As the coronavirus outbreak grows in scale and scope, victims sadly find themselves having to cope with the added stigma of blame for “the crime” of threating the health of others.
At first it was inside China where people from Wuhan were treated like lepers. It wasn’t long before we began to see numerous reports of verbal and physical abuse aimed at ethnic Chinese, and an aversion to Chinese restaurants and other places associated with the country.
Once the virus spread, discrimination was no longer restricted by geographical source. “Victim blaming” focused on anyone unfortunate enough to show signs of being affected – and as Madeline Hsu, a professor of history and Asian American studies at the University of Texas at Austin, perceptively put it, “Germs and viruses don’t operate on the basis of race.”
Last week a major Metropolitan New York newspaper featured a photo that identified “a Jewish lawyer” in Westchester with arrows of people “he infected” by way of contact in his synagogue at Sabbath services as well as at a funeral he attended.
The World Health Organization, sensitive to the possibility for blaming the victim, is urgently pushing the campaign against saying that people are “transmitting Covid–19”, “infecting others,” or “spreading the virus,” because that wording suggests a measure of blame or guilt. Instead WHO asks that we refer to people “acquiring” the virus.
“The more panic, the more temptation to blame the outsider – the other.”
Blaming the victim has a very long precedent. Robert Fullilove, a professor of sociomedical sciences at New York’s Columbia University Medical Center, observed that history teaches us this unfortunate – and universal – lesson: “The more panic, the more temptation to blame the outsider – the other.”
The plagues of the past all verify this truth. And Jews have had a very personal and tragic familiarity with it.
When the bubonic plague, better known as the “Black Death”, turned a quarter of the population of Europe into a mass graveyard within a few short years in the mid-14th century, Christians found a ready explanation. Anti-Semitism was a simple theological rationale to assign blame on Jews who obviously masterminded the outbreak, poisoned the wells, or as a medieval conspiracy theorist claimed, “wished to extinguish all of Christendom, through their poisons of frogs and spiders mixed into oil and cheese.” As for the Jews who also perished, it was nothing less than well-deserved divine punishment for their sins and nonacceptance of Jesus.
Hundreds of Jewish communities met their deaths as targets of extermination campaigns for the crime of supposedly having created a disease which took no note of religious differences – other than treating Jews who faithfully observed the ritual of frequent handwashing as a mitzvah somewhat less harshly.
In the 15th century it was the spread of syphilis that again turned disease into an acceptable rationale for xenophobia and hatred. As historians put it, every national group in Europe defined syphilis as a disease of other nations. The Germans blamed the French, calling it “the French disease.” The French blamed the Italians, the Poles blamed the Russians, the Persians blamed the Turks, the Muslims blamed the Hindus, and the Japanese blamed the Portuguese. Somehow this was one of the rare occasions that Jews in the main were not considered the chief culprits.
But Jews weren’t so lucky in the US when at the beginning of the 20th-century Jewish immigrants were accused of carrying “consumption”, better known as tuberculosis, to America. Nicknamed “the Jewish disease” and “the tailor’s disease” – one of the most common Jewish occupations – tuberculosis and its Jewish connection helped to create the image of Jews as sickly and weak. Unfortunately, this would later be used as a “racial stereotype” to justify restrictions on Jewish immigration in the 20s as well as later in the 30s and 40s, even as the Holocaust decreed only death as alternative.
“Victim blaming” is not only irrational, it is cruel. It is directed to innocents already needlessly suffering. Sherry Hamby, a professor of psychology at the University of the South and founding editor of the APA’s Psychology of Violence journal, sees its source in a very human attempt to ease our own fears for personal safety. “Holding victims responsible for their misfortune is partially a way to avoid admitting that something just as unthinkable could happen to you – even if you do everything ‘right’.”
With the spread of the coronavirus extending rapidly worldwide, every one of us might, God forbid, become the next target. For our own sakes, let us not be guilty of the crime which severely compounds the tragedy – the crime of blaming the victim.
(10) Bobby5000, March 23, 2020 3:30 PM
sensible comments v victim blaming
Is commenting on large groups of young adults on Florida beaches victim-blaming. People should be expected to take sensible precautions. If people follow rules, then yes, we understand the virus can impact anyone.
We can urge Jewish communities to follow CDC recommendations about contact and distance just as we make that recommendation to anyone.
(9) Raymond, March 13, 2020 7:57 PM
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Anonymous, March 13, 2020 8:58 PM
Take a breather sir...
This article did not require you to bring up Trump's name in your initial comment to begin with, primarily because Trump did not need defending from what was written in the article. You yourself obviously have much angst or guilt about your blind obsession with everything-Trump because you bring up Trump at every opportunity; not everything concerns Trump. You denigrate Aish.com readers by your continued use of the word 'derangement'. Not agreeing with you does not make someone 'deranged'. If you want to, ask the editors of Aish.com for permission to write an article extolling Trump.
Anonymous, March 15, 2020 3:17 AM
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Anonymous, March 15, 2020 7:07 AM
You're too smart for this, Raymond
You can support anyone you like for President. No one has an issue with that. It is disrespecting and denigrating others who do not agree with you - the language you use, deranged, etc. that is the problem. I recall you being upset that Facebbok or some site blocked you.... just tone it down. And, as an FYI, I attend Orthodox Shul; it is pretty split, not all members support Trump. It doesn't have to come up for every single article. This is not a political site.
