|
|
EDITH SHAKED SE BAT CONTRE L'ANTISEMITISME
Envoyé par email
|
EDITH SHAKED SE BAT CONTRE L'ANTISEMITISME 28 octobre 2007, 10:29 |
Let's use cartoon incident to start dialogue on bigotry
Opinion by Edith Shaked
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.24.2007
When I first saw the Star's headline ("Daily Wildcat comic spurs protests, apology," Oct. 10), I told myself, "Well here we go again with another cycle of blunder, public apology and moving on."
I then read that a cartoon published in the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the University of Arizona's student newspaper, had been heavily criticized as being anti-Semitic — and for good cause, as I soon discovered. The caption under the cartoon read, "Attention all crappy tipping Jews!!! Just because you're 'screwing' the server . . . does not mean that it's a mitzvah." I was just speechless.
Let us be clear. The cartoon, with relevancy to Judaism, was explicitly inciting hatred of Jews by depicting them in this most negative manner. The cartoon presented the Jew, Mark Goldfarb, as a despicable cheater who is "screwing" the hardworking server, a presumed non-Jew. His small tip is portrayed as typical of uncaring treatment by all Jews, who should be seen as immoral and without compassion.
Thus, the cartoon perpetuates the Nazi stereotype portraying Jews as unpleasant creatures. Doesn't this create a hostile environment for the Jewish students on campus?
During the Hitler era, German public opinion was also poisoned by similar anti-Jewish cartoons. Nazi racist propaganda depicted the Jews in the most brutal and fiendish manner — as a "nation of cheaters" — fueling hate against them and helping to legitimize their persecution and murder. Thus, cartoons were a means to perpetuate Jewish stereotypes. It became a forceful and deadly propaganda tool.
This incident should be used as an educational opportunity to treat the main problem, which is bigotry. The Daily Wildcat should open a dialogue with the UA administration and the community at large. The participants should explore common learning opportunities and possible solutions to bigotry.
Questions that should be addressed include: How can freedom of speech be safeguarded while raising awareness about bigotry? How can an environment be created that fosters equal dignity and mutual respect among all members of the campus community? How can the university fulfill its obligation to ensure a welcoming educational environment to all its students without violating the First Amendment?
The best way to combat hate speech on campus is through education.
Teachers and administrators have a responsibility to provide for all students a safe environment that is conducive to learning. There is no clash between the constitutional right of free speech and equality.
I strongly suggest that the Wildcat staff voluntarily take a prejudice-reduction course such as the Holocaust course at both the UA and Pima Community College. There are more than 20 sessions per year, including online courses, with convenient times.
Indeed, the United States Military Academy at West Point and other schools make the Holocaust course a requirement. People do change, and at any age.
Positive lessons can be learned from this most unfortunate incident.
Write to Shaked at shaked@u.arizona.edu.
Pièces jointes:
Opinion by Edith Shaked
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.24.2007
When I first saw the Star's headline ("Daily Wildcat comic spurs protests, apology," Oct. 10), I told myself, "Well here we go again with another cycle of blunder, public apology and moving on."
I then read that a cartoon published in the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the University of Arizona's student newspaper, had been heavily criticized as being anti-Semitic — and for good cause, as I soon discovered. The caption under the cartoon read, "Attention all crappy tipping Jews!!! Just because you're 'screwing' the server . . . does not mean that it's a mitzvah." I was just speechless.
Let us be clear. The cartoon, with relevancy to Judaism, was explicitly inciting hatred of Jews by depicting them in this most negative manner. The cartoon presented the Jew, Mark Goldfarb, as a despicable cheater who is "screwing" the hardworking server, a presumed non-Jew. His small tip is portrayed as typical of uncaring treatment by all Jews, who should be seen as immoral and without compassion.
Thus, the cartoon perpetuates the Nazi stereotype portraying Jews as unpleasant creatures. Doesn't this create a hostile environment for the Jewish students on campus?
During the Hitler era, German public opinion was also poisoned by similar anti-Jewish cartoons. Nazi racist propaganda depicted the Jews in the most brutal and fiendish manner — as a "nation of cheaters" — fueling hate against them and helping to legitimize their persecution and murder. Thus, cartoons were a means to perpetuate Jewish stereotypes. It became a forceful and deadly propaganda tool.
This incident should be used as an educational opportunity to treat the main problem, which is bigotry. The Daily Wildcat should open a dialogue with the UA administration and the community at large. The participants should explore common learning opportunities and possible solutions to bigotry.
Questions that should be addressed include: How can freedom of speech be safeguarded while raising awareness about bigotry? How can an environment be created that fosters equal dignity and mutual respect among all members of the campus community? How can the university fulfill its obligation to ensure a welcoming educational environment to all its students without violating the First Amendment?
The best way to combat hate speech on campus is through education.
Teachers and administrators have a responsibility to provide for all students a safe environment that is conducive to learning. There is no clash between the constitutional right of free speech and equality.
I strongly suggest that the Wildcat staff voluntarily take a prejudice-reduction course such as the Holocaust course at both the UA and Pima Community College. There are more than 20 sessions per year, including online courses, with convenient times.
Indeed, the United States Military Academy at West Point and other schools make the Holocaust course a requirement. People do change, and at any age.
Positive lessons can be learned from this most unfortunate incident.
Write to Shaked at shaked@u.arizona.edu.
Pièces jointes:
Seuls les utilisateurs enregistrés peuvent poster des messages dans ce forum.
