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Allah and the Jews By
Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Peter Raddatz, a German scholar of Islamic Studies, the co-author of the renowned Encyclopaedia of Islam and a critic of the ongoing "mainstream dialogue." His new book is Allah and the Jews - The Islamic Renaissance of Anti-Semitism. Raddatz: Thank you, Sir FP: What inspired you to write “Allah and the Jews”? Raddatz: There are a whole bunch of reasons, of course, but let me try to put it in a nutshell. Due to the known European Orientalism there is a great imbalance in the way of judging Islamic versus Western history, politics, values and so on, leading to what is referred to as “dialogue” but what could rather be called a pro-Islamic monologue. This has immense effects on the angle from which politicians and intellectuals of all kinds look upon Israel and the Palestinians, insofar as they have established a firm perpetrator-victim asymmetry to the disadvantage of the Jews in general and Israel in particular. FP: Expand for us on this perpetrator-victim asymmetry. Raddatz: Sure. The perpetrator-victim asymmetry paints a sad picture of bloodthirsty Israelians hunting down helpless Palestinians while official policy – also in Germany - blots out an Arab-wide hate press asking for the extinction of the ”terror state” Israel. By the same token the formula has come up that Islam is unable to nurture Jew hate and that whatever anti-Semitism has arisen in the Middle East is supposed to be an import from Europe. Meanwhile there is a whole industry feeding on the equation “Islamophobia = anti-Semitism,” meaning an enhancement of the asymmetry in that Muslims now appear as victims in any virtual “quality” including the Holocaust term. I have written the book in order to show that Jew hate has Islamic roots, that Arab Palestine is a multilayered myth, and that “dialogue”, keeping the pro-Islamic scant, imports anti-Semitism from the Islamic region. I have written it also for those Jews who obviously do not understand this admittedly complicated situation and therefore keep a much too low profile just not to raise attention. As Islam is founded on a totalitarian ideology, this development furthers the old sentiments of Western radicalism, Rightist as well as Leftist. Without neglecting the Neo-Nazi tendency, one has to see realistically that the Left-Green is currently much more influential due to the 1968 movement now active on high levels in all important institutions. There are similarities, however. There are leftists who follow a derivative of Hitlerist thinking by supporting ultra-Left movements like the Anti-Germans who want to bomb Germany away. I am sorry to say that they play the Jews in Europe and America - including big organizations - for suckers, raising hopes in them to stand for Israel but give in to the “”peace of Islam” whenever its pressure reaches a suitably uncomfortable level. FP: Explain briefly how Arab Palestine is a multilayered myth. Raddatz: It is as multilayered as multicultural its population was and partially still is. Originally consisting of Turks, Kurds, Greeks, Slavonics, Georgians, Tatars and many other ethnics, the Arabs always ranged on a low minority level. As official propaganda goes, however, Palestine is supposed to be an Arab homeland, kept by them in blooming shape “from time immemorial,” at least since one millennium ago. The myth is that the foundation of Israel expropriated this allegedly indigenous Palestinian people, brought it into a continuously suppressed state and prevents it until today from its “vested rights and interests.” It remains unmentioned that before the foundation the British Colonial Administration blocked Jewish immigration to the advantage of Arabs who were admitted almost without any conditions, neither concerning their professional skill nor their criminal background. No wonder, the hate has been growing ever since. FP: How exactly does the process work that the “dialogue” with Islam imports anti-Semitism from the Islamic region? Raddatz: The European populations must practice a doctrinal tolerance, which forces them to accept Islamic immigration. This means that under the prohibition of “Islamophobia” they have to leave it unchanged with all original strings attached. These strings again converge in the Sharia, the Islamic law, which provokes the well-known problems with democratic ground rules, human rights and the Western legal system. Sharia is based on Jew hate – which is one of the most important religious Muslim duties, already practiced by Muhammad himself. The Europeans, therefore, logically import Islam-induced anti-Semitism. Further, the Palestinians are regarded not only as Arabs but also as Muslims, so that they profit as double victims: firstly of the “terror state Israel” and secondly of the Western “Neo-Colonialism” called Globalization. FP: Many Jews prefer not understand the truth you are referring to. Instead of fearing those who want to annihilate them, they fear those who seek to expose the annihilators. How come? Raddatz: According to my research into this phenomenon, you may assume two major reasons which depend on the point of view. Rooted in the people’s collective diaspora memory is the arch-old violence and killing, exerted by their respective suppressors. Equally old is the practice of Jewish leaders to gloss over the reality in order to soothe the power holders and to profit