<sod>  '''Blood libels''' are untrue allegations that a particular group kill children or infants as a form of [[human sacrifice]], and use their blood in various rituals.  One famous example of something widely considered to be a blood libel, is the accusation that Jews kill Christian and Muslim children and use their blood to make [[Passover]] [[matzoh]]s. The story has been circulating since the medieval period.  The ancient Phoenician practice of sacrificing infants to Molech appears well documented enough that we can say it is most likely a fact, and '''not''' a blood libel.
 
Although [[Satanism|Satanists]] have been the primary target of this sort of accusation in recent history, similar accusations have been made against a large variety of different groups throughout history, including [[Christian]]s, [[pagan]]s, [[witch]]es, and [[Judaism|Jews]]. See [[Satanic ritual abuse]], [[Inquisition]], and [[witch hunt]].
 
 During the [[2nd century]], some [[Roman]] commentators misunderstood the ritual of the [[Eucharist]] and the Catholic doctrine of [[Transubstantiation]]. In this ritual, christians drink red wine in response to the words "This is the blood of Christ". The commentators thought that the Christians literally drank blood, and used this to [[persecution of Christians|persecute Christians]].
 
 == Blood Libel against the Jews ==
 
In many cases, anti-Jewish blood libels served as the basis for a ''blood libel cult'', in which the alleged victim of human sacrifice was worshipped as a Christian martyr. The first recorded instance was that of Saint [[William of Norwich]], which originated in [[1144]]. Another example of was the cult of [[Anderl von Rinn]], who was allegedly murdered by Jews in the year [[1462]], in the town of [[Rinn, Tyrol]]. Stories of his death, however, do not emerge until the 17th century, when the cult of Anderl was founded. The cult continued until it was officially prohibited in [[1994]] by the Bishop of Innsbruck. (source [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/rinn.html]).
 
 The attitude of the Catholic church towards these cults varied. The church sometimes opposed them, but it generally did little to stop them, and in some cases gave its clear approval. [[Pope Benedict XIV]] permitted the continuation of the cult of Anderl von Rinn as a local cult, but refused to canonize him as a [[saint]]. [[Pope Sixtus V]] cannonized one [[Simon of Trent]], who was allegedly murdered by Jews in [[1475]]. On the other hand, [[Pope Gregory X]] issued a letter rejecting the blood libel accusations (source [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g10-jews.html]).
 
 
 Others allege that many Palestinians have adopted this form of the blood libel, and that it is now widely taught among Palestinians that Jews are in a conspiracy to inject Arab children with the HIV virus. One example is the statement by by Ambassador Nabil Ramlawi, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN Commission on Human Rights, who allegedly testified in 1997 to the UN in Geneva that "the Israelis authorities have infected by injection 300 Palestinian children with the HIV virus during the years of the Intifadah."
 
See also: [[vampirism]]
 
 == External Links ==
 
 * [http://www.adl.org/presrele/islme%5F62/3790%5F62.asp Anti-Defamation League condemns Egyptian blood libel]
 * [http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/anti-semitism/reaction.html Blood libel in 1840 Syria]
* [[http://www.religioustolerance.org/jud_blib1.htm Blood Libel, Host desecration, and other Myths] (on religioustolerance.org <eod> <sod> '''Blood libels''' are untrue allegations that a particular group kill children or infants as a form of [[human sacrifice]], and use their blood in various rituals.  One famous example of something widely considered to be a blood libel, is the accusation that Jews kill Christian and Muslim children and use their blood to make [[Passover]] [[matzoh]]s. The story has been circulating since the medieval period.  The ancient Phoenician practice of sacrificing infants to Molech appears well documented enough that we can say it is most likely a fact, and '''not''' a blood libel.
 
Many groups have been the target of these kinds of accusations, including [[Jew]]s, [[Christian]]s, [[Cathar]]s, [[Knights Templar]], [[Witches]], Christian [[heretic]]s, [[Roman Catholic]]s, [[Gypsies]], [[Wiccan]]s, [[Druid]]s, [[neopagan]]s, [[satanic ritual abuse|Satanic cultists]], and [[evangelical]] [[Protestant]] [[misionaries]].
 
 During the [[2nd century]], some [[Roman]] commentators misunderstood the ritual of the [[Eucharist]] and the Catholic doctrine of [[Transubstantiation]]. In this ritual, christians drink red wine in response to the words "This is the blood of Christ". The commentators thought that the Christians literally drank blood, and used this to [[persecution of Christians|persecute Christians]].
 
 == Blood Libel against the Jews ==
 
In many cases, [[anti-Semitic]] blood libels served as the basis for a ''blood libel cult'', in which the alleged victim of human sacrifice was worshipped as a Christian martyr. The first recorded instance was that of Saint [[William of Norwich]], which originated in [[1144]]. Another example of was the cult of [[Anderl von Rinn]], who was allegedly murdered by Jews in the year [[1462]], in the town of [[Rinn, Tyrol]]. Stories of his death, however, do not emerge until the 17th century, when the cult of Anderl was founded. The cult continued until it was officially prohibited in [[1994]] by the Bishop of Innsbruck. (source [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/rinn.html]).
 
 The attitude of the Catholic church towards these cults varied. The church sometimes opposed them, but it generally did little to stop them, and in some cases gave its clear approval. [[Pope Benedict XIV]] permitted the continuation of the cult of Anderl von Rinn as a local cult, but refused to canonize him as a [[saint]]. [[Pope Sixtus V]] cannonized one [[Simon of Trent]], who was allegedly murdered by Jews in [[1475]]. On the other hand, [[Pope Gregory X]] issued a letter rejecting the blood libel accusations (source [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g10-jews.html]).
 
 
 Others allege that many Palestinians have adopted this form of the blood libel, and that it is now widely taught among Palestinians that Jews are in a conspiracy to inject Arab children with the HIV virus. One example is the statement by by Ambassador Nabil Ramlawi, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN Commission on Human Rights, who allegedly testified in 1997 to the UN in Geneva that "the Israelis authorities have infected by injection 300 Palestinian children with the HIV virus during the years of the Intifadah."
 
See also: [[vampirism]], [[Inquisition]], [[witch hunt]]
 
 == External Links ==
 
 * [http://www.adl.org/presrele/islme%5F62/3790%5F62.asp Anti-Defamation League condemns Egyptian blood libel]
 * [http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/anti-semitism/reaction.html Blood libel in 1840 Syria]
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/jud_blib1.htm Blood Libel, Host desecration, and other Myths] (on religioustolerance.org) <eod>