The Canary in the Coal Mine?

Last Tuesday night, I attended the Boulder Valley School District Board meeting on antisemitism. After the superintendent’s eloquent speech apologizing for the district’s delayed response to antisemitism in schools, the board opened the floor for public comment. I was shocked to hear hatred toward Jews pour out, often disguised as political argument.

America may be more politically polarized than at any time since the Civil War. Yet one disturbing phenomenon has united parts of the far left and far right: renewed hostility toward Jews and Israel.

History suggests that Jews are often civilization’s canary in the coal mine. When a society becomes comfortable excusing intimidation, harassment, or violence against its Jewish minority, it has crossed a moral threshold. The victims rarely remain only Jews.

Recent terrorist attacks across Europe have forced an uncomfortable question into the open. Christmas markets, cafés, synagogues, police officers, and Pride parades have been targeted by individuals inspired by Islamist extremism.

“Allahu Akbar” is one of Islam’s most beautiful religious expressions. Yet it has also become a recurring battle cry of Islamist terrorists in attacks across Europe, Israel, and the United States. Muslim leaders and communities do themselves no favor by refusing to confront this tragic pattern or distinguish their great religion from extremists who invoke it.

The issue is not whether Islamist extremism exists. It plainly does. The question is whether liberal democracies can identify it honestly without condemning millions of peaceful Muslims who reject it. Those ideas are not contradictory, but complementary.

Every civilization is tested not only by enemies outside its gates, but by its willingness to confront difficult truths within them. The Jews may be civilization’s canary in the coal mine. The deeper question is whether the miners are still willing to listen.

— Sina.