Guest guest Posted June 10, 2001 Report Share Posted June 10, 2001 It's not about stopping Neo-Nazis using this or that symbol. It's about stopping the Neo-Nazis. Full stop. And that is a citizen's duty for which nobody has to stand up more than anybody else in particular. And could you please stop asking Prof. Witzel or anybody else for political action on an Indological list. There are millions of causes that are as urgent as the use of symbols. And the fact that Prof. Witzel kindly gives so much of his time to share his knowledge on this list with the rest of us should not be held against him. I am discontinuing on this topic, if you don't mind. aishwaryannamboodiri wrote: > You are correct, we all have that responsibility. Yet, Witzel has a > special role as did Thieme in an earlier generation: they are solid > scholars who rose to the level of being spokesmen for a field. When > symbols and words that acquired a > academic respectability because of their work > are being abused they have a > higher responsibility than an ordinary citizen, they have a special > responsibility to correct the public record. This is the flip-side of > academic freedom. > > Scholarship without moral education and courage > is truly dangerous- as the abuse of Indology in Germany so clearly > shows. > > From the lack of a reference in your reply I assume that > Witzel has been silent on the issue. Is there any one at all in the > field who has stood up? > > INDOLOGY, gm@A... wrote: > > I don't think Indologists like Prof. Witzel have a singular moral > > responsibility for preventing Neo-Nazis using any symbols. > > You do, too. > > > > aishwaryannamboodiri wrote: > > > > > It is not sufficient ( as you so graciously did) to acknowledge that > > > some Indologists -like other academics- > > > collaborated . You have to name names: who were > > > they? It is necessary to see how the field was affected by its Nazi > > > association and to see if there are remnants of racism still left in > > > the field. Instances of resistance are also valuable. ( Another poster > > > mentioned a scholar who resisted the use of the Swastika by the > > > Nazis. )For example, how did Thieme resist the abuse of Indology? > > > What is Witzel doing currently to prevent the ongoing abuse of Aryan > > > symbolism by the Neo-Nazis? > > > > > > Academics have the right to hold unpopular opinions, even those that > > > could be used to justify genocide. The credibility of the discipline > > > will only be enhanced by acknowledging the mistakes of its past. The > > > Kurt Waldheim episode is instructive: it was his inability to > > > acknowledge his Military service that brought him such ill-repute. > > > > > > Perhaps a conference on " The Abuses of the Aryan Myth " would be a > > > good idea. > > > By the way what do you think of the book > > > " The Aryan Myth: A History of Racist and Nationalist Ideas in Europe" > > > by Poliakov, ( London, Heineman 1974)? > > > > > > INDOLOGY, gm@A... wrote: > > > > The so-called swastika is an old symbol found in many > > > > cultures, not just Indo-European ones. In many cases it is > > > > interpreted as a sun symbol, or more abstractly as > > > > an auspicious sign. The direction of the rotation > > > > varies, as do other aspects of the shape. > > > > > > > > Unfortunately, the Nazis hijacked a version of it for > > > > their own ends. > > > > > > > > Indologists who had Nazi affiliations: sad chapter in > > > > our history--not just Indologists but academia at large > > > > underwent a traumatic period, and unfortunately not > > > > just Indology but all other disciplines had their huge > > > > share of Nazism. Nazism was a system that went > > > > to great lengths and great detail in terms of social > > > > control. Their control over the academic system was > > > > extremely tight and policed increasingly rigidly. > > > > A "wrong word" said in private could result in > > > > deportation and death. There were even Nazi student > > > > organisations who "helped" police the professors! > > > > > > > > European gypsies who to this day speak Indic languages > > > > were relentlessly persecuted by the Nazis. > > > > The Nazi machine, while singling out Jews specially, > > > > actually persecuted not just along "Aryan" lines (they > > > > had their own perverted idea of what "Aryan" meant), but > > > > whoever they felt was hampering their perverted > > > > cause. The mass murder they caused in Europe killed > > > > more Indo-Europeans world-wide than all previous wars > > > > in history taken together. No matter what their propaganda > > > > machine was spreading, the effect on Indo-Europeans > > > > and non-Indo-Europeans alike was totally catastrophic. > > > > This was the case not just for all the IE-speaking nations > > > > of Europe on whom the Nazis declared war, but also internally > > > > in Germany itself. The concentration camps were full > > > > of political opponents, members of religious communities, > > > > individuals who refused to cooperate, and so on. > > > > > > > > Let's talk of something less depressing... > > > > > > > > > > > > aishwaryannamboodiri wrote: > > > > > > > > > Is there a study of the connection of Indology to the rise of > Nazism > > > > > in any reputable academic journal? e.g., why did the Nazis > reverse the > > > > > Swastika sign when they adopted it as their party emblem? Were > any of > > > > > the Indologists of the time sympathizers of the Nazi cause? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > indology- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Your use of is subject to > > > > > > > > > > > > indology- > > > > > > > > > > > > Your use of is subject to > > > > indology > > > > Your use of is subject to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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