Muslim Antisemitism and the Conspiracy of Silence
Please join
us for an evening with author Neil Kressel who will discuss his new
book on antisemitism in the Muslim world. After the Presentation and
Q&A, join us for a private reception where Mr.
Kressell will be happy to autograph copies of his book.
The Sons of Pigs and Apes
Muslim Antisemitism and the Conspiracy of Silence
Presentation, Q&A & Reception
April 10, 2013, 7 PM
Library & Archives Canada, 395 Wellington, Ottawa
Admission $20.00
STUDENTS get in FREE. Tickets at the door.
From
the 1950s through the 1980s, antisemitism everywhere seemed to be on
the wane. But as Neil Kressel documents in this startling book, the
Muslim world has resurrected in recent decades almost every diatribe
that more than two millennia of European hostility produced against the
Jews, and it has introduced many homegrown and novel modes of attack.
Thought it is impossible to determine precisely how many of the world's
1.2 billion Muslims hold anti-Jewish beliefs, Kressel finds that much
bigotry comes from the highest level of religious and political
leadership.
Compounding
the problem, as Kressel demonstrates, many in the West refuse to
recognize this issue. The growing epidemic of hatred has been largely
ignored, misunderstood, or downplayed because of apathy, ignorance,
confusion, bigotry, ideology, purported pragmatism, and misguided
multiculturalism. Those who value human rights ignore antisemitism at
their own risk, he cautions, noting that no antisemitism regime or
movement has ever been otherwise reasonable or progressive. Kressel
argues convincingly that Muslim antisemitism provides an acid test of
the seriousness of Western liberalism. If the West fails to stem this
growing tide, as now seems likely, future affairs will not go well for
the true proponents of democracy.
"All
religions and cultures suffer from sources that preach hate against
the 'other'. Throughout history some have, tragically, practiced what
their sources preached, while some have sought to dismiss or even
counteract the hateful words of their sources. In this book, Neil
Kressell shows how extremists within Islam, many in leadership roles,
have exploited some of their hateful sources to preach and practice a
virulent form of antisemitism. Read this book and judge for yourself."
Alan Dershowitz
"Kressel presents
undeniable and yet long-denied information about the pervasive and
insidious nature of Islamic antisemitism - and he does so with a pained
sensitivity that is both admirable and heartbreaking. Reasonable,
patient, and nonemotional, Kressel is antiparanoid and utterly
fact-driven."
Phyllis Chesler, emerita professor of
psychology and women's studies, City University of New York, and author
of The New Anti-Semitism
"While parts of this
book make me uncomfortable, I must admit that it represents, rather
sadly, what many of my coreligionists think."
Khaleel Mohammed, Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies, San Diego State University
"Kressel handles one of
the hottest topics in the world carefully, calmly, and coolly. He
explains the dangers of Muslim antisemitism while destroying the many
excuses for it that are so often offered - and shaming those in the
Muslim world or in the West who downplay these modern forms of the
oldest, and one of the bloodiest, hatreds in world history."
Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
More Reviews
"Although Neil Kressel's magisterial essay is primarily addressed at those in the West who pretend that antisemitism is no more than a tragic memory, it is also of great value for those Muslims who dream of, and increasingly fight for, a free society. Kressel's message is clear: fighting anti-Jewish ideas and practices must be an integral part of any strategy for freedom in Muslim countries."
Amir Taheri, Author of The Persian Night
"An important but disquieting book. Neil Kressel's skill as a social scientist is manifest throughout the work and his arguments persuasive. To cure a malaise one must first confront its symptoms and seek their underlying causes. In dealing with Muslim antisemitism, Kressel's work is more than helpful - it is essential."
Michael Berenbaum, Former Director of the United States Holocaust Research Institute at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
