The author William Hanna interviews Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi of ProMosaik e.V.
Hi all,
happy to publish the interview of the author William Hanna with Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi of our editorial team.
As you will read in the following, the matters were Israel, Palestine, justice, Zionism.
Happy to read your comments soon.
Shortly, ProMosaik e.V. will publish a book of articles of William Hanna entitled “The Tragedy of Palestinian Children”.
William Hanna is donating his share of the proceeds from
this book to ProMosaik e.V to help it with its work.
this book to ProMosaik e.V to help it with its work.
Thanks to William for his gift!!
Please read and share
Sarah Meyer
ProMosaik e.V.
William Hanna Interviews Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi
November 4, 2014
William Hanna:
I am going to pay you the
compliment of not asking any soft questions. So perhaps we can start
with some background information about yourself, when did you first
became aware of and involved with the Palestinian cause, and how did
ProMosaik get started?
compliment of not asking any soft questions. So perhaps we can start
with some background information about yourself, when did you first
became aware of and involved with the Palestinian cause, and how did
ProMosaik get started?
Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi:
ProMosaik got started
this year in January. When I started publishing the book that I had
written for over 20 years from a young age, I thought about doing
something for human rights and society. So in April 2014 I started
working for the association ProMosaik e.V. which sees itself as a portal
for the intercultural and interreligious dialogue. As indicated in our
“Manifesto” we stand for human rights, tolerance, intercultural empathy,
interreligious empathy, and multicultural society and peace and
justice.
this year in January. When I started publishing the book that I had
written for over 20 years from a young age, I thought about doing
something for human rights and society. So in April 2014 I started
working for the association ProMosaik e.V. which sees itself as a portal
for the intercultural and interreligious dialogue. As indicated in our
“Manifesto” we stand for human rights, tolerance, intercultural empathy,
interreligious empathy, and multicultural society and peace and
justice.
When the Gaza
invasion started in July 2014 I had just moved to Turkey with my
family, and I started writing articles and interviews about Gaza to show
people how contradictory Judaism and Zionism are. We published many
pictures, exchanged many messages with Jews around the world, and
understood that the way to end the tragic killing of so many children
was to make Jews aware of their natural anti-Zionist inclinations which
are more compatible with Judaism and Peace.
invasion started in July 2014 I had just moved to Turkey with my
family, and I started writing articles and interviews about Gaza to show
people how contradictory Judaism and Zionism are. We published many
pictures, exchanged many messages with Jews around the world, and
understood that the way to end the tragic killing of so many children
was to make Jews aware of their natural anti-Zionist inclinations which
are more compatible with Judaism and Peace.
William Hanna:
Though I am an atheist I
respect the fact that you are a believer, so can you please explain why
religious leaders — Christian, Islamic, and Judaic — have not only
continuously failed to practice the ethical tenets of their religions by
condemning crimes against humanity, but have also actually tolerated or
incited hate crimes either by direct action or by their silence? Why
for Example has that sanctimonious hypocrite the Pope remained silent
throughout the recent Israeli atrocities in Gaza? When are Sunni and
Shiite Islamic clerics going to stop fighting each other and instead
unite in defence of Palestinian human rights; and how can many rabbis
reconcile their fervent prayers at Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall with their
racist remarks such as “Palestinians are animals who do not deserve to
live”? Are all these sanctified disciples of their respective
monotheistic Gods fearful of being branded as anti-Semites or
self-hating Jews?
respect the fact that you are a believer, so can you please explain why
religious leaders — Christian, Islamic, and Judaic — have not only
continuously failed to practice the ethical tenets of their religions by
condemning crimes against humanity, but have also actually tolerated or
incited hate crimes either by direct action or by their silence? Why
for Example has that sanctimonious hypocrite the Pope remained silent
throughout the recent Israeli atrocities in Gaza? When are Sunni and
Shiite Islamic clerics going to stop fighting each other and instead
unite in defence of Palestinian human rights; and how can many rabbis
reconcile their fervent prayers at Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall with their
racist remarks such as “Palestinians are animals who do not deserve to
live”? Are all these sanctified disciples of their respective
monotheistic Gods fearful of being branded as anti-Semites or
self-hating Jews?
Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi:
Before answering to your
question, I would like to shortly explain my relation to atheist
positions. I consider atheism as a, in a logical sense, negative way of
relating ourselves to God, because all atheists I know have passed
through the step of thinking of God’s existence, by coming to the final
subjective conclusion that God does not exist. Therefore, from my point
of view atheism has to be involved into the interreligious dialogue, and
this also applies to Israeli society, in which there are Jews who are
ethnically speaking part of the Jewish people, but not monotheistic
believers. Now I would like to answer to the first part of your
question, by talking about the tragic relation between religion and
violence, religious belief and manipulation of sources to justify
invasions and aggressive wars.
question, I would like to shortly explain my relation to atheist
positions. I consider atheism as a, in a logical sense, negative way of
relating ourselves to God, because all atheists I know have passed
through the step of thinking of God’s existence, by coming to the final
subjective conclusion that God does not exist. Therefore, from my point
of view atheism has to be involved into the interreligious dialogue, and
this also applies to Israeli society, in which there are Jews who are
ethnically speaking part of the Jewish people, but not monotheistic
believers. Now I would like to answer to the first part of your
question, by talking about the tragic relation between religion and
violence, religious belief and manipulation of sources to justify
invasions and aggressive wars.
History is
made of so called religious wars because people, instead of seeing
religions as religions of peace, manipulate their sources to justify
war. And this is true for all religions, but in particular for sister
religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam who are chronologically
following revelations made by God in history, as monotheism strongly
believes in God’s presence in history. Of course, as Muslim I believe in
all three revelations, by affirming that Islam is the last revelation
by God in history by His last Prophet Mohammed. For me Judaism has an
essential importance as first religion of peace and justice, followed by
Jesus’ message to Jews, and then by the universal message of submission
to God by the revelation of Allah made to the His last Prophet
Muhammad.
made of so called religious wars because people, instead of seeing
religions as religions of peace, manipulate their sources to justify
war. And this is true for all religions, but in particular for sister
religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam who are chronologically
following revelations made by God in history, as monotheism strongly
believes in God’s presence in history. Of course, as Muslim I believe in
all three revelations, by affirming that Islam is the last revelation
by God in history by His last Prophet Mohammed. For me Judaism has an
essential importance as first religion of peace and justice, followed by
Jesus’ message to Jews, and then by the universal message of submission
to God by the revelation of Allah made to the His last Prophet
Muhammad.
I distinguish
two fundamental levels of religion: the first is the religion written
in heavens, and as a consequence the true revelation as wanted by God,
and the second level is the human interpretation of religion, which very
often means manipulation to justify violence. We have to work hard as
believers to move our religious community away from the present culture
of hatred to the culture of peace, justice, and understanding. It is a
hard path, but by eliminating religions from the socio-political debate,
we will miss the point, I think because we see that there is a revival
of religious life as soon as religion is repressed by a state or system.
Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Middle East have urgently to
rediscover their peaceful religious traditions to build up a
long-lasting peace.
two fundamental levels of religion: the first is the religion written
in heavens, and as a consequence the true revelation as wanted by God,
and the second level is the human interpretation of religion, which very
often means manipulation to justify violence. We have to work hard as
believers to move our religious community away from the present culture
of hatred to the culture of peace, justice, and understanding. It is a
hard path, but by eliminating religions from the socio-political debate,
we will miss the point, I think because we see that there is a revival
of religious life as soon as religion is repressed by a state or system.
Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Middle East have urgently to
rediscover their peaceful religious traditions to build up a
long-lasting peace.
In your
question, you are talking about two negative ways by which religion is
connected with violence: by incitation to violence, as we can see at the
moment in the strategy of ISIS which is the absolute opposite of
Islamic State as it is conceived in the Quran, and in the right-wing
rabbis in Israel, inciting to genocide against Muslims, which is the
absolute opposite to the following quotation from Mishna I love so much
and which says: “Who saves one soul, saves the whole humanity”.
question, you are talking about two negative ways by which religion is
connected with violence: by incitation to violence, as we can see at the
moment in the strategy of ISIS which is the absolute opposite of
Islamic State as it is conceived in the Quran, and in the right-wing
rabbis in Israel, inciting to genocide against Muslims, which is the
absolute opposite to the following quotation from Mishna I love so much
and which says: “Who saves one soul, saves the whole humanity”.
For what
concerns the Pope, I personally think that Pope Francis is much better
than the previous Pope and I hope that the Catholic Church will open its
eyes to defend the oppressed Christian minority in Israel.
concerns the Pope, I personally think that Pope Francis is much better
than the previous Pope and I hope that the Catholic Church will open its
eyes to defend the oppressed Christian minority in Israel.
