A large international Muslim organization has approached Google after the word “Jew” was listed on Google as a verb marked offensive, defined as “to bargain with someone in a miserly or petty way” for most of the day on Tuesday.
The Global Imams Council (GIC), the world’s first and largest transnational nongovernmental body of Muslim religious leaders from all Islamic denominations, sent a letter to Google headquarters in response to the antisemitic character describing Jews. “We write to you to share a serious concern that demands swift action,” the GIC wrote in the letter.
“We were appalled to learn that if one searches the word ‘Jew’ on Google, the first definition displayed is an antisemitic trope. The top result is an ‘Offensive’ verb that defines ‘Jew’ as ‘bargain with someone in a miserly or petty way.’ This presentation of this definition is entirely unacceptable.”
They added that the second definition of “Jew” displayed – that of a noun, “is perfectly acceptable.” This definition stated that “a member of the people and cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism and who trace their origins through the ancient Hebrew people of Israel to Abraham.”
According to the Imams, “many prophets and Messengers revered in Islam were Jews.” They added that “intentionally presenting them [Jews] in this manner is blasphemous and an insult to the Abrahamic family and to two billion Muslims around the world.”
