We’ve all heard of and discussed the “Harry Haters” out of the fundamentalist Christian camps who think the boy wizard is indoctrinating impressionable young minds into witchcraft. Another type of Harry Hater is out there, and is just the opposite, claiming that Harry is indoctrinating kids into Christianity. From Iranian TV:
Iranian state television has come to the conclusion that Harry Potter is a Zionist plot. The documentary, which you can watch here, features several “experts” discussing the wildly popular series of books and movies.
One of the experts quoted in the documentary says that Harry Potter is part of a “cultural crusade” and through the movies “they [Zionists] are indirectly saying: ‘join us.’”
The documentary, which shows many of the darker scenes from the series, concludes that elements of the Kabbalah are presented in the movies. One expert says that Harry Potter is portrayed as the Messiah and the film touches on Armadeggon, which he says fits into popular Christian Zionist beliefs.
In 2007, Iran’s ultra-conservative daily “Kayhan” called Harry Potter “a billion-dollar Zionist project” and a “destructive bomb” for children’s minds. It alleged that the author J.K. Rowling had links to Zionists and that was how she became so well known.
I’d heard about this before, but this is the first time I’ve ever read a genuine report about it. Fascinating. Either Harry’s anti-Christian, or he is the culprit behind a Christian takeover.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
It is interesting the claims that both sides make. A country with state run television probably doesn’t like any series that ends with a virtuous hero over throwing an oppressive government regime.
Have you seen clips of Iranian children’s programmes?
Here
Can you imaging a state sponsering this type of children’s programme thinking that Harry would be OK for their little ones?
Though I did hear that Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was quite popular in Iran because many Jewish people thought it was anti-semetic.
Who could predict these things?
Just proves that there are some really strange people out there, on both sides. JKR, a Zionest – that’s a new one.
Pat
It just shows that Harry appeals to a wide variety…of Harry Haters.
Lol! Oh my…. it’s just too much for me really, all of this… I guess it just proves that you can find anything in anything if that’s what you want to see.
Well, it has some truth. Harry certainly is an allegory. Glad they could pick up on it. Too bad some Evangelicals couldn’t. I have heard the some people are using the story to tell Muslim children about Christ. Not sure where I heard that though.
I’ve read somewhere else that some Muslims consider Harry Potter to be Christian propaganda. I tried to find on the Internet where I read that, but the above article comes close to it. Too bad the documentary is not in English.