AN ECHO FROM THE PAST...

Disturbing to read that vandals scratched a swastika into one of the slabs of Berlin's Holocaust memorial. Security officers found the swastika Saturday morning, police said. The damage was swiftly repaired.

The memorial _ a vast field of more than 2,700 gray slabs situated close to the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin _ opened to the public in May 2005. Open around the clock, it drew some 3.5 million visitors in its first year, authorities said. In a separate incident, a 42-year-old man was detained after he was seen painting a swastika on the facade of the Swiss Embassy in Berlin, police said.

I believe that the dark shadow of anti-Semitism is once again casting itself across the European continent. I am sure that every effort will be made to present this as a "one-off" story, as so many others have been. But there is an undelying malaise here - and it's all part of the emerging Eurabia.

Comments

[Mardy Bum]

Let's pray that these incidents are one-offs and that the culprits are caught and prosecuted to the full effect of the law.

Anti-semitism will, unfortunately, always be around in one shape or form, and it is the duty of us all to mitigate its malign influence. I don't believe though that "our" cause is helped by seemingly tarring everyone who expresses legitimate(as they would see it) greivances against some of the policies of the Israeli Government (and I use the word "government" as opposed to directly referencing any man or religion or dogma)as an anti-semite. This is unhelpful in my opinion.

[David Vance]

Hi Mardy,

Fair enough point.

[Peter]

Neo-fascism is alive and well, especially in what was East Germany where many areas have 33% unemployment. These guys are also profoundly racist (blacks and asians are regularly assaulted) as well as anti-semitic, which is ironic since there are virtually no Jews anywhere in Germany.

[daytripper]

the memorial is a deeply moving peice, and seen it last year. i was walking down towards the brandenburg at about 8am on a sunday having just left a club. i was a little worse for wear but was stunned to silence and sat on the raised platform for about an hour chain smoking and considering what it meant. it was incomplete and you could not walk about it. but the statement was clear, i was on the verge of crying.

[Westerner]

Anti-semitism isn't on the rise, in the sense of more people becoming that way. It's simply manifesting more apparently from those who already are that way now that Jews are prominent in the news.

I think we can expect to see more blatant examples of this as time goes by and the war against Islamic agression expands.

BTW, you have a link on my site and I notice there isn't a reciprocal one here. Would appreciate it.

Rastaman
www.islamanazi.com

[aileen]

Very disturbing. I wonder how we can get an accurate assessment of anti-semitism. It is easy for a few people do do things like this, how can you extrapolate from it though.

I don't think that you can take all of the concern about what Isreal is doing now as anti semitism. I know next to nothing about the Isreali Arab thing, (beyond a general sympathy for Isrealies to have a countyr that they are safe in) and can't take it all in and I don't follow the news about it at all. So this is not a comment on the rights and wrongs of the current situation. I just think that anti semitism is soemthing specific. I don't even think being opposed to an Isreali state in necessarily anti semitic either.

BTW, even though I'm using the phrase myself, isn't anti semitic the wrong term? Arn't Arabs semites?

[Monica-Philadelphia]

I've heard of some really vile things happening coming out of 'Old Europe' recently. Nasty, anti-Jewish things. It's a disgrace.

[David Vance]

Westerner,

Thanks for calling by and link NOW in place!

Best Wishes,

DV

[andy]

Eileen
You are completely correct re: the phrase. I presume the phrase dates from times where Jews were the only people of Middle eastern descent in Europe, so in actuality may have been accurate then.
It isn't accurate now however, but I haven't heard an alternative. Apart fromt he somewhat unwieldy "Jew hater".

In terms of the actual attacks - completely disgusting. How completely depressing that people don't learn. It seems as a species we are doomed to repeat this self-destructive animalistic behaviour.

[andy]

sorry - should have been Aileen.
Wasn't trying to gaelicise you!

[aileen]

andy

no problem

But aileen is already gaelic as far as I know.

[Colm]

aileen is an Orange diamond set in an emerald field !

[Hugh Green]

Aileen,

The term 'Semitic' was invented by European philologists in the 18th Century. Languages were organised into different groups, among which you had Indo-European and Semitic. Basically the philologists coralled Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic, among others, under the umbrella of 'Semitic', even though, AFAIK, there is no historical language back to which both Arabic and Hebrew can be traced.

Out of that method of linguistic classification came the racial classification of Jews and Arabs as Semites.

[aileen]

Colm

next you'll be sneaking a white cloud into that and hoping that I won't notice ;o)

[Colm]

aileen

That's not a white cloud. It's a dozy old sheep... called Mad !

(I wonder where he is, he's not been around a few days. Hope he's OK )

[aileen]

I don't think that Mad would want to form a tricolour with me.

(Mad's enjoying himself I expect.)

[Colm]

aileen

I'm sure Mad would happily contort himself into any flag with you! It would be interesting to see how the 2 of you could form a Union jack :)

[aileen]

Interesting challenge! ;o)

Hugh

thanks for that. It just seemed strange to call Arabs anti-semites - a bit like calling Anglican anti Catholic.

[andy]

Hugh
Interesting stuff IMO.
I thought there were a couple of similarities between Hebrew and Arabic. Although all that springs to mind is Shalam / Salaam (for "peace" to those who don't know). Ironic I suppose.