In times of crises – such as pandemics and wars – we experience an increase of uncertainty on a global and personal level. Unfortunately, this provides the ideal breeding ground for conspiracy theories and myths. Those myths often conclude with a centuries-old image of a stereotypical enemy: the story of a global Jewish conspiracy. This delusion is fuelled even further by social media, where users are bombarded with disinformation and hate speech.
Dr Blume will talk about how even people from the mainstream of society can fall into in anti-Semitic worldviews and how our democracies could defend themselves from this threat.
Michael Blume is a religious scholar and has worked in the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg since 2003. He was in charge of the “State Ministry Special Quota Project for Vulnerable Women and Children From North Iraq” and was head of the unit for “Non-Christian religions, Values, Minorities, Projects Northern Iraq”. In March 2018, he was appointed as the State Commissioner of Baden-Württemberg against Antisemitism. He publishes books and blogs regularly on different topics in the fields of religion and politics. Since 2020 he is running the podcast “Verschwörungsfragen”, in which he is shedding light on anti-Semitic myths.
Please register at anmeldung@vwi.ac.at by latest 14 June, 12.00 am and bring your ID. FFP2 masks are mandatory.
