Either they do not provide any sources for these stories[37] or they fabricate sources.[38] Sometimes they even mention (without detailed citations) the same hadith and sira books that they would otherwise dismiss as unreliable, such as Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Saad and Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihain.[39][40]
Conclusion
The belief in Allah and the Last Day is one of the pillars of Faith in Islam. The Qur'an tells us Allah has cursed the Jews with enmity and hatred until that Day of Judgment, and the sahih hadith tell us that this day will not come unless the Muslims fight and slaughter the Jews. So, from a scriptural and theological perspective, Muslims has to believe in the total annihilation of Jews. We are further told that Muslims will be saved on the Day of Resurrection by throwing Jews into hell-fire.
It is dictated to Muslims by their holy scripture and other authentic sources to hate the Jews until the end of times then to massacre them with the help of talking stones and trees. Hatred of Jews is a holy ordinance for Muslims. Throughout Islamic history, this has been acknowledged by its scholars.
See Also
- Antisemitism - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Antisemitism
External Links
Articles
- Antisemitism in the Qur’an - Andrew G. Bostom
- Equating Anti-Semitism with ‘Islamophobia’ - Phyllis Chesler, FrontPageMagazine, May 31, 2011
- The Expulsion of the Jews from Muslim Countries, 1920-1970: A History of Ongoing Cruelty and Discrimination - Prof. Shmuel Trigano, The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs', November 15, 2010
- New research: One people! Jews the world over share age-old genetic ties - Judy Siegel-Itzkovich, The Jerusalem Post, June 4, 2010
- Misunderstanding Islamic Antisemitism - Andrew G. Bostom, American Thinker, May 11, 2008
- Anti-Semitism in Islam: Israel Didn't Start the Fire - Timothy R. Furnish, History News Network, February 5, 2007
- The Mufti of Berlin: Arab-Nazi collaboration is a taboo topic in the West - Daniel Schwammenthal, The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2009
- Double Standard Watch: Will Hamas's new "Culture War" acknowledge its historic ties to Nazism? - Alan M. Dershowitz, The Jerusalem Post, Jul 26, 2009
- A brief look at Moosa (peace be upon him) - Islam Q&A, Fatwa No. 10242
- Antisemitism in the Academic Voice: Confronting Bigotry under the First Amendment - Kenneth Lasson, September 2010
- American Muslim Extremists: A Growing Threat to Jews - ADL, August 6, 2010
- Society For Voluntary Jewish Extinction Fights Islamophobia - Don Feder, GrassTopsUSA, September 20, 2010
- Fourteen centuries of hatred - Jonathan Kay, The National Post, October 12, 2010
- Forward to the Past - Victor Sharpe, American Thinker, October 17, 2010
- The forgotten Holocaust: The Armenian massacre that inspired Hitler - Daily Mail, October 11, 2007
- The Qu'ran vs. Mein Kampf - Joshuapundit, May 2, 2006
News
- Muslim website removes ‘anti-semitic’ videos following complaint - Stewart Bell, National Post, April 13, 2011
- Government to pay for security guards at Jewish schools - BBC News, December 9, 2010
- Wiesenthal Center tells Jews not to travel to Sweden - Benjamin Weinthal & Gil Shefler, Jerusalem Post, December 16, 2010
- Hezbollah overjoyed by fire: Arab media disparages Israel over disaster - Roee Nachmias, YNetNews, December 3, 2010
- Israeli Doctors Help Sick in Maldives, Muslims Protest saying it is against Islam to have relations with Jews - Savage Infidel, November 26, 2010
- British Muslim Schools Teach Saudi Hatred of Jews and Israelis - Chana Ya'ar, All Voices, November 22 2010
- Senior Iranian cleric dismisses Nazi Holocaust as 'superstition' - The Daily Mail, September 5, 2010
- The Muslim Council of Britain's disgusting decision to boycott Holocaust Memorial Day - James Forsyth, Coffee House, The Spectator blog, January 26, 2009
- New York-Based Muslim's Web Site Calls for God to 'Kill the Jews' - Joshua Rhett Miller, Fox News, October 13, 2009
- Secret Mission Rescues Yemen's Jews - Miriam Jordan, The Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2009
- Holocaust:Hezbollah Against 'Diary of Anne Frank' in Arabic - ANSAmed, November 5, 2009
Middle East Media Research Institute
- As Gaza Fighting Continues, Egyptian Clerics Intensify Antisemitic Statements; Columbus, Ohio Muslim Scholar/Leader Dr. Salah Sultan: Muhammad Said That Judgment Day Will Not Come Until Muslims Fight the Jews and Kill Them; America Will Suffer Destruction - MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 2165, December 30, 2008
- Hamas Al-Aqsa TV: A Mickey Mouse Character Teaches Children About the Islamic Rule of the World And to ‘Annihilate the Jews' - MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 1577, May 9, 2007
- Iranian Leaders: Statements and Positions (Part I) - MEMRI: Special Report, No. 39, January 5, 2006
- Antisemitism in the Turkish Media - MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 900, April 28, 2005
- Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial in the Iranian Media - MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 855, January 28, 2005
- Palestinian Authority Sermons 2000-2003 - Steven Stalinsky, MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 24, December 26, 2003
- Based on Koranic Verses, Interpretations, and Traditions, Muslim Clerics State: The Jews Are the Descendants of Apes, Pigs, And Other Animals - Aluma Solnick, MEMRI: Special Report, No. 11, November 1, 2002
- Friday Sermons in Saudi Mosques: Review and Analysis - MEMRI: Special Report, No. 10, September 26, 2002
- Saudi Government Daily: Jews Use Teenagers' Blood for 'Purim' Pastries - MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 354, March 12, 2002
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alastair Lawson - Mein Kampf a hit on Dhaka streets - BBC News, November 27, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' sells 50,000 copies in Turkey in three months - Agence France Presse, March 18, 2005
- ↑ Jews' Genetics Make Them A 'Distinct Population': NYU/Yeshiva Study - The Huffington Post, June 4, 2010
- ↑ Andrew G. Bostom - Understanding the Islam in Islamic Antisemitism - NewEnglishReview, 2 June 2009
- ↑ Andrew G. Bostom - Why Islam’s Jew-Hating Hadith Matter - FrontPageMagazine, October 03, 2008
- ↑ Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur'an, vol. 8: Surah 9 (Leicestershire, UK, 2003), pp. 1 15- 16, 120-23.
