Anti-Semitism - Comments

From LoveToKnow 1911

I am here only to express an opinion that keeps crossing my mind every time I watch the news and hear the often used term " anti-semitic or Anti-semitism ", of course, we live in a world which is plagued by hate, crime, bloodshed and meaningless cruelty of mankind to mankind. People hate one another because of religious, political, ethnic or sometimes even sports affiliations. What has Anti-semitism got to do with all this? Well, Its a term at the forefront of many issues relating to Judaism or the Jewish religion which we often hear or read in the media involving Middle East politics and related atrocities. I could never really understand the term linguistically, not as it appears in a dictionary but more in the real meaning of the word; what does the word Semitic really mean, now the way I understand it, Semitic people are the descendents of Sam according to classic religions, whom among others are predominantly people who inhabited the Arabian peninsula and the majority of what is now the Arab countries. The ancient Middle East being the cradle of all classic religions, the native population adopted those classic religion in one form or another and switched to and from one religion to another depending on the socio-political circumstances of the relevant era. During the 19th., 20th. and 21st. centuries emerged a new idea associating only people who practice Judaism as their religion with the Semitic race or being "the Semites" or people who exhibit physical characteristics that are predominant in The Arabian peninsula. I become confused when I watch the international news and I see news coverage of Israel's Knesset with most of its members being from Northern European stock whom can not be distinguished from Danes, Russians, Germans or other white race groups, how can we refer to people that are Northern European as semitic and we refer to their sworn enemies whom are really the true semites, as the term is categorized in anthroplogical circles, as Anti-semitic. Now I believe you can understand the roots of my confusion. What comes across is that all people practicing Judaism are Semites and yet the only people that exhibit Semitic physical characteristics are the only Jews whom can trace their origins to Arab countries. Logic says; if all Jews are Semites, then non Semites are not Jews, so how did the Europeans become Jews; specially when given the asssumption of racial purity of all Jews, whom can become Jews only if the mother is jewish.

Any suggestion that may set me straight. ??

F. Jerby