Identity politics poses a totalitarian threat to the West

Anti-Semitism is fashionable again. As Bari Weiss points out in Inquirer (“Profound threat to civilisation”, 25-26/11), widespread anti-Semitism is a symptom of a larger malaise in society.

Across history, the main ideologies that have threatened Enlight enment values – communism, fascism and Nazism – can all be associated with discrimination towards Jews. These ideologies gave no room for dissent.

And today’s identity politics follows suit. Under the guise of social justice, identity politics poses a new threat from within to the hard-fought values of the Enlightenment.

It claims to promote inclusion but does just the opposite: it “cancels” anyone who does not fit its mould. Humanity as a whole and the individual are replaced by group categories (as if all within a group are the same), and some groups are more welcome than others. Victimhood is glorified, so minorities perceived as successful, such as Jews and Asians, or the “dominant” white males are not ranked highly.

Typical of dogmatic ideologies that discourage debate, identity politics disregards the nuances and complexities of society, including conflicts. Post-colonial theory divides the world between the colonial power and the colonised – the oppressor and the oppressed.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is seen within this narrative, with complete disregard to the fact Israel is a democracy, that it is not a colonial power and that Jews have a long-lasting connection to that land.

Even more concerning, postcolonial theory provides some justification and sympathy for the barbaric acts of radical Islam, another threat to Western civilisation.

This relatively new ideology has penetrated all sectors of society.

The education sector is of particular concern.

Younger generations have been indoctrinated by identity politics and do not see the development of Western civilisation in a good light. From primary school to university, the whole educational system focuses on victimhood instead of instilling pride and respect for the hard-fought rights enjoyed by all. Prominent historical figures, such as Winston Churchill, are reduced to the status of “dead white male”. Victorian students organised a strike to support Hamas, a terrorist organisation associated with radical Islam. The examples are too many to mention.

We need a shift. We need to praise our culture and achievements.

We need to expose the younger generations to the contrast between democratic and totalitarian regimes. We need to make them aware that, to preserve our freedom, we also need boundaries.

Hate speech, from either a religious or secular source, is a red light. We need to restore morality so they will be able to distinguish good from evil.

We need to move forward and let the light come in.

Suzana Lifschitz, Caulfield North, Vic

Chris Bowen’s comment that the only way for there to be a “safe and secure Israel” was for there to be a “safe and secure Palestine” reveals a surprising ignorance of the history and facts on the issue. This is exactly what Israel has fervently wished for from that day on Nov – ember 29, 1947, when the UN General Assembly voted for the partition of Palestine, proposing a plan that entailed dividing British Mandate Palestine into two states, one for Jews and the other for Arabs. (At that time the Arabs in Palestine were simply known as Arabs, not Palestinians.) But the Arabs rejected their state and have kept on rejecting on numerous significant occasions to set up a “safe and secure Palestine”. The Oslo Accords, offers by Israeli prime ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert giving the future state of Palestine 98 per cent of what they wanted, were rejected.

Bowen does not seem to understand that his solution is Israel’s solution but not that of the Palestinian leadership.

Dasia Black Gutman, Bellevue Hill, NSW

Our journalists and media could start being entirely objective by joining the rest of the world in widely publicising the illuminating speech last week to a full house at the UN by Mosab Hassan Yousef (titled Son of Hamas) whose father co-founded Hamas. The speech was highlighted by Chris Mitchell (“Social media fuels rise in anti- Semitism”, 27/11). Yousef spoke of his life as a child under Hamas, a speech so powerful and visceral it has the potential to change the world’s biases on the Middle East.

Kevin Begaud, Dee Why, NSW