Source/Credit: The Orange County Register
By Benjamin J. Hubbard | December 16, 2010
Both Hanukkah, which just ended, and Christmas should remind us of the extent of religious persecution that still exists worldwide and what can be done about it.
Hanukkah commemorates the victory of second-century B.C. Jewish guerrillas, the Maccabees, over the Syrian Greek ruler Antiochus, who had forbidden the practice of Judaism and desecrated the Jerusalem temple. The Christmas story in St. Matthew's Gospel recounts how the Roman-appointed puppet king Herod ordered the slaughter of all male infants in Bethlehem lest one of them, Jesus, be recognized as King of Israel and a threat to Herod's rule.
From at least that time forward, religious persecution has been a tragic part of human history – early Christian martyrs, Jewish martyrs from every century, culminating in the Holocaust of a third of them by the Nazis, Muslim martyrs during the Crusades, Protestant and Catholic martyrs following the Reformation, Buddhist martyrs in Tibet under Chinese rule – to name just some of the worst episodes. Additionally, the Academy-Award winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" featured a reality-based opening scene in which a Hindu mob savaged a Muslim tent city, killing the mother of the film's hero.
Today, persecution of religious minorities continues, fueled by ignorance, propaganda (especially on the Internet), hatred and fear. It is especially prevalent in Muslim-majority countries. There, religious fanatics have drowned out the voices of moderation by appealing to the U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, sectarian conflicts within Islam itself, perverted religious justifications for armed conflict and deep resentment over the existence of the state of Israel.
The persecutions of Coptic Christians in Egypt; of Jews, Christians and members of the Baha'i faith in Iran; and of Christians and members of the Ahmadiyya sect in Pakistan, are especially tragic and shameful. In Baghdad on Oct. 31, a Catholic church was attacked by Muslim extremists during Mass causing some 50 deaths and at least 70 injuries.
In Europe, Jews have increasingly felt the brunt of Muslim-fueled anti-Semitism. In 2009, according to the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of anti-Semitism and Racism at Tel Aviv University, there were 1,129 such acts worldwide – five times as many as in 2001. A third occurred in the United Kingdom, 17 percent in France.
In this country, anti-Muslim sentiments have intensified after the announcement last spring of approval for the building of a Muslim community center and mosque in Manhattan, near Ground Zero. Several attacks on mosques have caused fear and damage but no fatalities.
What can a private citizen do to resist this hate? Letters and e-mails to members of Congress and to the State Department about atrocities like the one in the Baghdad do have an impact. Public rallies against religious and ethnic bigotry of all kinds are also an option. On Dec. 6, 1987, a huge rally in Washington, D.C., protesting the refusal of the Soviet Union to allow Jews to emigrate led to a significant policy reversal by Moscow.
Accurate information about the world's religions is invaluable in stemming ignorance and defamation, but many people still rely on biased Internet sources for information, especially about Islam. I recently received an e-mail apparently originating with comedian Jeff Foxworthy (it contained his photo). Though ostensibly humorous, it was filled with scurrilous anti-Muslim stereotypes that can catalyze bigotry. Such garbage should not be forwarded. There are also numerous anti-Semitic websites that should be countered where possible.
Christmas and Hanukkah signify hope and light. We must not let the darkness of hate have the last word.
Benjamin J. Hubbard is professor emeritus of comparative religion at Cal State Fullerton, co-author, "An Educator's Classroom Guide to America's Religious Beliefs and Practices."
Read original post here: A season to fight religious hate
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