Saturday, October 10, 2009

Anti-semitism

When I was in high school during the 1960s, I became very concerned about the role of the Catholic Church in the face of the Holocaust. Though the play “The Deputy” might have overstated the case, I believed that the Church and failed to be a prophetic voice – sometimes for the sake of preserving its “rights.” There were courageous voices like the bishops of Holland. Even though Fr. Titus Brandsma and Saint Edith Stein were among those arrested and killed after the Dutch bishops spoke up in 1942, I saw these as witnesses to truth and justice.

Later in the 1960s I came across the book by Gordon Zahn, In Solitary Witness, which told the story of Franz Jägerstätter, the Austrian peasant who refused to serve in Hitler’s army. It was a great joy when I heard that Franz was beatified last year.

I was edified when I read of the members of the White Rose, mostly young Lutherans and Catholics from Bavaria, who sent out thousands of leaflets opposing Hitler and were executed fro their efforts. The film, Sophie Scholl, is a small tribute to one of the leaders.

And then, when I read Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed, the story of the Reformed Church pastor, André Trocmé, and the efforts of the French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, to rescue Jews in France, I found an example of committed Christians, risking their lives to save others.

Thus I find anti-Semitism an abomination.

Therefore, I am very disturbed at the statements of the director of Radio Globo, a radio station supporting the Resistance. He later apologized for his statements on the Holocaust, but that is far too little.

There have also been reports that President Zelaya made anti-Jewish quotes, but – as far as I can ascertain – his remarks were against what he thought was support of Israelis of the attacks on the Brazilian embassy. It is sad that critiques of Israel and Israelis are so often interpreted as being anti-Semitic.

In a letter Zelaya noted that his cabinet included several prominent Jewish members. In addition, Jaime Rosenthal, editor of El Tiempo, a prominent member of the small Honduran Jewish community, and a very rich member of the Honduran elite, has recently written an article against the coup.

But there is danger of another anti-Semitism. Many of the rich who have supported the coup are descendants of Palestinian and other Middle Eastern Christians, many of whom fled the Ottoman empire in the early twentieth century. They have become a major power base in the country, not only economically and politically, but also in terms of control of most of the major newspapers. Many here call them “turcos,” Turks, even though they are not. Some here consider them not to have assimilated into the Honduran society but to have constituted themselves into an elite. My fear is that an anti-Arab anti-Semitism might arise and I have heard some rather forceful criticism of the “turcos” who are called not real Hondurans.

These are just a few of the divisions that are become ever more entrenched in Honduras.

Therefore, no matter how the current crisis is resolved a real effort will have to be made in Honduras to create an environment of reconciliation. But it must be a reconciliation that does not sweep under the rug the real injustices and the incredible inequality in the country.

Love must be based in truth, as Pope Benedict XVI, notes in his latest encyclical. “Without truth, charity degenerates into sentimentality.” (¶ 4) Thus the truth of structural injustice must be addressed to bring about a new Honduras.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post, Brother John.

I am frankly less disturbed by the anti-Semitism expressed by David Romero, which is the outburst of one man under extreme stress, than I am with the fragmentation of Honduran society, including the anti-turco propaganda that you mention, but also the selective repression of the Garifuna, the hateful statements against the "beggars" (or whatever it was that Micheletti said), the extreme maltreatment of women by the police... these are scars that will last.

The right has desperately tried to politicize anti-Semitism. The deliberate confusion of dissent with Israeli policy with anti-Semitism is a game that has gone on too long. Repression of criticism of Israel has the effect of increasing, not decreasing anti-Semitism.

The media could do everyone a favor by investigating and either confirming or disproving the use of Israeli mercenaries for training Honduran troops; if Israeli, are they there at the behest of the government or, like mercenaries of all nationalities, just earning a buck. Unfortunately, I have seen very little original reporting on Honduras except from citizen journalists.

--Charles

John (Juancito) Donaghy said...

One thing I have noted in my time in Honduras (2.3 years) is the presence of racism and classism. The racism was revealed to me by a young woman English prof here, whose removal from the faculty of a local university is probably a case of classic sexism (and thought control).

The recognition of classism came early in my time here when a local businessman and university prof complained that most of the priests in the diocese were from the countryside and didn't understand professionals. I also noted this when a prof I knew started calling me "Doctor" when he learned I had a Ph.D. (I quickly disabused him of that practice.)

And then there is the case of the former congressman who is now a very high official in the coup regime who called his opponents "gente de la monte" - "hillbillies".

Any "reconciliation" and "dialogue" must face these issues of deep divisions in the society. I hope that some groups will be able to do something on this. Catholic Relief Services, together with local groups, has worked on this in Chalatenango, El Salvador, as well as in Colombia and in Rwanda. I hope they'll be able to do something here in Honduras that will help build a reconciliation based in truth and justice.