Iranian Jews Reject Urgent Warnings to Leave

[oblivious]

Iranian Jews Reject Urgent Warnings to Leave
10:06 Jan 11, '07 / 21 Tevet 5767
by Hana Levi Julian and Gil Zohar

Iranian Jews are ignoring urgent warnings by American Jewish community leaders and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) that they should quit the Islamic Republic.

The campaign to convince Iran’s 25,000 Jews to flee for their lives has stalled. According to statistics compiled by HIAS, only 152 Jews left Iran in the period between October 2005 and September 2006, down 40 percent from the number of Jews who had fled the Islamic Republic in the same period in 2004-5. The year before that only 183 Jews left Iran.

Sources said those Jews who left Iran in the past several years cited economic and family concerns as their primary reasons for leaving – not political considerations.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=119235

[ellisonz]

1. How may I ask are they supposed to be leaving Iran?

Just asking.

[aquart]

2. And go where?

[ellisonz]

5. If you believe anything the State Department reports...

"Jewish citizens are permitted to obtain passports and to travel outside the country, but they often are denied the multiple-exit permits normally issued to other citizens. With the exception of certain business travelers, the authorities require Jewish persons to obtain clearance and pay additional fees before each trip abroad. The Iranian government is concerned about the emigration of Jewish citizens and permission generally is not granted for all members of a Jewish family to travel outside the country at the same time.<29>"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Jews#Current_status_in_Iran

And mind you the Jewish population in 1979 is 140,000-150,000 in Iran.

[Cobalt-60]

3. I can see why they're disappointed

Without a stampede of Jewish refugees, the Israelis will have to reach a little further for an excuse to attack.

[everythingsxen]

4. Yes because everything in the entire universe...

is based upon Israel's whims and who it wants to attack. :eyes:

I don't suppose it is possible that some Jews in America and Israel think Jews in Iran should leave simply because the president of Iran routinely denies the holocaust ever occurred and talks pretty clearly about wiping out Jews.

Ah well, it's as the saying goes.. When two gentiles talk, it is a conversation. When two jews talk, it's a conspiracy. :eyes:

[Cobalt-60]

6. I think the Iranian Jews are the best judges

of whether they should flee or not.
I don't think there's a Zionist conspiracy at work here.
I believe if I were an Iranian Jew I might have skedaddled by now.
I think Bushco will stop at absolutely nothing to get a war going with the Iranians, including the manipulation of Israel and her supporters.

[Andromeda]

10. Israel doesn't need an excuse

to defend herself against her enemies. Jews have been fleeing Arab states for years and Israel hasn't nuked any of them yet.

Ahmanutjob has been threatening to wipe Israel off the map and if he keeps it up you never know what will happen.

[breakaleg]

13. You are right. Except they don't have any right to attack another country for no reason

and offense and defense are completely different animals.

[Andromeda]

15. I was responding to Cobalt's post #3.

And what does your statement have to do with the OP?

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jacobin]

8. Well, if we and Israel attack Iran, they will be toast

I think those urging them to leave have good information on what Likud and Bush plan to do.

[oblivious]

9. BBC: Torn loyalties of Israel's Iranian Jews

Torn loyalties of Israel's Iranian Jews
Friday, 12 January 2007

...Every day the Voice of Israel radio broadcasts to Iran in Farsi.

Twice a week Menashe Amir, a Persian Israeli, hosts a rather unexpected talk show. The callers are all from Iran and the vast majority are Muslim.

The show attracts two to six million listeners everyday from a country where the Jewish community is just 20,000 strong.

"I would say if 10 people are calling us from Iran, only one is talking about destroying Israel or death to Israel," said Mr Amir.

...But he says the ancient links between Jews and Iranians, which date back to the time of the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great, will not be broken so easily.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6256407.stm

[ellisonz]

11. I have to question the quality of the reporting here...

2.2 Religious Minorities

Since President Ahmadinejad’s election, members of Iran’s religious minorities have also been killed, detained or harassed solely in connection with their faith. Even the recognized religious minorities of Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians face discrimination in law and practice with respect to employment, marriage, and criminal sanctions. Unrecognized religions such as the Baha’is, Ahl-e Haq and Sabeaens (Mandeaens) are at particular risk of discrimination. Converts from Islam can risk arrest, attack or the death penalty.(21) Official statements from time to time create an atmosphere in which human rights abuses by non-state actors against minorities may be encouraged. For example, on 20 November 2005, Ayatollah Jannati, the Secretary General of the Council of Guardians which vets legislation passed by the Majles to ensure its conformity with Islamic Law, stated in a speech at a commemoration of those killed in the 1980-1988 war with Iraq that "human beings, apart from Muslims, are animals who roam the earth and engage in corruption".

-----

Human Rights defenders in Iran face severe limitations on their work. Iranian legislation severely restricts freedom of expression and association and human rights defenders often face reprisals for their work in the form of harassment, intimidation, attacks, detention, imprisonment and torture. Many are subject to travel bans that prevent them from leaving the country. The registration process for independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including human rights organizations such as the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights run by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, is complex and registration is frequently denied, leaving NGOs at risk of enforced closure. Few risk accepting foreign funding for fear of opening themselves up to charges of contact with, and support for, "hostile foreign organizations" or "espionage". For example, in January 2006 the Ministry of the Interior was said to be compiling a list of NGOs that allegedly received finance from "problematic internal and external sources aimed at overthrowing the system", some of which had received support from the office of former President Khatami. The Ministry of the Interior was said to be preparing measures to restrict their activities(25).

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde130102006

He's saying what he's saying because other wise he would lose his job, his home, and maybe his life and that of his family. Get real.

[oblivious]

12. As I understood the article everyone interviewed lived in Israel.

So I don't think they need to worry about losing their job or life because of this interview.

[ellisonz]

14. But many of the callers are Iranian...

So I think my point stands. Why risk even more severe repression?