My wife Robin is Jewish. She is also very ethnic looking. I bring this up because of a couple stories she has shared with me over the years. One is that as a young girl she sometimes felt like she was black. In her childish mind she felt an affinity with them due to discrimination and feeling like she did not belong to the larger society. She also tells the story of moving to a north St. Louis suburb as a young newlywed. Due to her ethnic appearance a lot of her neighbors thought she was Italian. She allowed them this belief as it was easier to deal them than if they knew she was Jewish. At least that was her feeling.
I will admit anti-Semitism is something I do not understand. For obvious reasons it is something I have pondered on over the last few years. I have done some minor research on the issue. While I have some vague understanding of its roots, the vehemence with which it is has come down through the generations to us mystifies me.
I have a dear friend, Leon, a black man a few years older than myself. He lives in Jackson, Mississippi where he has spent the majority of his life. He has told me stories of growing up in the segregated south and the civil rights struggles in Mississippi that just make me cringe to be white. Again I understand the historical roots of racism against people of color, but when I step back and think what has been done because someone has more melanin in their skin than the dominant group I am baffled.
I work with a woman who is Muslim, but very European in appearance. She does not share her faith generally as she does not want to experience the negativity it draws in this country. She is as appalled about the Taliban and ISIS as any fundamental Christian.
I bring this up because the amount of anti-Muslim rhetoric in our society is reaching alarming proportions. I really wonder how many folks who are espousing this view actually know a Muslim. I do not mean in passing, but have broken bread with them, have talked about their children, about their hopes, about the things that people talk about when they are not seeing each other as a threat. I am betting not many. Unfortunately, the human tendency is to make villains of groups that look different or believe differently or act differently… that we do not relate to as their traditions are different than our own.
I relate the first two stories because most Americans may be able to relate that to that sort of discrimination. We really do not openly tolerant racism against blacks anymore. While anti-Semitism wanes and waxes hopefully we can relate to its harmful influence. So why are we doing this Muslims? There are a couple small splinter groups that are doing horrendous things. The vast majority of Muslims are not in accord with ISIS, the Taliban or other terrorist groups using Islam as a mask. The majority of their villainy is against other Muslims.
I sincerely hope we are a better society than this current intolerance. The majority of us are descendants of people who came to this country fleeing persecution or perhaps seeking the freedom to practice their particular brand of religion. Certainly all our ancestors came to this country seeking a better life for themselves and their family. Muslims seeking to come to our country now are in the same boat.
I would suggest taking the time to get to know Muslims in your community, to break bread with them. Then see how you feel.