Leila Ettachfini
"A third of Jews in the U.S. have “avoided publicly wearing, carrying, or displaying things that might help people identify” them as Jewish, according to a new poll. What kind of freedom is that?"
Vice, October 23, 2019
With the release of a recent poll, it was found that roughly a third of the American Jewish population avoids "publicly wearing, carrying, or displaying things that might help people identify" them as Jewish. The poll, released by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), along with the recent one-year anniversary of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, is the clearest exigence for this piece, as it primarily serves as a response to the new findings. Ettachfini, a Muslim, also details a personal anecdote regarding the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand to support her argument that while the government is primarily no longer involved in the oppression of minority religious groups, "anti-Semitic" and "islamophobic" sentiments in the U.S. have been on the rise, especially since the election of 2016. Despite the words of politicians that condemn international oppression of religious freedoms, the author claims that they do little to stop domestic de facto oppression and violence. Putting aside the historic questionability of the AJC and the ADL, Ettachfini still provides other pieces of hard, reliable evidence, mainly from current events and FBI databases. However, while the author is primarily concerned with minority religious groups, she fails to acknowledge the rising negative sentiments towards more dominant religious groups in America. In addition, she pulls evidence from groups that have actively worked to condemn Christian churches, organizations, and political parties internationally without addressing the fact. It is reasonable, however, to suggest a simple lack of knowledge, and so the benefit of the doubt is fairly given. As such, Ettachfini provides a brief yet still complete argument that effectively combines reason and emotion.
With the release of a recent poll, it was found that roughly a third of the American Jewish population avoids "publicly wearing, carrying, or displaying things that might help people identify" them as Jewish. The poll, released by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), along with the recent one-year anniversary of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, is the clearest exigence for this piece, as it primarily serves as a response to the new findings. Ettachfini, a Muslim, also details a personal anecdote regarding the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand to support her argument that while the government is primarily no longer involved in the oppression of minority religious groups, "anti-Semitic" and "islamophobic" sentiments in the U.S. have been on the rise, especially since the election of 2016. Despite the words of politicians that condemn international oppression of religious freedoms, the author claims that they do little to stop domestic de facto oppression and violence. Putting aside the historic questionability of the AJC and the ADL, Ettachfini still provides other pieces of hard, reliable evidence, mainly from current events and FBI databases. However, while the author is primarily concerned with minority religious groups, she fails to acknowledge the rising negative sentiments towards more dominant religious groups in America. In addition, she pulls evidence from groups that have actively worked to condemn Christian churches, organizations, and political parties internationally without addressing the fact. It is reasonable, however, to suggest a simple lack of knowledge, and so the benefit of the doubt is fairly given. As such, Ettachfini provides a brief yet still complete argument that effectively combines reason and emotion.
I'm not sure how much credibility one can give the AJC considering their negative and suspicious history regarding the Holocaust, the creation of Israel, and the Six-Day War. Similarly, the ADL is perhaps even more suspicious considering the fact that its creation was an attempt to cover up a rape scandal involving the founder. Both groups also have established themselves as firmly biased, as Jews and (sometimes) Muslims seem to be excessively victimized by them--especially in the American context--while they remain mostly silent on the Palestine and the international Christian community. The developments that the author is concerned about are warranted, and they indeed should be watched closely, but the article would have been much more thorough (and extensive) if the author had included more acknowledgement of the flaws in her evidence and other religious groups.
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