Why is Anti-Semite seen as anti Jew ?

[muffit]

Hi Ya,

Just been wondering why when people reffer to Anti- Semitism it is generally seen as if they reffering to Anti-Jewish sentiments. My understanding is that a Semite includes many more than the Jewish people, but I could be wrong ? I have had a look at google and this was the best definition of Semite I could find http://www.bartleby.com/65/se/Semite.html

Is this a correct definition ? If so can someone explain it's more common usage today, as I don't seem to understand.

[bemildred]

1. It is a conventional usage.

Nothing deeper there.

[Aidoneus]

2. just how it originated

I believe it was in the late 1800s that a collection of pseudo-political types from either Germany or Austria wanted some sort of smart-sounding scientific term to describe their Judenhass ("Jewhating", popular in modern times in its evolved form of "Muslimeenhass").

Of course, the same crew also hated the Arabs because they weren't white & Christian (though there weren't as many Arabs running around Europe at the time as there were Jews, thus it was mainly the latter that bore the brunt of the xenophobics), so "anti-semitism" fit for them, and history retains it for convenience of reference. The ideological inheritors of this line of thought are nowadays making up for lost time with regards to hating & killing the other "semites" that may have been left out previously, though it appears masked slightly on occasion.

[Lithos]

3. Answer and Locking

Aidoneus is correct in his statement. For a bit deeper look into the coinage of the term, Wilhelm Marr - a noted anti-semite - first used the term in 1873 as a way to try and create a euphemism for trying to spin the concept Judenhass (Jew hate) to the general public. .

The current meaning of Anti-Semitism still means Judenhass and is disconnected from the use of Semite to mean anyone descended from Shem (Arabs, Hebrews, etc.).

Google on the words "Wilhelm Marr" and "Anti-Semitism" or PM me if you need more information.

Now I am locking this as it is not based on a recent op-ed or news article.

Lithos
FA/NS Moderator
Democratic Underground