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Bookshop that removed Mein Kampf and says it ‘rejects antisemitism’ now sells book portraying Jews as ‘evil’
CST calls for police and council investigation after Arabic-language title promotes notorious Protocols conspiracy
A London Arabic bookshop which removed Mein Kampf from sale has been found stocking another book containing antisemitic claims about Jews.
Aafaq Bookstore on Edgware Road is selling an Arabic-language title translated as So That We Do Not Forget: Jewish Crimes – Zionist Resentment, which describes Jews as possessing “evil qualities” and presents material from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as credible.
The book was uncovered by the Jewish Chronicle, weeks after Aafaq withdrew three Arabic-language copies of Adolf Hitler’s manifesto following a backlash.
The title is dedicated to “every martyr whose blood was shed on the land of Palestine, Jerusalem, and al Aqsa”.
According to translations, its first chapter describes Jews as a “people who committed great sins and possess evil qualities, thus deserving the wrath of (God)”.
It continues: “God Almighty has mentioned their characteristics and actions in the Holy Quran, and how He punished them, yet they did not learn a lesson. Therefore, we must know their history so that we may be wary of them… God’s victory for the believers over the Jews is inevitable.”
Elsewhere, the book describes “Jewish Zionism” as the “embodiment of the worst characteristics and morals of the Jews” and refers to the supposed use of money and economic and military power.
It also claims there are “hidden conspiracies” aimed at establishing a “Jewish Zionist state from the Nile to the Euphrates”.
The Nile-to-Euphrates claim is a longstanding conspiracy theory alleging that Zionists seek a vastly expanded Jewish state stretching across parts of the Middle East.
The book calls for increased vigilance “across the generations” in confronting Zionism and describes what it calls “Zionist hatreds” in relation to Israel and the Palestinians.
It also reproduces passages from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an infamous antisemitic forgery first circulated in the Russian Empire in the early 20th century.
The Protocols falsely purported to reveal secret plans by Jews to achieve global domination through control of governments, economies and wider society. It has since become one of the world’s most notorious pieces of antisemitic propaganda.
Rather than presenting the document simply as a historical example of antisemitism, the author of the book appears to give credence to its claims.
The author writes: “For years now, whenever I read these Protocols, I have been amazed and wondered: Is this really not the truth? The more I delve into their details, the more I become convinced they contain much of what is happening around us.”
The Community Security Trust (CST) has called for the latest discovery to be investigated by police and Westminster Council.
A CST spokesperson told Jewish News: “It is appalling that this London bookshop is once again selling books steeped in antisemitic hatred, not long after being found selling its own published copies of Mein Kampf. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a well-known anti-Jewish hoax used for generations to spread hatred of Jewish people. This apparent pattern raises serious questions, and we would expect the police and Westminster Council to investigate.”
Aafaq said it is a bilingual bookshop, with around half of its collection in English and half in Arabic, and that its shelves include authors from a wide range of backgrounds, including Jewish writers.
It said: “Some of the books we stock express views with which we ourselves may disagree. Our personal beliefs are not the basis on which books are selected. As a bookseller, our selection is primarily shaped by the market, reader interest and demand.
“Aafaq Bookstore is still a new business in London, and we are continuing to learn about the local market, our customers and their reading interests. Our range will naturally continue to develop as we gain a better understanding of those interests.
“The presence of a book on our shelves does not constitute endorsement of every statement, argument or opinion expressed by its author. This principle applies equally to all books and all viewpoints represented in our stores.
“Aafaq unequivocally rejects antisemitism, racism, religious hatred and incitement to violence.”
The bookshop added: “We are concerned that individual titles from a much broader and diverse collection are increasingly being singled out and presented in isolation as though they represent the views of Aafaq Bookstore.
“We do not believe this is a fair or accurate reflection of who we are as a bookseller. Our collection should be considered as a whole, rather than the bookstore being defined by selectively highlighted titles.”
The latest concerns come weeks after Aafaq faced criticism for stocking three Arabic-language copies of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
The bookshop later removed the title from sale after concerns were raised, placing a notice in its window saying it had “reviewed the matter and decided to remove the book from sale”.
At the time, Aafaq told Jewish News: “The presence of a controversial historical book in a bookshop does not constitute endorsement of its ideas. Aafaq unequivocally rejects Nazi ideology, antisemitism, racism and Islamophobia.”
Jewish News has contacted Westminster Council for comment.
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