The Jews of Bahrain

[LaMar]

Bahrain, for those that don’t know, is a predominantly Muslim island nation just off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, in the Persian Gulf.

*Visitors to Bahrain are always surprised to learn that Jews and Arabs live, and work, together here; but Bahrainis consider it odd that people think their situation is unusual.

“I know nowhere but Bahrain. I was born here, and my friends are here. I spend my nights with them, I spend my days with them, and I do my business with them. Religion is not an issue. When my friends come to my house, at prayer time they go to a room in my house and pray. They don’t say, “This is a Jewish house, I will not pray in it.” This is just an example. People see it as a big deal, but for us, it’s not a big deal,” says Rouben D. Rouben, 46, sole distributor of Sharp Electronics in the country. *

much more at: internationalspecialreports.com/middleeast/00/bahrain/23.html

 

[Verisimilitude]

Today, there are 36 Jews in Bahrain out of a total population of 700,000. While the community can rarely make a minyan, Bahrain is the only country in the Persian Gulf with any kind of Jewish community or synagogue.

The only restriction on Bahraini Jews is that they are unable to visit Israel because they hold Bahraini passports…Bahrain did agree to drop its boycott of companies that do business with Israel in exchange for a free-trade agreement with the United States in 2004.

jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/bahrain.html

36 Jews! A rare gem indeed but it is the exception, not the norm I think you would agree.

What do you think change means here?
“When the late Amir (Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa) passed away last year, the present Amir (Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa) called the Jewish community together and told us there was nothing to worry about, the government would continue with its same policy. He assured us nothing would change.”

 

[Claire_from_DE]

After reading the article I’m quite impressed. It appears that there is freedom of religion for Christians too. So in what way is the Muslim government of Bahrain different from that of the other Muslim countries, why this freedom? And I wonder if they allow Christians to talk openly about their faith or allow Muslim citizens to convert?

 

[meedo]

After reading the article I’m quite impressed. It appears that there is freedom of religion for Christians too. So in what way is the Muslim government of Bahrain different from that of the other Muslim countries, why this freedom? And I wonder if they allow Christians to talk openly about their faith or allow Muslim citizens to convert?

The muslim government of Bahrain is not different from any muslim government. Its teh jewish community that is different.

The jewish community considers themselves as arabs. they are proud of it. They are not zionists and they don’t support Israel. They don’t support injust regimes who demonize arabs and have no problem taking away their land.

Simnply put, that is why arabs have no problem with them. We muslims and arabs have no problems with Jews. Jews fled spain to Morroco and the ottoman empire to flee teh inquisition. All muslim lands. The most prominent jewish Scholas , maimonaides used to teach at Al Azhar islamic univeristy in Egypt.

It all started with this stupid idea called Israel. A state that is based primarily on teh displacement of the original inhabitents of the land. By the confession of the state founders themselves. A state that have a strange idea that its inhabitents will live in peace with its neighbours even if the brotehrs of those neighbors are daily displaces, discriminated against and slain in that state.

Israel is a failed project on all fronts,

1- Zionists will always fight arabs, as arabs we will never ever accept the displacemehnt opf palestinians .

2- israel has to discriminate or else it wouldnt exist as a jewish state . why? simply because the original inhabitents of teh lands and not predominantly jewish .

3- Israel made enemy of the arabs who didnt really had holocausts in their lands. The ewstern world really manipulated the jews, , first decimated them theorugh teh holocaust , second closed its borders to them so they flee elsewhere , third gave them an arab land so arabs and muslims could fight each other out forever.

This article is simply the manifestation of what arabs have been trying to say for very long time. It isnt about hatred, it is about injustice.

P.S i am sure that nop bopdy on this ‘’ Christian forum’’ know that one of their brothers is displaced by Israelis, because he fights for arab rights. His name is Azmy Bishara. He is a palestinian Christian. he is a testement that the pelstinian christians are the vistim of their own brothers in the west.

iht.com/articles/2001/08/08/edmarwan_ed2_.php
electronicintifada.net/v2/article6798.shtml
democracynow.org/2007/5/4/former_arab_israeli_knesset_mp_azmi

 

[Kaninchen]

The jewish community considers themselves as arabs. they are proud of it. They are not zionists and they don’t support Israel.

I see, so what you’re saying is that the 850,000 ‘arab’ Jews who got kicked out of the Arab countries after 1948, (rather similar in number to Palestinian refugees at the time) were ardent Israel-supporting zionists?

 

[Valke2]

Not to mention the riots that broke out in Bahrain against the Jews in 1947, including the burning of their synagouges.

Not about hatred? that’s a good one.

 

[Rayaan]

Historically Jews have not been abused as badly by muslims then they have been by Christians. .

I am not here to defend every muslim/jewish transaction but only to say the jews have been far more attacked, abused and persecuted by Christians (European Christians in particular) the jews were abused and kicked out of a variety of christian nations,

Numerous Jews were killed in the Crusades by Crusaders who just saw them as non-christians.

The Inquisition was immensely brutal and many jews were killed.

The Holocaust during and prior to World War 2…

Nothing even close to these acts have occurred in Muslim lands.

Recent problems have occurred due to the creation of israel and the treatment of the muslim population which lived in the land prior to the emigration of millions of non-middle eastern jews and the annexation of land prior to the creation of israel

 

[LDNCatholic]

Historically Jews have not been abused as badly by muslims then they have been by Christians. .

I am not here to defend every muslim/jewish transaction but only to say the jews have been far more attacked, abused and persecuted by Christians (European Christians in particular) the jews were abused and kicked out of a variety of christian nations,

Numerous Jews were killed in the Crusades by Crusaders who just saw them as non-christians.

