City Culture – De Bhasar, Aurobindo Marg Culture by The Delhi Walla - June 8, 2012June 8, 20128 The philosophy of nonsense. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] ‘Israel we hate you.’ The Delhi Walla saw this calligraphy by an unknown Bhasarian artist in Aurobindo Marg, a road in south Delhi. It is depicted on the boundary wall of Hauz Khas Apartments. This is the fifth instance that I have come face-to-face with De Bhasar movement in Delhi. (Click here to view the first exhibit.) According to Wikipedia, De Bhasar or Bhasarism is a cultural movement that began in Nantes, France, during the post 9/11 Gulf War, reaching a tipping point between 2007 to 2009. The movement involves graphic designs and literature, which concentrates its anti-sentimental politics by rejecting aesthetic birth-control measures through anti-catholic works. De Bhasar might be regarded as pro-Berlusconi in nature. “This is a clear case of anti-Semitism,” says Tuvia Tenenbom, artistic director of the Jewish Theater of New York and the author of I Sleep in Hitler’s Room: An American Jew Visits Germany. “Anti-Semitism takes root when people substitute fearful fantasies for what they can’t nail down about Jewish identity,” he says on e-mail. “For this reason, artists, with their often fervid and disturbing imaginations, sometimes show the severest expressions of anti-Semitism. The exhibit from Delhi is one such example.” Since its creation in 1948, Israel, the world’s only Jewish-majority country, is absorbed in an existential conflict with its Arab neighbours, most of whom have never recognized its right to exist. Israel presently controls territories in the Middle East that were to be the state of Palestine. “It is permissible to hate Israeli government’s illegal occupation of Palestine. It is also permissible to hate Israel’s discrimination against its Arab citizens. But no sensible person can hate the Israeli people,” says Arab poet Fadwa Atrash, whose new poetry collection, Unfortunately, You Are Not Allowed To Feel At Home (translated into English by Iranian novelist Sadgeh Motazedi), is set to release this fall. A resident of Gaza, Ms Atrash has a reputation of being extremely critical of the policies of Israeli government – her first book had a foreword by the late Edward Said, the Jerusalem-born American intellectual known for his advocacy of Palestine. “The fact that the Indian state has killed thousands of innocent women and men in Kashmir should not make us hate India,” says Ms Atrash. “If we Arabs want peace in our lifetime, our governments should start by recognizing Israel as a sovereign nation. We cannot afford to hate Israel. The message from New Delhi does not help. It is deeply troubling.” 1. 2. 3. 4. FacebookX Related Related posts: City Culture – De Bhasar, Tolstoy Marg City Culture – De Bhasar, Archbishop Makarios Marg City Culture – De Bhasar, Barakhamba Road City Culture – De Bhasar, Oberoi Hotel Flyover City Culture – De Bhasar, Connaught Place
India is perhaps the least anti-semitic nation in the world. It has the distinction of being one of the very few nations that actually saw ZERO persecution of the Jews despite having a vibrant and historically significant population.
Israel is the root of all current Middle East problems. I’m not anti-semite, but I am anti-Israel for sure, especially due to the way it feels above international law!
And what about Iran, China, India, Pakistan, the US, France, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Hamas? A hatred directed in only one direction (against Israel, the Jewish state) is quite suspicious isn’t it? I thought that, in the Middle East, Syria and Assad were the main issues these days, not mentioning Iran that sends military support for the Syrian massacres and develops a friendly nuclear programm. Couldn’t we also say that Saudi Arabia, which spreads Wahhabi Islam all over is not only a source of Problems in the Middle East but also in the world? I’m sorry Eshan Mir but it is a sign of poor judgement and in this case of antisemitism to reduce “all problems” to a single cause, here Israel. The Israeli government and State are not white doves. They have to be held responsible for the abuses of power perpetrated in their name, but try to understand the world is more complex than that.
I would tend to agree with Mr Ehsan Mir Ali Jahan. Hatred, or at least, suspicion (for it’s really a question of degrees) of Israel is not anti-semitism but,rather, anti-zionism. And there are many jews who are anti-zionists, such as those friends of Mr Ahmadinejad. For my part, I am pretty much anti-anything that does not procure me aesthetic enjoyment.
Now that you know the difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, you should change the quotes of Mr. Tenenbom to “This is a clear case of anti-ZIONISM” and “…sometimes show the severest expressions of anti-ZIONISM.”
How timely! Here’s some disturbing news from Israel about suspected Jewish anti-Zionists: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=52753 Now I think you’ve GOT to change the quotes attributed to Mr. Tenenbom.
I think Tenenbom was quite right, Israel hatred and negating to Israel the right to exist (definition of anti-Zionism) can often be a modern incarnation of antisemitism. Hatred proceeds from passionate feelings and not from reasoning. Hating a country is thus profoundly irrational. The hatred and fantasies that surround the only Jewish country is often rooted in an ancient irrational hatred against the Jewish people (definition of antisemitism). It is acceptable to protest against, to oppose the policies of, to condemn a country but not to hate it.
You think “Tenenbom” was quite right? I think you mean ‘”Mayank” was quite right’! Like all other “De Bhasar” entries, this is a work of fiction mixed with actual people’s names.