Some of the comments are clearly from an idiot, and whilst I appreciate efforts to argue against them - they are a waste of time. Those kinds of people would probably have applauded the confiscation of paintings during the Holocaust - and claimed they were German 'cultural property'. [...] It's pretty clear cut that he's anti-Semitic, and I find it distasteful that anyone would try to justify his views - unless they themselves share them?In which case ["unless"] it is not something she would "find distasteful" (eh?).
Well, the subject of discussion was whether a synagogue restored in Cairo should be handed over to the miniscule Jewish community that let it fall down when they cannot look after the one they already have. I raised the point that emotional language was being used in what was essentially a discussion about the use of a disused building -a fairly common heritage management problem. Read the thread and the whole sequence of comments for yourselves and judge who is behaving like the idiot.
It would seem that bloggers who get their news from Jewish sites like the Elders of Zyon Blog might be getting a somewhat distorted view of things.
It is undeniable that many Egyptians both in the wider community as well as in government circles have a certain attitude towards the Israelis and Jews generally, something Ms Diva and her oh-so-"cosmopolitan" artefact collecting supporters would like to ignore. It is precisely for combatting such prejudices that the restoration of the built Jewish heritage is applauded by the rest of the international community - militant Jews excepted. While I understand that these attitudes exist in Egypt (and why), that does not mean I condone them or share them. Nor of course does it mean I would "probably applaud" the Holocaust, a suggestion I find more than "distasteful", it is downright offensive as it trivialises the Holocaust.
We will note though that PhDiva has not actually answered the heritage management question I posed. Like the rest of them she can only call people names. Now she has added "New comments are not allowed" at the bottom of the thread indicating that she has no intention of (or perhaps ability to) address those questions.
2 comments:
Paul, do not worry. I did erase Dorothy King (love the PhDiva) from my mailing list already years ago because of her extremely weird discussion etiquette.
Do continue the great job you are doing. It goes with the subject matter that you run into irrational attacks everty now and then. I have been there...
Ton
Oh, I am not "worried" Ton, but thanks. She is in good company with Peter ("I have a new Conspiracy Theory") Tompa, camp-follower Alfredo de la Fe and two anonymous posters engaging in superficiality, irrationality and name-calling. Typical of the milieu in general in fact.
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