Comic book training manual for next Jewish progrom

In a frightening article titled "Aimed at Children, Nationally Distributed Christian Comic Book Called a 'Training Manual' for 'The Next Progrom Against Jews,'" published at The Huffington Post, Bruce Wilson tells about "a product, currently sold at Barnes and Noble bookstores, that suggests the historically covert anti-Semitism within American Christian Zionist culture is mutating, changing and entering a new phase: the anti-Semitism is becoming overt."

Chip Berlet, senior analyst at Political Research Associates, claims that "the portrayal of Jews found in a Manga comic now sold in Barnes and Noble depicts 'A colorful comic training manual for motivating young leaders of the next progrom against Jews. Not just offensive - ghastly and horrific in content with a clear enemy scapegoat identified for venting apocalyptic religious bigotry."

The comic is called Manga Messiah, published by Tyndale House, which also publishes the wacko Left Behind series, and books by James Dobson of Focus on the Family. One individual, identified only as "a devoted and concerned student of the spread of anti-Semitic ideas within American pop-culture and religious culture," said this:

"The growing acceptability in our society of this stereotype of Jews is not happening in spite of the apocalyptic Christian Zionist movement. It is happening because of it! This movement has been the incubator of media objectifying Jews as non human as well as the source of media that is mainstreaming anti-Jewish conspiracy theory. It is dressed up as biblical interpretation or futuristic prophecy but the images are being projected to millions of people all over the world. Even worse, the images are being validated in the minds of these millions as an acceptable way to view Jews because of the visible participation of Jewish leaders with the movement."

Joseph Lieberman, anyone?

Mr. Berlet characterized the Manga Messiah comic book thus:

"Portrays a version of reading Biblical text about the crucifixion of Christ rejected by most Christians for decades--especially since the Nazi genocide of Jews."

"Many readers of the Bible's New Testament will recognize the jibes from the jeering crowd as coming from Jewish chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees. If readers don't know the references, the Bible verses cited below the images can be consulted to make clear the Jewish identity of the bloodthirsty crowd taunting Jesus.

"These images of Jews as Christ killers make Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' hideous snuff movie seem tame in comparison."

You can read Mr. Wilson's complete article, which includes a rationale as to why this comic book could lead to a "progrom" scenario, here. Note the pictures from the Manga Messiah!