Kierra Thompson
Ms. Sullivan/Mr. Miskimon
Research Paper
May 24, 2013
Youth Anti-Semitism Take a journey to the country of Iran where religion and cultural beliefs vary. In Iran, the people have vast majorities of differences in their philosophy. According to the Iranian government, ninety percent of Iranians are apart of the Shi’a branch of Islam, nine percent of Iranians are apart of the Sunni and Sufi branch of Islam, and the remaining minority chose non-religious groups such as Hindus, Jews, and Christians (Daniel Goldberg 1). The Iranian’s seem to have great hatred toward the Jews. The religious hatred and mistrust of the Jewish community is based on stereotypes and myths of the Iranian people. This disliking of one another has been around for many years and continues to get worse. Iran claims their disliking comes from the Jewish community betraying the Iranian leader, Muhammad. The Iranians believe the Jews deserve this kind of treatment, when in actuality it’s an essential foundation to the Islamic beliefs. This is said to be the concept of Anti-Semitism, which is prejudice, discrimination, and hatred of another religious group and its community. In this case, to be discussed is Anti-Semitism in relation with the Iranian community and their views, beliefs, and unjust treatment toward Jews. Also, discuss the youth of Iran and their judgment of Jewish people based on parental influences.
Today in the Middle East, the Iranian parental religious principles have an affect on their children’s beliefs regarding Anti-Semitism of the Jewish people. This concept and discusses the overall hatred of the Iranian people, towards the Jews in the Middle East thus the idea of Anti-Semitism/Religious discrimination. Anti-Semitism targets Jews individually or collectively as a group; it’s hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group (Webster Dictionary Anti-Semitism 1). Iran holds Jews responsible for all actions of the state of Israel. These types of accusations have been linked with Anti-Semitic violence. Anti-Semitism has taken a great toll in existing in many countries. This religious discrimination is when individuals receive unfair, unjust, or unsavory treatment to set apart from others. From the crusades to the Holocaust, individuals use religion as an excuse to explain their unjust violent acts. Millions of individuals have been killed because of their judgment about religious ideologically. For example, the September 11th attack, when Iraq attacked the United States. The terrorists used religion to defend their actions; individuals believe Iranians are capable of such horrific acts. Thus, religious discrimination is not something of the past but is still occurring to this day. Another example, in World War 1, Britain issued Balfour Declaration, which claimed Palestine was to be a national home to the Jewish community (Nonie Darwish 1). Britain’s thought was that they needed a sizable country to migrate the Jewish people out of Germany after the Holocaust. But, the Palestinians were first guaranteed the land, which they never received and it was given to the Jews. This created tension between both communities, because Jerusalem was a secret to Palestinians, now they could not worship in peace. The Palestinians felt their homeland was taken from them, and now they have to live in refugee camps. Iranians were unhappy about being ruled by foreigners, and they believed that the British favored Jews from outside Palestine at their expense. They disliked Britain's Balfour Declaration and its reference to them as "existing non-Jewish communities." And they disliked being referred to in the League of Nation's Mandate Agreement as "the other sections.” Iran’s frustrations produced attacks on Jews, which was an easier target than the British army, because the Iranians were weak.
In order for one to understand the Iranian religion you must understand their general principles and strong