Jews told not to wear skullcaps in parts of Germany

[RandySF]

The German government's top official against antisemitism has warned Jewish people not to wear skullcaps in parts of the country.

Commissioner Felix Klein was speaking following a rise in antisemitic attacks in Germany.

Mr Klein told the Funke newspaper group: "My opinion has unfortunately changed compared with what it used to be.

"I cannot recommend to Jews that they wear the skullcap at all times everywhere in Germany."

He did not say which places he thought were too risky to wear the cap, also called a kippa.

According to statistics released earlier this month, antisemitic incidents were up by 19.6% to 1,799 in 2018, with 89.1% of them involving far-right perpetrators.



https://news.sky.com/story/jews-told-not-to-wear-skullcaps-in-parts-of-germany-11728764

[smirkymonkey]

1. This is so awful.

I have honestly never understood what the hatred of Jews was about. I don't think I will ever get it, and it distresses me to see that it is still so prevalent in so many parts of the world. This just sickens me.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I asked the rabbi who was teaching Jewish History at college why Jews were hated.

He responded, didn't I think if I had THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING and it was turned down, refused, every time, then wouldn't there be some resentment.

Being a humanist, I answered, no, it was their choice to be independent of my thoughts and wishes.

That wasn't what the rabbi expected.

And I don't think the rabbi was correct that's why Jews are hated.

[ananda]

3. Racism and religion as subsets of classism.

Simply put they have become the scapegoats to take
the blame for what rich people do to the lower classes.

[Johnny2X2X]

9. killing Jesus

I am an atheist, but know the Bible. I once wrote a paper about anti Semitic propaganda in Nazi Germany. What history chooses to glance over was how Christian the Nazis were, Christianity was central to their whole message. The works of propaganda that guided the Nazis were extremely religious in nature with god and Jesus being mentioned and cited literally almost every page. Even Nazi uniforms were well populated with Christian crosses and other symbols. The description in the Bible of the Jews getting the Romans to crucify Jesus was absolutely one of the primary pieces of propaganda the Nazis used to whip up hatred of Jews in highly Christian Germany.

The Jewish faith is pretty cool to me, it’s more based on the pursuit of knowledge and making this world a better place than Christianity IMO. I think historically that has put it at odds with dogmatic Christianity whose history is about controlling the masses rather than enlightenment.

At least that’s what my research led me to back in the 90s when I studied this.

[DFW]

4. I have gradually come to get the how and the why, but never the longevity of the sentiment.

Jealousy plays a part, the closed nature of some sects is another. A now-deceased Jewish colleague had a son who has publicly dissed me for being a "bad Jew," because he has decided I'm Jewish (go figure--I look the part to him, ergo sum) and won't observe their traditions (whatever floats his boat).

The "really existing Socialism," or "East Germany," as we called it, claimed that their territory had been cleansed of Nazis after the War, and so never ever needed any de-nazification programs for their part of Germany. The West alone owned their shame, and publicly made efforts to educate their people for a "never again" generation. So there are several generations of Eastern Germans who were never taught that their grandparents were involved in some REALLY evil activities on their soil. Guess where the most concentrated areas of anti-Jewish activity are today? Half (or more) of these people have never even met a Jew. I figure it must be something like haters of Mexicans in Idaho.

I'm sure there are parts of Germany where it would be prudent to not wear a skull cap. There are FAR more such neighborhoods in London, Paris, Brussels or probably even Montgomery or Waco.

The fact that this particular hatred has continued for so many centuries is what fascinates me. Two thousand years ago, the Egyptians and the Romans, five hundred years ago, the "Catholic Kings" of Spain, 100 years ago, the "National Socialists." In all that time, not one king or major monarch has been a Jew. Indeed, if the NSDAP hadn't had their sights on the Jews, a certain Albert Einstein might have helped Hitler get the atomic bomb way before we did. Hate is rarely rational or beneficial.

[smirkymonkey]

6. Yes, as you say, it seems completely irrational.

Maybe it has to do with religious myth or something. My family never got the memo. The Italian side of the family used to say "they're just like us, except they're not Catholic" and the English/Dutch/Swedish side had nothing to say at all. They just didn't see it as an issue.

Anyway, I am sorry to see anti-semitism rear it's ugly head again, both here and in Europe.

[DFW]

8. I don't think it really went away in the east here

Like I said, the "socialist" governments under Soviet domination just said, "hey, no Nazis here any more" and pretended the problem was fixed. Now, you see what is going on in Hungary and Poland, as well as the eastern part of Germany. The same thing is happening in countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands with proportionally large Arab populations, some of which are living in radicalized ghettos where it is politically incorrect to go in and expel hate preachers brought in from the outside.

[Igel]

5. Because of what they did.

They didn't want to be part of you.

They didn't think you're right. In fact, they think you're wrong.

They have different values from you.

Now, since then they've largely assimilated in order to be like you, meaning that they think you're right and have mostly the same values. So I heard tikkun olam, put in completely secular and non-Jewish terms. It's rebuilding the world, but the speaker had in mind not anything like a traditional Jewish view but an entirely secularish, progressive, humanistic view--making tikkun olam the same as any other new-agey sort of "let's all get along and make for a perfect world". It's one of the traits that's easiest to repurpose--from making the world righteous before God and at one with God to fighting racism, sexism, the patriarchy, etc., etc.

But as soon as they step out of line, like everybody else, they're not part of your group, they don't want to be part of your group, and, if, in fact, they think your group is wrong and judge your group then, well, you don't like them. Whether they're anti-vaxxer Orthodox or the idea that Jews should have their own territory where they can be safe (a bad thing, unlike the idea that others should have their own territory where they can be safe).

That doesn't describe just and only anti-Semitism, but it is where it started a couple thousand years ago. Rome had no love for the Jews. They refused to be part of Rome, to assimilate to being Roman, and fought being Roman. After that, we have stereotypes and it's habit.

Along the way, among those who are more paranoid, is the idea that somehow they're all conspiring for power over us. Making for a weird dynamic--they're more cunning, clever, and powerful than us. At the same time, they're inferior, stupider, crasser, and worse than us. Tribal thinking both exalts the community as well as is fearful. It's often a horrible thing.

[smirkymonkey]

7. I suppose jealousy may be part of it.

I didn't grow up around many Jewish people, but after living in Boston, San Francisco and New York, I tended to see them as smarter, more educated, talented, liberal and generous than the general population. I really enjoy the company, intellect and sense of humor of my Jewish friends, and often feel more comfortable with them than with non-Jewish people. I suppose you could say I feel a kind of kinship with them. I know it's just a generalization, but it has been my experience.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. It must be a "trigger" for some.

Unfortunately, the yarmulke, the Star of David, and a few other "Jew-identifying" things are too much for some. Until we are a footnote in history, we will always be considered a threat.