:41111.111.00.101MOW11~1.....
•
Living In Fear
Officially "tolerated," Iranian Jews
keep to themselves out of fear.
Jews may drink alcohol in private
— unlike Muslims, for whom liquor
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
is prohibited — but Jewish women
must cover their heads in accordance
he Persian King Cyrus con-
with
the Islamic dress code. Jewish
quered Babylonia in 538
merchants
are permitted to close their
B.C.E.,-freed the Jews from
businesses
on Saturday, but one of the
captivity and provided the
explanations
for the recent arrests is
resources to rebuild the Temple in
that
some
of
the
religious Jews refused
Jerusalem.
to open their stores on Shabbat.
Today, contemporary Persia — Iran
Jewish religious education is encour-
— is one of the most virulently anti-
aged
and taught by Jewish teachers,
Zionist countries, from which even a
although
the schools are run by the
phone call to Israel is impossible.
Muslim
state.
Hebrew is taught only in
So when 13 Jews arrested earlier
private
and
is
popularly
associated with
this year were recently charged with
Israel,
and
thus
Zionism.
Nasrin
spying for America and Israel, the
Jahaverian,
whose
brother,
Nasser •
"Zionist regime," their situation
Levihaim, is one of the men in custody,
became unquestionably bleak.
told JTA that Iranian authorities might
According to the Anti-Defamation
have targeted Levihaim because he fre-
League, at least 17 Jews, including
quently volunteered as a Hebrew teacher.
Jewish community leaders, have been
Most Iranian Jews live in the capi-
executed since the 1979 Islamic
tal,
Tehran; only a few thousand live
Revolution in Iran — many of whom
in
the
regional centers of Isfahan and
were accused of spying for Israel and
Shiraz,
where the Jews in custody
the United States.
were arrested.
Of these executions, the ADL said
Despite Jews' official status, several
the most highly publicized was the
Iranian
Jews living in America attested
1979 death of Habib Alqanayan, a head
to
popular,
even "rampant," anti-
of the Jewish community. Israel and the
Semitism
in
Iran in the form of job
United States have publicly denied the
discrimination
and destruction of per-
charges against the 13 men in Iran.
sonal
property.
Those held include a rabbi, religious
Jews in Iran try to "minimize con-
teachers and Jewish community leaders.
tact" with their Muslim neighbors
While Iranian Jews and their family
out of fear of exactly these kinds of
members living abroad have been
incidents,"
said one Tehran native,
reluctant to talk about their daily lives
referring
to
the arrests. The communal
— fearing retribution from Iranian
philosophy
is:
"You don't bother them;
authorities — some information is
they
don't
bother
us."
known about the community.
In 1998, Iran executed a 60-year-
Iran's 2,500-year-old Jewish popu-
old Iranian businessman for allegedly
lation is the largest diaspora commu-
spying for Israel, according to Human
nity in the Middle East, with an esti-
Rights Watch. The year before, two
mated 25,000 to 35,000 Jews. A
people were hanged after they were
recent report by the Israeli daily
convicted of espionage charges,
Hdaretz put the number at 27,000,
according to the human rights organi-
citing Iranian-Jewish sources.
zation Amnesty International.
Iran's pre-Revolution Jewish popula-
An anonymous Iranian Jew who had
tion is estimated to have been 100,000,
been
imprisoned for more than two
but most left for the United States and
years
on suspicion of spying for Israel,
Israel as anti-Zionism and anti-capital-
testified
in 1996 before a U.S. House
ism heated up under the Islamic regime.
of
Representatives
subcommittee.
Jews are considered a "tolerated
The
man
reportedly
said he was
minority" in Iran, a state that is ruled
released
"suddenly,
with
no explana-
by Islamic law.
tion,"
but
remained
"under
constant
In 1997, accc,rcling to one news
surveillance" and told to leave Tehran.
report, there were 11 functioning syn-
His case, he told the committee,
agogues, two kosher restaurants, a
exemplified
the "constant state of fear "
Jewish hospital, an old-age home and
in
which
Iranian
Jews live. pi
a cemetery in Tehran alone.
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Detroit Jewish News
33