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An Egyptian Professor of Hebrew studies antisThursday 15 Aug 2002
author: Should we respect Jewish struggle?Yes
Adil Hammoda recieved another letter of support in Alahram today by a professor of Hebrew Studies at the University of Ain Shams,professor Layla Abu-Almagd.The defense of Adil Hammoda is in addition to be defense of anti-semetism is a defense of yellow journalism.Unlike the demogogic writers Hammoda and Mustafa Mahmood Layla pretends to speak as a scholor.The professor claims that the term antisemetism was invented by Jews to claim racial purity.This is false since the invention of this term is most likely a product of European racism,Jerman in the 19th century in particular.To give hate of the Jews another falvor a racist term dominte at that time was created to make the Jews as distinct.This may have served some elements in the Jewish communities.But this does not mean as the professor argue is purely a Jewish product.The Professor argues that Israel is inherently an aggressive and hostile nation because "Israel" as a name was chosen because it means one who wrestle with God and man and wins.Thus she argues that Jews want to perpetuate the idea of struggle and the eternal state of hostility so that the zionist leaders can control the masses.I will respond to her but I admit that Jews are more qualified to do so.But they(thier leaders who respond to such claims) unfortuantly act always like victims rather than educators.As Muslims we do not believe that Israel means one who wrestle with God and people and win.Israel or Jacob is a prophet.The professor claims that this meaning of Israel is in the old Testement(the Christain name of the Torah).However,this is only her interpretation and there is no explicit mentioning that Israel means so.If this professor's students who are the future scholors of Hebrew and Jewish studies accept her views then they will act with hostility to Jews and this will force the Jews to act as if they are realy in struggle for survival.People who read a "professor of Hebrew studies at the Unversity of Ain Shams in her article will be fooled and may perpetute more bias toward the Jews at a time when one expect a university professor to act with academic integrity at the least.Egyptians made a peace treaty with Israel and they must take the lead in eliminating misudertanding rather than systemeticly diong the opposite for why there is a peace treaty in the first place.The Jews did live in struggle in thier history and as a specialist of Jewish studies she should enlighten her readers rather than saying European anti-semetism in the Middle ages was because of Jewish conspiracies and blackmailing and thier refuse to mix with non-jewis .If Europeans are apologizing under the facts,not Jewish world domination why should Muslims regress and borrow thier hate?.The Jews fought for thier right not to worship the Roman emperor,not to be conscripted,not to worship roman idols,to have thier religious celebrations respected,etc and they won to some extent.They did not act as slaves giving up thier rights and the world to some extent who today talk about rights of groups must not forget the Jewish struggle.Why a professor who knows a lot about Jewish heritage makes this struggle an execuse to hate Jews???It is her hate and disrespect of freedom,cheap yellow journalism and this article is probably from her college notes which also probably are for sale,since it is customary practice for Egyptian professors to sell thier notes due to budgetery diet.The Jews struggle to worship one God against pagan attempts to force them to worship many Gods is a struggle that belong to humanity.The Alexendarians,for example, told the Jews if you do not worship our idols then you are not equal or you must just leave.The Jews struggled and again this struggle is to be respected.The professor has the right to argue that this struggle was not totaly for noble reasons provided .But she has no right to deny any noble motivation for this is antisemetism.Antisemetism is widely used and more important is what is associated and context .For example,many Arabs think "IRHAB"is the wrong translation of terrorism.Yet they use it.Many or most Jews aware that not all semites are jews as well as not all Jews are semites do prefere anti-judism to anti-semetism.The professor gives a long lecture that Arabs are semites(Arabs are mixed) and thus Adil Hammoda is not guilty of anti-semetism.Look to what base Adil Hammoda is graping academics.If Adil Hammoda's pen is dirty of antisemetism or anti-judism or whatever why follow a demogogic writer who realy speaks in the name of Middle ages anti-Judism and the remains of European antisemetism which being exported to us.The professor falls in the trap of treating Judism as anti-peace and evil and aggressive.This is unIslamic.Judism today is not the same as Judism yesterday,is not the same as Judism tommorrow.As Muslims we must act according to Islamic call for dailogue and contribute inderectly to a return of Judism to its origin,Judism of peace and coexistence.We should not be the instruemts for leading judism to our bias perceptions.