(8) Susan Kinig, March 13, 2020 4:44 AM
This is so true that you do not know whether to laugh or cry. Probanly both.
This is tragically true. Somehow we must learn to stop. Thank you so much for reminding the world of this.
(7) Anonymous, March 12, 2020 7:51 PM
Korect
(6) David K PIERCE, March 12, 2020 3:27 PM
Judaism has provided an answer that we have had all along - Repent
In today's world We think that we can Rely on our own human abilities to solve any of man's problems - that medical technology will bring us through this world virus. We're going to need more Help - from Above. When the Jewish People have Suffered - we were only able to Succeed when we approached G-d. Now all the world is suffering and we will succeed only when we Repent to Approach HaShem.
(5) Anonymous, March 12, 2020 2:09 PM
Good article and important perspective
I appreciated this article and it’s perspective. Working in healthcare, it is an imperative that those being treated for this virus or those exposed ,including their families not be subjected to such discriminatory attitudes. It is a time to be there for one another and this includes our collective talk/ language used in communications regarding the virus. Those suffering from this virus whether via infection or exposure are suffering enough without a layer of social discrimination being added to it. They need our ongoing support.
(4) Raymond, March 10, 2020 10:25 PM
Blame It On Donald
I am surprised that the Radical Left has not yet blamed President Trump for this latest deadly virus. After all, they seem to blame him for everything else. Meanwhile, I seem to recall that Iran has already blamed Israel for this epidemic. I would think that people would be too preoccupied with how to prevent themselves from getting the disease themselves, but oh well, apparently that is human nature to find a convenient scapegoat for all of the world's problems. Now I wonder what will be the world's reaction if it is Israel that ends up finding the proper vaccination for the Coronavirus. Whatever it is, may G-d heal every one of us before it is too late.
Anonymous, March 12, 2020 12:01 PM
While not blaming him,
I am not happy with his response. He is too not taking things seriously enough, for my liking. And, while I am not on the radical left I will be voting for Joe Biden, as is my absolute right.
Yes, may G-d heal every one, at least something to agree on.
Alan S., March 12, 2020 12:59 PM
Sorry Raymond, Trump has been reactive, not proactive.
I like Trump on Israel. Some people love Trump on everything and anything, to the point that when Trump flatulates, they smell roses.
You have every right to think that Trump is perfect. Lordy knows that half the country does too.
While the liberal left can say what they want, the truth is represented by facts, not lies as promulgated by Trump and his minions.
Even if Trump took the corona virus seriously from day 1 -- he didn't -- he has so decimated the govenment workforce and various agency's budget's -- by the way, I did think a small amount of thinning of the workforce was in order -- the resulting response time to this problem is what it is, 'poor' at best. But Trump did not take this as seriously as he should have from day 1 because, of course, he knew better than the professionals, and didn't start taking this seriously till recently. I'm not paranoid nor am I one of those that think the sky is falling.
By the way, I hope Israel quickly finds a vaccine and shares it with every country except those support the BDS movement. This doesn't sound nice, but I can live with it.
Raymond, March 12, 2020 3:30 PM
No Shock Here
Just as I anticipated, those suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome have found a way to not only malign President Trump's character, but to speak about him in the most disrespectful of ways. I have maintained for some years now that if President Trump were to find a cure for cancer, his detractors would respond by angrily calling him a racist. And that is basically what happened when he killed the world's leading terrorist Soleimani, so it hardly surprises me that they fault him for doing whatever he can to stop the spread of this latest virus. It is nothing short of a miracle that political conservatives continue to be Israel's best friends despite the sad fact that most American Jews not only do not appreciate such support, but actively and quite disdainfully express their unmitigated hatred for Christian Zionists.
Anonymous, March 12, 2020 8:02 PM
Not sure why you are even bringing up Trump
He isn't the victim here.
That said, as the President his response in an emergency will and should be evaluated by voters.
I agree and support a couple of things he did during his term. The negative outweighs the positive and he won't have my vote because I don't think he is good for the Country, overall.
The derangement comments are distespectful towards those disagreeing, are actually bullying and quite frankly, this a Jewish site which states all political affiliations are welcome. Give it a rest, already.
(3) Rachel, March 10, 2020 9:05 PM
Misinterpretation of Jewish scripture
Unfortunately, the infection improperly translated as “leprosy” helped fuel the non-Jewish belief that infection with other ailments was due to a moral failing. It’s not surprising that Jews were not accused of spreading syphilis, an STD, because Jews generally did not cohabit with non-Jews. As someone who suffered a near-fatal health condition, I got tired of people looking for a reason for what had happened to me. The typical conversation went like this: Q; You smoked, right? A: No, never. Q: Oh. We’re you overweight? A: No. Q: Oh. Does it run in your family? A: I am adopted and have no way of knowing. I believe it is all because no one wants to believe it can happen to them.
(2) Judith scher, March 10, 2020 7:51 PM
Very well written . Thank you for the truth !
(1) Alaethia Doctor, March 10, 2020 7:01 PM
100%
Yes Rabbi! All this!