Re: Anything BUT? No. Racism PLUS? Yes.
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Does anti-Semitism have a big element of religious persecution to it? Yes, but that doesn't make it any less racist.
On the flip side, does anti-Semitism have a big element of racism to it? Yes, but that doesn't make it any less a religious prejudice.
Historically antisemitism had different forms in different times. Before the 19th century it was mostly religious persecution with some classism thrown in. The racist element is a 19th century add-on. The difference was that one could escape religious persecution by religious conversion, if the conversion was believed to be genuine (the probability of being believed varied with time and place) but there is no escape from racist persecution.
On the flip side, does anti-Semitism have a big element of racism to it? Yes, but that doesn't make it any less a religious prejudice.
Historically antisemitism had different forms in different times. Before the 19th century it was mostly religious persecution with some classism thrown in. The racist element is a 19th century add-on. The difference was that one could escape religious persecution by religious conversion, if the conversion was believed to be genuine (the probability of being believed varied with time and place) but there is no escape from racist persecution.