Muslim Arabs often insist that they were never antisemitic; they only became hostile to Jews after the Zionists “stole Arab land.” Unlike in Europe, they claim, Jews in Arab lands were always well-treated; antisemitism in Arab countries was brought by the Europeans. Elder of Ziyon went back into history, to pluck out some examples of that Muslim antisemitism through the centuries.-He ends his list in 1870, after which, of course, there are many more examples of that hideous phenomenon. More about his list can be found here: “Mohammed and the 20th century,” Elder of Ziyon, April 28, 2025:
Every once in a while I stumble upon an article in Arabic like this one by Dr. Salem Katbi in Elaph:
Can antisemitism be considered a primarily European phenomenon that spread to the Arab and Islamic world through systematic mechanisms? Was historical coexistence between Jews and Arabs the norm before anti-Semitic ideas infiltrated Europe? A fundamental question arises here: What are the false narratives that have contributed to fueling hatred against the Jewish component in our region?
When we examine the historical landscape in depth, we find that antisemitism, in its organized and systematic sense, is indeed a European phenomenon that originated and developed on the Old Continent over centuries, before infiltrating the Arab and Islamic world during the twentieth century.
Perhaps what confirms this fact is that the relationship between Jews and Arab and Islamic societies was characterized by relative coexistence for long periods, and that organized hatred against Jews was not an integral part of our cultural and social fabric.
This is a myth that Arabs and Muslims like to tell themselves and the world. It is not true.
I have documented how the very word “Jew” was considered the worst insult any Arab could hurl at another pre-20th century.
But there were also quite a few major physical attacks on Jews as Jews in the Arab and Muslim worlds throughout the centuries. (This list was generated by AI.)
- 7th Century: Jizya and Dhimmi Status Imposed
- Description: Following the Muslim conquests, Jews in newly conquered territories (e.g., Egypt, Syria, Iraq) were designated as dhimmis (“protected” non-Muslims) under the Pact of Umar. They were required to pay the jizya tax, often in humiliating public ceremonies, and faced restrictions on building synagogues, bearing arms, or holding public office. In some cases, Jews were forced to wear distinguishing badges or clothing (e.g., yellow badges in 9th-century Baghdad under Caliph al-Mutawakkil).
- Context: Dhimmi status offered relative security compared to Christian Europe’s pogroms, but it institutionalized inferiority. Non-compliance could lead to persecution or violence. The yellow badge precedent in Baghdad was later echoed in medieval Europe and Nazi Germany.
- Location: Across the Arab world (e.g., Iraq, Egypt, Syria).
- 8th Century: Massacres in Morocco
- Description: Under Muslim ruler Idris I, entire Jewish communities in Morocco were wiped out, particularly in the early 8th century. Specific details are sparse, but these acts were part of consolidating power in newly conquered territories.
- Context: These massacres reflect the volatility of Jewish life under early Islamic rule, where local rulers’ policies could shift from tolerance to violence based on political needs.
- Location: Morocco.
- 1014, 1293–4, 1301–2: Decrees to Destroy Synagogues
- Description: Rulers in Egypt and Syria issued decrees ordering the destruction of synagogues, violating the dhimmi protections outlined in Islamic law. These acts were often justified by claims that Jews had built new synagogues, which was forbidden under certain interpretations of Islamic law.
- Context: Such decrees were sporadic but disrupted Jewish communal life and signaled the precariousness of their status.
- Location: Egypt, Syria.
- 1033: Fez Massacre (Morocco)
- Description: A Muslim mob attacked the Jewish quarter in Fez, killing an estimated 6,000 Jews. The violence was sparked by tensions over Jewish influence or perceived violations of dhimmi restrictions.
- Context: This massacre is one of the earliest large-scale pogroms in the Arab world, contradicting claims of uninterrupted coexistence. It highlights how economic or political tensions could escalate into violence.
- Location: Fez, Morocco.
- 1066: Granada Massacre (Spain under Muslim Rule)
- Description: On December 30, 1066, an Arab mob in Granada crucified Joseph HaNagid, a Jewish vizier, and massacred the Jewish quarter, killing approximately 5,000 Jews. The attack was fueled by resentment over HaNagid’s high position and perceived Jewish influence.
- Context: While Muslim-ruled Spain (Al-Andalus) is often cited as a “Golden Age” for Jews, this event underscores that tolerance was conditional and could give way to violent backlash when Jews were seen as too prominent.
- Location: Granada, Al-Andalus (modern Spain).
Elder of Ziyon’s list continues through 1870, and we could continue it further, bringing it up to date with such atrocities as the murder of the Jews in Hebron in 1929, the Farhud in Baghdad in June 1-2, 1941, the rape, torture, mutilation, and murder of 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023, being the best-known examples. In the 20th century, Jews in Arab lands were subject to increasing persecution and pogroms after the state of Israel was declared, and 850,000 Jews ended up leaving many Arab countries — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon — most of them for the safety of Israel, but some also went to Europe (especially France), and North America.
