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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 60 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Scholar speaks on ‘weapon of antisemitism’ A panel of experts discussed the implications of antisemitism on the global stage By CAROLINE COLLINS Associate News Editor
A panel of experts, including Palestinian-American Yousef Munayyer, head of the Palestinian and Israel program and a senior fellow at the Arab Center Washington, D.C., met Tuesday afternoon in the Hesburgh Center for International Studies to discuss the historical framework around antisemitism and how it relates to the broader conflict in Gaza. The event is the second in a two-day series sponsored by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, discussing antisemitism and the struggle for justice and
CAROLINE COLLINS | The Observer
Yousef Munayyer spoke at the “Antisemitism and Other Hates” lecture sponsored by the Kroc Institute. Munayyer explained antisemitism’s role as a transnational repression strategy that silences debate.
peace in Israel and Palestine. Nakba means “the catastrophe” and it refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians through displacement, Atalia Omer, professor of religion, conflict and peace studies said in her introductory remarks. “The war didn’t start on October 7, the Nakba started years before Hamas emerged.” Omer began the conversation by explaining the broader context of antisemitism, including nationalist and imperialist violence. She then introduced Munayyer’s presentation, which focused on the weaponization of antisemitism as part of a transnational repression see ISRAEL PAGE 4
Lecturer considers Boston College professor Catholics in politics discusses book on creation By ANNELISE DEMERS News Writer
Pol it ic a l sc ience professor Da n iel Ph i lpot t ser ved a s a g uest spea ker at t he You ng A mer ic a n s for Freedom meet i ng Tuesday n ig ht . H i s topic of d i sc u ssion w a s w hy Cat hol ic s shou ld be i nvolved i n pol it ic s. Ph i lpot t ha s a spec ia li z ed foc u s on t he i nter sect ion of rel ig ion a nd g loba l pol it ic s, pa r t ic u la rly empha si z i ng topic s such a s rel ig iou s f reedom, reconc i l iat ion, t he pol it ic a l conduc t of rel ig iou s f ig u res a nd C h r i st ia n pol it ic a l t heolog y. H i s t a l k ref lec ted t he t hemes cent r a l to h i s cou r se, “Cat hol ic i sm a nd Pol it ic s.” “I f ou r com ma nd i s to love ou r neig hbor, a nd pol it ic a l aut hor it y i s ordered to t he good, t hen t hat mea n s t hat we shou ld be i nvolved i n pol it ic s a s a n ex ten sion of love for ou r neig hbor,” Ph i lpot t sa id. Ph i lpot t ex plored t he d i sju nc t u re rega rd i ng t he
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i nvolvement of Cat hol ic s i n pol it ic s by d i sc u ssi ng t wo pol it ic a l t heor ies : r ad ic a l Cat hol ic i sm a nd C h r i st ia n rea l i sm. Rad ic a l Cat hol ic i sm “i s t he v iew t hat t here’s a sha r p d i sju nc t u re bet ween Cat hol ic i sm a nd pol it ic s, w h ich cont a i n s st rong pressu re for idolat r y a nd v iolence a nd t hat Cat hol ic s a nd C h r i st ia n s i n gener a l shou ld accord i ng ly shu n pol it ic s a nd choose a r ad ic a l com m it ment to l iv i ng t he gospel i n com mu n it y,” Ph i l lpot t sa id. On t he ot her ha nd, C h r i st ia n rea l i sm accept s t he necessa r y role of pol ic y, he added. It “accept s t he necessit y a nd even t he nor ma lc y of pol it ic s but does not t h i n k t hat t he gospel or t he chu rch ha s much to say about it,” Ph i lpot t sa id. “For t he C h r i st ia n rea li st w hen t he t wo con f l ic t s appea r, pol it ic s mu st w i n out, pol it ic s i s r u led by a see CATHOLICS PAGE 3
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By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT Associate News Editor
Tuesday night in Stapleton Lounge, the center for the study of spirituality hosted author and Boston College theology professor Brian Robinette for the second installment of the Ex Libris Visiting Author Lecture Series. Robinette discussed his latest book, “The Difference Nothing Makes: Creation, Christ, Contemplation,” which
was published last year by Notre Dame Press. Robinette began his discussion of his book by saying he wanted to flesh out some key ideas. “I would like to speak from the inside of the book, from its beating heart. Its existential guts,” he said. “There are two lines of questioning that animate this book and these lines of questioning have haunted me my entire adult life.”
Robinette’s questions were about creation. “The first question seems straightforward until you really ask it. Why is there anything at all rather than nothing?” he asked. Robinette continued to pose versions of this question, such as “why does anything exist” and “why is this all just here?” He said these questions see THEOLOGY PAGE 3
KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT | The Observer
Boston College theology professor Brian Robinette spoke in Stapleton Lounge as part of the Ex Libris Visiting Author Lecture Series. Robinette discussed his new book on theology ‘s focus on human conflict.
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