I enjoyed the thoughtful writing in the Op-Ed: "Canada, Norway and Antisemitism?"
By Leigh Halprin of Winnipeg.
Living in essentially rural Washington State, I was guarded about attitudes toward Jews, and wondered how often I would be dealing with out and out anti-semitism. I was relieved to find out it is very rare here. The reason is the majority of the population is either Evangelical Christian, who have no animosity toward Jews, or non-religious people, who also seem to have no "dog in the fight".
What I see is anti-semitism is on the rise where Salafist religionists are on the rise. I am specifically referring to Islamists, not Muslims in general. Rural Washington State has very few Muslims, and no apparent Jihadi-minded Salafists.
As an accident of history, I believe that societies are overly concerned about Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel’s observation that "when you hate one ethnic or religious group, hatred will spread like a contagion toward other peoples and faiths." The problem is these societies–liberal democratic–have chosen much too late to take this concern to heart. They are applying the concern to the one group–the native born or immigrant Islamists, that have the potential, the desire, and the religious teaching to deconstruct the society at large through any means possible. The concern for hate arrived much too late for the Jews, and apparently has never left, since it is so easy to stir it up once again, as though the horrors of 20th Century Europe never took place. Or 2000 years of Catholic generated persecution, for that matter.
Hate is not what should propel any society, in any case. A concern or fear of dangerous predators has always been considered healthy. But Islamophobia is considered, at the very least, to be declasse. I would propose that Islamophobia is a healthy response to understanding Salafist dogma. A good source of understanding is Future Jihad, by Lebanese Professor Walid Pheres.
What the snobbish, anti-semitic, (yet sweet on the so-called "Palestinians") Norwegians fail to understand, is the Middle East conflict has no resolution for the Arabs who run Gaza or the West Bank. Even the so-called moderate Fatah movement derives their name from the Jihad-focused word that means "the opening", as in "new lands open for Islam". They don’t want peace unless it means the end of Israel, and all people under the rule of Islam. Like all Salafists, they are true to the call of the fallen Caliphate, and won’t be happy until it is restored. Hate is certainly taught in their society. It is taught in their schools, and it is smartly exported to the BBC, who seem to bend over backwards to be their mouthpiece.
As far as Jews in the society at large, well, here in the United States we still have the right to own guns. My son has a Black Belt in Karate, can disarm a knife wielding attacker, and is quite accurate with a pistol. I urge all Jews to have concealed carry permits, learn to shoot and practice regularly at the range. The abuse gets much more scarce when the target can fight back.
Les Peterson
Arlington, WA
"Truth has become a victim of political haggling." – Russell Blaylock, M.D.