Iranian Jews Protest antisemitism on TV

[Semsem]

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/564676.html

Last update - 15:50 13/04/2005


Iranian MPs slam state TV for racist remarks against country's Jews

By Reuters

The speaker of Iran's parliament rebuked state television on Wednesday for airing serials that insulted the country's ancient but dwindling Jewish community, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Gholamali Haddadadel was responding to complaints from Jewish lawmaker Moris Motamed, who argued that anti-Semitism in television serials was spurring emigration.



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"I noticed the same thing when these serials were broadcast and I think you are right," Haddadadel was quoted as saying in parliament.

"I caution [the state media] to respect the rights of religious minorities in the programs they produce," he added.

Reformists have condemned conservative state television for not representing their more liberal views and for showing too many religious programmes.

Motamed, the only Jew to have a seat in Iran's 290-seat parliament, told Reuters drama serials such as "Plot", "The Great Escape" and "Blue Eyes" had misrepresented the Jews and their customs.

"They showed Jews as bad people, and not to be trusted."

"Insulting Jews and attributing false things to them in TV serials ... has not only hurt the feelings of the Jewish community but has also, it can be said with conviction, led to the emigration of a considerable percentage of the Jewish community," IRNA quoted Motamed telling parliament.

Jewish groups estimate their Iranian community has plunged to some 25,000 from about 85,000 at the time of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran's population is 67 million.

The Jewess Esther, a queen of Persia who give her name to a book of the Bible, is buried in the western Iranian city of Hamadan. Iran's Jews are sometimes called "Esther's Children".


Jews not Zionists
IRNA quoted Motamed urging lawmakers to recall the words of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, spiritual father of the revolution, who exhorted Iranians to distinguish between their own ancient Jewish community and Zionists.

Iran opposes the existence of Israel and tensions between the states have worsened because of Iran's nuclear programme which Israel argues masks plans to develop an atomic bomb.

Tehran denies this charge but many military analysts have speculated Israel would seek to preserve its atomic monopoly in the Middle East by striking Iranian nuclear facilities.

Because of such bilateral frictions, many Jewish leaders in Iran frequently condemn Israel.

Such a stance has not, however, freed Iran's Jews from intense suspicion. Ten Jews from the southern city of Shiraz were convicted of spying in 2000, in a closed-door trial that sparked outrage from rights groups.

The last five imprisoned were released in April 2003.

Iran's thorny relationship with Israel was highlighted at Pope John Paul II's funeral last Friday when Israeli President Moshe Katsav, a Persian speaker born in Iran, said he had shaken hands with Iran's President Mohammad Khatami.

Despite both men having the same home town to discuss - the desert city of Yazd - Khatami adamantly denied he had shaken Katsav's hand.

[Mediocrates]

Oh the outrage, the horror.

[Jonathan-David]

It show's what common misconception about the Jewish People can lead to such irrational hatred. I feel a religious education on all religions would solve this, ideally.

[Pushtak21]

The past few years, the Iranians are trying to use any measure to make anti-israeli/anti-semetisim alive an well in Iran.

They have a Hebrew show about how a couple of young jewish man have a conspiracy to kidnap little palestinain girls and sell there liver..

another one talks about the sympathy of one doctor for Palestinain kids who got there retnia taken away from them by horrible jewish settlers...

Glad that David Hasselhof and the crew at baywatch are more popular than this garbage

[mojo]

Several months ago I visited a gunsmith friendof mine here in SacTown. Only minutes before my arrival an Iranian just back fom Iran entered the shop. He wanted to know what guns the shop owner had that he could kill Jews with. I'd say anti-semitism in Iran is alive and well. Flourishing might be a better analogy....moj

[Pushtak21]

Several months ago I visited a gunsmith friendof mine here in SacTown. Only minutes before my arrival an Iranian just back fom Iran entered the shop. He wanted to know what guns the shop owner had that he could kill Jews with. I'd say anti-semitism in Iran is alive and well. Flourishing might be a better analogy....moj


Im kinda getting fed up with the Iranians who live abroad...

they ran like frogs out of Iran for a better life, yet...they would be the first ones to oppose any intervention again Iran...
They make me sick to the stomach...

You hate the Mullahs, but you also hate Israel..

