GEOFF SIFRIN
The Jewish headstones were damaged at the historic Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in St Louis, at the same time as a wave of bomb threats against Jewish community centres across the country.
The Muslims were responding as a goodwill gesture to how Jewish organisations in the past few months had spoken out vehemently against US President Donald Trump’s orders against Muslim immigrants coming into the country.
One of the Muslim organisers, Tarek El-Messidi, told an Israeli paper: “You could say there is a silver lining in all the hate that is being directed against Jews and Muslims in America right now, in that it has brought the two communities together.”
Are they simply naïve, thinking the world’s purveyors of hate and prejudice can be countered by a few do-gooders getting together? Today, we live in the world of “America First” Donald Trump and other leaders who are bringing hatred back into public discourse in the guise of patriotism.
These people are not a new phenomenon – we have seen their type many times in history before.
The new wave of ultra-nationalists arising worldwide claim that they are acting to protect the identity of their own countries and cultures, which they feel are being overrun by foreigners. Last year tensions were stoked as the “Britain First” group held a “Christian patrol” in front of Muslims in the town of Luton through a busy high street, creating heated exchanges with Muslim shopkeepers and passersby.
In South Africa we are seeing a different but related kind of nationalism – the rising again of the xenophobia that flares up from time to time against Africans from other African countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Congo.
A recent article in the Huffington Post referred to a person called Mario Khumalo who has apparently registered a “South Africa First Party” with the Independent Electoral Commission.
He was quoted as saying: “We are not xenophobic but we work in the interest of South Africans. It is about national identity and pride. There is no nationality called African. You are either South African‚ Angolan or Ethiopian. My [identity document] states that I am a South African‚ not African.”
Another strange phenomenon of our times is the rise of people in white right-wing circles claiming there is a process of “white genocide” underway. South African singer Steve Hofmeyr is a purveyor of this view, and he is a strong Trump supporter.
The concept of the white populations in Europe and elsewhere being subjected to an onslaught of foreign refugees and immigrants, is one of the ideas that has factored into elections across Europe. Essentially the “political correctness” of the left has been replaced by the “patriotic correctness” of the right.
Will the Trump phenomenon and people of similar ilk run out of steam? The entrenched values of democracy and human rights which have been created in the Western world since the Second World War, cannot be brushed aside so easily.
A recent poll from NBC and the Wall Street Journal shows that Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 44 per cent, which is the lowest ever for a new US president so early in his tenure.
Hopefully, that trend will strengthen. Meanwhile, it is crucial that ordinary people do what they can to help the process. Such as what some Jews and Muslims in the United States are doing.
Read Geoff Sifrin’s regular columns on his blog sifrintakingissue.wordpress.com
Miriam
Mar 7, 2017 at 10:36 am
‘Please read Steve Apfel’s column in today’s issue of Arutz Sheva.’
Gary Selikow
Mar 9, 2017 at 4:33 pm
‘I see SAJR censored me again by not publishing my response to Siffriin’s nati-nationalist rantings.Siffrin can say what he wants but we cannot answer him freely
\nHello Gary, if you are referring to a letter to the print edition – many letters that are received do not get published. There are too many. If you are referring to this online edition, you would not have been ‘un-published’ – but merely edited down if you were out of line or law. It is possible that you did not get through our Code test to conform you were human and we never received it. Feel free to re-post. -MODERATOR‘
Gary Selikow
Mar 10, 2017 at 12:43 pm
‘Geoff Siffrin is becoming so predictable. His columns would make one think the only threats facing the world and the Jewish people are Donald Trump, BREXIT, European patriotism (especially British patriotism) , the Jews of Judea and Samaria and ‘righwing’ Zionists.
\nIn his last column (SAJR 3 March 2017) Siffrin takes a swipe at fed up working class British people fed up with Islamization and Islamic aggression in Britain.Sifrin claims ‘ ‘The new wave of ultra-nationalistsarising worldwide claim that they areacting to protect the identity of theirown countries and cultures, which theyfeel are being overrun by foreigners. Lastyear tensions were stoked as the “BritainFirst” group held a “Christian patrol” infront of Muslims in the town of Lutonthrough a busy high street, creating heatedexchanges with Muslim shopkeepers andpassersby’.
\nSorry, Gary, while, if true, these claims would indeed be newsworthy, we can’t publish this information. Without attribution, these are merely claims, and it would be irresponsible of us to allow you to say these things without offering evidence of their authenticity. If they are true, it is interesting and newsworthy. If you can’t prove them, it is hate speech. You are welcome to send the evidence to: online.editor@sajr.co.za for consideration
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\nSiffrin needs to try a different tune and at least least speak a word of condemnation of Islamic terror and Islamic radicalism which is the greatest thereat to the free world today
\nI oppose the leftist fashionable crusade against nationalism as “Nationalism” is simply the natural tendency to protect one’s identity, ethnicity and self-determination.
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Gary Selikow
Mar 12, 2017 at 1:51 pm
‘Please allow me to share this link which highlights a lot of the crimes and liberties taken by [some -Ed] immigrants in the UK
\nhttps://www.britainfirst.org/
\nI have a lot of respect for this organization’