The Red Crystal and Cultural Acquiescence

Israel’s acceptance of the neutral Red Crystal symbol in order to join the International Red Cross Society has sparked massive debate throughout the Jewish World. Steve comprehensively covered the issues in his post International Red Cross Includes Israel late last week.

From a Jewish perspective, I totally oppose Israel’s adoption of the crystal. I think it is symptomatic of the creeping post-Zionism that has infected Israeli society. Can you ever have imagined previous leaders of the Jewish State like Ben Gurion or Begin accepting this second class status? The aim of Zionism was for the Jewish people to become an equal member of the family of nations. If Christian and Muslim countries are entitled to use the Cross and the Crescent, I see no reason why the Jewish state should not be entitled to use the Star of David. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that India (majority Hindu state) and Cuba (an atheist communist state) both use the Cross.

But I don’t want this to be the focus of my post. I want to explore the much neglected implications of the Red Crystal from a wider Western perspective. It is naive to believe that the adoption of this third neutral symbol was only to facilitate Israel’s membership. It is part of a much larger process of Western civilization shedding its Christian identity.

Hidden in the detail of reports on this historic International Red Cross decision is evidence of Western cultural acquiescence. It seems that many personnel bearing the Red Cross have been extremely unpopular in the Muslim World even in emergency humanitarian relief efforts. So much so that Red Cross officials have admitted that they do not feel safe in Islamic areas. The usual Islamist apologists justify this gross religious intolerance on the grounds that the Red Cross reminds many Muslims of the hated crusades. Because of that historic injustice, they argue that it is legitimate for modern day Muslims to stone Red Cross bearing humanitarian workers. The neutral Red Crystal is their solution to this problem.

It will be interesting to see how quickly ‘Christian’ countries particularly European ones rush to adopt this new symbol. At first they will continue to use the Cross at home and the Crystal abroad. But it will not stop there. When ambulances are called to the predominantly Muslim suburbs of Paris which symbol will they display? Red Cross bearing personnel have as much to fear from French Islamist as they do from their Middle Eastern counterparts. And will the sensitivities of British and Danish Muslims also not be violated when they see Red Cross bearing ambulances speeding past in the streets of London or Copenhagen? Finally the only acceptable solution will be to ban the Cross and embrace the Crystal through Europe.

Conversely, I predict that not a single Muslim state will adopt the Crystal at home or abroad. The Crescent, no matter how disturbing it may be to many non-Muslims (particularly those living under Islamic subjugation like the Copts of Egypt) will not be sacrificed on the alter of cultural sensitivity.

The adoption of a neutral secular symbol for humanitarian relief is an important debate. It goes to the heart of how extensive the separation between church and state should be in a multicultural democracy. But this is not the context of the Red Cross’ recent decision. This decision is all about cultural acquiescence. And Islamic fundamentalists from Australia to Afghanistan know this. Christendom’s eagerness to forgo the Cross will appease these medieval type conquerors. It will only embolden them in their struggle to replace it with the Crescent.

Comments

Well said Mike. It's really important that a line be drawn between sensitivity and pandering.

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