Anti-Semitism in schools? Summary of a qualitative research project on pupils with a Muslim background in confrontation with the history of the holocaust
There seems to be a difference between children with an Islamic background and their peers coming from other cultural backgrounds in the way they react to the Second World War, Jews and the Holocaust. Compared to their peers they seem to have a negative opinion about these issues. On the one hand they have less knowledge on themes like Jews and the holocaust than their native classmates and
because of their historical background they feel less involved in the history of the war in The Netherlands. On the other hand they are more involved in the present situation in Israel and identify themselves with the Palestinians. Their parents, Arabic TV and the Islam, constantly confirm these ideas. Another cause could be found in the position they currently have in Dutch society. Since the 11th of September they feel they are the "underdog". Puberty completes the case. Because of this, children seem to be disinterested or keep aloof from the subject. Others start vehement discussions, which sometimes lead to interesting dialogues but just as well can lead to an aggressive chaos. A small group provokes with anti-Semitic statements or refuses to participate. These differences don't really appear until the children reach the age of about 14, in the second and third year of secondary school. Of course the differences are more obvious in classes with children from mixed backgrounds than in homogenic white or black classes. Also, you can see differences between children who are raised in a strict Islamic way and children who are raised in a less strict way; between children at VMBO and children at HAVO and VWO and finally between children from immigrant workers and children from refugees. Many teachers are afraid of the ideas, that pupils with an Islamic background have on Jews. Besides the vehement manner in which these youngsters defend their opinion, the teachers are also confronted with their own cultural luggage. Their Dutch upbringing, in which the guilt of letting the holocaust happen still echoes on, does not make it any easier to objectively value the vision of the youngsters with an Islamic background. The fear of the teachers leads to cutting off the discussion, to a primarily theoretical approach and sometimes to even dismissing the subject all together. Teachers who have had earlier experiences with these problems point out how important it is to have open discussions in which listening, summarizing and asking critical questions are extremely important. This takes a lot of time.