Christopher Owens2020 is a strange time to be an anti-racist. 

 

Causes that you would normally support without blinking turn out to be fuelled by divisive post-modernist thinking which has the potential to sleepwalk us back into segregation, while people who have seemingly impeccable credentials for fighting injustice are labelled anti-Semitic, seemingly for criticising Israel.

The controversy surrounding what constitutes anti-Semitism is a long running one. It has the ability to derail political careers while also divide broad movements. Clearly, this is a deeply divisive issue, especially if one does not consider a particular statement to be anti-Semitic.

Based in north London, sociologist, author (and metal fan) Keith Kahn-Harris has been writing for many years about Jewish culture, identity and history as well as appearing on Sam Dunn's acclaimed Metal Evolution documentary. With books like Uncivil War: The Israel Conflict in the Jewish Community, he is in a position to wrestle with the differing perceptions of anti-Semitism and explain to a bemused audience how this situation has come about.

By beginning the preface with the claim that this "...is an infuriating book, about an infuriating phenomenon produced by the most infuriating beings there are - human beings", the reader is assured that this will be an intricate book with detailed perspectives and a light hearted touch. Just what is required for a layperson like me.

An expansive book, which looks at some recent controversies in Britain and America, while also examining the history of Jews since 1945 and how, in Kahn-Harris' words, they have been a disappointment to the left, right and themselves respectively by failing to fulfill the criteria that all three sides places on them.

For example, the left find their support of Israel frustrating, while the right find their liberal tendencies frustrating, while Jews themselves find the myriad of opinions on everything frustrating.

In many ways, it's not too dissimilar from the "pet fenian" charge that has been levelled at the likes of Malachi O'Doherty, Sean O'Callaghan, Ruth Dudley Edwards and even our own Anthony McIntyre. Because they dare break out of their supposed "tribal position" and are often used by unionists as a kind of benchmark of what a nationalist should be like, due to their opposition to the Provos (although some of those commentators are guiltier of playing up to this trope than others). And this is also true with the way some republican commentators view the likes of Dawn Purvis and Sophie Long.

The end result of this, as Kahn-Harris points out, is that it becomes very easy to believe that you are in touch with the thinking of a particular community and so find it angering when someone from that community accuses you of (at best) condescension or (at worst) anti-Semitism/sectarianism. 

Ultimately, however, this fetishisation (or philosemitism as Kahn-Harris best puts it in the context of the Jewish community) not only leaves you blind to the many views of the entire community, but it also plays into the old tropes of there being "good Jews" and "bad Jews" (replace Jews with Catholic and Protestant, and you'll have the same effect).

Hence why, in Kahn-Harris' views, Jeremy Corbyn could be classed as "...like others on the left and within the pro-Palestinian movement..." having "...strayed into the zone of selective anti/semitism...I don't see his wanderings...as particularly remarkable or extraordinary..." but is keen to insist that selective anti-Semitism is not something to be easily dismissed, nor is conscious anti-Semitism something much more serious.

Very easy to consume, with a casual touch to the narration that bring warmth to such a complicated subject, Kahn-Harris achieves something special with Strange Hate: he is able to demonstrate how easy it is to fall into negative stereotyping without ever once thinking that you subscribe to hatred. Although not named here, one person I immediately thought of was American commentator Ben Shapiro, who is all too quick and happy to label others anti-Semitic, yet plays into anti-Semitic tropes like labelling the likes of Max Blumenthal a "...self-hating Jew...", referring to the "...convenient Judaism..." of Bernie Sanders and even describing the Arab-Israeli conflict as "...a war between darkness and light."

Unfortunately, the book is not without flaws. Kahn-Harris' spirited defence of multiculturalism as a natural process is very much in line with the likes of Kenan Malik. However, unlike Malik, Kahn-Harris does not seem to acknowledge that multiculturalism, as a political entity, has been a failure and has led directly to some of the deep rooted divisions that we are seeing play out in modern politics today.

As I wrote in my review of From Fatwa to Jihad:

With the Scarman Report concluding that "complex political, social and economic factors" created a "disposition towards violent protest" (while avoiding to blame the police), Margaret Thatcher began to off-load money into various ethnic and community projects ... Malik correctly points out that this effectively became a bribe to keep people off the streets from protesting, and led to the creation of a professional middle class among ethnic groups ... Coupled with the Labour controlled councils ... offering cultural self-development courses and what you ended up with was separation. Suddenly people, who had never thought of themselves being anything other than British, became 'ethnic' overnight ... It's a perfect example of how good intentions can link up with amoral methods to divide and conquer.