The fight and
division between Sunna and Shia is a completely wrong interpretation of
Muslim hermeneutics, and is a suicide of Muslim Ummah, perpetuating
today by American and Israeli neo-colonialism in the Middle East. I can
only say to my fellow-Muslims again and again that this internal war
inside the Ummah will destroy Islam, and that only the super-powers and
Zionism will profit of it. The same can be said about Judaism whose
crisis just permits Zionism and right-wing Ultra-Zionism to flourish in a
State of Israel committing suicide by detaching from the authentic, and
life-glorifying Judaic ethics.
division between Sunna and Shia is a completely wrong interpretation of
Muslim hermeneutics, and is a suicide of Muslim Ummah, perpetuating
today by American and Israeli neo-colonialism in the Middle East. I can
only say to my fellow-Muslims again and again that this internal war
inside the Ummah will destroy Islam, and that only the super-powers and
Zionism will profit of it. The same can be said about Judaism whose
crisis just permits Zionism and right-wing Ultra-Zionism to flourish in a
State of Israel committing suicide by detaching from the authentic, and
life-glorifying Judaic ethics.
The
dehumanisation of Palestinians as described by the brave Israeli
journalist Gideon Levy, to whom I owe so much, is the most tragic
example of corruption of Jewish soul by Zionist Apartheid ideology.
Zionism wants to establish a world-view in which others must not just be
discriminated in a traditional racist approach, but have to be
dehumanised to banish them from the Torah-oriented view of life and
humanity. The same theory of dehumanisation is applied to African
refugees as I have shown by analysing the conferences and articles by
the Israeli researcher David Sheen.
dehumanisation of Palestinians as described by the brave Israeli
journalist Gideon Levy, to whom I owe so much, is the most tragic
example of corruption of Jewish soul by Zionist Apartheid ideology.
Zionism wants to establish a world-view in which others must not just be
discriminated in a traditional racist approach, but have to be
dehumanised to banish them from the Torah-oriented view of life and
humanity. The same theory of dehumanisation is applied to African
refugees as I have shown by analysing the conferences and articles by
the Israeli researcher David Sheen.
To conclude,
by hoping to have answered to all aspects of your challenging question, I
would like to explain how monotheistic religions stand and must
absolutely stand for human rights. As God is the Creator of the Heavens
and the Earth, and as God is the Sustainer of all His Creation, and
human beings are the centre of God’s creation, human rights are so
connected with the belief in God, that all monotheism detached from
human rights is not an authentic monotheism. Denying human rights to
others, means misunderstanding the message of the Torah, the Gospel, and
the Quran, because in all three monotheist revelations the dignity and
rights of man as God’s creation are so clearly affirmed that they cannot
be ignored.
by hoping to have answered to all aspects of your challenging question, I
would like to explain how monotheistic religions stand and must
absolutely stand for human rights. As God is the Creator of the Heavens
and the Earth, and as God is the Sustainer of all His Creation, and
human beings are the centre of God’s creation, human rights are so
connected with the belief in God, that all monotheism detached from
human rights is not an authentic monotheism. Denying human rights to
others, means misunderstanding the message of the Torah, the Gospel, and
the Quran, because in all three monotheist revelations the dignity and
rights of man as God’s creation are so clearly affirmed that they cannot
be ignored.
William Hanna:
After the Second World
War and the ensuing revelations of the extent of Nazi atrocities, most
Germans claimed ignorance of what had been going on. Today, everybody is
well aware of Zionist Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian
people. Yet I see no groundswell of indignation from the German people.
Recently in August, German Chancellor Angela Merkel — who has expressed
no horror over Israel’s Operation Protective Edge — visited and laid a
wreath at the Dachau concentration camp. Does that mean that the
genocide of Jews by Nazi Germans is unacceptable while the genocide of
Palestinians by Israeli Jews is perfectly kosher?
War and the ensuing revelations of the extent of Nazi atrocities, most
Germans claimed ignorance of what had been going on. Today, everybody is
well aware of Zionist Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian
people. Yet I see no groundswell of indignation from the German people.
Recently in August, German Chancellor Angela Merkel — who has expressed
no horror over Israel’s Operation Protective Edge — visited and laid a
wreath at the Dachau concentration camp. Does that mean that the
genocide of Jews by Nazi Germans is unacceptable while the genocide of
Palestinians by Israeli Jews is perfectly kosher?
Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi:
For what concerns this
question, I can say that the Jewish blogger from Britain, Paul Eisen, is
my main teacher. What ProMosaik e.V. tries to show to all readers is
that the genocide of Jews by the Nazi regime does not have any relation
to what happens in Palestine now. Never again is something which has to
be applied to all, Jews and Not-Jews. There is no justification of any
genocide by the victim of a previous genocide. I am absolutely anti-Nazi
and anti-fascist, and exactly this makes me love Judaism and makes me
say that Judaism is a religion of life, while Zionism is an ideology of
death and military invasion.
question, I can say that the Jewish blogger from Britain, Paul Eisen, is
my main teacher. What ProMosaik e.V. tries to show to all readers is
that the genocide of Jews by the Nazi regime does not have any relation
to what happens in Palestine now. Never again is something which has to
be applied to all, Jews and Not-Jews. There is no justification of any
genocide by the victim of a previous genocide. I am absolutely anti-Nazi
and anti-fascist, and exactly this makes me love Judaism and makes me
say that Judaism is a religion of life, while Zionism is an ideology of
death and military invasion.
All genocides
are of the same atrocity, independently who is responsible. ISIS is
responsible of genocide, Israel is responsible of genocide, and Hitler
is responsible of genocide. As a Muslim when I see and read what ISIS
does I stand up and I say NOT IN MY NAME. When Israel kills children in
Gaza, many Jews stand up and say NOT IN MY NAME. These peaceful Jews
must be supported to positively influence the whole of Israel to return
to authentic Judaism. Germans must say NEVER AGAIN to Nazi-fascism.
Germany must fight all right-wing parties and groups urgently to work on
building a tolerant society, which says: WE DO NOT WANT ANY NAZI IN
GERMANY.
are of the same atrocity, independently who is responsible. ISIS is
responsible of genocide, Israel is responsible of genocide, and Hitler
is responsible of genocide. As a Muslim when I see and read what ISIS
does I stand up and I say NOT IN MY NAME. When Israel kills children in
Gaza, many Jews stand up and say NOT IN MY NAME. These peaceful Jews
must be supported to positively influence the whole of Israel to return
to authentic Judaism. Germans must say NEVER AGAIN to Nazi-fascism.
Germany must fight all right-wing parties and groups urgently to work on
building a tolerant society, which says: WE DO NOT WANT ANY NAZI IN
GERMANY.
And this must
happen in the name of GOD and HUMAN RIGHTS, if you believe in God, and
in the name of HUMAN RIGHTS only if you are ATHEIST and authentic
HUMANIST. To Angela Merkel I would like to say: please do not be blind
in one eye, and understand the strong relation between Judaism and life
and peace, and between Zionism and right-wing racist ideology. A very
important thing to avoid is the manipulation of Holocaust narrative to
justify Palestinian genocide today. There is absolutely no relation
between the tragic persecution of Jews in Nazi-Europe, and the
extermination of Palestinian after 1948 in the Middle East, as
Palestinians are not responsible for the SHOA, but are indirect victims
of the SHOA and of German guilt and German weapon exports to Israel to
appease the German conscience.
happen in the name of GOD and HUMAN RIGHTS, if you believe in God, and
in the name of HUMAN RIGHTS only if you are ATHEIST and authentic
HUMANIST. To Angela Merkel I would like to say: please do not be blind
in one eye, and understand the strong relation between Judaism and life
and peace, and between Zionism and right-wing racist ideology. A very
important thing to avoid is the manipulation of Holocaust narrative to
justify Palestinian genocide today. There is absolutely no relation
between the tragic persecution of Jews in Nazi-Europe, and the
extermination of Palestinian after 1948 in the Middle East, as
Palestinians are not responsible for the SHOA, but are indirect victims
of the SHOA and of German guilt and German weapon exports to Israel to
appease the German conscience.
William Hanna:
It is no secret that the
majority of Senators and Congressman in the U.S. and about half of the
UK’s Members of Parliament are in one way or another on Israel’s
payroll. Does Israel have similar influence over Germany’s Bundestag,
and if so, to what extent?
majority of Senators and Congressman in the U.S. and about half of the
UK’s Members of Parliament are in one way or another on Israel’s
payroll. Does Israel have similar influence over Germany’s Bundestag,
and if so, to what extent?
Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi:
This is a question I
cannot answer personally, but Paul Eisen is giving me the following
answer to this question because he better knows the similarities and
differences between Zionist lobbies in the English and in the German
speaking world. In one sentence to answer to this question he told me:
“In many ways I can see how in Germany it’s less important for German
politicians to be officially under Zionist control. They’re brought up
to do what the Zionists tell them!”
cannot answer personally, but Paul Eisen is giving me the following
answer to this question because he better knows the similarities and
differences between Zionist lobbies in the English and in the German
speaking world. In one sentence to answer to this question he told me:
“In many ways I can see how in Germany it’s less important for German
politicians to be officially under Zionist control. They’re brought up
to do what the Zionists tell them!”
William Hanna:
The main reason for the
effectiveness of the Zionist Israeli lobby over Western governments is
the apathy of most people who because of their preoccupation in the rat
race have been easily lulled — with the help of the Israeli-biased
corporate mass media — into believing that they are citizens of a
democracy while in fact they are subjects of an Anglo-Zionist Political
Corporate Military Industrial Empire that precludes “government of the
people, by the people, for the people.” How can people be awakened and
made aware of this reality?
effectiveness of the Zionist Israeli lobby over Western governments is
the apathy of most people who because of their preoccupation in the rat
race have been easily lulled — with the help of the Israeli-biased
corporate mass media — into believing that they are citizens of a
democracy while in fact they are subjects of an Anglo-Zionist Political
Corporate Military Industrial Empire that precludes “government of the
people, by the people, for the people.” How can people be awakened and
made aware of this reality?
Dr. phil. Milena Rampoldi:
I think that only
writers, journalists, and researchers can make people aware of the total
contradiction between Israel and Democracy. It is difficult to make
brain-washed people wake up, but it is absolutely possible when you meet
the challenge and fight for a press telling the truth to people. Gideon
Levy of Haaretz for me is a symbol of truth in the Israeli press. We
have to show facts, we have to show military figures, apartheid against
black refugees, as David Sheen does with his articles and conferences,
we have to talk to peaceful and democratic Jews (such as Jews against
Genocide, Jews for Peace, Righteous Jews, True Torah, Neturei Karta), we
have to translate racist graffitis on Israeli houses (as David Sheen
does), we have to show how many rabbis and politicians (my example is
Ayalet Shaked) in Israel argument, we have to show settlers and their
behaviour towards Palestinians (for example when they burn olive trees).
writers, journalists, and researchers can make people aware of the total
contradiction between Israel and Democracy. It is difficult to make
brain-washed people wake up, but it is absolutely possible when you meet
the challenge and fight for a press telling the truth to people. Gideon
Levy of Haaretz for me is a symbol of truth in the Israeli press. We
have to show facts, we have to show military figures, apartheid against
black refugees, as David Sheen does with his articles and conferences,
we have to talk to peaceful and democratic Jews (such as Jews against
Genocide, Jews for Peace, Righteous Jews, True Torah, Neturei Karta), we
have to translate racist graffitis on Israeli houses (as David Sheen
does), we have to show how many rabbis and politicians (my example is
Ayalet Shaked) in Israel argument, we have to show settlers and their
behaviour towards Palestinians (for example when they burn olive trees).
We have to
explain how brain-washing works. I have always tried to do it starting
from the following quotation by Golda Meir who said two things which for
me stand for Zionist world view: “We can forgive the Arabs for killing
our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their
children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their
children more than they hate us.”
explain how brain-washing works. I have always tried to do it starting
from the following quotation by Golda Meir who said two things which for
me stand for Zionist world view: “We can forgive the Arabs for killing
our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their
children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their
children more than they hate us.”
The second quotation by
Golda Meir that I would like to elevate to a symbol of Zionist
propaganda is the following: “I indeed smell the odour of my
grandparents in Al-Madeenah and Al-Hijaz … and those are our lands that
we will, indeed, take back”.
Golda Meir that I would like to elevate to a symbol of Zionist
propaganda is the following: “I indeed smell the odour of my
grandparents in Al-Madeenah and Al-Hijaz … and those are our lands that
we will, indeed, take back”.
I appeal to all peaceful
Jews asking them to change this mentality in their own community, by
affirming life and by condemning war.
Jews asking them to change this mentality in their own community, by
affirming life and by condemning war.
