What is the source for discrimination against Jews in the 19th century Europe and indeed now?

Question

Is it because the dominant religion in Europe in the 19th century, thus Judaism was a threat?

but there must be a motive or reason for this discrimination. i don't think you can naturally just not 'like' someone

Answer 1

The answers from Norm R and Dr No combined, give you the main answer to the persecution of Jews over the centuries. In the 19th century, in Britain, no one would employ them, so they made their own businesses (something similar seems to be happening today with the South Asian communities). They took risks and prospered, and most Europeans resent successful people, as you probably know.
Authors like George Eliot wrote novels that highlighted the problems of the Jews in 19th century Britain. She co-habited with a Jew and wrote the novel "Daniel Deronda" to show the stupidity of anti-Jewish discrimination.
As for the holocaust, Hitler as a young man before the First World War, lived like a tramp, trying to sell paintings. He resented the Jews who, he claimed, had refused his application to study art in Vienna and, according to some writers, because the Jews controlled prostitution and made hookers unaffordable to him. According to some authorities, this led to his abiding dislike of the Jews.
Judaism as a religion was never a threat. When Oliver Cromwell allowed the Jews to return to England, it was on the promise that they would not try to spread their faith among the local people. British Jews to this day continue to abide by this agreement of 300 years ago.
In the modern world, there is continued dislike of their influence over American policies, blind American acceptance of the atrocities Israel commits against its neighbours. However, the Holy Qur'an speaks of their hard hearts and Muhammad (PBUH) who granted Jews equal citizenship rights in Medina was often betrayed by them. Hence, Muslims also distrust people of the Jewish faith.
The way out of this mess is through mutual collaboration, not power and aggression. Imagine Israel invested in businesses and educational opportunities in Arab countries. Would the Arabian political parties be able to spread hatred then?

Answer 2

My opinion is that when the Catholic church became very powerful between the 10th and 14th centuries, it was very intertwined with country leaderships. These church and state leaders, in order to ensure faithfullness of their followers often demonized other religions and made them out to be evil. Partially because Chritian religions hold Jesus Christ as an immortal GOD and Judaism does not, therefore the Jews must be evil, as they don't believe in Christ as a God.

Keep in mind that most of modern mankind up until the last hundred years or so, the majority of the people were not educated, and followed very devoutly their religious leaders as there only means of guidence for information and even laws.

Answer 3

I can't sat you will find what you want on these links but it's a good a place as any to start, good luck my friend.

The Jewish Holocaust 1933-1945

http://www.greenepa.net/~wgsd/computerlab/Holocaust/Holocaust.html

http://www.shamash.org/holocaust/

http://facultystaff.vwc.edu/~dgraf/holocaus.htm

http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/genocide/Holocaust.htm

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/holo.html

http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-holoc.htm

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/

The Holocaust History Project is a free archive of documents, photographs, recordings, and essays regarding the Holocaust, including direct refutation of Holocaust-denial.

http://www.holocaust-history.org/

http://library.thinkquest.org/12663/?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0312

Our site is not the only one on the World Wide Web dealing with the Holocaust. Certainly an event of such tragic magnitude deserves as much coverage as possible from a wide variety of angles. Here are some other sites that you can visit for more information.

http://library.thinkquest.org/12663/ref.htm

Websites for Holocaust Education

A comprehensive list of links for you to explore.

http://www.cumbavac.org/Holocaust.htm

Good luck.

Kevin, Liverpool, England.

Answer 4

Superstition. Ignorant people think that Jews have secret rituals involving human sacrifice. There are different kinds of anti-semitism though. In the past it was a right wing phenomenon, today it is coming from the left (in Europe).

Answer 5

the root of the discrimination is in the dark ages when the christians were forbidden to lend money. so when the noble's wanted to borrow money they asked the jewish merchants.

this caused the nobles to dislike the jews (no one likes being reminded of a debt) and that dislike (and traditional belief that the jews are "stingy") has been passed down through the following generations.

Answer 6

After the advent of the Christian faith Jews were blamed for killing Christ and their religion was seen as blasphemous for not accepting Christ as the son of God.

Look at some literature: Fagin from Oliver Twist and Shylock from The Merchant of Venice to argue that it was not a solely European problem.

Answer 7

I don't really know, probably the catholic church, spreading rumours, i vaguely remember someone called "Judas" I think he was ment to be bad, has that got somthing to do with it???
Or was the king who ordered the death of jesus jewish???

soz im just thinging out loud

more recently, antisemitism in germany, instigated by hitler must have had an effect on people. rumours like jewish people are rich etc, but also the actions of israel might have generated hate, especially in the middle east
well i dunno

Disclaimer:
no offence was ment on my part, and if any was caused i appologise :)

Answer 8

It is because they wanted to promote their religion through the Europe so that the Europian tradition was lost. On the other hand, their nature of power hungry.

Answer 9

It all started with jealousy, Hitler thought that jews thought that they were better than the Germans, and would take over the whole world. Remember in the Bible the jews are God's chosen people.

Answer 10

well ya and it also had something to do with hitler and the nazis. the religion was a part of it but then you find yourself asking... what about christianity? the protestants and the catholics went at it for a long time, but that wasn't in the 19th century... i think you're on the right track tho.