Posted on 07/30/2006 5:15:59 PM PDT by humint
TEHRAN, Iran - Nothing in the office of Iran ‘s sole Jewish lawmaker calls attention to his faith — no Star of David, no menorah or other symbol of Judaism. But like nearly every public building in Iran, it has a portrait of the Islamic Revolution‘s patriarch, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Moris Motamed‘s political headquarters highlight the well-practiced survival skills of Iran‘s remaining 25,000 Jews — caught again in a political no man‘s land by the fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"We are Iranians. We work for what‘s best for Iran. The fighting, fortunately, does not affect the Jewish community in Iran," said Motamed, who holds the single parliament seat reserved for Jews. Other seats are set aside for the Christian Armenian and Assyrian minorities and followers of Iran‘s pre-Islamic Zoroastrian faith.
In January, the leader of Iran‘s Jewish community, Haroun Yashayaei, issued a rare challenge to Islamic authorities after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the Holocaust a "myth." He said Ahmadinejad was questioning "one of the most obvious and saddening incidents in human history."
Last week, Jews in the southern city of Shiraz held a pro-Hezbollah rally that was covered by state-run television — a sign that the march was likely overseen by the Islamic regime to reinforce the idea of national solidarity.
The Web site of the Tehran Jewish Community includes statements opposing Israel‘s military offensive in the Gaza Strip and praising uranium enrichment by Iranian scientists. The U.S. and many of its allies, including Israel, believe Iran is using its nuclear reactor project as a cover for a weapons program.
Iranian Jews face no restrictions on their religious practices, but they must follow Islamic codes such as head scarves for women in public. The same rules apply to the larger Christian and Zoroastrian communities.
Anti-Semitic acts are rare, but Jews often are the target of degrading caricatures in the Iranian press. Tensions rose considerably in 2000 when 10 Iranian Jews were convicted of spying for Israel. An appeals court later reduced their sentences under international pressure and eventually freed them.
Hebrew canons and the Old Testament recount the story of Persia‘s King Cyrus allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem from Babylon and rebuild the temple nearly 2,600 years ago.
The Book of Esther tells the story of how she was raised by her relative, the royal adviser Mordechai, and becomes a Persian queen. She saves her fellow Jews from slaughter by persuading King Xerxes to call off a plan to attack the community on a date that would be decided by lot, or "pur." The change of heart is marked each year by the festival of Purim.
bttt
All religious minorities suffer varying degrees of officially sanctioned discrimination, particularly in the areas of employment, education, and housing. The Government does not protect the right of citizens to change or renounce their religious faith. Apostasy, specifically conversion from Islam, may be punishable by death; however, there were no reported cases of the death penalty being applied for apostasy during the reporting period.
Next to Iran, Beverly Hills or thereabouts probably has the most Iranian Jews.
This guy is a trator to his race and religion.
***"We are Iranians. We work for what‘s best for Iran. ***
Almost word for word what the German Jews said before they started rounding them up.
People are supposed to learn from history.
This guy is Jewish the same way Tariq Aziz was a Christian.
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
This guy is either living a dream world or is the modern version of the kapo.
Once the current phase of Israel's counter Iranian (Hizballah) terrorist war spreads to Iran and Syria, the Iranian Jewish community will be in mortal danger, just as Jews caught behind Nazi lines were.
The rescue of Iran's Jewish population needs to be a top priority.
Bingo!
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