from collaboration with them to the disadvantage of their own Jewish clientele. Psychologists call this “transmission,” a process in which a hostage adapts to the dominance of his/her suppressor as a natural living condition and defends it against changes. That is why many Oriental Christians praise their living conditions in Islamic countries and Jews demand Jews to engage themselves for tolerance for Islam, thereby jeopardizing themselves in the long run. Needless to say that this vicious circle includes the Anti-Germans. They harbour quite a few Jews who identify “Islamophobia” with anti-Semitism. Therefore, they necessarily think to profit from fighting those who seem to endanger their “monopoly” by informing the public. What Islam is really about is not very welcome here – especially its political dominance under a religious mask with the Jews as first target FP: Tell us some more about the radical Left in Germany and their kindred feelings about Islam. Raddatz: I will try, although the subject can not be described in a few sentences. Since the downfall of the Soviet Union we have a weak joke going over here asking “Who has seen the corpse of Socialism?” It means, of course, that the Left has not abandoned its major goal: the destruction of the civil society. It merely changed its methods according to changing world conditions. Multiculturalism is an old Socialist goal, while Globalism is a not so new Capitalist goal. Both serve Allah’s purposes, so to speak, as they alleviate Islamic migration as well as Islamic investment. You only have to follow the cui bono path: Who is going to profit from whom and from what? So far one has not heard a single word from those Leftists - neither against the corrupt immigration bureaucracy nor the even more corrupt banking system. As both produce huge cost – welfare and the various bubbles – the majority of which lands with the tax payer, the ”Bourgeoisie” as the old and still valid enemy pattern comes under suitable pressure. As this happens to coincide with the anti-Western strategy of the Islamists, it is not so puzzling then that you find all kinds of political racketeer alliances here who combine ideology with profits. In this framework you are faced with changing constellations and fluid limits which often obscure particular interests but cannot cover the basic anti-Semitism the Anti-Germans are cryptically cultivating. One of their slogans prohibits criticism of capitalism as anti-Semitism. This connection is obviously more telling than intended because it insinuates the old pattern of Jewish capital representing capitalism as such – a classical case of psychological projection. While the Anti-Germans attack everybody who advocates Jewish interests, they try to monopolize what they call the “fight against anti-Semitism,” nevertheless revealing their pro-Israel attitude as mere fig leaf for an ultra-radical direction against the state of Germany. Hence, demanding to finish it and disperse the remaining Germans all over the world, represents a basically crypto-anti-Semitic tendency. It repeats Hitler’s policies not only against the Jews but also against the German people considering his “burnt earth” strategy towards the end of the war, including the “endure” slogans during the allied bombing attacks with millions of deaths. As for the slogans again, hearing their central advertisement “Bomber Harris, do it again,” coming now in the name of Israel, one would not really be astonished that such ideas are not regarded as so crypto-anti-Semitic any more. It also kindles openly new anti-Semitism in the public where one may still meet a considerable sentiment susceptible to this, especially in the reunited East. So far, there have been many business sponsored “Dialogue” events against “Islamophobia” but none dealing with the growing anti-Semitic sentiments in Europe. On the other hand, if you look a little more closely into the Anti-German spectrum, you may find even more disquieting interfaces. As the “liberal” Left dominates all important institutions now, there are prominent representatives sympathizing with “moderate” Anti-Germans while their more radical parts keep on entertaining violence fantasies. Again and again they hallucinate about “bombing,” “eradicating,” “Stalingrading,” thereby confirming a common ground for all three radicalisms, Leftist, Rightist and Islamist. FP: Well this appears as a surfacing of Nazism, just under new garb. How come the authorities seem so apathetic about it? Raddatz: That is a very good question, indeed. Since twenty years ago the so-called authorities do something about all three of them -- what they call “observation”. Over time it has become ever more obvious, however, that they have lied to the people telling them that “the legal means do not suffice to take action.” Believe it or not, although there are professional analyses of renowned jurists, describing the legal situation and proper ways how to handle these radicals according to the prevailing law, there has been almost no official action so far. On the contrary, whoever criticizes the matter will experience an interesting hierarchy with different echoes: if one attacks the Islamists, one is Islamophobian and/or Nazi, in the case of the Left one is Nazi and/or public agitator, in the case of the Right one is nothing. And as far as the authorities are concerned, I may remind your readers of the former German Foreign Minister Fischer who – among other