Later on, Kahn-Harris writes how a way:

... of containing conflict would be to reconceptualise anti-racist politics as the struggle for the right of minorities to be hateful. This would not be an anti-racism founded on any illusions about the lovability of the other - although it certainly would not exclude this possibility - but deliberately extend its practice to even the most loathsome. In some ways, this would be a paradoxical act of love: The fight for the freedom of the other to live without racist abuse should be a gesture that requires no reciprocity. 

Now, it's important to acknowledge that this is part of a wider piece which ties together various observations and strands of thought throughout the book. However, I think most people will read that paragraph and come to the same conclusion as me: that Kahn-Harris is advocating for freedom of speech. Yet, curiously, that particular phrase does not appear at all in this chapter. While I am aware that it has, shamefully, been allowed to be appropriated by the far right, I do find it strange that Kahn-Harris, in pointing out the diverse opinions, still leaves out this particular phrase.

Regardless, this is a fascinating, provocative and quotable read that asks questions of all of us and helps the reader understand how anti-Semitism can be easily weaponised by anyone, even unintentionally so. 

Keith Kahn-Harris, 2019, Strange Hate: Antisemitism, Racism and the Limits of Diversity. Repeater Books ISBN-13: 978-1912248438.

 ⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

Strange Hate

Christopher Owens2020 is a strange time to be an anti-racist. 

 

Causes that you would normally support without blinking turn out to be fuelled by divisive post-modernist thinking which has the potential to sleepwalk us back into segregation, while people who have seemingly impeccable credentials for fighting injustice are labelled anti-Semitic, seemingly for criticising Israel.

The controversy surrounding what constitutes anti-Semitism is a long running one. It has the ability to derail political careers while also divide broad movements. Clearly, this is a deeply divisive issue, especially if one does not consider a particular statement to be anti-Semitic.

Based in north London, sociologist, author (and metal fan) Keith Kahn-Harris has been writing for many years about Jewish culture, identity and history as well as appearing on Sam Dunn's acclaimed Metal Evolution documentary. With books like Uncivil War: The Israel Conflict in the Jewish Community, he is in a position to wrestle with the differing perceptions of anti-Semitism and explain to a bemused audience how this situation has come about.

By beginning the preface with the claim that this "...is an infuriating book, about an infuriating phenomenon produced by the most infuriating beings there are - human beings", the reader is assured that this will be an intricate book with detailed perspectives and a light hearted touch. Just what is required for a layperson like me.

An expansive book, which looks at some recent controversies in Britain and America, while also examining the history of Jews since 1945 and how, in Kahn-Harris' words, they have been a disappointment to the left, right and themselves respectively by failing to fulfill the criteria that all three sides places on them.

For example, the left find their support of Israel frustrating, while the right find their liberal tendencies frustrating, while Jews themselves find the myriad of opinions on everything frustrating.

In many ways, it's not too dissimilar from the "pet fenian" charge that has been levelled at the likes of Malachi O'Doherty, Sean O'Callaghan, Ruth Dudley Edwards and even our own Anthony McIntyre. Because they dare break out of their supposed "tribal position" and are often used by unionists as a kind of benchmark of what a nationalist should be like, due to their opposition to the Provos (although some of those commentators are guiltier of playing up to this trope than others). And this is also true with the way some republican commentators view the likes of Dawn Purvis and Sophie Long.

The end result of this, as Kahn-Harris points out, is that it becomes very easy to believe that you are in touch with the thinking of a particular community and so find it angering when someone from that community accuses you of (at best) condescension or (at worst) anti-Semitism/sectarianism. 

Ultimately, however, this fetishisation (or philosemitism as Kahn-Harris best puts it in the context of the Jewish community) not only leaves you blind to the many views of the entire community, but it also plays into the old tropes of there being "good Jews" and "bad Jews" (replace Jews with Catholic and Protestant, and you'll have the same effect).

Hence why, in Kahn-Harris' views, Jeremy Corbyn could be classed as "...like others on the left and within the pro-Palestinian movement..." having "...strayed into the zone of selective anti/semitism...I don't see his wanderings...as particularly remarkable or extraordinary..." but is keen to insist that selective anti-Semitism is not something to be easily dismissed, nor is conscious anti-Semitism something much more serious.

Very easy to consume, with a casual touch to the narration that bring warmth to such a complicated subject, Kahn-Harris achieves something special with Strange Hate: he is able to demonstrate how easy it is to fall into negative stereotyping without ever once thinking that you subscribe to hatred. Although not named here, one person I immediately thought of was American commentator Ben Shapiro, who is all too quick and happy to label others anti-Semitic, yet plays into anti-Semitic tropes like labelling the likes of Max Blumenthal a "...self-hating Jew...", referring to the "...convenient Judaism..." of Bernie Sanders and even describing the Arab-Israeli conflict as "...a war between darkness and light."

