Quote:
Originally posted by Publius
No more than this cartoon is also 'anti-semitic'.
I seem to have had this conversation very recently in another thread, but here it goes again.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/87/S0258700.html
Semite
1. A member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Near East and northern Africa, including the Arabs , Arameans, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Ethiopians, Hebrews, and Phoenicians. 2. A Jew. 3. Bible A descendant of Shem.
It therefore stands to reason that an anti-semite includes all of the above ethnic groups. Although it may not mean this here in this country, we have been using the term incorrectly for far to long because it does mean this in the Tri-Continental Hub region. Any member of the above ethinic groups cannot be an anti-semite without hating their own ethinic group.
Now can someone explain to me why it is 'ok' to have cartoons like this one, but not ok to have cartoons about Israel??? seems like a double standard to me. (cartoon was pulled from June 2, 2003 Newsweek btw)
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I think it relates to the belief that Israeli people are the only "non-others" in the Middle East. Consequently, we ally our views with theirs and reject the significance of alternate world views.
This is illustrated by aspersions cast on news reports from various Middle Eastern sources, the inability (or refusal) to make a distinction between semites and non-semites in the region, and a general disdain for the long cultural and political history and innovations of the peoples in that region.