similar measures - prevented the Federal Police in 2005 from investigating into a Berlin mosque which recruited people and organized weapon deliveries for Al-Qaeda. Does it surprise you that the media mainstream strongly supports this trend, leaving a few almost meaningless exceptions? Freedom of opinion enjoys a much lower political ranking in Europe, especially in Germany, than in America. FP: So there are connections between the radical and the official levels? Raddatz: It is not so difficult to ascertain that initiatives, nominally fighting against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and so on, usually receive considerable funds irrespective of their background. This procedure is quite comparable to the macro level where the EU, for instance, transfers well over a billion Euros annually to the Palestinian power groups, keeping Hamas, PLO and others alive. This goes parallel, by the way, with similar amounts, financing Europe-wide symposiums under the concerted heading: Islam – Co-owner of Europe. Taking this into account, it should not appear amazing that meanwhile, driven by pro-Islamic motives, things are developing into new forms of anti-Semitism also on state levels. It is not only the official lethargy towards obviously anti-democratic and illegal groups - what informed people are increasingly concerned about is the relative openness with which Germans in responsible positions speak and act against Israel. I myself have made the experience of the German representative for the OSCE department against anti-Semitism who called my criticism of the Arab hate press against Israel and its blood libel horror videos “polemics”. If I add that this guy keeps nice ties to the anti-Germans, I assume that at this stage your readers would not deem this absurd anymore. I wonder, however, how they see the matter if I add, moreover, that quite a few of them are Jewish themselves and work for big Jewish organizations. FP: We see here the phenomenon of Jews acting against Jews. Can you give us an example? Raddatz: Some time ago I had the dubious privilege to experience a live example. The said Ralf Schroeder, as an ardent Anti-German sympathizer or even member possibly himself under the “observation” of state security, keeps very friendly connections to the Anti-German sympathizer Yves Pallade. He worked formerly for the American Jewish Committee, but left it very quickly to join B’nai B’rith Europe in Brussels last fall. This spring Federal Chancelloress Angela Merkel got the BB Golden Honor Medal in Gold. The prize question is if she had accepted the prize, had she known that this highly esteemed Jewish institution employs a state risk. To really understand this it is of paramount importance to keep in mind that the Anti-Germans are only the radical part of a general politico-social pressure group, including the OSCE sympathizers, monopolizing the “fight against racism and anti-Semitism” and the huge funds connected to it. As soon as somebody advocates Jewish/Israeli interests or even only researches into their historical background, he and/or she are merely defamed as “Nazi”. Thus, my recent book on “Allah and the Jews” was registered under “anti-Semitic literature,” of course. As I have pointed out, this is not just an accident but one example standing for many cases with mainly non-Jewish participants, of course. Nevertheless do I admit that I am sometimes amused at the chutzpah with which not only the Anti-Germans but also other radicals, mainly of Islamic descent, move in higher circles? Most of them are very well connected, to political parties, media, universities, foundations etc. which may point to a not so democratic trend. The Bertelsmann Foundation, for instance, is part of the well known media concern which is now selling – via its American affiliate Barnes & Noble - the 28th edition of Hitlers “Mein Kampf” in Turkey. The Quandt Foundation - part of the conglomerate comprising BMW and formerly related to the Goebbels family - sponsors very “orthodox” anti-Semitic seminars and still refuses to pay a single penny compensation to the surviving Jewish slave workers they once had “employed”. They all form a spectrum, reaching from radical via sympathizer to what we call “saloon socialist”, thereby covering a wide spread of institutional hierarchies. Recently, one of the sympathizers, a satirical journalist, got a nice prize, initiated by one of the biggest news magazines. His sponsor probably did not know what he had written to an acquaintance shortly before: “If a Jew asks me for help, I will polish his trap”. Admittedly, I could not help being reminded of what one can read once in a while about the Weimar Republic atmosphere. FP: Peter Raddatz, thank you for joining Frontpage Interview Raddatz: Thank you.
Jamie Glazov is Frontpage Magazine's managing editor. He holds a Ph.D. in History with a specialty in U.S. and Canadian foreign policy. He edited and wrote the introduction to David Horowitz’s Left Illusions. He is also the co-editor (with David Horowitz) of The Hate America Left and the author of Canadian Policy Toward Khrushchev’s Soviet Union (McGill-Queens University Press, 2002) and 15 Tips on How to be a Good Leftist. To see his previous symposiums, interviews and articles Click Here. Email him at jglazov@rogers.com. http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=C771BCF9-0F51-4E77-87BE-DFAE5024D554 |
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