Salaam alaikum,

Ritual murder accusations are not new, nor is belief in them.

I draw your attention to the last line (see below) written March 19, 2002 by Al-Riyadh Editor-in-Chief Turki Al-Sudairi: "Furthermore, in principle, an idiotic and false news item regarding the use of human blood in the food of other human beings, whoever they may be, should not be published, since this does not exist in the world at all."

Is it proper to believe that these falsehoods are true?

Salaam,

Abba Avraham

In 1144 CE, an unfounded rumor began in eastern England, that Jews had kidnapped a Christian child, tied him to a cross, stabbed his head to simulate Jesus' crown of thorns, killed him, drained his body completely of blood, and mixed the blood into matzos (unleavened bread) at time of Passover. The rumor arose from a former Jew, Theobald, who had become a Christian monk. He said that Jewish representatives gathered each year in Narbonne, France. They decided in which city a Christian child would be sacrificed. The boy became known as St. William of Norwich. Many people made pilgrimages to his tomb and claimed that miracles had resulted from appeals to St. William. The myth shows a complete lack of understanding of Judaism. Aside from the prohibition of killing innocent persons, the Torah specifically forbids the drinking or eating of any form of blood in any quantity. However, reality never has had much of an impact on blood libel myths. This rumor lasted for many centuries; even today it has not completely disappeared.

Pope Innocent IV ordered a study in 1247 CE.. The investigators found that the myth was a Christian invention used to justify persecution of the Jews. At least 4 other popes subsequently vindicated the Jews. However, the accusations, trials and executions continued.

The American ambassador helped Montefiore secure from the Ottoman Sultan an imperial decree in November declaring that the blood libel had "not the least foundation in truth" and that Jews "shall possess the same advantages and enjoy the same privileges" as his other subjects, especially the free exercise of their religion.

In an article published by the Saudi government daily Al-Riyadh[1], columnist Dr. Umayma Ahmad Al-Jalahma of King Faysal University in Al-Dammam, wrote on "The Jewish Holiday of Purim." Following are excerpts of the article:

"Before I go into the details, I would like to clarify that the Jews' spilling human blood to prepare pastry for their holidays is a well-established fact, historically and legally, all throughout history. This was one of the main reasons for the persecution and exile that were their lot in Europe and Asia at various times."
[3] Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), March 10, 2002.

Following MEMRI's recent reports on antisemitism in the Saudi government daily Al-Riyadh (See MEMRI Special Dispatch 354 and MEMRI'S press elease) - The Voice of America broadcast an official U.S. editorial calling upon Saudi Arabia and the Arab nations to ".stop newspapers and radio and television stations. from inciting hatred and violence against Jews."[1] On the same day, the editor of Al-Riyadh issued a statement, which was also sent to MEMRI, regarding the articles. Following is the Al-Riyadh editor's statement on the 'Purim' articles:

Al-Riyadh Editor-in-Chief Turki Al-Sudairi: 'News of Aggressive Incitement'

"He said that some American authorities had called to verify whether Al-Riyadh had published an article stating that Jews drink human blood and mix it into their food on what Al-Jalahma called the holiday of 'Purim.'"

"I checked the article and found it not fit for publication because it was not based on scientific or historical facts, and it even contradicted the rituals of all the known religions in the world, including Hinduism and Buddhism."

"The information included in the article was no different from the nonsense always coming out in the 'yellow literature,' whose reliability is questionable."

"The understanding of this serious mistake escaped Ms. Al-Jalahma, as did the understanding that Jews everywhere in the world are one thing, while Jews belonging to the Zionist movement that acts to annihilate the Palestinians are something else, and completely different."

"In Israel itself there are moderate Jews such as Yisrael Shahak, who fought Zionist racism and exposed it in many of his studies. There are others like Shahak, and our dispute with phenomena such as Sharon must in no way cause us to generalize the emotions of hatred to all Jews."

"Furthermore, in principle, an idiotic and false news item regarding the use of human blood in the food of other human beings, whoever they may be, should not be published, since this does not exist in the world at all."