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And you don't see what's offensive about that? Legolas Send a noteboard - 21/03/2012 11:11:16 PM
It should be painfully obvious to anyone who actually reads the Divine Comedy that the last portion of Hell is reserved for those who betray the people closest to them. Brutus and Cassius betrayed Caesar, and Judas betrayed Christ.

Does that justify naming the last part of Hell after the Jewish neighbourhoods in Italian cities, though? Surely you can see how that is an intentional attempt to taint all Jews with Judas' betrayal. Which may well have been a perfectly normal stance to take at the time, but is still profoundly repulsive to modern readers.
I really don't see why this group thinks that there is a need to preface the Divine Comedy in any way that it probably isn't already prefaced. Their major contention seems to be that Jewish students are forced to read it in school. In fact, their main contention seems to be with Christianity and Christian culture generally, to which I would say "then leave Italy". It's sort of like complaining about Islam in Saudi Arabia.

We don't know how it is or isn't prefaced in Italian schools. I don't know what the Italian curriculum is like on this point or for that matter other points, and I doubt anyone on this site does. They could be right about the prefacing/notes being sub-par - or not.

As for the rest, when you start sounding like Dragonsoul on the subject of Italy, it's time to take a few steps back, I think. :P While the excessive anticlericalism propagated by some on the Italian left may seem a little sad or even offensive, it's understandable enough that some people have gotten to such a point in reaction to the Catholic church's stranglehold on Italian politics until not so long ago (or even to some extent until now). Still, Italy's connection to Christianity is nothing like Saudi Arabia's connection to Islam and never was.
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Divine Comedy is "offensive and discriminatory", says Italian NGO Legolas - 20/03/2012 07:25:08 PM 1284 Views
Duh? Ghavrel - 20/03/2012 07:38:41 PM 741 Views
It does kind of feel like we should know more about how it's taught in Italian schools. Legolas - 20/03/2012 07:50:36 PM 675 Views
The most ignorant statement of the day. MightyYT - 21/03/2012 04:48:39 PM 1099 Views
Re: The most ignorant statement of the day. Legolas - 21/03/2012 07:42:54 PM 698 Views
Isn't the fundamental basis of Christanity mutually exclusive to Judaism and Islam? Tom - 20/03/2012 08:33:51 PM 661 Views
That's a really good point that I hadn't considered. I agree. *NM* Ghavrel - 22/03/2012 09:05:00 AM 299 Views
Excellent point. Cannoli - 22/03/2012 11:44:36 PM 1312 Views
I don't see why that would be the case LadyLorraine - 23/03/2012 01:44:49 AM 723 Views
Just because someone is in Hell doesn't mean you should discriminate against them Tom - 20/03/2012 08:23:22 PM 804 Views
Not having read any Dante is kind of hurting my ability to reply to that. Legolas - 20/03/2012 10:08:52 PM 1034 Views
Odd, considering you linked the "offending passages" Tom - 20/03/2012 11:54:34 PM 712 Views
Yes, well, I was semi-serious with the "pretending to understand Italian". Legolas - 21/03/2012 07:58:35 PM 690 Views
I rather agree with you DomA - 21/03/2012 10:09:01 PM 860 Views
Taking the Divine Comedy off the curriculum would be like taking Shakespeare out in the UK. Tom - 21/03/2012 10:48:15 PM 650 Views
But some works of Flaubert aren't considered OK for compulsory reads... DomA - 22/03/2012 05:27:04 AM 662 Views
The last part of Hell is Giudecca because of Judas. Tom - 21/03/2012 10:30:36 PM 773 Views
And you don't see what's offensive about that? Legolas - 21/03/2012 11:11:16 PM 664 Views
You are making an assumption that Dante named it after Jewish quarters. Tom - 21/03/2012 11:24:47 PM 1100 Views
Wait, let's be clear just how bat-shit Rick Santorum crazy these assholes are. Tom - 21/03/2012 01:06:49 AM 740 Views
They also dont seem to realize just how many Muslim nations are calling for the eradication of Israe *NM* MightyYT - 21/03/2012 04:33:53 PM 405 Views
There's some things in that paragraph one can roll one's eyes at, aye - but that's as far as it goes Legolas - 21/03/2012 08:06:32 PM 632 Views
Are you serious?! Did you read the whole paragraph? Tom - 21/03/2012 10:24:56 PM 647 Views
I certainly did. Though as it turns out I had not read their other articles... Legolas - 21/03/2012 10:59:51 PM 703 Views
The way you read it certainly does lessen the impact... Tom - 21/03/2012 11:09:23 PM 645 Views
It was only a matter of time. I wonder, when will it end? Dan - 20/03/2012 08:42:42 PM 1027 Views
I saw that. Seems a little misguided Camilla - 21/03/2012 07:04:06 AM 678 Views
That's the understatement of the year. Tom - 21/03/2012 01:23:14 PM 675 Views
That's what they're advocating. And I wouldn't know - they seem to think it is. *NM* Legolas - 21/03/2012 08:08:53 PM 290 Views
I think that sometimes people take "politicly correct" tooooo far... *NM* aragornital - 21/03/2012 08:20:31 AM 394 Views
Dante was also anit-italian by there logic. MightyYT - 21/03/2012 04:53:50 PM 747 Views
It is the nature of comedy to be offensive. Nate - 21/03/2012 08:42:09 PM 929 Views
Let me sum up my opinion on this as succinctly and clearly as I can: LadyLorraine - 21/03/2012 11:50:37 PM 656 Views
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