- ↑ Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: Allah Imposed Hitler On the Jews to Punish Them – 'Allah Willing, the Next Time Will Be at the Hand of the Believers' - MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 2224, February 3, 2009
- ↑ Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi Incites against Jews, Arab Regimes, and the U.S., and Calls on Muslims to Boycott Starbucks, Marks and Spencer - MEMRI TV, Video Clip No. 1979, Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - January 9, 2009 - 10:44
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sean O'Neill and John Steele - Mein Kampf for sale, in Arabic - The Telegraph, March 19, 2002
- ↑ Hitler's Mein Kampf In East Jerusalem And PA Territories - MEMRI: Special Dispatch, No. 48, October 1, 1999
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Antisemitism in the Turkish Media - MEMRI - April 28, 2005
- ↑ The Protocols of the Elders of Zion - MEMRI TV
- ↑ Robert T. Carroll - Protocols of the Elders of Zion - The Skeptic's Dictionary
- ↑ Protocols Recycled - Anti-Defamation League, January 9, 2004
- ↑ Charles Lewis - Saudis export anti-Christian and anti-Jewish textbooks across the world: report - National Post, September 28, 2011
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Saudi Arabia's Curriculum of Intolerance - Freedom House, May 2006, pp.24-25.
- ↑ Dr. Leah Kinberg - Jews In The Koran And Early Islamic Traditions - Lecture delivered in May 2003, Monash University, Melbourne
- ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 Itamar Marcus - Islam's War Against the Jews: Quotes from the Palestinian Authority - AISH
- ↑ Anti-Semitism in the Egyptian Media February 2001 - February 2002 - Anti Defamation League
- ↑ Malaysian Leader: 'Jews Rule World by Proxy' - Fox News, October 16, 2003
- ↑ Cleric Calls On Fellow muslim Obama To Blame 9/11 On The Jews - Live Leak
- ↑ Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad: On the Jews - Anti Defamation League, October 27, 2003
- ↑ Jeff Jacoby - Rousing Muslim bigotry - The Boston Globe, October 23, 2003
- ↑ Report: Anti-Semitism up - JTA, April 11, 2010
- ↑ Haviv Rettig Gur - Anti-Semitic violence doubled in 2009 - The Jerusalem Post, April 12, 2010
- ↑ Karel Berkhout - Anti-Semitism on the rise in Amsterdam - NRC, 26 January 2010
- ↑ Barry Rubin - Belgium: Half of All Muslim Immigrant Children Are Antisemitic - Right Side News, May 17, 2011
- ↑ Poll of Muslim as well as non-Muslim Swedes regarding anti-Semitism - Iceviking, October 28, 2006 (original non-translated study)
- ↑ Nick Meo - Jews leave Swedish city after sharp rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes - The Telegraph, February 21, 2010
- ↑ Don Feder - Society For Voluntary Jewish Extinction Fights Islamophobia Society For Voluntary Jewish Extinction Fights Islamophobia - GrassTopsUSA, September 20, 2010
- ↑ [1] - The Times Online, February 07, 2006
- ↑ 'Wave of hatred' warning as attacks on Jews hits record high - The Daily Mail, February 1, 2007
- ↑ Islam and antisemitism - Wikipedia, accessed September 17, 2010
- ↑ MEG BORTIN - Poll Finds Discord Between the Muslim and Western Worlds - The New York Times, June 23, 2006
- ↑ Poll: Jordan top anti-Jew nation; Russia most pro-Christian - World Tribune, September 19, 2005
- ↑ A repetitive example can be found here: [2]
- ↑ http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1204985
- ↑ Bukhari 1250 is misquoted here: [3]. The site quotes Sahih Muslim correctly but ignores this hadith from the same book, where Muhammad says the dead Jew is being punished eternally.
- ↑ http://seekershub.org/ans-blog/2011/02/11/is-it-true-that-someone-threw-trash-on-the-prophet-peace-and-blessings-of-allah-be-upon-him/
- ↑ http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=283960