jefff@cadovax.UUCP (Jeffery H. Fields) (01/04/85)
In a recent article, Joaquim Martillo claims that the Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu is an anti-Semite. He states: >Tutu cited the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles at the >temple in Jerusalem as a model for the racial separation in South >Africa. This is simply just disgusting bigoted racial antiSemitism from >the worst of the nineteenth century German critique of Judaism. Judaism Martillo goes on to explain that the wall of separation constitutes religious and racial tolerance instead of a model for apartheid. Because Tutu does not share this view, he is a disgusting anti-Semite. Whether or not the wall represents racial bigotry or sublime tolerance is irrelevant. Stating one's agreement with either view cannot be considered racist. Just because someone disagrees with another's views does not mean that that someone is a racist. It simply means that two people having two different views regarding an issue. To demonstrate Tutu is an anti-Semite requires corrobarating evidence. This would entail documenting any concrete actions Tutu has made to opress Jews. I would also be sufficient proof if it were documented that Tutu has made an *overtly* anti-Semitic statement at anytime. I challenge Martillo to come up with such sufficient proof. -- Jeff Fields {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!jefff Pax Vobiscum.
martillo@mit-athena.ARPA (Joaquim Martillo) (01/06/85)
I should like Jeff Fields to define what he considers anti-Semitic. If Joe McCarthy had claimed that Judaism had provided the model for Soviet Marxist practice, I suspect all the great liberals would have accused him of anti-Semitism. Now apartheid is an extremely reprehensible social system and Tutu claims Jewish practice of 2000 years ago provided the model for apartheid. Perhaps, I should not even have bothered to explain the Jewish practice; the claim that the practice of my ancestors of almost 2 millenia ago provides the model for a system started less than 2 centuries ago is simply moronic and reminds me of the right-wingers who consider the Jews guilty for communism, of the traditional Christian anti-semites who consider the Jews guilty as deicides, of the Sunni Muslims who consider the Jews guilty of murdering Muhammad (who died of old age) and who consider the Jews responsible for the Shia and of the Shiites who consider the Jews responsible for the martyrdom of `Ali. These seem to me all to be prima facie anti-Semitic beliefs (probably also secunda et tertia facie ad infinitum).
arnold@ucsfcgl.UUCP (Ken Arnold%CGL) (01/09/85)
If this discussion about Bishop Tutu's alleged anti-Semitism started with a verbatim transcript of what he actually said, it did not reach this site. Since I did not see his speech, could someone send me a transcript? If it did not get on the net, I would recommend a general posting, rather than mail, since it would enlighten those of us trying to reach some conclusions about this question. Ken Arnold