Bernard Lewis PrizeEuropean anti-Semitism, in both its theological and racist versions, was essentially alien to Islamic traditions, culture, and modes of thought. But to an astonishing degree, the ideas, the literature, even the crudest inventions of the Nazis and their predecessors have been internalized and Islamized. The major themes—poisoning the wells, the invented Talmud quotations, ritual murder, the hatred of mankind, the Masonic and other conspiracy theories, taking over the world—remain; but with an Islamic, even a Qur’anic twist. - Prof. Bernard Lewis The Bernard Lewis Prize will award scholarly work, either published or unpublished, that addresses the aforementioned issues. Recipients of the $2,500 prize will be announced and awarded at the Fifteenth Annual ASMEA Conference on November 5 – 7, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Additionally, all finalists will present and discuss their work during the Conference. |
The 2022 Bernard Lewis Prize will be awarded to scholars or practitioners engaged in the study of issues on antisemitism that were of great importance to our founding chairman, Prof. Bernard Lewis. While Christian antisemitism is well-studied, a stigma remains around addressing antisemitism in the Muslim world. Beyond this, relatively few scholars focus on the Middle Eastern dimensions of Christian antisemitism in religious and cultural terms, much less the political impacts in the West.