Anne Frank's Diary vandalised in Tokyo libraries

[Jingthing]

Not interested in arguing either. I've watched the primary sources of Nazi propaganda. Their primary racial obsession was Jews. If you think I've said there weren't many other victims, that is unfair. I have not. Also, the GENOCIDE thing wasn't really applicable against groups other than Jews and Romas. The goal was never to kill ALL the Poles and killing ALL the gays isn't genocide because there are always new gays coming up of all ethnic groups.

Edited February 23, 2014 by Jingthing

[sdanielmcev]

Of course, since no one has been caught or identified,.....let's blame the Nazis!!! For my money these holocaust worshippers are as bad as the deniers.

Cries of anti-semitism!!! Semites are an ethnic group, not any religion. Until I see or hear any evidence, just vandalism.

I found this post aggressively provocative, but since it was allowed to stand, I assume I'm allowed to respond.

So to each point:

1. True. No one person or group has been caught.

2. I don't think anyone here has specifically blamed actual Nazis. So your hot accusation that has been done doesn't even appear to be true.

3. What do you mean by holocaust worshipers? Are you referring to the Wiesenthal Center, the state of Israel, Jews in general ... what? Do you equate world REMEMBERING what happened with Holocaust museums, keeping Anne Frank books in libraries, days of remembrance as in Israel with WORSHIP of the holocaust? If so, I can't disagree more with your sentiment equating holocaust deniers with people who wish to REMEMBER the holocaust and hopefully take lessons from it for the future of humanity.

4. Cries of antisemitism? Let's get this thing straight. Defacing Anne Frank books is an antisemitic act be definition. That book is highly symbolic and it is simply not possible it was picked at RANDOM. One book perhaps but this was done in multiple locations to the SAME book. Just as an attack on a Harvey Milk statue would be anti-gay by definition. That's the message the vandal(s) tried to give. It is true we don't know who did it specifically. Of course I agree it is vandalism, but vandalism with an undeniably anti-semitic message.

5. Semites an ethnic group. INDEED. Who said they weren't an ethnic group? The DEFINITION of antisemitism is about hatred of JEWS. Jews by definition are an ETHNO-RELIGIOUS group. In other words Jewish is an ethnicity and ALSO a religion. It is very common to be a JEW (ethnically) but not religious at all. Antisemites hate Jews, period. Religious Jews, Zionist Jews, anti-Zionist Jews, atheist Jews, secular Jews, you name the type of Jew, that's a type they hate, by definition. It's an irrational social disease and sadly it is still with us.

IF on the other hand you were referring to ARABS who are ALSO semites, let's get this clear, antisemitism is not about hatred of ARABS. There are other words for that. If you want to change the definition of a word, perhaps lobby the dictionary writers.

In any case anyone is still confused about the semite thing:

hatred of Jewish people

hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-semitism

Your arguments on anti-semitism are nonsensical. Are they all Semites? Yes or no?

And, yes the Elie place.

I never said anyone cried "nazi". Of course concentration camps etc were brought up.

[manarak]

One thing to note is that the diaries are a best-seller in Japan - I would rather look for a reason related to their notoriety in Japan.

Knowing the really weird stuff that the Japanese sometimes enjoy doing, I would not completely rule out a weird motive.

Surely you aren't suggesting it was a publicity stunt to boost sales of the book?

No, the book doesn't need that.

I was thinking along the lines of "really weird Japanese stuff" - I mean, they got vending machines openly standing in the street selling pubic hair and used panties worn by (alleged) virgins, they got the hugging pillows, the tit pillows, the crotch pillows, the toilet-roll-holder helmet and don't they also have the restaurant where the food looks like excrement served in toilet bowls?

my idea was simply:

best seller = notoriety = attention

attention + weirdos = strange things happen = don't totally dismiss the theory that there could be an explanation that has nothing to do with antisemitism.

[Jingthing]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[manarak]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

yup.

[sdanielmcev]

Of course, since no one has been caught or identified,.....let's blame the Nazis!!! For my money these holocaust worshippers are as bad as the deniers.

Cries of anti-semitism!!! Semites are an ethnic group, not any religion. Until I see or hear any evidence, just vandalism.

To add to JT's excellent reply to this, I'd like to ask you, and those who have 'liked' your post, one question.

If it was just simple, mindless vandalism; why do you think it was just this particular book chosen at each an every location and no others?

I look forward to reading your reply; but I suspect you don't have an answer!!

You are looking for a response from me for someone else's actions. I am merely pointing out the lack of evidence that this is somehow related to Judaism.

[gerrythepoet]

Totally unbelievable it does make one wonder what prompted the mindless destruction. This is 2014 : (100 years from the start of the first world war) nothing to do with Anne Frank. Has any individual or group claimed responsibility, I would have thought they would like people to know who they are and what they believe and stand for.

[7by7]

Of course, since no one has been caught or identified,.....let's blame the Nazis!!! For my money these holocaust worshippers are as bad as the deniers.

Cries of anti-semitism!!! Semites are an ethnic group, not any religion. Until I see or hear any evidence, just vandalism.

To add to JT's excellent reply to this, I'd like to ask you, and those who have 'liked' your post, one question.

If it was just simple, mindless vandalism; why do you think it was just this particular book chosen at each an every location and no others?

I look forward to reading your reply; but I suspect you don't have an answer!!

You are looking for a response from me for someone else's actions. I am merely pointing out the lack of evidence that this is somehow related to Judaism.

You have expressed the opinion that it is simple, mindless vandalism.

I have asked you a question pertinent to that opinion; to back it up, if you will.