Ya Bee Sharafs to all of them

[Cyrus the Great]

Im kinda getting fed up with the Iranians who live abroad...

they ran like frogs out of Iran for a better life, yet...they would be the first ones to oppose any intervention again Iran...
They make me sick to the stomach...

You hate the Mullahs, but you also hate Israel..

Ya Bee Sharafs to all of them



Let me tell you that the feeling is more than mutual, you make me sick to the stomach as well. Anyone who generalizes like this makes me sick.
It's true that I left iran for a better life but that does not mean I want my family and friends in iran to get bombed and I certainly don't want iran to turn into another iraq. The iraq war showed us how the us military is unable to restore peace to that region and iran is three times bigger than iraq. I don't want my country to turn into a battlefield. I rather have the Mullas ruling.
Also hating the Mullahs does not mean loving israel. The only thing the israelis and iranians have in comman is their enemy and that's all.
I personally have nothing against israel but I also don't love Israel. Israel is just another country to me.

[Pushtak21]

Let me tell you that the feeling is more than mutual, you make me sick to the stomach as well. Anyone who generalizes like this makes me sick.
It's true that I left iran for a better life but that does not mean I want my family and friends in iran to get bombed and I certainly don't want iran to turn into another iraq. The iraq war showed us how the us military is unable to restore peace to that region and iran is three times bigger than iraq. I don't want my country to turn into a battlefield. I rather have the Mullas ruling.
Also hating the Mullahs does not mean loving israel. The only thing the israelis and iranians have in comman is their enemy and that's all.
I personally have nothing against israel but I also don't love Israel. Israel is just another country to me.


Well the Mullahs are big obstacle for Iran, and the more power they gain the less options the regular Irani has. The Iranians can turn Iran into an Oasis, but the Mullahs have decided that religion comes first and not the people.

No matter how, there is a problem with having change in Iran.. Iran will either have a civil war or will have a coupe...in either case, Iran still poses a threat to Israel and its not that I don't respect you for moving from Iran or anything, but many Iranians see Israel vs. Iran showdown as something that they should participate in and show there fustration not at the Mullahs but as Israel....

Is Israel training terrorist to attack Iran?
Is Israel aiming Shahb-3 Missiles into Iran?
Is Israel demonizing Iran?

Look at Iran for a second.... No matter what president you have Rajafani, Khatami, etc...there always gonna hate Israel, no matter who is in charge...even if its there own in charge in Israel.

Whereas, Israel...would still talk to Iran no matter if its the Mullahs, Shah Pallavi or a new formed democratic alliance in Paraz...

[Cyrus the Great]

Well the Mullahs are big obstacle for Iran, and the more power they gain the less options the regular Irani has. The Iranians can turn Iran into an Oasis, but the Mullahs have decided that religion comes first and not the people.

No matter how, there is a problem with having change in Iran.. Iran will either have a civil war or will have a coupe...in either case, Iran still poses a threat to Israel and its not that I don't respect you for moving from Iran or anything, but many Iranians see Israel vs. Iran showdown as something that they should participate in and show there fustration not at the Mullahs but as Israel....

Is Israel training terrorist to attack Iran?
Is Israel aiming Shahb-3 Missiles into Iran?
Is Israel demonizing Iran?

Look at Iran for a second.... No matter what president you have Rajafani, Khatami, etc...there always gonna hate Israel, no matter who is in charge...even if its there own in charge in Israel.

Whereas, Israel...would still talk to Iran no matter if its the Mullahs, Shah Pallavi or a new formed democratic alliance in Paraz...



Believe me the majority of iranians do not support any military actions against israel. Of coruse there are some who have been brain washed by the mullahs but they are a very small minority.
In fact many iranians feel that our true enemies are the arabs. They think that they are being ruled by arab overlords. Let me tell you that many iranians , including myself have much more respect for jews than for arabs. In our history we have always thought of arabs as an inferrior race (no offense to any arabs here, I don't persoanlly believe that) but we have respected jews as very civilized people.
If you ask an average iranian , he would definately tell you that he hates arabs. There is a lot of hatred toward arabs in iranian population but there is not any hatred toward jews . Jews have not done any thing bad to iran but arabs have destroyed our culture and betrayed us many times. You should always remember that the current iranian regime does not represent the iranian people.

