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Outbreak of Anti-Semitic Media in Arab Islamic World
In 2003, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International issued a joint statement on antisemitism: Recognizing anti-Semitism as a serious human rights violation, we also recognize our own responsibility to take on this issue as part of our work. It should not be left to Jewish groups alone to highlight this issue and to appeal to the international community to address it. We are firmly committed to joining their ongoing efforts and to helping to bring problems of anti-Semitism into the overall human rights discourse.
Scene from the upcoming Egyptian mini Series “Khaybar“.
The Middle East Foundation for Peace and Justice (MEFPJ) reaffirms our commitment to the 2003 declaration especially in light of the recent escalation of government sanctioned antisemitism proliferating throughout the Islamic countries of the Middle East.
The Media researchers at EOZ have documented recent antisemitic diatribes shown on Lebanese TV and in a popular Egyptian newspaper. Additionally EOZ reported on two current accusations of the medieval blood libel in Egypt, a newspaper series insulting Judaism in Jordan, as well as examples of antisemitism in the Iraqi media, a Saudi Arabian newspaper, a Palestinian Arab “human rights group” and “peace activist,” and pan-Arab media. The researchers have documented many more similar instances in the Arab & Muslim world.
In 2001, a hugely popular 30-part Ramadan TV series aired in the Arab world based on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It was rerun in Egypt this year. Iran released an antisemitic movie last year.
A purely anti-semitic TV series (“Khaybar”) is being filmed now in Egypt and Morocco to be shown on Arabic TV it will be used to incite hundreds of millions of people against Jews during Ramadan next year. The filming of the series gets regular coverage in Arab media, and they make clear that it is meant to demonize Jews. The director doesn’t even attempt to hide the purpose of the film.
As EOZ notes, “Peace is literally unthinkable when the Jewish people are viewed as evil incarnate. Human rights organizations have clout. Shining light on this problem is essential, and it is not an obstacle to peace – it is a prerequisite.”
The MEFPJ condemns the rampant and unchecked outbreak of antisemitism in Arab and Islamic Media. The examples displayed above and many others are inciteful and a violation of basic human rights. We call upon our sister human rights organizations to join us in exposing and condemning these activities.
MEFPJ Condemns Huffington Post Bias
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Middle East Foundation for Peace & Justice (MEFPJ) joins the Simon Wiesenthal Center in expressing concern for beyond the pale anti-Israel bias displayed on the pages of The Huffington Post. We condemn recent dishonest headlines and manipulative photographs clearly designed to dehumanize the Jewish state and her citizens.
A headline carried by the Huffington Post super-blog that read simply “Israel Strikes Again” has drawn criticism from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Los Angles based Jewish human rights group that “promotes human rights and dignity, stands with Israel” and “defends the safety of Jews worldwide.”
The headline, which linked to a story about recently reported Israeli strikes in Syria aimed at preventing the flow of advanced weaponry to terror group Hezbollah, according to US and Israel officials, provided no context regarding the strike. The story was accompanied by a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu smirking and clapping, and appeared on Sunday afternoon as the main headline on the publication’s much visited homepage.
“President Obama underscored Israel’s right to strike inside Syria; a leader of Syria’s rebels went on Israel’s Channel 2 to thank Bibi and company for weakening Assad,” said Associate Dean Abraham Cooper in an email to The Algemeiner, “Apparently all that’s not enough for today’s Huffpost editors. They even trotted out a picture of PM Netanyahu scowling while headlining—Israel strikes again.” Read the rest at The Algemeiner.
A Young Muslim Must Go Into Hiding for Fighting Anti-Semitism
By Rabbi Abraham Cooper; Courtesy of The Algemeiner:
Mehmet Sahin has written these words: “Within a couple of days, I will move to another city of The Netherlands.… After what happened in the last three weeks, I understood the eternal loneliness and pain of the Jewish population. In the rest of my life, I will tell the whole world that we all must resist this aggression.”
Passover. This week we will all eat more matzo then we ever thought possible, hear more commentary about the Haggadah and its multiple messages for our time, and sit back in awe and (hopefully) love at the site at of our extended family circle.
But this Pesach, let’s leave some space for one young Muslim who deserves the world’s attention and support. He is not a martyr and desperately wants to avoid becoming one. But as of now, he and his family are in hiding in an undisclosed location in the Netherlands, because of death threats.
His name is Mehmet Sahin, a doctoral student, who has volunteered to reach out to street youth in the city of Arnhem. A few weeks ago he interviewed a group of Dutch-Turkish youth on Nederlands TV2 during which several declared their unabashed hatred of Jews and open admiration of Hitler. “What Hitler did to the Jews is fine with me,” said one. “Hitler should have killed all the Jews,” said another.
While these teens knew all about the fate of iconic Holocaust child victim, Anne Frank, that knowledge did nothing to deter them from expressing their outright hatred of Jews over and over again, and insisting that everyone at their school harbored similar views. When you view the clip you will see that their smirks and body language confirm a deeply-embedded hatred. Watch the video as one boy smiles as he declares: “What Hitler said about Jews is that there will be one day when you see that I am right that I killed all the Jews. And that day will come.”
From where does such bigotry emanate? Here’s a hint. When Mehmet Sahin reprimanded the youngsters and committed to spend however much time it would take to debunk and remove their ignorance and hate, here is how his neighbors reacted: They collected signatures to demand he leave the area. When Mehmet began to receive death threats, the Mayor of Arnhem, Pauline Krikke, urged him to go into hiding.
And that is where he and his family are today. Read the Rest.
MEFPJ asks you to take a moment to send a message of solidarity to Mehmet c/o information@wiesenthal.com and together we will let him know he is not alone.
Rabbi Cooper is associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
The Middle East Foundation for Peace & Justice 