It’s time to stop worrying about accusations of Islamophobia when discussing Muslim antisemitism. According to JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin, reporting and commentary on the shocking levels of Jew-hatred among Muslims has been silenced out of fear of accusations of racism and prejudice. But most of what is labeled Islamophobia is just truth-telling about how conspiracy theories and hate speech about Jews have become normative in the Islamic community.
He’s joined in this week’s episode of “Think Twice” by Andrew Bostom, author of a number of important works about Islamic radicalism, including the new A Modern Qur’anic Kampf Against the Jews. His book is a translation with commentary of a highly influential text written by Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, the late head of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, widely considered the “Muslim Vatican,” which illustrates that Jew-hatred is baked deep into both Islamic culture and traditional religious thought.
Bostom points out that the polling done by the Anti-Defamation League, including some results that were apparently considered so shocking that the group didn’t publish them, has demonstrated just how pervasive antisemitic attitudes are among Muslims around the world and in the United States.
The notion that Muslim Jew-hatred is merely the product of resentment of the state of Israel or concern for the Palestinians is utterly false, says Bostom. And far from cherry-picking outrageous quotes from an otherwise unexceptional text, Boston’s translation of Tantawi’s screed illustrates that the vilest forms of hate directed at Jews is part of mainstream Muslim thought. What is most shocking about Tantawi’s antisemitic book is not just the way he shows how antisemitism is mainstream in Muslim thought or the way he mixes traditional anti-Jewish tropes with modern conspiracy theories about Jews (such as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion). It’s the fact that Tantawi was considered a moderate Muslim and not as extreme as many other Islamic religious figures.
A big part of the problem, however, is the failure of the West, including Jewish groups and leaders who prioritize the idea of interfaith dialogue above defending their communities against hate, to directly call out Muslim antisemitism. Too many people are, Bostom says, simply afraid of being accused of Islamophobia. Christians and Jews must find the courage to tell Muslims, “We won’t accept you at interfaith dialogue meetings if you’re going to preach this way. Just stop it. We’re aware of it. Stop it. It’s ugly. Don’t do it.”
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