You can't answer.

QED.

[Bkungbank]

My grand father was capture but Japanese to built the death railway and never return home since to meet his wife and family he might one of the person who killed during WW2 as uncounter number of victims. I already forgived Japanese for killed my loving grandpa but please don't repeat history itself again .

[Jingthing]

Remembering the Holocaust is certainly NOT about eternally blaming the German people and as others have correctly pointed out it is not only about the genocide of European Jews. If people really don't understand the general and universal HUMANITARIAN aims of remembering the holocaust (NOT worshiping it as one poster offensively suggested) perhaps have a good look at this site:

http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide

[Scott]

An inflammatory post has been removed. If you are not interested in the topic, then don't post in the thread.

[boomerangutang]

On the plus side, it will motivate more people to read her diaries - though perhaps difficult in Japan, where the stupid page-tearing is.

If you like Anne Frank's diary, you'll also like the bio of Hellen Keller, an incredible woman who was blind and deaf.

[Prbkk]

The Japanese can be a bit vulnerable to some nutty "causes" . The whole group suicide trend is one example. Took off like a house on fire for a while and suddenly stopped. Japan will only turn rightist again if pushed too far by China.

One of Israel's most decorated from the war was a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Polish and Lithuanian Jews by issuing travel documents for Japan . Nobody in Japan even knows his name...Chiune Sugihara.

I doubt the books thing is anti-semitic

[Pakboong]

[Pakboong]

http://sicsa.huji.ac.il/11kowner.htm

The Vidal Sassoon Internatinal Center for the Study of Antisemitism
THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM

Analysis of Current Trends in Antisemitism, 1997
acta no. 11

A very well researched article on anti-semetism in Japan.

[Cricketnut]

Off-topic and troll posts along with replies have been deleted.

Even though the trolls are having a feeding frenzy in this thread, please don't throw them more meat to feed on.

How about suspending them? It seems to be human nature to defend ones opinion... Let's just give the trolls a months holiday!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 8.2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Cricketnut]

The Japanese can be a bit vulnerable to some nutty "causes" . The whole group suicide trend is one example. Took off like a house on fire for a while and suddenly stopped. Japan will only turn rightist again if pushed too far by China.

One of Israel's most decorated from the war was a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Polish and Lithuanian Jews by issuing travel documents for Japan . Nobody in Japan even knows his name...Chiune Sugihara.

I doubt the books thing is anti-semitic

Totally correcy as modern history is NOT included in Japanese curricular pertaining to WW11. Some educated Japanese person or persons are responsible for this gross desecration of a novel of more then historical significance.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 8.2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Scott]

A troll post and reply have been deleted.

[wprime]

Who cares about copies?

Make some more.

You appear to be missing the point... by a country mile.

The fact that these are copies is irrelevant, its the troubling nature of what appears to be an organised right wing organisation and the manner in which it has acted such that it may be gaining in strength.

Then they should make the title related to the point rather than trying to imply something else.

[uptheos]

Let's hope the curiosity of the desecration Ann Franks Diary and publicity afforded it, sends sales through the roof!

[Morch]

Police in Japan have arrested a man suspected of vandalizing copies of Anne Frank's diaries and related material....

The police have not identified the suspect, who is 36 and unemployed, and have yet to establish a motive....

Police in Tokyo say the man they are questioning has admitted tearing pages out of 23 books. Japanese media reported there were doubts about his mental competence....

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26577954

[Clutch]

Libraries. Plural. There you go. Obviously not the original.

Antisemitism is an odd thing. It even crops up in countries with almost NO Jews.

What's ALMOST no jews mean?

1 maybe 2?

Antisemite blah blah blah.

Why the mocking tone? What are you trying to actually say?

According to Wiki, an estimated 2000 people out of 127 MILLION.

Does that not sound like ALMOST none to you? Especially considering probably most are expats?

2000 out of 127,000,000 = 0.0015%.

You can't get too much closer to zero than that

[yinyang]

http://jewishcurrents.org/75th-anniversary-japans-stand-anti-semitism-23361

The 75th Anniversary of Japan’s Stand Against Anti-Semitism

Two years after the Rothschilds were established in Japan, official envoys under Hitler’s orders, Gestapo Lieutenant Colonel Josef Meisinger, Nazi liaison with the Japanese government, and Dr. Franz Spahn, the political advisor of the NSDAP (Nazi) party, called for all Jewish immigrants in Japan to be extradited back to Germany. Even though they were half a world away from Berlin, Ingelore and her parents realized the relentless Nazi wolves were still on the hunt.

...

As Hitler’s legions were overrunning Europe with the annexations of Austria and the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, Japan, two years into the Second Sino-Japanese War, was advancing toward what it considered to be its destiny by bulldozing China into submission as a precursor to its conquest of the Pacific. In the face of this witches’ brew of escalating events, the ministers’ initial answer was no. No extradition.

The Nazi demand for extradition was never granted. The Japanese allowed Jews to remain on their islands. On December 31, 1940, then Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke (who would die in prison before his trial for war crimes in 1946) said, “I am the man responsible for the alliance with Hitler, but nowhere have I promised that we would carry out his anti-Semitic policies in Japan. This is not simply my personal opinion, it is the opinion of Japan, and I have no compunction about announcing it to the world.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiune_Sugihara

Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who served as Vice-Consul for the Empire of Japan in Lithuania

During World War II, he helped several thousand Jews leave the country by issuing transit visas to Jewish refugees so that they could travel to Japan

In 1985, Israel honored him as Righteous Among the Nations for his actions.

[Scott]

Troll post deleted.