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Tues - Dec 14 -

WHO ARE THE "REAL" VICTIMS?

*Today the real victims of
Western anti-Semitism are Arabs
and Muslims, argues Joseph Massad*

Prof. Joseph Massad from Columbia University in New York City has another op-ed essay in this week's Al-Ahram. Massad has become something of a lightening rod attracting controversy at his school lately under murky circumstances which are currently under investigation.

In this week's piece the main thrust of his polemic is: he seems to be advocating that we should not limit the definition of anti-Semitism to Jewish targets alone, but, rather, that we should extend it to encompass both Arabs and Moslems, too.

* * *

I would be opposed to accommodating his proposal.

:. First, would such an accommodation add
more lucidity and illumination to the issue?

:. And second, what harm would it do?

* * *

In Europe many of the victims of violent bigotry in Germany have been Turks who are not Arabs and may not be Moslems. Elsewhere in Europe such as France, many of the victims have been Berbers from Morocco and North Africa.

In the U.S. we have seen cases in which Sikhs, who are neither Arabs nor Moslems, have been assaulted because the perpetrator imagined them to be Arabs or Muslims on the basis of the turbans they customarily wear.

Such groups are not included in Massad's proposed extention.

How far can we extend anti-Semitism? Were we to include Sikhs, we would be extending the definition infinitely which negates the very concept of the term "definition." Doing so would be the opposite of defining a term.

Thus, the accommodation of Massad's proposal would not add more lucidity and illumination. And it would cause harm.

* * *

How would it cause harm? It would obscure, trivialize and marginalize the real pain and suffering experienced by members of other groups who are targets of violent bigotry, which is unconscionable. And this would re-victimize them.

In effect, then, his proposal would increase the number of victims.

What we are really talking about here is the issue of Social Identity which is an intellectual construct. And it is my feeling that the bulk of this essay reflects Joseph Massad's own individual Post-Colonial Identity Crisis, rather than any real progress in civil or human rights.

In the end, Massad's claim that Moslem Arabs are "the real victims," upon closer examination, is just not accurate enough to be true.

* * *

Can we find any common ground on this issue? Yes, I think we can. I am opposed to bigotry even if it isn't against Jews.

The rest of the essay is too muddled and filled with cant to address seriously here.

* * *

But don't take my word for it if you're a skeptic.

Read it for yourself.

* * *

:: Semites and anti-Semites, that is the question ::

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