SKA says
Yes. By all means! Blame the Jews themselves for causing anti-Semitism by being the objects of anti-Semitism. Or blame the Europeans. But never, ever blame the Arabs and other Muslims for anything. Because they consider themselves to have victimhood status which absolves them of any responsibility for anything that goes wrong in their world.
Statler says
Some people tend to forget that Arabs are semites themselves, so ‘stricto sensu’ (are you with me, Mr. Fitzgerald?) an Arab can be antisemitic, but then he would be against himself. However, the meaning of the word has changed in ‘anti-Jewish’, as a result of the Shoah. And that is spot on, witness the great mufti of Jerusalem, Amin Al-Husseini. Plus, let’s face it, there are many, many, many mohamedans who are not Arabic.
Statler says
And that’s ‘lato sensu’, Mr. Fitzgerald!
Luchtpint says
This has nothing to do with Arabs being “Semites” in a so-called ethnic sense, making a claim of being a unified race of people in alleged concert or some kind of kindred spirit with Jewish people. That is disingeneous rhetoric of muslims trying to pander to Western multiculturalism, in order to put up a smokescreen and deflect all criticism of their anti-Judaism by playing the victim card when their ideology comes under question. The word Antisemitism is designated solely to anti-Judaism (for want of a better word), historically it has no other meaning, like you say. (from the nineteenth century onwards)
The word “Semitic” was originally coined by German orientalist August Ludwig von Schlözer in 1781 to designate the Semitic group of languages—Aramaic, Arabic, Hebrew and others. (Tigrinya and Amharic in Ethiopia, among others in the region). Thus, “Semitic” used to be a categorization of a lanuage group that was characterized by common traits. (just like for instance Germanic, Romance, Slavic languages or even the wider category of Indo-European languages.
Don Giovanni says
Bels?
dumbledoresarmy says
Andrew Bostom’s “Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism” is an encyclopaedic discussion of Muslim oppression, abuse, and outright mass murder of Jews… from the very beginnings of Islam (e.g. Mohammed endorsed the assassination of an elderly Jewish poet who had criticised Islam and Muslims; and there is, of course, the violent assault on the Khaybar Oasis, the torture-murder of Kinana of Khaybar, and Mohammed’s rape – the same day of Kinana’s murder – of Kinana’s young wife, Safiyya, who was then stuffed into Mohammed’s harem as his ‘wife’.. gained by murder and rape.)
Bat Yeor’s “The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians Under Islam” is a detailed discussion of the systematic, sacralised degradation, abuse and deliberate humiliation and exploitation of dhimmi communities. A dhimmi survived at the whim of the mohammedan mob and the mohammedan despots. AT any moment any ‘protection’ they had expensively bought by paying the exorbitant and impoverishing jizya punishment tax/ ‘protection money’ would suddenly evaporate. Muslims would routinely shriek the lie that this or that dhimmi had ‘violated the dhimma’ and then the mob would descend on the entire community to burn, rob, murder, torture and rape.
The story of Sol Hatuel is the story of a young Jewish girl in early 19th-century Morocco whose mohammedan ‘friend’ lied about her, claiming that Sol had converted to Islam. When Sol indignantly denied this… she was – forsooth- accused of ‘apostasy!!!’ Because the word of a Muslim trumps that of an infidel… so if Sol the Jewess said she had NOT converted to Islam, and the nasty little snake of a Muslima said that she *had*, the word of the Muslima snake had to be believed… which made Sol an ‘apostate from Islam’.. and she was, therefore, publicly beheaded.
It is stories like this that cause me to find Islam completely revolting, completely evil, a system that deserves to be viewed as one views, in micro, a psycho serial killer.
In France in the 21st century a mohammedan murdered a young Jewish man. They had been ‘friends’; i.e. the mohammedan had pretended friendship… After the murder the Muslim man was heard to say, ‘I have killed my Jew. I shall go to paradise”.
John Roy Carlson encountered a similar attitude or belief, when he was under cover in the middle east, in 1948. While ‘under cover’ within the Arab-Muslim controlled areas, he was mistaken for a Jew by an elderly Arab Muslim. (Carlson was of ethnic Armenian ancestry; he therefore could ‘look like a Jew’). When another Arab accompanying Carlson prevented the attack, explaining that ‘Carlson’ was a pro-Muslim Nazi-sympathising American (this being Carlson’s ‘cover identity’ that gave him an ‘in’ with the rabid jihadis who were waging war on nascent Israel and allowed him to observe and record their behaviour and attitudes) the old man was dreadfully disappointed because he believed that if he would get merit in Allah’s eyes if he killed a Jew.
Alkflaeda says
Mohammed’s breach of the treaty of Huddaybiyah, and the slaughter that followed, should be included in any list of examples of Islamic anti-Semitism. Muslims claim that there was treachery on the part of the Jewish Banu-Quraysh tribe – but, if this had been the case, then the tribe would have been at least somewhat on its guard against the possibility of discovery and retribution, whereas they seem to have been taken completely unawares.
I tried to add some context to the completely pro-Islamic account of this event on Wikipedia – my addition was immediately removed, because only the Islamic narrative is permitted on any contested issue of this kind.