Muslim Organization Calls for Book Fair Boycott
Submitted by mwilliams on Sun, 2008-03-02 18:41.An Islamic cultural organization is urging its 50 member states to boycott the annual international book fair in Paris because the fair is honouring Israeli literature.
Oh brother.
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So now we're blaming several hundred million people of being biased against Israeli literature because a small group of extremists think that ignoring Israeli culture is a good way to solve the problems in the Mid East?
Headlines can be very deceiving.
Ah yes, seems to be a word missing. I'll just fix that. They are, however, Muslims, and they are calling for boycott on rather ridiculous grounds.
There is no thief like a bad book
--Italian Proverb
I wouldn't call it ridiculous, not in the light of the latest actions of the IDF against civilian Palestinians. Are civilian deaths ridiculous? I do think Israel is carrying out terrorist acts under the pretense of self-defense and it disgusts me, especially how the world just looks idly at it not wanting to get their hands dirty, even when Israel kills UN personnel on purpose!
I don't think however that protesting against Israeli literature makes any difference, or is effective, regardless of how ignorant certain Israeli writers are about the conflict. Criticism should be made in the right forum, and it should be targeted towards those responsible, the corrupt political leaders of Israel, and not its civilian population and culture of whom most would like an end to the conflict with the Palestinians.
As for this organization being Muslims, they could as well be atheists or anything else. They being Muslims isn't really important, unless the writer attempts the questionable act of drawing a line between the misconception of Islam as a terrorist religion and the faith of the members of this group.
Of course civilian deaths aren't ridiculous, don't be absurd. By ridiculous I mean simply that the book fair is honoring the books, not the state of Israel and that it is ridiculous to take such a meaningless action involving the art of the country. I suppose we should all ostracize our Jewish neighbors and friends too because some Israelis are murderers. The situation with boycotting the Israeli authors is just that, and is akin to painting all Muslims as terrorists. The whole point is not to tar everyone with the same brush, is it not? Perhaps I should have better said 'ridiculous boycott'. Basically, I think the whole goddamn situation is ridiculous.
I used the word 'Muslim' in my title because that is what was used in the original title, just to clarify. I originally left out the word 'organization' because I'm not quite with it today. It happens. I guess that perhaps the original writer might have chosen another word to avoid religious slurs, but I can't think what, since the group is called The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as opposed to, say, the Palestinian blah blah Organization.
You seem to feel very strongly about the situation. Have you petitioned your government to get their hands dirty?
There is no thief like a bad book
--Italian Proverb
"By ridiculous I mean simply that the book fair is honoring the books, not the state of Israel and that it is ridiculous to take such a meaningless action involving the art of the country."
I agree with you.
"I suppose we should all ostracize our Jewish neighbors and friends too because some Israelis are murderers."
Do not confuse Judaism with the politics of Israel, or Zionism if you so will. Many orthodox Jews are critical towards Israel and believe its existence is against their scriptures. Israel has little to do with Judaism and more to do with Britain and US gaining a foothold in the Middle East, just like Lebanon was supposed to be France's gate to that world of lucrative trade. It's enormously frustrating to see Israel carrying out these acts repeatedly using the Holocaust and Judaism as some kind of carte blanche.
It saddens me enormously that the atrocities Israel carries out adds to the anti-Judaism in the world, the issue isn't religious at all. It's economy, as always.
"The situation with boycotting the Israeli authors is just that, and is akin to painting all Muslims as terrorists."
I completely agree.
"It happens. I guess that perhaps the original writer might have chosen another word to avoid religious slurs, but I can't think what, since the group is called The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as opposed to, say, the Palestinian blah blah Organization."
I wasn't blaming you, I was referring to the original writer's use of words which is unfortunate considering the antagonism we see between Islam and Christianity and Judaism today. All three religions are essentially one, and share more than most people know. It has been suggested that Israel and Palestine should form one federal secular state called Abrahamia, with one Jewish and one Christian/Muslim state. It's not only to Jews that Jerusalem and Palestine are holy land.
"You seem to feel very strongly about the situation?"
Let's say I've been in the line of fire. :)
"Have you petitioned your government to get their hands dirty?"
Sweden is critical towards Israel's role in the conflict as it is. Israel seldom gets any encouraging words from our government. :)
Do not confuse Judaism with the politics of Israel, or Zionism if you so will. Many orthodox Jews are critical towards Israel and believe its existence is against their scriptures.
I'm not confusing the two. That's exactly the point I'm making...though possibly not very well...that ostracizing Jews because of the situation with Israel is mistaken, just as confusing believers in Islam with extremist terrorists is. It results in unfair treatment of innocent people, such as boycotting the book fair/Israeli authors. Many Muslims are critical of what is happening on their side as well, I know, and many blameless Muslims put up with a lot of crap.
There are indeed many similarities between Judaism, Islam and Christianity. But these religions have never mixed well--whether because of belief or politics--and religion has always been political at its core--though the layperson doesn't realize that--and incredibly narrow minded to boot. The Catholic church, for an example, is a highly political entity. It's a matter of distinguishing between the religion and the institution in that instance, I suppose. Perhaps it is not politically advantageous for them to admit their similarities of faith. Perhaps there are just some conflicts that will never end, I suspect because somebody, somewhere is profiting from them. The similarities between the faiths only make the situation in the Holy Land--and elsewhere--that much more ridiculous.
So what should the author have called those who are instigating this boycott, if not Muslim or Islamic? That is my stumbling block here. The organization is an Islamic one, so what else to call it? I thought the article itself pretty even handed with the subject.
Kudos to you for getting in the line of fire for a humanitarian cause. When I was younger I too had zeal for the causes. Unfortunately, Canada, I believe supports Israel. We have ever, more often than not, gone the way the US goes, and both go the way that is most economically and politically advantageous. Also more often than not, we have clowns for leaders here. Our present one is a real humdinger.
There is no thief like a bad book
--Italian Proverb
You're right Mary, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
I just had a discussion with some people about these issues. I recently watched a documentary on TV about the lives of Palestinians in Hebron and how the Israeli settlers had taught their kids to harass them, throwing bottles, stones and garbage at them and the police couldn't do anything since the kids weren't old enough to be arrested and the Israeli soliders did not intervene. It reminded me of how the Nazi supported the harassment of the Jewish population in occupied countries, people were encouraged to spit at them, they weren't allowed to walk in the street like normal people but were forced to walk next to the walls of the buildings.
One of my neighbors told me about her step dad's mother who is Hungarian Jewish and how she'd lived through the Holocaust, in a concentration camp. A horrible recount of a very dark chapter in history. Her retelling her step dad's mother's story made me shiver.
We obviously don't learn from history, and the oppressed is as likely as anyone to become the oppressor, which is why we must remember these atrocities. The Holocaust is used by both sides as a verbal weapon, those who criticize Israel are accused of being anti-Semites (which is bizarre since Palestinians are Semites too) and deniers of it. Those who use it to defend Israel's actions just make it even easier for certain people to make us forget about it, turning it into a tool of manipulation, justifying killing using an atrocity as some kind of sick rationale.
A former Israeli solider they interviewed in the documentary said something important - that we must remember that it's about people. Not about Jews, Muslims or Terrorists, but about real people made of flesh and blood, people with dreams, hopes and aspirations. We're all human and the conflict is ultimately humane, and humans will always suffer, regardless of faith or political affiliation. There are so many wise people on both sides who could find a solution to the conflict but a solution is not in the interest of the leaders of the parties, they both gain from the bloodshed.