Anti-Semitic to the core
The Gospel according to Gibson
By Gene Clancy
Despite repeated protestations to the
contrary, there is no question that Mel Gibson's movie "The
Passion of the Christ" is anti-Semitic.
Ruling classes continually utilize religious bigotry to
divide and weaken the solidarity of workers and oppressed
people. It certainly goes along with racism, sexism and bigotry
against lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.
During the Middle Ages and the Renais sance, Passion Plays
containing almost exactly the same content as Mel Gibson's
film, demonizing Jewish people for the crucifixion of Jesus,
were regularly performed in Europe. They were often followed by
vicious pogroms--violent attacks on Jewish communities--carried
out with the blessings of both church and state.
In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain persecuted and
expelled both Jews and Muslims from their kingdom. Both were
considered to be Infidels against whom the Crusades were
launched throughout the Middle Ages.
Legalized discrimination against Jews continued in the
United States until well after World War II. It was
particularly aimed at those thought to be connected with the
international socialist movement.
More recently, however, Muslims have borne the brunt of
religious intolerance, seen especially in the form of racist
profiling in the so-called war on terror.
The attack dogs of this intolerance have been the same
Christian religious right wing that endorses and supports
Gibson's movie.
Gibson and a host of right-wing supporters have adamantly
denied that "The Passion" is anti-Semitic. Most objective
reviewers disagree.
A week before the U.S. release of the controversial movie,
in a telephone interview with New York WSNR radio talk host
Steven Feuerstein, Gibson's father ranted about Jewish
conspiracies to take over the world and denied that the
Holocaust ever happened. "It's all--maybe not all fiction--but
most of it is," Hutton Gibson said.
In an interview with Reader's Digest, Mel Gibson said he
would not hear any criticism of his father's controversial
comments. "My dad taught me my faith and I believe what he
taught me. The man never lied to me in his life."
(ananova.com)
Both father and son describe themselves as "traditionalist"
Catholics who disagree with the decisions made by the Vatican
II Council of the 1960s that tried to eliminate some of the
more anti-Semitic aspects of Church doctrine at the time by
"absolving" Jewish people of the death of Jesus.
John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus of Religious
Studies at DePaul University and author of "Who Killed Jesus?
Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the
Death of Jesus," wrote that Gibson was so sensitive to negative
criticism of his film that those admitted to screenings before
its opening were required to sign "confidentiality agreements"
which only allowed "supportive" statements about the film to be
released to media.
When is a movie not just a movie? When it is marketed
virtually around the clock by the media for a solid two weeks
before its opening. When it becomes the topic of seemingly
endless reviews, editorials, talk show interviews and
front-page headlines. When it reaches down into discussions in
practically every workplace, school and public institution.
When it is strongly backed by individuals and groups who want
to push their clear political and social agendas into the
public arena.
"The Passion," purporting to depict Christ's last 12 hours,
has all of these elements, and more.
A primary goal of the film, as with most Hollywood output,
is to make money. It has succeeded--$117.5 million during the
first five days alone. Even before the film's release, a myriad
of promotional items were for sale: bobble-head Jesus dolls, a
Jesus action figure, and even plated nails to be worn as
pendants.
The film was marketed heavily to fundamentalist Christian
churches and organ i zations. Whole theaters were rented by
various church groups. Over $8 million in advance sales were
recorded. One Midwestern church took an entire middle school,
aged 12-14, to see the film, even though it was rated R.
But the desire to make a quick profit is apparently not the
only motive of Gibson and his right-wing supporters. Gibson has
said he created the film to advance his own personal religious
beliefs. Many evangelical pastors have openly expressed the
belief that the film will lead to a "religious reawakening" in
the U.S.
Religion, art and history
Mel Gibson stated that his film followed the Gospels of the
Christian New Testament very closely and that it was a
"realistic" portrayal of the trial and execution of Jesus.
(O'Reilly Factor, Feb. 24)
Fundamentalist Christians often assert that they follow the
Bible "literally." A closer examination reveals that this is
not true.
Some of the characters included in the film are real
historical figures, including Pontius Pilate, the Roman
governor of Palestine at the time the action is supposed to
take place, and the Jewish High Priest, Caiaphas, Jesus's
nemesis in the film.
In the film though, and some of the Gos pels, Jesus is
arrested and taken to a midnight trial in front of Caiaphas and
the San hedrin, or high council of priests. After being
condemned there, he is taken before Pilate, who, under pressure
from the priests and a screaming, chanting Jewish mob,
"reluctantly" agrees to have him crucified.
The events portrayed violate every known practice of both
Jewish and Roman law at the time. Gibson's film portrays Pon
tius Pilate as a humane, conflicted bureaucrat struggling to do
his job while the Jesus-hating Jewish crowd outside continues
to chant in Aramaic, "Crucify him! His blood be upon us and our
children." Faced with outrage from those who saw early versions
of the film, Gibson claimed he had removed that last line. But
when the film was released, he had only removed the English
subtitle.
The film is being especially criticized for its sadistic,
bloody and unrelenting focus on Jesus's suffering under extreme
violence and torture, which heightens rage against the role of
the Jewish priests.
In fact, the Romans appointed and deposed the Jewish high
priests with a regularity designed to ensure their
collaboration. Pilate was a cruel tyrannical despot who was
twice recalled to Rome and censured for arbitrary cruelty and
slaughter by the Emperor Tiberias, himself not known for
leniency.
Somewhat incredibly, Mel Gibson admits that he knew about
Pilate's true character when he made the movie. (O'Reilly
Factor, Feb. 24)
Today, progressive criticism of the U.S-backed Israeli
settler state, or support for the Palestinian struggle, is
labeled as "anti-Semitism" by most of the U.S. ruling class
establishment. Yet "The Passion," a vehicle for virulent
anti-Semitism and religious bigotry, is being heavily and
widely promoted.
Reprinted from the March 18, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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