Posted: Jan. 31, 2022
When Art Spiegelman learned that "Maus" -- his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about his family's experience during the Holocaust -- had been banned by a Tennessee school board, he told the Washington Post exactly what he thought of the antisemitic decision:
"It's part of a continuum, and just a harbinger of things to come. This is a red alert."
The ban comes amidst a terrifying rise in antisemitism. One recent report found that one in four American Jews have been targeted in the previous year.
McMinn County Board of Education members claim they banned "Maus" due to "rough, objectionable language" and a depiction of nudity. But when officials start making it harder for students to learn about injustices like antisemitism, objections about language and sex are almost always just an authoritarian excuse to sanitize history, further marginalize already oppressed populations, and ultimately seize power at any cost.
As Christians who love our neighbors -- and whose religion has been complicit in antisemitism far too often throughout history -- we must stand with our Jewish siblings against the scourge of antisemitism and Holocaust denial. With right-wing reactionaries trying to shut down all discussion about oppression, we must push for an honest accounting of our past.
Add your name: Christians condemn antisemitism in all its forms, including the effort to ban Holocaust memoirs like "Maus."
Sign the petition:
Love thy neighbor.