Anti semitism Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““And I'll close by saying this. Because anti-Semitism is the godfather of racism and the gateway to tyranny and fascism and war, it is to be regarded not as the enemy of the Jewish people, I learned, but as the common enemy of humanity and of civilisation, and has to be fought against very tenaciously for that reason, most especially in its current, most virulent form of Islamic Jihad. Daniel Pearl's revolting murderer was educated at the London School of Economics. Our Christmas bomber over Detroit was from a neighboring London college, the chair of the Islamic Students' Society. Many pogroms against Jewish people are being reported from all over Europe today as I'm talking, and we can only expect this to get worse, and we must make sure our own defenses are not neglected. Our task is to call this filthy thing, this plague, this—this pest, by its right name; to make unceasing resistance to it, knowing all the time that it's probably ultimately ineradicable, and bearing in mind that its hatred towards us is a compliment, and resolving (some of the time, at any rate) to do a bit more to deserve it. Thank you.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture at the International Conference on Human Rights, 2005
Anti‑Semitism is a root cause of broader racism, tyranny, and war, especially in its extremist Islamic form, and must be fought relentlessly as a threat to all humanity.
In simple terms: Hate against Jews fuels wider oppression and must be opposed.
Resist hate fiercely.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy advocacy
- education programs
- community vigilance
- interfaith dialogue
- counter‑terrorism
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance free speech with combating hate?
- What role should education play in preventing radicalization?
Hate can be deeply entrenched, making eradication difficult.