[Pushtak21]

Believe me the majority of iranians do not support any military actions against israel. Of coruse there are some who have been brain washed by the mullahs but they are a very small minority.
In fact many iranians feel that our true enemies are the arabs. They think that they are being ruled by arab overlords. Let me tell you that many iranians , including myself have much more respect for jews than for arabs. In our history we have always thought of arabs as an inferrior race (no offense to any arabs here, I don't persoanlly believe that) but we have respected jews as very civilized people.
If you ask an average iranian , he would definately tell you that he hates arabs. There is a lot of hatred toward arabs in iranian population but there is not any hatred toward jews . Jews have not done any thing bad to iran but arabs have destroyed our culture and betrayed us many times. You should always remember that the current iranian regime does not represent the iranian people.

So support a U.S invasion and a overthrowment of the Mullahs..

What happens if Army Brigades in the Iranian army backfire and join the U.S?

[Cyrus the Great]

I would have definately supported a US invasion of iran before the iraq war. But now I can see how us military is struggling to bring peace to iraq. I certainly don't want iran to turn into iraq. If the US could send special forces to iran to assasain all the iranian leaders I would be overwhelmed with joy and I would definately support that. But I don't want innocent iranians to get bombed. I don't want our infrastructures to be detroyed. I don't want our ancient sites to be looted. I think you get the point.
I think the best option is for US to seriously start funding iranian exile groups and train and arm dissent factions.

[Pushtak21]

I would have definately supported a US invasion of iran before the iraq war. But now I can see how us military is struggling to bring peace to iraq. I certainly don't want iran to turn into iraq. If the US could send special forces to iran to assasain all the iranian leaders I would be overwhelmed with joy and I would definately support that. But I don't want innocent iranians to get bombed. I don't want our infrastructures to be detroyed. I don't want our ancient sites to be looted. I think you get the point.
I think the best option is for US to seriously start funding iranian exile groups and train and arm dissent factions.

I like this man :D
How about letting Jews travel to Iran for pilgrimage?

[Cyrus the Great]

I like this man
How about letting Jews travel to Iran for pilgrimage?


Why would a Jew want to come to Iran for pilgrimage ?
Are there any holy Jewish sites in Iran ?
And what does this have to do with our conversation ?

[Womble]

Why would a Jew want to come to Iran for pilgrimage ?
Are there any holy Jewish sites in Iran ?
Not the religious kind of piligrimage, but I am sure the Iranian Jews wouldn't mind visiting the places where they- or their parents-were born and grew up.

[Cyrus the Great]

Not the religious kind of piligrimage, but I am sure the Iranian Jews wouldn't mind visiting the places where they- or their parents-were born and grew up.


The Iranian regime will come down sooner or later. I just hope this happens during my life time. Then they will be more than welcome to visit Iran. I think Iranian jews are an asset to Iran and I really wish that all the jews that left Iran because of the Islamic regim's oppression will move back to Iran after the regime is crushed. I would really like the jewish community in Iran to flourish again.

[Womble]

The Iranian regime will come down sooner or later. I just hope this happens during my life time. Then they will be more than welcome to visit Iran. I think Iranian jews are an asset to Iran and I really wish that all the jews that left Iran because of the Islamic regim's oppression will move back to Iran after the regime is crushed. I would really like the jewish community in Iran to flourish again.
And just where would we then take a decent President of Israel or a good minister of defense? ;)

[tandem]

i think iranians and israeli jews have much more in common than hatred for each other. many israelis were born in iran and were forced to leave the country because of oppression. in the early 1900s it is estimated there were 200,000 jews in iran. today that figure is between 10,000 and 20,000. look at when the israeli president katzav shook hands with khatami at the vatican. both people were born in iran, in the same city, they're almost the same age, speak the same language. the only difference is one is muslim and the other is jewish. should a different religious belief be such a crime? the iranian regime is refuting that a hand shake ever took place. after all, shaking hands with a jew is so unislamic. idiots! they're so f--king stupid it's beyond logic.

[mojo]

the iranian regime is refuting that a hand shake ever took place. after all, shaking hands with a jew is so unislamic. idiots! they're so f--king stupid it's beyond logic.

Since when do haters use logic. The Mullahs and all those neo-facist fundamentalists are and always have been a boil on the butt of humanity...moj