Monday, November 2, 2009

The Ignorance That Persists...

If you are wondering how I live here, what I perceive- the answers are varied. I am a Jewish Studies/Arabic/Political Science Student. That is what I study. When I come to university, I expect the same degree of openmindedness. I believe agreeing to disagree is sometimes the best solution- but at least freaking open your closed mind to an idea besides your own.

I would like to quote for you all the view of Jews from the Arab side. I am NOT saying this perception does not exist on the other side, for I know it does. Some of my Israeli friends think Arabs are inferior/have no place in Israel. I am not taking a stance here- for this is not the place, at least not now. But please think about the following statements, taken directly from our Universities newspaper at the American University in Cairo. Educate yourself, see the world how I live it here.

The article attemps to paint a picture of cooperation to some extent, but fails on all accounts. "Although AUC is a community constucted of diverse cultures and people of different backgrounds, the anti-Jewish propoganda of Arab countries often has its influence on students..." Okay...setting up the article. A Business studnet here said "La, wala respect them wala zeft, dol nas zebala." Which translates into No, there is no respect for them, they are a filty people. They go onto say "We{Arabs} have a wrong stereotupe that Jewish people are betrayers and care too much about money." Admitting wrongs is lovely, but this is the best attempt the article gives at expressing how not all Jewish people are awful people.

Quite frankly, this mindset is the most upsetting thing I have encountered. This is why I want to do what I want to do- work, even a little to lessen this crappy stereotype. I have several Jewish friends who attend school with me in Egypt, are equally appalled. However, they choose to not take action, for good reason. Keeping your religious preference quiet (if you're Jewish) is oft times a matter of safety then a point of pride.

So now we continue with the article...(sorry if I'm ranting..) A professor talks about how he holds a class every semester on modern Zionism and Judaism and how the class is always full of kids curious, trying to break the stereoype, etc. This is obviously a good thing- but clearly the minority viewpoint. The professor says "the stereotypes believed often resemble conspiracies of Jews in running American, killing innocent Palestinian children, causing all of the world's sorrows and the list goes on. It is always "the Jews" as though a confederacy of evildoers operates under the Star of David." (pause for reaction...)

Alot of kids here have never even met a Jew, or if they did, they wouldn't know it. The article says, "Jewish students and faculty members are often mistaken for Christians, and because of the current political and cultural tensions in Egypt regarding Jews, most of them are not too keen on correcting others on their religion." Again, note the secrecy factor- a matter of safety more or less.

Okay get ready to be pissed, because I was. So the article goes on about the willingness of students to know the other side. NOW GET A LOAD OF THIS!!! "An example he {the professor} gave was of when he had a conversation with 2 Egyptian students, and one mentioned that Hitler's Mein Kampf was the only autobiography she had read. What ensued was a talk about Egyptains who idolize Hitler for his victimization of six million Jews. At some point, the girl said she wants to meet Jewish people." ARE YOU serious!!??!?! That is their idea of openmindedness? That literally made me sick. I don't care where you come from- idolizing the a sick man who murdered millions of people. not Jews. PEOPLE. is absolutely disgusting.

As I contemplated throwing the paper away, I thought I would share this with all of you. Oh, one more fun thing. The article further notes, "There have been other displays of anti-semitic propoganda on campus. According to an anonymous Jewish student, an Egyptian walked around the university with a pair of jeans with a swastika drawn on it. "Some of my Egyptian friends tried to explain to me that here in Egypt, the swastika is seen as an anti-Israel symbol and do not associate it with the Holocaut," he said. "Yet pleading ignorance wouldn't save me if I wore a shirt with the Prophet depicted on it.""

Which is exactly the point I make. Meh! The Egyptian government, and many other Arab governments, and Arabs in general are allowed to hate a people so fervetly, to wish for its destuction- yet have no seperation of even acknowledgement of the difference between the Zionist political ideology and Judaism the religion.

The thing that really bothers me is that there is zero distinction made between Jews as a whole, Israeli's, Settlers, Zionists, etc. Though some do overlap, not all do. Not all of my Jewish friends fit into 1, or even all of these categories. People are people are people. That is it.

If we all just focused on each other as people, the world would be such an amazing place. Fat chance.

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