Calendar

Lectures by Astrid Messerschmidt and Meron Mendel, moderated by Özcan Karadeniz, with an introductory reading circle.

Reading circle: Thursday, 18.01., 14-16 h
Lectures and discussion: Friday, 19.01., 14:00 -16:30 (hybrid format!)
Location: Study room of the HGB Gallery.

In the current world situation, the desire or even the demand for clear positioning is understandable. Just as great is the temptation to ignore contradictions and ambivalences, which are, however, necessary in order to learn to understand and overcome historically evolved divisions. In the relationship between anti-Muslim racism and anti-Semitism, for example, it seems increasingly difficult to grasp the ambivalent simultaneity of the respective oppression. We want to explore this challenge together with Astrid Messerschmidt, Meron Mendel and Özcan Karadeniz.

The lectures will be held digitally, moderation, exchange and discussion as well as the introductory reading circle will take place in person.

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2-4 p.m.: Reading circle

As part of the final event "Die (Un)vereinbarkeit von Antisemitismus- und Rassismuskritik" we invite you to read together on January 18 at 2 pm. Two selected texts will be read and discussed as a preparation and intellectual, discursive basis for the lectures and discussions with Astrid Messerschmidt and Meron Mendel.

Please register for the reading group by e-mail or by calling the following contact: (sabel@verband-binationaler.de) / 0341-6 88 00 22
The number of participants is limited.

Friday, 19.01., 2 - 4:30 p.m.: Lectures and discussion

No registration necessary

Between innocence and superiority - anti-Semitism and racism as world views
Astrid Messerschmidt

The lecture deals with distinctions and connections between racism and anti-Semitism. Racism offers its supporters the opportunity to feel superior to themselves, as the alienated others can be devalued. Anti-Semitism offers its supporters the opportunity to see themselves as innocent, as everything reprehensible in the modern globalized world can be attributed to an imagined perpetrator. From an ideology-critical perspective, anti-Semitism can be understood as a worldview in which Jewish people are projectively seen as a symbol of a modern world to be made hostile to. Racism, on the other hand, can be understood as a world view of separation, which propagates the purity of cultures, particularly in right-wing populist and identitarian movements.

Astrid Messerschmidt (Dr. phil. habil.) is Professor of Educational Science at the University of Wuppertal. Her main areas of work include: Education in migration society, diversity and discrimination, gender theories and gender-reflective education; criticism of anti-Semitism, antiziganism and racism in the aftermath of National Socialism as well as dealing with the reappraisal of Nazi crimes in educational contexts. She was a member of the Independent Commission on Antiziganism at the Federal Ministry of the Interior (2019-2021).

In the combat zone. Racism, anti-Semitism and the struggle for sovereignty of interpretation
Meron Mendel

The fight against antisemitism should actually go hand in hand with the fight against racism. However, rivalries between victims, different attitudes to the Middle East conflict and the dominant perspective of those affected make it difficult to reach an understanding. Why do the two perspectives so often clash and what is needed to form alliances?

Meron Mendel (born 1976, Israel, Dr. phil.) has been Director of the Anne Frank Educational Center since 2010 and Professor of Social Work at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences since 2021. Together with Saba-Nur Cheema, he writes the column "Muslim-Jewish Evening Meal" for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Together with Astrid Messerschmidt, he published the volume: "Fragiler Konsens. Antisemitism-critical education in the migration society" (2017). His most recently published book "Über Israel reden. Eine deutsche Debatte" was nominated for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2023.

Özcan Karadeniz will moderate the talks and discussions.

Özcan Karadeniz is the managing director of the Dachverband sächsischer Migrant*innenorganisationen (DSM e.V.). He is a political scientist and a long-standing trainer and speaker in the field of racism-critical and political education work in the context of migration, diversity and empowerment. His work focuses on the broader communication of content that is critical of racism and discrimination. He is the author and co-editor of the book of essays "Die Erfindung des muslimischen Anderen - 20 Fragen und Antworten, die nichts über das Muslimischsein verraten" (2021). Karadeniz has taught at various universities. As a member of the Independent Expert Group on Muslim Hostility of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, he also acted as an advisor to the federal government.
 
The event is part of "Gefahrenzonen - Rassismus ver(un)sichert" and is a cooperation project between the Verband binationaler Familien und Partnerschaften and the HGB Galerie (Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig).