Pesach Thought 2: Immigrants and Strangers

[See Pesach Thought 1: Hesed and the Prisoners Dilemma]

There are certain ideas, fears, sayings, criticisms and dangers that arise in every generation.  For example, when do you think the following was written?

The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence [respect] for their parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint; They talk as if they alone know everything and what passes for wisdom in us foolishness in them. As for the girls, they are foolish and immodest and unwomanly in speech, behaviour and dress

Yes, that’s right- Peter the Hermit in the 8th Century!  You can find similar quotes from Hesiod (8th C BCE), Socrates (4th C BCE) and Seneca (1st C CE).  Another thing that rears its ugly head every generation is the fear of the immigrant and the stranger.  They’ll become too mighty!  They’ll take our jobs!  Their loyalty lies elsewhere! We’ll be overrun! 

This was exactly the attitude of Pharoah towards the Ivrim who, as the name connotes, were a landless people and a tribe of nomads. He believed that they would “become even more numerous… [and] join our enemies”.  However, this wasn’t anti-semitism or anything against our group in particular, but from a general attitude.  One text of theirs says, “strangers from outside have come into Egypt… Foreigners have become people everywhere.”  The Egyptians used the name Habiru to any group of nomads and their records show that they used other groups in their construction projects. 

It is our treatment at the hands of the Egyptians that informs much of the Torah’s approach to morality.  Time and time again we get statements such as: “You shall not oppress the stranger, for you know the soul of the stranger, having been strangers in the land of Egypt.”  Having been immigrants in another land, we are implored to act towards immigrants in a more humane way than we experienced.  The Torah, of course, is not a liberal document and there is debate about which injunctions to love the stranger apply to converts, which to non-Jews who agree to follow the Noachide Laws (a Ger Toshav) and which to just anyone who lives amongst you.  If someone, at least meets the middle category, then we must treat them “with the consideration and deeds of loving-kindness due to a Jew, for we are commanded to sustain them…” (Maimonides)

Whatever the precise halakhic ramifications, the spirit is clear, as elaborated by Rav Hirsch:

Whether a country is to be considered just depends less on what rights it accords its citizen, who are in any case secure and well-represented, and more on what rights it confers upon defenceless strangers.  In Jewish law, the complete equality before the law of the stranger and the indigenous citizen is axiomatic.  It is not nationality which entitles a man to right, but the acknowledgement of human rights which grants nationality.

Pesach is the ultimate re-living of history, showing us that the fears and (potential) events of history are destined to be repeated in every generation.  As such, our past experience must inform our present attitudes.  Per R. Hirsch, our experience teaches that “Harshness and cruelty follow[] automatically, as they always do and will, once the basic concept of human rights and justice is perverted”. 

Not that this proves I’m not racist.

Not Racist

I don’t know much about immigration policy, and have no more than vague feelings about numbers of immigrants we should let in.  Personally, I’d feel uncomfortable with a fixed and potentially arbitrary quota.  Surely the focus should just be on what they are here to contribute.  Nonetheless, I approach the issue with an open mind.

One thing, however, David Cameron is certainly right about is that we should feel free to discuss such issues without the threat of being labelled “racist”.  If “cultural sensitivities” prevent discussion in polite society, it leaves it to the extremists to make a meal of what are genuine concerns.

Here is Cameron addressing one such concern:

But as well as abuse of the system, there are other problems with the family route. We know, for instance, that some marriages take place when the spouse is very young, and has little or no grasp of English. Again we cannot allow cultural sensitivity to stop us from acting. That's why last November we introduced a requirement for all those applying for a marriage visa to demonstrate a minimum standard of English

Language is an important enabler for integration into wider society and entry into a culture.  It allows for access to education and the workplace.  Through the media, it allows the free-flow of information, opinion and analysis.  It allows for joint projects and projects and identities amongst different groups of people. 

And yes, dare I say it, it is about being British and feeling a sense of belonging and loyalty to this country.  The country isn’t merely a hotel that provides services.  Rather than residing in self-segregated cultural ghettos, people should contribute to projects wider than their own group.

Obviously, this has nothing specifically to do with Britain or Britishness. Anglos often do the same forming isolated communities in France, Spain or Israel.  It is equally wrong there, and it constitutes a certain arrogance if English speakers refuse to learn the language of their host country. 

Of course, having a national identity doesn’t mean any group turning the back on their own individual identities.  The aim is what the Chief Rabbi calls “integration without assimilation”.  If you disagree, feel free to call me a racist, but perhaps I could just be plain-vanilla wrong.