Egyptian Clerics: Ben Franklin Was an Anti-Semite Who Wanted to Expel ‘Dangerous Jews’ From U.S

The Blaze / MEMRI ^ | 3-16-12 | Tiffany Gabbay

[SJackson]

..Egyptian Clerics’ Revisionist History: Ben Franklin Was an Anti-Semite Who Wanted to Expel ‘Dangerous Jews’ From U.S

Earlier in the month Al-Rahma Arabic language TV featured Egyptian clerics discussing the Jewish people. After revisiting age-old anti-Semitic slurs likening Jews to "donkeys, apes and pigs," the clerics went so far as to say that indoctrinating children to "loathe Jews" is, to them, among the highest forms of "Allah-worship." These are of course not such shocking revelations, however, given their prevalence across the Islamic world.

What is interesting about this particular interview though, is that the clerics spin a revisionist history in which Benjamin Franklin is an anti-Semite who sought to drive the "dangerous" Jews out of the then-fledgling United States via the Constitution.

Below is a portion of the transcript provided by the dedicated staff at MEMRI. According to the cleric:

MEMRI TV

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[allmost]

Ben Franklin was an amazing person imo. I can see why a muzzie inept would hold him in contempt.

[cripplecreek]

These people are morons. I remember reading that Ben Franklin was one of the single largest donors to build the first Synagogue in Boston.

At that point in American history, there was more animosity from Protestants toward Catholics than Jews.

[Diogenesis]

"There is scarce a king in a hundred who would not, if he could, follow the example of Pharaoh - get first all the people's money, then their lands, and then make them and their children servants forever. It will be said that we do not propose to establish kings. I know it. But there is a natural inclination in mankind to kingly government. It sometimes
relieves them from aristocratic domination. They had rather have one tyrant than 500. It gives more the appearance of equality among citizens, and that they like.
I am apprehensive - therefore - perhaps too apprehensive - that the government of these States may in future times end in a monarchy [not called a monarchy but an executive with monarchial powers]. But this catastrophe, I think, may long be delayed, if in our proposed system we do not sow the seeds of contention, faction and tumult, by making our posts of honor places of profit. If we do, I fear that, though we employ at first a number and not a single person, the number will in time be set aside, it will only nourish the fetus of a king (as the honorable gentleman from Virginia very aptly expressed it), and a king will the sooner be set over us."

-- Benjamin Franklin

[jjotto]

http://www.adl.org/special_reports/franklin_prophecy/franklin_intro.asp

...Another anti-Semitic hoax on history, of a piece with that incredible forgery, The Protocols of The Learned Elders of Zion, but not as widely distributed nor as successful in creating the pogrom atmospheres that were the achievements of the Protocols, is a speech attributed to Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The anti-Semitic movement, which founded the hoax, calls it the Franklin Prophecy — ascribing to Franklin a dire warning that unless Jews were expelled from the new nation by Constitutional decree they would ultimately immigrate in great numbers to the detriment of the Christian population.

Of course, no such speech was ever made. But the hoaxers sought to impart an aura of historical credibility to the fake by claiming that the speech is quoted in a “private diary” of Charles Pinckney, Revolutionary leader who was delegate from South Carolina to the Constitutional Convention. They also maintain that the diary is now in the possession of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, a bald lie which Henry Butler Allen, director of the Institute, has often refuted. Allen says that “historians and librarians have not been able to find [the diary] or any record of it having existed.”...

[DemforBush]

Boy Howdy, Arab Spring sure has brought tolerance and progress to Egypt.

/eyeroll.

[cripplecreek]

As of 2005 the document detailing Franklin's donation to build a Synagogue in Philadelphia (I said Boston before) was on display at the National Museum of American Jewish History. He gave the equivalent of $800.



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY” FOCUS OF EXHIBITION AT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY

[muir_redwoods]

..." the clerics went so far as to say that indoctrinating children to "loathe Jews" is, to them, among the highest forms of "Allah-worship."

I'll take this stone worshipping, goat humping muslim (apologies for the redundancy) at his word just this once and accept his statement that the worship of his idol, the non-god, allah is an act of hatred.

[left that other site]

This isn’t much different from the “History lectures” we get periodically from the muzzie in the White Hut.

[Biggirl]

Cleric living in make-believe world.

[Uri’el-2012]

I read sometime ago that Ben Franklin suggested Hebrew
as the national language for the United States.

[SunkenCiv]

This may be based on some of the garbage collected on Radio Islam (started in Sweden by a Moroccan jihadist exile); I remember something similar there about George Washington. Thanks SJackson.

[Eleutheria5]

Ah, yes. The old fascist lie. Ezra Pound said it in I forget which Canto(before Pisa, anyway, while Muss was still mis-ruling), so it must be true./s

[Gene Eric]

>> to “loathe Jews” is, to them, among the highest forms of “Allah-worship.”

Christ frowns upon your collective stupidity.

[Cvengr]

From the story,

"Egyptian cleric Abd Al-Rahman Al-Sawi: In the Koran, Allah called the Jews "donkeys." Donkeys. They are donkeys. What can you do with a donkey? [...] [The Jews] support all the means of corruption. They support whorehouses. They support satellite dishes in order to air whatever they like. Birth control pills and devices are supported by the Jews. Dr. Shihab quoted President Franklin, who was US president 40-50 years ago. He said that they spread corruption even among the Americans. That is why they were deported from everywhere."

The Cleric refers to Ben Franklin, then refers to President Franklin. Methinks he may have his American History a bit off. Maybe he is confusing FDR with Ben Franklin.

Ben Franklin was a Deist and didn't write much on religion, but probably had more interest in Masonry, so I'm curious if he actually ever took such a Anti-Semitic stance. If he did, he likely would have been far more against Islam than Judaism. His parents were Episcopalian, but even a month before he died, Franklin didn't believe in the divinity of Christ. I'd suspect Franklin's dedication were more closer to Masonry than Christianity.

[SJackson]

Their interpritation of history, fabrications and all, is the proper version, almost a matter of faith.

[SJackson]

Not even a fabrication from the “diary” but from the “notes” of someone who read the “diary”, such “notes” do not exist, but someone read them thus it’s all factual, to the nutball fringe. Won’t blame jihadists for this, since they’re only parroting homegrown bigots.

[Jewbacca]

Ben Franklin was an avid Freemason, and, as such, almost certainly not an anti-semite, as the fraternity was the only social organization that openly accepted Jewish members at the time.