This week has seen the start of a new campaign on the San Francisco bus system (as well as Washington DC and Chicago). The Campaign was produced by the American Freedom Defense Initiative under the leadership of anti-sharia activist Pamela Geller.
This campaign is the second one produced by Ms. Geller to expose radical Islam and jihad. It comes less than a year after she raised more than a few eyebrows comparing jihadist Muslims to “savages” and encouraging people to support Israel. The response that some of her previous ads garnered in the New York subway included some counter ads placed by the United Methodist Women, a Christian denomination known for its open criticism of Israel and supersessionist approach to the Bible ( the erroneous belief that the Christian Church has replaced Israel in God’s plan also known as Replacement Theology).
Ms. Geller’s rightful concern in placing the ads was due to the danger posed by the ongoing brainwashing of the American people regarding the real meaning of the word Jihad. The watering down of the definition of the word should cause us great concern. As bold, unsettling and politically incorrect as the ads are, they address a very serious issue. I wish I could say that such public displays were not necessary to convey her message, but lately it appears that nobody is listening to reason anymore.
The ad campaign features some very famous faces or organizations in Islam that are all quoted on their respective billboards, making a statement related to what Islamic Jihad is. Osama Bin Laden, Hamas, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, the Fort Hood terrorist and several others. This campaign is a response to an earlier CAIR campaign titled “myjihad” an attempt to redefine the word jihad into a word that carries the meaning of ” struggle for peace, diversity, tolerance and coexistence”, in other words nothing violent or lethal. IF THIS IS NOT A CASE OF BLATANT FALSE ADVERTISING, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS!
Originally, the word Holocaust used to carry the definition of “burnt offering by fire”. It has obviously suffered an etymological mutation at the hands of Nazi Germany to the point where it absolutely cannot be used any other way than to describe the systematic attempt at the destruction of European Jewry by Nazis.
I believe that the same can be said about the word jihad. There is very little positive meaning if any left in the word since radical Islam has taken ownership of it and used it to claim their barbaric murders of innocent people around the world. That is too bad for the Muslims who want to use the word in a more conservative way, I don’t think that they are promoting Islam in any positive light by claiming any kind of “jihad” or “struggle.
But I was also shocked when I heard San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon say that:
” San Francisco won’t tolerate Islamophobic bigotry” and then go on to quote Edmund Burke and say that: “The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”, apparently calling the San Francisco community to respond against this terrible display of Islamophobia, and implying that the evil was done by Ms. Geller and her organization when they simply are trying to expose the virulent enemy of Israel. Yet another case of role reversal!
Looking deeper at the issue of the differences and similarities if any, between Islamophobia and Judeophobia, one can honestly come to the conclusion that we are not comparing apples to apples.
For as long as anti-Semitism has existed man has tried to re-define it. Re-defining or fine tuning our definition of anti-Semitism is not necessarily a bad thing as we have come to the realization that even though it is based on a basic illogical hatred of the Jewish people, anti-Semitism has evolved. But then again, evolution always has a connotation of progress and improvement so it would be better to say that anti-Semitism has morphed.
Even though the “oldest hatred” has been repackaged, it continues to target the Jews as a people. The bag of tricks used by anti-Semites the world around contains stereotypes and libelous accusations that go back centuries to pretty much the closing of the biblical record. From “Christ Killers” to “Well Poisoners” and from “stingy” to “bloodsucking”, the Jewish people are the perennial recipients of the ills of mankind, making them the perfect candidates for the title of “scapegoats of humanity.”
If a Jew is a good business person he/she could be accused of being “stingy” or “rapacious”, if they are struggling financially, they could be seen as being a burden to society. If a Jewish politician is successful, he or she might be accused of trying to take over the world, if they fail, their party’s shortcomings become their responsibility.
In today’s postmodern era where the New Anti-Semitism reigns, IF YOU ARE JEWISH AND MAKE ANY MOVE, DAMNED IF YOU DO AND DAMNED IF YOU DON’T!
This attitude from most of the world where no matter where the Jew stands, he is in the way, is the epitome of real anti-Semitism. It is a hatred of the people individually and/or corporately, unfortunately unaffected by the value of their actions. THAT IS JUDEOPHOBIA!
Trying to define islamophobia in contradistinction to Judeophobia is most likely the safest approach since both displays of hatred are very different. Judeophobia aims at the Jews whoever, whenever and wherever they are, simply because they are part of the Jewish people as a whole and all this in complete defiance of any logic or truth.
On the other hand, Islamophobia is the fear and often hatred of not a religion and even less a people but an ideology. If some people end up hating Muslim people simply because they belong to Islam and since radicals have given them [Muslims] such a bad rep that now they feel that “all Muslim should be hated”, then I say: “shame on you!”
Muslims are people first and I believe that they actually are the first victims of radical Islam. Political correctness would have you believe otherwise of course.
Islamophobia, like the word jihad, suffers from a false definition that forces people to believe that Islamophobes are all racists. I couldn’t disagree more, yet I fear radical Islam and I can even say I hate it, but not the people. THAT IS GENUINE ISLAMOPHOBIA!
But as a human being in general and a follower of Yeshua of Nazareth in particular, I want nothing else for all Muslims than to experience the love of the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world, Yeshua (Jesus). You might say that I am a big dreamer but I will tell you that I quit dreaming long time ago and I started praying, because after all, our God loves all people and He is big enough to change all hearts.
Islamophobia and Judeophobia: Comparing Apples to Oranges!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. Romans 5:8
C. L. Papajohn says
Such an important perspective – thank you Olivier
Paul Karesa says
Good word Olivier. The truth is that the enemy has poisoned the minds of this age, including some who “claim” Yeshua as Savior.
Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!