NO CELEBRATION FOR IRAQI JEWS THIS PASSOVER
Despite his reputation, Saddam treated community well, many sayNidal and Kalida Saleh, who remain in Iraq, live just around the corner from the synagogue. The sisters say they will not celebrate Passover. Baghdad's wartime power outage has made it impossible, they say.
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They say deposed President Saddam Hussein, who they have mentioned in their prayers for years, treated them well. But they survive on a stipend from the synagogue and might have left Iraq long ago had they been able.
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They say they have never faced anti-Jewish sentiments from other Iraqis. They also say that the country's famous opposition to Israel did not spill over into the treatment of individual Jews.
"Saddam Hussein never talked badly about the Jews," Kalida said. "He was protecting us."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/117963_jews17.htmlBAGHDAD JEWS: EXODUS OR EXTINCTION?
Strangely enough, the Jews of Baghdad benefited a great deal from former President Saddam Hussein.
He paid for the restoration of the Meir Tweg synagogue, the only standing place of worship in the whole of the country. It has not been used since the invasion and the collapse of public security.
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Nevertheless, it was still a surprise when Baghdad's youngest Jew blurted out: "I wish Saddam could return."
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"In Saddam's day, there was the rule of law, there was safety. Now I dare not let my daughter out of the house. She won't be able to complete her studies. This is what the Americans have brought", said Subhiyya.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/659CDE88-06D1-4457-8551-61C0CFAA38FD.htm