https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbub4Q6ebMY
“My
parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents spent their lives in this
neighborhood,” Aviva, an 84-year-old Jewish grandmother in Tehran, Iran,
explained to me over the phone, as her warm voice shivered with years of
memories. “My ancestors, in fact, settled in this country more than 30
centuries ago.”
Aviva’s
reference to 3,000 years of history points also to the origins of the Jewish community in Iran, (Persia). The peaks
and valleys of Iran Jewish history date back to the late biblical times. The
Jewish population predominantly moved to Persia during the Achaemenid Empire, when Cyrus
the Great invaded Babylon. The Jewish community became an important, integral
and influential part of Persian society, and some scholars argue that at some
point, 20 percent of the population was Jewish. People who were once captives
became important historical figures, such as Queen Esther. Persian kings
including Artaxerxes, Cyrus, and Darius permitted the Jews to rebuild their
temple in Jerusalem.
When Arabian Islam conquered Persia, the Jewish
community faced a new sociopolitical and socioreligious landscape: They were
put in a specific classification (dhimmis) and had to pay special taxes,
instead of the Muslim zakat, in order to compensate for the
caliphate’s social welfare, protection, and security.
After
Shiism became the official state religion in the 16th century, the status and
rights of the Jews deteriorated even more. Under the rule of some kings, the
Jews were forced to wear a distinctive badge and clothing that separated them
from others in the community, allowing them to become targets of hatred. Fear
became a part of their everyday lives. In what was known as the Allahdad incident in March 1839, forced conversion
against Jews was carried out. The lives of some were spared because they
converted to Islam in order to save their lives.
In 1948,
Iran still had a Jewish population of about 150,000 people—the largest Jewish
population in the Middle East after Israel, mainly concentrated in Tehran,
Esfahan, and Shiraz. While many Jews lived peacefully in Iran after the
founding of the State of Israel, the Islamic Revolution of Iran radically altered the status
of Iran’s Jewish community.
“Since
1979, the situation has been different,” the seemingly composed and patient
Aviva said. “We learned to adjust our lives and adapt to the new environment to
survive like many others. We don’t talk about politics, mind our business, and
try not to run into problems.”
Some
Iranian politicians and media outlets give the impression that Jews have been living in
Iran comfortably with equal rights since the establishment of
the Islamic Republic. Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif boasted in New York: “We have a history of tolerance and
cooperation and living together in coexistence with our own Jewish people, and
with—Jews everywhere in the world.” The Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomenei, famously said to
a delegate from the Jewish community that the Jews will be protected and he
issued a fatwa for that:
In the
holy Qu’ran, Moses, salutations upon him and all his kin, has been mentioned
more than any other prophet. Prophet Moses was a mere shepherd when he stood up
to the might of pharaoh and destroyed him. Moses, the Speaker-to-Allah,
represented pharaoh’s slaves, the downtrodden, the mostazafeen of his
time. Moses would have nothing to do with these pharaoh-like Zionists who run
Israel. And our Jews, the descendants of Moses, have nothing to do with them
either. We recognize our Jews as separate from those godless, bloodsucking
Zionists.
But facts
appear to tell us a different story than the narrative Khamenei, Rouhani,
Zarif, and other current Iranian leaders attempt to spread, a story that is
neither tolerant nor kind. Since 1979, the numbers of the Jewish population are down by more than 90 percent, and fear is
a familiar companion for those who remain, whether because they are too old to
leave or because they remain attached to the country of their birth.
The execution of Habib Elghanian, the head of the Jewish
community, a businessman, and a philanthropist, was the first powerful blow
that befell the Jewish community and sent an intimidating massage from the Islamic
Republic. This action appeared to be taken mainly for the purpose of imposing
fear. The charges against him included “friendship with the enemies of God” and
being a “Zionist spy.” His granddaughter, Shahrzad Elghanayan, said that “after a
20-minute trial on trumped-up charges” he was executed. In the span of less
than an hour, an influential voice was silenced. That message, that terror,
rippled through the community.
In the
current climate of the Iranian government’s antagonism toward Israel, the
remaining Jewish population of Iran, which numbers perhaps 9,000, is caught in
complex circumstances. Iran’s Jewish community has to be extremely cautious of
showing any sympathy toward Israel. If they exhibit any sign of this, they risk
serious criminal charges, such as being labeled an Israeli spy. Consequences of
these charges range from torture to death.
Each word
spoken, each action taken, and all movement throughout the community is
calculated and evaluated carefully to prevent these consequences. Still, this
is not enough. The government authorities intervene in the few Jewish schools
that remain. Jews are not allowed to become school principals. The curriculum
has changed, and activities are monitored to make sure, for example, that the
main language is Persian and not Hebrew. Distribution of Hebrew texts or the
teaching of Judaism is risky and strongly discouraged.
Even
within school walls, the Jewish community cannot expect any form of safety or
freedom. Current restrictions and discriminatory policies against Jews include
bans against Jewish people in key governmental and significant decision-making
positions: A Jewish person can’t be a member of the influential Guardian
Council, a commander in the army, or serve as the president of the nation,
among other restrictions. Jews are not permitted to become a judge at any level
or assist in the judicial or legislative systems. Furthermore, Jews are banned
from becoming members of parliament (the Consultative Assembly) through general
elections.
Jews are
not allowed to inherit from Muslims. But, if one member of a Jewish family
converts to Islam, he would inherit everything. This law seems to be designed
to promote conversion to Islam by providing financial incentives.
There
exist several forms of discrimination in the penal code as well. Qisas, or
the right to equal justice, has not been specified in the penal code for the
Jewish people. For example, if a Jew kills a Muslim, the family of the victim
has the right to ask for execution as a penalty, but if a Muslim kills a Jew,
the right of a family member to demand the execution of the murderer would be
left to the discretion of the judges.
Iran’s
constitution lays out in detail the protections for practicing and preaching
Islam, but not for Judaism. Article 12 of the Iranian Constitution states:
The
official religion of Iran is Islam and the Twelver Ja’fari school, and this
principle will remain eternally immutable. Other Islamic schools are to be
accorded full respect, and their followers are free to act in accordance with
their own jurisprudence in performing their religious rites. These schools
enjoy official status in matters pertaining to religious education, affairs of
personal status (marriage, divorce, inheritance, and wills) and related
litigation in courts of law. In regions of the country where Muslims following
any one of these schools constitute the majority, local regulations, within the
bounds of the jurisdiction of local councils, are to be in accordance with the
respective school of fiqh, without infringing upon the rights of the
followers of other [Islamic] schools.
One might
wonder how Iranian leaders dare to boast about equality between Jews and others
while intimidating entire segments of its population into silence under laws
that are manifestly unequal. To further insult the communities, they claim that
Jews remain in Iran because they are treated equally. The impression is given
that the Iranian government has created such a welcoming space for
its Jewish community that they would freely choose to live there. There is no
mention of the vast majority of people that have fled the oppressive laws and
policies and settled in other countries for the sake of their physical safety.
So who
stays in Iran? Some of the Jews who have stayed in Iran are elderly and unable
to tolerate travel or establishing a new home in a foreign country. Some Jews
are determined to protect their sacred places and synagogues, or family homes.
Asked why
she does not immigrate to another country, Aviva gave a different reason.
“When I die, I want to die in my land,” she said. “I want to be buried next to
my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. This is where they drew their
first and last breaths. This is where they wept their toys of joy and sorrow.
Their blood, sweat, and lives are all part of the soil, and the sky here, and
mine is as well. This is my home.”
Her
simple words echo through my mind. Iran is her home.
No comments:
Post a Comment