I normally steer clear of politics on this site as far as I can. That is not, after all, what this site is concerned with in the ordinary course of events. However, when an artist - in this case, an author - whose work has been reviewed on this site, and that author and his work become the subject of sustained smear campaigns and worse, then it is clearly every freedom-loving decent human being's duty to speak out. While we still have that precious freedom, that the very people who conduct these kinds of campaigns would so clearly and dearly like to take away from us. The author and work we are concerned with here is that unique seeker of truth, freedom and beauty, and jazz phenomenon, Gilad Atzmon, and his latest book, The Wandering Who? - A Study of Jewish Identity Politics. (Reviewed on this site last month.) The sustained campaigns of puerile smears, distortions and outright lies by the would-be neo-book burners started weeks ago and show no signs of abating.
Gilad Atzmon speaks about The Wandering Who?
Israel, Zionism Jewishness, Jewish identity politics, tribalism and so on.
A film by Tali Atzmon
Indeed, they already rang alarm bells for me, very loudly, when I wrote my review. They conjured up horrifying images of the Nazi book burnings of the last century in my mind. And it is well that we all should be greatly alarmed by these neo-book burners who would deprive us of our freedom to be informed, even if the information might not always be to our liking, and who thereby would also deprive us of our freedom of speech, of our freedom to discuss such, perhaps uncomfortable to some, works.
Yet, who actually are these people, these neo-book burners, who are threatening some of our most basic freedoms? One would, perhaps, expect them to be Aryan, WASP neo-Nazis or their ilk. But here is the perhaps most horrifying, alarming bit:
For the most part, the neo-book burners are people who would describe themselves as the 'People of the Book,' Zionists, Jewish anti-Zionists, the 'Jewish Left,' hasbara (propaganda) writers, ex-IDF (Israeli Defence Force) personnel, London's The JC (as the Jewish Chronicle likes to call itself these days), and their ilk.
Now, before anybody jumps out of their panties to call me an anti-semite, let me make it clear that, like Atzmon, I am an 'Equal Opportunities Hater' - I hate (and consequently, love) everybody equally.
Furthermore, let me make it absolutely clear here that I am freedom-loving, and, I hope, at least a half-decent human being, and that I can see no question about proudly proclaiming my fullest support for Gilad Atzmon and truth, freedom, and justice.
No freedom-loving individual could but stand shoulder to shoulder with Atzmon in the face of these vicious attacks against him, his book, and yes, freedom itself.
Gilad Atzmon speaks about The Wandering Who? Israel, Zionism Jewishness, Jewish identity politics, tribalism and so on. A film by Tali Atzmon
Yet, what exactly is it that these would-be neo-book burners and would-be robbers of our freedom are so terrified of? Could it perhaps, as usual with those who would deprive others of freedom, be truth?
You will have to make up your own mind of course. But the facts and circumstances speak for themselves.
Nobody could speak more eloquently on these hate campaigns against him, The Wandering Who? and those that support him than Atzmon himself. I therefore leave all the gory details to the author and an article he published on 29th September 2011 titled Are They Really ‘The People Of The Book’?, reproduced in full below with Atzmon's permission.
Again, let there be no doubt or misunderstanding that I, and this site, lend our fullest support to Gilad Atzmon. If this should make me too a target for his detractors, so be it. They may do their worst, but lo and behold, it will be like the proverbial water off a duck's backside.
In defence of truth and freedom!
© 2011 Rainlore's World of Music/Rainlore. All rights reserved.
Rainlore's World of Music is an equal opportunities hater web site.
NB:
Gilad Atzmon's The Wandering Who? - A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics is being launched within the framework of A Panel Discussion on 'Jewish Identity Politics' at Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA on Monday, 10th October from 7.30-9.30 pm. Rainlore's World of Music urges every freedom-lover to come and attend this event and support Gilad Atzmon.
Gilad Atzmon's The Wandering Who? - A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics is widely available since 30th September inc. on Amazon and Amazon UK.
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