Semitic Semantics
Of all the charges against
Kent Hovind the charge of propagating anti-Semitism will definitely be the most
controversial. This essay will show that Hovind is guilty of propagating
anti-Semitism. This does not mean that Hovind is an Anti-Semite,
rather the sources he uses and directs readers towards combined with xenophobic
comments provide a rich bed amongst his audience for such ideas to fester.
Exhibit One - Jews want
to kill gentiles
Kent Hovind has said:
Did you know the Jewish Talmud - which is not the Old
Testament, that is the Torah - the Talmud teaches that non-Jews should be
exterminated? According to the book Yebamoth - or however you pronounce that -
98a "All gentile children are animals." This 'Rule Ten' says,
"Even the best of the gentiles should all be killed." If you want more
on the Talmud, get hold of Michael Hoffman - hoffman-info.com - and see how
dangerous that religion is.
Now somebody says, "Now Hovind are you
anti-Semite?" I don't even know what a Semite is. I'm pro-Israel. I think
America should support Israel. I believe in Genesis Chapter 12, "Those that
bless you [Israel] you'll be blessed." We ought to support Israel. I'm not
sure who these Semites are but we ought to support Israel. [1]
This quote displays many
interesting characteristics. For example, the quote nestles between Hovind
claiming Evolution Theory caused the Holocaust and just before accusing a young
Pope John II of providing cyanide gas to concentration camps. There
appears to be no attempt to provide a connection between the Talmud and
Evolution Theory. Why does Hovind even raise the subject of what or is
what not written in the Talmud?
Who is Michael Hoffman?
Hoffman is a self-described "historical revisionist" which is the
political correct term for Holocaust denier. Why would Hovind direct his
audience towards this individual?
Why does Hovind try to
separate the idea of Semites
(peoples of Jewish and Arab heritage) from the question of Israel? It is
suspected because like some evangelicals, Hovind sees Israel as being destined
to convert to Christianity. See Christian
Zionism, Evangelicals and Israel
Exhibit Two - Arabs wear diapers on their heads
The term Semite also
refers to Arabs in general.
There's no question there are some bad guys with diapers
on their heads that want to come over [to the USA] and blow everyone up. [2]
Okay, next question [...] "Why is the genealogy of
Genesis different in the New Testament? [...] I'm here in Baghdad and I do not
have the resources to find the answer. Your brother in Christ, Specialist Aaron
Rummet." Well Aaron, I hope you go over there and, you know, find the guy
with the diaper on his head. [3]
For the last six months we have been adding energy to that guy
with the diaper on his head [Osama bin Laden] and we haven't organized
anything over there [in Afghanistan]. [4]
I love the smell of
xenophobia in the morning. It has that smell, that bigotry smell.
The headwear Hovind is
referring to is the keffiyeh. In Middle East cultures, Jew and Arab alike,
it is considered a sign of respect to cover the head. Plus, it is a
logical piece of clothing to wear in a desert environment. Ironically,
Jesus was probably also a "guy with a diaper on his head".
Note also that Kent Hovind
- a man who often says, "I love my counntry but I fear my government"
and sees conspiracies everywhere - was swept up on the Bush administration
innuendo that the Iraq War was connected with Osama bin Laden.
Exhibit Three - The
Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion are the truth
Be sure to read PROTOCOLS OF ZION [sic] call [sic]
my office if you cannot find a copy. [5]
There was a book written called The Protocols of Zion [sic].
Now, it was written by the rich guys, but they said, “If this book ever gets
found we want to blame it on the Jews.” So they called it Protocols of Zion [sic]. But
it’s actually the plan of how to control the world. It’s
about seventy some pages, you can, I don’t think you can print it off my
website but you can get it in a lot of places.
And some people saying, “Hovind, Hovind mentions The
Protocols of Zion [sic]. That means he is anti Jewish.” No, I’m not
anti Jewish, okay. I love the Jews.
But The Protocols of Zion [sic]
was written to explain how to control the world, I mean, it lays it all out. But
it’s really carefully done so that if it is ever discovered the Jews take the
blame for it. Interesting. Well,
read the book and see what you think. [6]
Did you notice the excuse?
Apparently The
Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion were not written by any Jewish
organization but rather an unnamed secret group of "rich guys" who
really do use the tactics outlined in the Protocols. This secret group
intentionally wrote the material so it would look like the Jews wrote it.
A conspiracy wrapped inside a conspiracy!
Kent Hovind is not alone
in the evangelical community in attempting to justify using Protocols as
"evidence" for various conspiracy theories. The full text of Protocols
can be found on websites like biblebelievers.org.au or endtimeprophecy.net.
The internet radio network, Truth Radio, which broadcasts Hovind's radio show,
Creation Science Hour, also plays a songs by "America's #1 patriotic
Christian musician” like The News Behind The News [7]. Sing the
chorus now....
It's the news behind the news and the methods you can use
It's the blueprint and the plan you can rely on
And it's written in the Protocols Of The Learned Elders Of Zion
Exhibit Four - Certain
people didn't go to work on 9/11
With Pearl Harbor I think our people know full well it was
coming. They always have a cover story, of course. [...] They knew full well
Pearl Harbor was going to be bombed. [....] They wanted that to bring us into
the war. So I think people wanted very much something like 9-11.
Whether
those specific buildings or not, I don't know. A lot of shady stuff, like
the buildings, I understand, were sold or something or insurance policies taken
out, you know, just a few weeks before that. Buildings that hold 50,000 people
only had, you know, 3000 killed. Lot of folks were told not to come to
work. Somebody knew what was going on. [8]
Hovind is propagating the false
allegation that connected individuals - read Jews - were told not to come to
work on September 11, 2001.
Conclusion
Let's summarize what Kent
Hovind has done over the past few years. He has claimed that some Jews
want to kill gentiles. Told his readers to study The Protocols of the
Learned Elders of Zion. Fallen into the conspiracy that connected
individuals (Jews) didn't come to work on September 11, 2001. And insulted
every Mid-Eastern person who wears a head covering of some description.
See also Creationism
gets a dash of anti-Semitism
Carl Marychurch, 2004.
[1] The Dangers
of Evolution Part 2 @ 5:25 [August 2003]
[2] Truth Radio 30 December
2003 @ 15:55
[3] http://www.darwin.ws/contradictions/diaper.mp3
13 August 2003 [August 2003]
[4] Kent Hovind, January
2002, Creation
Evolution and Dinosaurs session #1
[5] Part
5---Evolution: the Foundation for Communism, Nazism, Socialism, and the New
World Order Video @ 0:13:35 [June 2003]
[6] http://media.drdino.com/sem/audio/mp3/danger2.mp3
@ 16:10 [March 2003]
[7] Carl Klang http://www.klang.com/lyrics/thenews.htm
[November 2004]
[8] Truth Radio 5 August
2004 @ 37:25