Bigotry, revisionism and Baroness Warsi

This is a part of the article by Melanie Phillips:

The co-chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party, Sayeeda Warsi, has delivered a speech about antisemitism to the European Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. I am sure that Baroness Warsi means well. I am sure that she is personally genuinely opposed to bigotry and prejudice in any form. I would therefore like to be able to say it was a fine speech. I cannot do so. Despite much in it that was worthy and unexceptionable, in one vital respect it was a travesty – made no more palatable by the fact that many Jews subscribe to precisely the same lethally misguided misapprehension.

This revolves around the comforting but mistaken notion that Jews and Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder against the same threat by racists and bigots. It’s the argument that says ‘antisemitism = Islamophobia’. And it’s the claim that there is nothing intrinsically threatening to Jews within Islam.

All three notions are false. All three notions are promoted by many Jews. All three were to be found in Baroness Warsi’s speech.

She said:

‘The ugly strain of anti-Semitism found in some parts of the Muslim community arose in the late 20th century. The point is that there’s nothing in our history which suggests that hatred between Muslim and Jews is inevitable.’

This is total rubbish. Muslim persecution of the Jews started in the 7th century with the birth of Islam and has continued ever since. It is true that down through the decades persecution of the Jews by Christians was more savage and barbaric than by Muslims. It is also true that there were periods when Jews prospered under Muslim rule. But the so-called ‘golden age’ for Jews in Muslim lands was very short indeed. The true history is a general story of humiliation, persecution and pogroms.

Please click through for the rest of Ms. Phillips article.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

3 Replies to “Bigotry, revisionism and Baroness Warsi”

  1. “…. It is true that down through the decades persecution of the Jews by Christians was more savage and barbaric than by Muslims….”

    I would like to know what she is referring to here. Jews and Christians have persecuted each other. Jews have aligned with muslims against Christians. Jews and Christians share a troubled 2000 year history. Some context would be nice, but it seems this is just a thoughtless meme that is thrown out. If I knew exactly what she is referring to, then some research would be possible. So far, the examples used have more to the story than “christians persecuting jews”.

    I support Israel, and am an aggressive defender of Israel. To my mind there is a two-state solution in place : Israel and Jordan. However, incidents in history used to example horrific behaviour are too often lifted out of this context and historical background. It seems to never enter people’s mind that the western Roman Empire had a few barbarians coming to visit and not leaving, who took sometime to civilise and be persuaded to bath and not solve issues by slicing their opponents in half.

  2. chrisse, do some reading and you will find what Melanie Phillips is talking about. But, her main point remains regardless.