As Jew of Iraqi background, I can tell you that relations between Jew and Arab in Iraq were not nearly as idyllic as the BBC piece suggests. During the 1941 'farhoud,' for example, at least 180 and probably many more Jews were brutally murdered by their Arab neighbors, with the help of the Iraqi police. Even before that, discriminatory laws and policies kept Jews from certain occupations and schools. The dhimmi status of Jews in Iraq was a problem for centuries; and it only got worse when Nazi sympathizers -- actual Nazi sympathizers; I'm not using the word just for effect -- took control over the Iraqi government.
To be sure, there were better years and worse years. Many Muslim Iraqis were true friends and neighbors to the Jews. But the situation of a Jew in Iraq is not something that should be forced on any minority anywhere.
5 comments:
Interesting Blog, John. I stumbled upon it through www.indonesiamatters.com
Thx David, always nice to bump into a fellow Indophile :)
interesting article. makes me realize i know nothing about jews in the middle east prior to 48.
wow, happy that i could add to /your/ knowledge of the middle east a little! :)
take care nadia!
As Jew of Iraqi background, I can tell you that relations between Jew and Arab in Iraq were not nearly as idyllic as the BBC piece suggests. During the 1941 'farhoud,' for example, at least 180 and probably many more Jews were brutally murdered by their Arab neighbors, with the help of the Iraqi police. Even before that, discriminatory laws and policies kept Jews from certain occupations and schools. The dhimmi status of Jews in Iraq was a problem for centuries; and it only got worse when Nazi sympathizers -- actual Nazi sympathizers; I'm not using the word just for effect -- took control over the Iraqi government.
To be sure, there were better years and worse years. Many Muslim Iraqis were true friends and neighbors to the Jews. But the situation of a Jew in Iraq is not something that should be forced on any minority anywhere.
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