Much attention, in both the local and international media, has been given to Iran’s modern manifestations of anti-Semitism. Their president’s call for the political extermination of the Jewish State is perhaps the best known example. The pervasive Holocaust denial that infects Iran’s political discourse is another widely published case in point.
While I personally believe that these new types of anti-Semitism are as vile as the classical ‘Christian’ variety, many people particularly of the leftwing persuasion do not share this view. So as to avoid this debate (for the time being), I have decided to focus this article on the classical anti-Semitism (direct explicitly at Jews not Zionists) that has become so popular of late in the Islamic Republic. Unfortunately this type of universally condemned racism has not been reported much in the mainstream media.
Many Iranian apologists have for a long time argued that the evil regime in Teheran is not anti-Semitic only anti-Zionist. The following extracts from remarks and articles by influential people in Iranian society totally disprove this claim.
Jews as rodents
On February 19, 2006, Iran's Channel 4 covered a film seminar that included a lecture by Professor Hasan Bolkhari. Professor Bolkhari is a Cultural Advisor to the Iranian Education Ministry and a member of the Film Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). In this lecture the learned professor argued that the cartoon Tom and Jerry was a Jewish plot to improve the image of rodents, because Jews are ‘dirty mice’.
| If you study European history, you will see who was the main power in hoarding money and wealth, in the 19th century. In most cases, it is the Jews. Perhaps that was one of the reasons which caused Hitler to begin the anti-Semitic trend … The Jews were degraded and termed 'dirty mice.' Tom and Jerry was made in order to change the Europeans' perception of mice. It should be noted that mice are very cunning...and dirty. No ethnic group or people operate in such a clandestine manner as the Jews. Read the history of the Jews in Europe. This ultimately led to Hitler's hatred and resentment. |
He goes on further to explain his thesis as such:
| Tom and Jerry was made in order to display the exact opposite image. The mouse is very clever and smart. Everything he does is so cute. He kicks the poor cat's ass. Yet this cruelty does not make you despise the mouse. He looks so nice, and he is so clever... This is exactly why some say it was meant to erase this image of mice from the minds of European children, and to show that the mouse is not dirty and has these traits. Unfortunately, we have many such cases in Hollywood shows. |
What the Professor is saying is that Jews are still like dirty rodents- that has not chanced. Unfortunately, they have managed to change the image of a rodent so as not to look so dirty in European eyes. It’s the most despicable example of classic anti-Semitism around.
Jewish Rabbi’s bake with the blood of non-Jewish children
A TV discussion with Iranian political analysts Dr. Hasan Hanizadeh and Dr. Ali-Reza Akbari was aired on Jaam-e Jam 2 TV on December 20, 2005. Both are renowned Iranian journalists and intellectuals. The discussion began with the subject of the denial of the existence of crematoria at Auschwitz and moved on to explain in detail how Jewish rabbis in Europe killed non-Jewish children and used their blood for the Passover rituals.
Here are some extracts:
| ‘Unfortunately, the West has forgotten two horrendous incidents, carried out by the Jews in 19th-century Europe - in Paris and London, to be precise. In 1883, about 150 French children were murdered in a horrible way in the suburbs of Paris, before the Jewish Passover holiday. Later research showed that the Jews had killed them and taken their blood. This event caused riots in Paris back then, and the French government found itself under pressure.’ A similar incident took place in London, when many English children were killed by Jewish rabbis. These two incidents still haunt the minds and souls of the Europeans, but due to the growing influence of the Zionist lobby in Europe - or to be precise, the influence of the Jews - these two incidents are, unfortunately, never mentioned.’ |
Could you possibly get more classically anti-Semitic than that? Blood libels as the subject of historic works. One would not have thought it possible in the 21 century.
Jews the first Nazis
A televised discussion on the Holocaust was aired on Iran's Channel 2 on January 5, 2006. The discussion panel featured Iqbal Siddiqu, co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought and editor-in-chief of its magazine Crescent International, and political analysts Dr. Majid Goudarzi and Dr. Majid Safataj. The discussion begins by highlighting ancient Jewish ‘atrocities’ and then denigrates into Holocaust denial.
The discussion begins as follows:
| ‘In ancient, pre-Islamic times, there were strange disputes between the Jews and the Christians. The Jews believed that the Messiah had not come and would not come. Apparently, it was for them to decide when the Messiah would come and who he would be. When Jesus appeared, many people became followers of this great prophet. The king of Yemen at that time, who was probably a Jew - as can be seen in some sources - said to [the Christians]: "You have two options - either you convert [to Judaism] and renounce your Christianity, or else we will burn you.” They prepared a great pit of fire, and burned those Christians who refused to renounce the pure religion of Jesus. This case of burning people, of burning believers, has become engraved in the Jewish consciousness. Later they exploited this issue, and said that in World War II - between 1942 and 1945 - the Germans did this to them. They failed to mention that historic event, and the fact that they themselves had done the same to the Christians.’ |
What the ‘respected’ intellectuals are saying is that Jews are the real Nazi. Beware of them they burn true believes. Incitement to violence if ever I hear it.
These chilling examples of classic anti-Semitism are unfortunately common place is the political discourse of the Islamic Republic. What’s the big deal, you might argue, these types of statements are common through out the Muslim and Arab world.
Well I will tell you the problem. There are 30 000 Jews living in Iran. It is only a matter of time before these despicable words become despicable actions. Israel has an army to defend its Jewish population from Iranian aggression but what of the Iranian Jews? Who will save them?
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