It only took PBS one hour to uncover the causes of anti-Semitism, now in an alarming heyday. In "Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence," narrated by Judy Woodruff, PBS offered the answer: The reason for Jew-hatred, now widely promulgated among Muslim populations, is, well ... Jews! Israel! Even Christianity!...
[...]
...The notion that Christians introduced Muslims to Anti-Semitism may well be the conventional wisdom -- indeed, it may even be that nonagenarian Lewis is the source of that conventional wisdom -- but just as surely as Anti-Semitism historically existed in Christianity, it also historically existed in Islam. And I can actually footnote that statement because, quite by chance, the same week the documentary aired, I happened to read the first chapter of a forthcoming book called "The Legacy of Islamic Anti-Semitism" by Andrew G. Bostom, author of "The Legacy of Jihad."
Bostom examines the origins of Anti-Semitism in the Koran (such as in 2:61, which decrees an eternal curse of humiliation and wretchedness on Jews, repeated in 3:112), in the canonical commentaries on the Koran, and in the historical record. And it all begins practically 1,000 years before, say, Queen Victoria made herself an empress. The question is, does Anti-Semitism's origin in Islam, whether Christian or Islamic, become a chicken-egg question for scholars, or does it actually matter?
It matters a great deal, and here's why. The conventional wisdom, as expressed on PBS, does two things. It blames Christianity and the West for introducing Anti-Semitism to a practically Edenic Islamic world, and it minimizes Islam's non-original sin of partaking of it. Indeed, this same conventional wisdom suggests that Anti-Semitism is the natural, if unfortunate, response of "unempowered" Muslims to contemporary political events beyond their control -- namely, the essentially Christian/Western-sponsored establishment of the modern state of Israel....
No doubt, that PBS special will be shown in classrooms all over the United States. The generation now being educated will not get the true picture about the critically important issue of anti-Semitism in both the West and the Middle East.
3 comments:
The question is . . . how to effectively challenge intentional misinformation prior to classroom inoctrination?
No school provides a classroom syllabus complete with a list of programming materials - nor do they request parental consent for student participation.
Anonymous,
No school provides a classroom syllabus complete with a list of programming materials...
Local PTA's could push for such a syllabus, however. And they should! Unfortunately, PBS has such a good reputation that most parents wouldn't think of possible indoctrination. Remember that many parents have such fond memories of PBS: Sesame Street, and they have no idea as to the politicization of PBS.
In general, parents have been shut out of the educational system as educators have, for decades, promoted the idea that only professional educators should educate children.
Parents need to talk with their children: "What happened in each of your classes today? What did you read? What did you watch?"
The class syllabus provided (mandated by PTA/PTO) by the few instructors that bother, are intentionally vague. By the time a parent receives a response to the questions you post, the potentially damaging indoctrination has already begun. Sigh.
My experience with four children has been routine stonewalling by their instructors when requesting detailed information about class activities - be it elementary, middle or high school level -whether in the private or public school sector. One child is in a private military academy and is routinely facing off anti-American propaganda with foreign students (Asian, russian MEastern). Boggles the mind that we permit foreign students paying a premium to learn from the best only to use it against us in the future. Two of my children are in university now, well armed and capable of handling the indoctrination process on their own. Though, it's a daunting challenge to be sure.
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