Unfortunately, the book is not without flaws. Kahn-Harris' spirited defence of multiculturalism as a natural process is very much in line with the likes of Kenan Malik. However, unlike Malik, Kahn-Harris does not seem to acknowledge that multiculturalism, as a political entity, has been a failure and has led directly to some of the deep rooted divisions that we are seeing play out in modern politics today.

As I wrote in my review of From Fatwa to Jihad:

With the Scarman Report concluding that "complex political, social and economic factors" created a "disposition towards violent protest" (while avoiding to blame the police), Margaret Thatcher began to off-load money into various ethnic and community projects ... Malik correctly points out that this effectively became a bribe to keep people off the streets from protesting, and led to the creation of a professional middle class among ethnic groups ... Coupled with the Labour controlled councils ... offering cultural self-development courses and what you ended up with was separation. Suddenly people, who had never thought of themselves being anything other than British, became 'ethnic' overnight ... It's a perfect example of how good intentions can link up with amoral methods to divide and conquer.

Later on, Kahn-Harris writes how a way:

... of containing conflict would be to reconceptualise anti-racist politics as the struggle for the right of minorities to be hateful. This would not be an anti-racism founded on any illusions about the lovability of the other - although it certainly would not exclude this possibility - but deliberately extend its practice to even the most loathsome. In some ways, this would be a paradoxical act of love: The fight for the freedom of the other to live without racist abuse should be a gesture that requires no reciprocity. 

Now, it's important to acknowledge that this is part of a wider piece which ties together various observations and strands of thought throughout the book. However, I think most people will read that paragraph and come to the same conclusion as me: that Kahn-Harris is advocating for freedom of speech. Yet, curiously, that particular phrase does not appear at all in this chapter. While I am aware that it has, shamefully, been allowed to be appropriated by the far right, I do find it strange that Kahn-Harris, in pointing out the diverse opinions, still leaves out this particular phrase.

Regardless, this is a fascinating, provocative and quotable read that asks questions of all of us and helps the reader understand how anti-Semitism can be easily weaponised by anyone, even unintentionally so. 

Keith Kahn-Harris, 2019, Strange Hate: Antisemitism, Racism and the Limits of Diversity. Repeater Books ISBN-13: 978-1912248438.

 ⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

3 comments:

  1. Christopher

    I have read this book and you do it justice in this review.

    I find that in refining racism (including antisemnitism) Keith Kah-Harris does much to reframe the long runnning controversy over antismemitism in the Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn and to take some of the heat and division of of this long running sore on the Left.

    I do not accepot that multiculturalism is a completely failed project (if it was ever conscioulsy defined as such) but, like Kahn-Harris I abgree that it is vital for progressives to accept racial or cultural minority groups and their individual mdembers as they really are not to romanticise or judge them according to some sort of ideal stereotype.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barry,

      thank you for the kind words. Appreciate it.

      I am one who certainly couldn't understand the Corbyn issue (and, truth be told, I genuinely believe that the IRA connections did far more damage) and so discovering the sheer diversity of opinion (and how this can be weaponised by some) has been a real eye opener. I've ordered another book of his ('Uncivil War') which supposedly looks at the divisions within the Jewish community in Britain. Looking forward to it.

      Re. multiculturalism, I would only describe the political end of it as a failure. Natural multiculturalism (which we partake in everyday) is very much alive and well. The vast majority of us recognise that it has aided us immensely in terms of making us much more cosmopolitan, and (in the case of the south of Ireland) creating a new type of Irishman. See, for example, the Irish drill scene. That would have been unthinkable ten-fifteen years ago.

      Delete
  2. Christopher

    I have just finished reading "Left Out. The Inside Story of Labour Under by Corbyn" by Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire. A forensic examination of the Corbyn Project and how it pderished. To cut a very long story short, it was impaled on the stake of Brexit and the failed cam;paign for a second referendum which divided Corbyn's parliamentary and in-house administrative loyalists. Corbyn's almost pathological aversion to taking decisions was another manjor factor.

    Labour's antisenitism problems arose with the importation of strident antizionism and association of Jewry with financial capitalism hitherto confined to the margins of the crank far left wiith the hundreds of thousands of new members and supporters into Labour who joined to support Jeremy Corbyn's two successful leadership election campaigns. This antizionism often strayed into outright antisemitism or Jew hatred as I have explinded in my TPQ articles on the subject. A more astute leader (perhaps John McDonnell) would have moved to stamp on it and avoid it becoming an issue on the doorsteps in GE 19. Corbyn proved unwilling or unable to do this because of , in the opinions of his detractors, his involvement with antisemites in the course of bhis long advocacy for Palestinian rights.

    I like your concept of natural multiculturalism; it is something which evolves over timde and is not a product of any type of socia,l engineering.

    ReplyDelete