April 5th 2012, Vienna
Appreciated friends and collegues,
Aileen Derieg, Lina
Dokuzović, Marcelo Expósito, Therese Kaufmann, Raimund Minichbauer, Radostina
Patulova and Gerald Raunig as well as Jens Kastner and Tom Waibel!
I am a person who butts
into a conversation when stupid things are said about Jews at the greengrocery.
And I disrupt anti-Semites – wherever I can and by all means available.
Anti-Semites are not concerned with discussions, but with agitation and this
with demagogic purpose. Every debate with them is futile, because their hatred
is passionate and devoid of all reason; their claims are absurd and immune to
arguments. And even though I am convinced that these people are not to be the
problem of Jews, but that of many others, I do not tolerate any form of anti-Semitism. Period. For means of self-protection and because I want to contribute to letting anti-Semites feel that they have enemies, strong and clever, who come with many friends, just as strong and clever. And if they still don't feel saturated by fabulating their endless conspiracy-theories, at least i want to be one of those that gently but firmly tucks them into their comfy little self-made beds, to let them feel the pleasure of their delusional constructions: shall they be haunted in their dreams by us, the conspirators of a resistance, that fight any kind of hostility towards Jews without compromise.
problem of Jews, but that of many others, I do not tolerate any form of anti-Semitism. Period. For means of self-protection and because I want to contribute to letting anti-Semites feel that they have enemies, strong and clever, who come with many friends, just as strong and clever. And if they still don't feel saturated by fabulating their endless conspiracy-theories, at least i want to be one of those that gently but firmly tucks them into their comfy little self-made beds, to let them feel the pleasure of their delusional constructions: shall they be haunted in their dreams by us, the conspirators of a resistance, that fight any kind of hostility towards Jews without compromise.
These days quite a bit of nonsense is produced in the
wake of the struggle against anti-Semitism which many a time trespasses the
border of endurability. For instance when political opponents are defamed as
"self-hating Jews" to undermine their positions or when philo-Semitic
children and grandchildren of perpetrators in their self-righteous over
identification think they have to deny Jews their critical word on Israel.
Without doubt there is plenty of appropriate critique concerning Israeli
politics and even some legitimate anti-Zionism – not only but mainly in
inner-jewish discourses. However, we have to get straight that anti-Semitism
appears in all sorts of shapes and that criticism on Israel as well as anti-Zionism
have grown to become political fields, in its diverse jumble anti-Semitic lamentation
is threatening to drown out the reasonable voices. Additionally you find the
lumbering protagonists, the sleepy dreamers, who have overslept the change from
modern to new anti-Semitism. They have no sense of shame nor reluctance to
crudely and bluntly share their delusionalconstructions. All
these different types of anti-Semites can be found not only in right extremist
parliamentary parties, Christian orders and Islamic brotherhoods, but also in
the left and in some of its related theoretical discourses. I consider myself
as one of the many parts of that diverse left, thus it concerns me. Therefore I do not want to leave
the field clear for anti-Semites and their apologists nor for those who
insinuate being reflective and progressive while seeing no necessity in positioning themselves towards the former.
Concrete occasion for the publication of this open
letter was the ignorance and belittlement of the anti-Semitic constructions by
the post-colonial theoretician Walter D. Mignolo in recent publications of some
friends and colleagues. To comment his absurdities in detail is not the purpose
of this letter, since his text "Dispensable and Bare Lives" is just
as easy to find in the internet as is the anti-Semitism within it, especially
when read from back to front. I rather want to pose a few questions to you – the
ones publishing Mignolo’s texts, while merely footnoting his anti-Semitism (as
in the introduction to Mignolo’s recently published book at "Turia und
Kant" with the title "Epistemischer Ungehorsam") or concealing
it altogether (as in the latest issue of the transversal web journal of the
European Institute For Progressive Cultural Policies). Since you were aware of the
anti-Semitic viewpoints of the author prior to your publications, as well as of
the conflicts that have taken place regarding that issue in your vicinity, I
assume that you have discussed extensively about the implications that this
will have for your work.
What were the reasons for your decision to disregard
Walter Mignolo’s anti-Semitism respectively reduce it to a footnote? Aren't you
afraid to do more harm to the Postcolonial Theories and Critiques than to be of
their benefit?
You seem to not take anti-Semitism as a political
categorie seriously. How come? Are you of the opinion that the theory
production of anti-Semites has to be regarded detached from their anti-Semitism?
In the light of the historical space in which you
publish, the question arises in how far you have dealt with the history and
meaning of belittling and ignoring anti-Semitism. Did you consider to which
local concepts and figures you relate to with your politics of active
concealment and belittlement?
I am aware of the difference between half a footnote
and NO footnote at all. However, I do not consider either of those as an
appropriate form to deal with anti-Semitism. Accordingly I await in curious
expectation your answers.
Best regards,
Edi Freudmann
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