antisemitic conspiracy theories in the Arab world are part of their everyday culture. If so, the warnings of the chairman of the Central Council of Jews are certainly justified. There is no need to moderate, we need an open discussion.
Two years ago, I spoke in Amman with a Jordanian student. This student – we will call him Rami – went to school in Canada, has friends from all over the world, he drinks beer and dates girls, in short, I felt no cultural gap between us. Until the conversation dealt with politics. “I hope you don’t believe that the members of the ‘Islamic state’ are real Arabs?” said Rami. “It’s clear that the Zionists are behind it, they want to spread chaos.”
It surprised me to hear such a thing from a lively, liberal young man. But it was not supposed to surprise me. Those who come to visit in Jordan cannot ignore the fact that legends about powerful Zionists are almost as common in the Arab world as hummus and falafel. It’s enough if you walk into any bookshop: there is a great probability that you will find comics with Jews with a crooked nose, who hunt Arab children or try to catch the globe with greedy hands … these stereotypes can be found everywhere. But especially in the Levant and in Egypt where the Jews and the Zionists – with no distinctions between them – are systematically represented by the leaders as scapegoats, often through journalists, local filmmakers, teachers and imams.
The propaganda is developing
The propaganda is developing: according to the well-known Pew Institute, 95 to 98 percent of respondents in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine see Jews in a negative light. 43 percent of the Egyptians believe that it is Israel who is behind the 9/11 attacks and not al Qaeda. Not only the uneducated people adopt the legend of the powerful enemy, but also many rich and educated people. People like Rami.
Following the refugee crisis, the issue is gaining momentum in Germany and Europe. Joseph Schuster, chairman of the Central Council of the Jews, recently called for a more resolute action against antisemitism among the refugees. He had previously warned against the importation of antisemitic attitudes for which he has been criticized. Martina Weisband, who is also Jewish, complained that “this issue is being promoted to a great extent.” Others, such as Bodo Ramelow, the Prime Minister of Thuringia and even the former Secretary General of the Central Council of the Jews, Stefan Kramer, refined the warning by pointing out that antisemitic attitudes also exist among the Germans. The chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Aiman Mazyek, tried to clear Muslims from this accusation by explaining that Islam was “organically anti-racist.”
To act against antisemitism among the refugees
These are smoke grenades that distract from the discussion. Of course, there are antisemitic attitudes among Germans without an immigrant background, the polls consistently show this. But you cannot solve a problem by pointing to another problem; second, surveys show that antisemitic attitudes are more common among Europeans of Arab origin than among the general population. “In Islamic contexts, I see antisemitism everywhere” writes psychologist Ahmed Mansour in his book on his work with young people in Germany, “it is part of their everyday life.”
It is certainly possible to interpret Islam, like any other religion, in several ways: striving for peace or militant, tolerant or intolerant. And of course, antisemitism is not only a Muslim phenomenon. Extreme incitement against a Jewish conspiracy I heard from a Jordanian Christian. All this does not change the fact that in the Arab world antisemitic legends are cultivated for decades – even by Islamist leaders and secular leaders. It would be a miracle of this propaganda would not have been absorbed in people’s minds.
Is every Arab or Muslim a dangerous racist?
Is every Arab or Muslim a dangerous racist? Can we not accept refugees as from tomorrow? No, of course not. To point out a problem is not a recommendation for action – it is a trivial knowledge that unfortunately is sometimes forgotten. We need an open discussion to develop counter strategies. For many of those who repeat antisemitic slogans, there is a chance that they have never met Jews in their lives. Especially among younger people, meetings, open discussions and consistent education can make a difference. Joseph Schuster suggests that refugees should attend integration courses and visit Jewish museums and concentration camps. This will already soften anger that has been nurtured for many years. This should only be the beginning of a free and constructive discussion. The most dangerous thing would be to close your eyes in front of the problem.
Mareike Enghusen, born in Hamburg, has been reporting since 2014 as an independent journalist from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority for magazines like “Brandeins”, “Capital” and “Christ & Welt / DIE ZEIT”. She studied political science in Gottingen and California, as well as Middle Eastern and Islamic studies in Paris and St. Andrews (UK). She studied journalism at the Henri Henri-Nannen-Schule school in Hamburg. She speaks Hebrew, Arabic and a little Persian.
