4 ms·

I wonder what is the root cause of anti-semitism? I always thought that anti-semitism is an illness that belonged exclusively to Europe, and they exported this

by shn 14y ago

I wonder what is the root cause of anti-semitism? I always thought that anti-semitism is an illness that belonged exclusively to Europe, and they exported this "problem" to Middle East. Now I read that Soviet era, in multiple regions similar problem existed. But why? Do all other ethnics had their own fair share? If not why Jews? Or Jewish people are just more outspoken?

bluekeybox 14y ago
Something I've been wondering about myself... Can't answer your question, but can only point out that you are a bit mistaken to treat Europe and ex-Soviet territories (especially their European part) as two completely separate worlds, since before the Iron Curtain came to exist, they shared quite a bit of common history. More reading about anti-Semitism in that territory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmelnytsky_Uprising#Jews http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmelnytsky_Uprising#Jews
- shn 14y ago
  I know that answer is not in this forum. However I expect someone may be heard of a good book to explain this. A book based on research an anthropological study but not on sentimental history of the problem. (By the way somebody down voted my question. Isn't this a legitimate question?)
  - fusiongyro 14y ago
    I almost downvoted you because you said "Or Jewish people are just more outspoken?" which sounds a bit like "Or are they asking for it?" but I decided it was probably just a communication problem. There are lots of books on this topic. "Why the Jews" is supposed to be good. There's also "Antisemitism Explained" by Dr. Steven Baum, my former psychiatrist, which I would expect to take a deep psychological analysis (but I haven't read it).
    - shn 14y ago
      The book "Why the Jew" seems to address the issue more universal than the other. I'll read the this one. No, I did not intended to say "Or are they asking for it?". However I do not care if people down vote my comments. Thanks.
      - fusiongyro 14y ago
        If you didn't care you wouldn't have brought it up. :)
fusiongyro 14y ago
My pet theory is that we experience more persecution because what we are doesn't fit neatly into any simple taxonomy. It's a religion, a culture, a nationality, and several ethnicities, and each of these aspects overlaps incompletely and in amorphous, confusing ways. I think this is because Jewishness predates the firm delineation of these categories. I don't think it's a coincidence that the Roma are also heavily persecuted. If you're a nationalist, anything that complicates the tidy relationship between the citizen and their country is bad, even benign things like having relatives in another country.
eli_gottlieb 14y ago
Root cause? What makes you think there is one? The original root-cause was sheer politics: the pagan rulers of Egypt (not talking about Exodus, Egyptian Empire was heavily influential in the Levant) and the Roman Empire despised henotheists and monotheists, because their/our religious practices pretty well implied disloyalty to the conquering empire. The sheer number of revolts we threw against them didn't help. But after that? Well, by now it's just persisting because it persists. A virus needs no reason to exist.

by shn 14y ago

bluekeybox 14y ago

Something I've been wondering about myself... Can't answer your question, but can only point out that you are a bit mistaken to treat Europe and ex-Soviet territories (especially their European part) as two completely separate worlds, since before the Iron Curtain came to exist, they shared quite a bit of common history. More reading about anti-Semitism in that territory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmelnytsky_Uprising#Jews http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmelnytsky_Uprising#Jews

shn 14y ago
I know that answer is not in this forum. However I expect someone may be heard of a good book to explain this. A book based on research an anthropological study but not on sentimental history of the problem. (By the way somebody down voted my question. Isn't this a legitimate question?)
- fusiongyro 14y ago
  I almost downvoted you because you said "Or Jewish people are just more outspoken?" which sounds a bit like "Or are they asking for it?" but I decided it was probably just a communication problem. There are lots of books on this topic. "Why the Jews" is supposed to be good. There's also "Antisemitism Explained" by Dr. Steven Baum, my former psychiatrist, which I would expect to take a deep psychological analysis (but I haven't read it).
  - shn 14y ago
    The book "Why the Jew" seems to address the issue more universal than the other. I'll read the this one. No, I did not intended to say "Or are they asking for it?". However I do not care if people down vote my comments. Thanks.
    - fusiongyro 14y ago
      If you didn't care you wouldn't have brought it up. :)

fusiongyro 14y ago

My pet theory is that we experience more persecution because what we are doesn't fit neatly into any simple taxonomy. It's a religion, a culture, a nationality, and several ethnicities, and each of these aspects overlaps incompletely and in amorphous, confusing ways. I think this is because Jewishness predates the firm delineation of these categories. I don't think it's a coincidence that the Roma are also heavily persecuted. If you're a nationalist, anything that complicates the tidy relationship between the citizen and their country is bad, even benign things like having relatives in another country.

eli_gottlieb 14y ago

Root cause? What makes you think there is one? The original root-cause was sheer politics: the pagan rulers of Egypt (not talking about Exodus, Egyptian Empire was heavily influential in the Levant) and the Roman Empire despised henotheists and monotheists, because their/our religious practices pretty well implied disloyalty to the conquering empire. The sheer number of revolts we threw against them didn't help. But after that? Well, by now it's just persisting because it persists. A virus needs no reason to exist.