29 April 2004
Judenhass in Europe
Bjørn Stærk relates a tale of how NRK, a TV station in Norway, invented a Jewish conspiracy out of thin air for a broadcast interview. It’s an excellent description of what people mean by the rise of judenhass in Europe.
Take it outside
[source]
In a deadly expression of feelings that until now were kept quiet, a group representing local residents is said to have killed at least five militiamen in the last four days [in Najaf].
[…]
The group calls itself the Thulfiqar Army, after a twin-bladed sword said to be used by the Shiite martyr Imam Ali, to whom Najaf’s vast central mosque is dedicated.
Residents say leaflets bearing that name have been circulated in the city in the last week, urging Sadr’s al-Mahdi army to leave immediately or face imminent death.
This is of course unverified, but if true is a very good sign. It’s plausible because the Thulfiqar aren’t supporting the Coalition as much as asking the Mahdi to ‘take it outside’.
Not their finest hour
[source]
here’s the exchange between Global’s Martin Himel and Dr. Tim Benson, head of the British editorial cartoonists’ society which honoured the Independent’s Sharon-eating-babies cartoon, in Jenin: Massacring Truth (as transcribed by me):
Himel: My question to you is, why, in all these paintings [sic] don’t we see Sharon and Arafat eating babies?
Benson: Maybe Jews don’t issue fatwas.
Himel: What do you mean by that?
Benson: Well, if you upset an Islamic or Muslim group, um, as you know, fatwas can be issued by Ayatollahs and such, like, and maybe it’s at the back of each cartoonist’s mind, that they could be in trouble if they do so.
Himel: If they do what?
Benson: If they depict, uh, say, an Arab leader in the same manner.
Himel: Then they could suffer?
Benson: Then they could suffer death, couldn’t they? Which is rather different.
Benson is grinning throughout this section of the interview.
It’s not so much the cowardice of this approach but that this group of writers rewards it with their highest honor.