The Inquisition was immensely brutal and many jews were killed.

The Holocaust during and prior to World War 2…

Nothing even close to these acts have occurred in Muslim lands.

Recent problems have occurred due to the creation of israel and the treatment of the muslim population which lived in the land prior to the emigration of millions of non-middle eastern jews and the annexation of land prior to the creation of israel

The actions of World War 2 were not carried out in the name of Christianity.

To the best of my knowledge harsh punishments were threatened in several cases if Jews were harmed during the Crusades.

This is not a defence of those actions I am just sick of people assuming ‘‘European nation’’=’‘Christian nation’’.

 

[Rayaan]

The Nazi’s were mostly Christian, the Germans were mostly christian, Most of Europe’s Fascists were Christians with Christian families and Christian back Ground.

It was the same during the Inquisition, the inquisitors were Christians…

The crusades were an immensely brutal time, minus your several times, there were thousands of incidents of sheer evil bloody brutality by the Christians against jews/muslims/brown Christians…

Europe at the time was a backward place, and when you take alot of ignorant people, give them a sword, take them to a foreign land and just point them towards an enemy that is what happened.

Once again I am not trying to legitimise every muslim/jewish interaction, just to say that there historical enemy has always been christians NOT muslims

 

[Harpazo]

The Nazi’s were mostly Christian, the Germans were mostly christian, Most of Europe’s Fascists were Christians with Christian families and Christian back Ground.

It was the same during the Inquisition, the inquisitors were Christians…

The crusades were an immensely brutal time, minus your several times, there were thousands of incidents of sheer evil bloody brutality by the Christians against jews/muslims/brown Christians…

Europe at the time was a backward place, and when you take alot of ignorant people, give them a sword, take them to a foreign land and just point them towards an enemy that is what happened.

Once again I am not trying to legitimise every muslim/jewish interaction, just to say that there historical enemy has always been christians NOT muslims

Oh my…

Al-Masih Qam!
Andrew

 

[LDNCatholic]

The Nazi’s were mostly Christian, the Germans were mostly christian, Most of Europe’s Fascists were Christians with Christian families and Christian back Ground.

It was the same during the Inquisition, the inquisitors were Christians…

The crusades were an immensely brutal time, minus your several times, there were thousands of incidents of sheer evil bloody brutality by the Christians against jews/muslims/brown Christians…

Europe at the time was a backward place, and when you take alot of ignorant people, give them a sword, take them to a foreign land and just point them towards an enemy that is what happened.

Once again I am not trying to legitimise every muslim/jewish interaction, just to say that there historical enemy has always been christians NOT muslims

Europe at what time was a very backward place? Everywhere between the Crusades to the Holocaust?

Those ‘‘several times’’ I mentioned during the Crusades were in constant effect. It is not the Churches fault if military leaders do not listen, or cannot control their men. It is as you say, the men were ignorant, and angry at the persecution in the Holy Lands, their leaders could not control them and terrible things happened.

The Nazis may have come from Christian backgrounds but they were not acting according to the tenets of Christianity and so cannot be accused of acting in the name of Christ, regardless of what you think.

 

[LDNCatholic]

Europe at what time was a very backward place? Everywhere between the Crusades to the Holocaust?

Those ‘‘several times’’ I mentioned during the Crusades were in constant effect. It is not the Churches fault if military leaders do not listen, or cannot control their men. It is as you say, the men were ignorant, and angry at the persecution in the Holy Lands, their leaders could not control them and terrible things happened.

The Nazis may have come from Christian backgrounds but they were not acting according to the tenets of Christianity and so cannot be accused of acting in the name of Christ, regardless of what you think.

 

[meedo]

I see, so what you’re saying is that the 850,000 ‘arab’ Jews who got kicked out of the Arab countries after 1948, (rather similar in number to Palestinian refugees at the time) were ardent Israel-supporting zionists?

Not at all, some were zionists ofcourse but i don’t think the majority were . besides many immigrated for various reasons and not Israel. many morrocon jews till this day feel they were tricked as the zionist agents cameand told them to pack and leave quickly for the arabs are coming to get you . Somthing that was not the case.

Arab countries didnt kick anybody out. But you have to udnerstand that the position in arab countries were not happy for many people not just jews. For example many jews immigrated from Egypt because the state became socialist and confiscated lands and property. Everey one was subject tio that , jews christians and muslims. Jews immigrated like any would immigrate , better life and better economy.

another reasonf or their immigration is probably the scar of bieng associated with the ''jewish ‘’ state that usurped other peoples land. Same people you live among. it isnt an easy living . Thus there were multiple reasons to immigrate.

another reason is that Israel itself encouraged jews to immigrate . There were dedicated ioperations from Yemen Iraq , Morroco Ethiopia , you name it.

If you are trying to Equate palestinians whose lands werwe taken from them by invaders to jews who immigrated then you are totally wrong. Plestinians didnt go to a jewish land and accupied it and displaced people. it was vice versa.

meedo

 

[meedo]

Not to mention the riots that broke out in Bahrain against the Jews in 1947, including the burning of their synagouges.

Not about hatred? that’s a good one.

In every society there will be the uneducated who dont know the difference bweteen zionism and Judaism . I admit the arab world is not good at this area as it isnt good at many other areas. But this is something that the jewish world is not clear about in itself. Nor is it clear in communicating it to the world. When you have a country like israel claiming the be ‘‘The’’ jewish state it gaves bad name to all jews. ofcourse this isnt an excuse to blame jews for what israel does but again people in the arab worl is sadly not very educated .

Yes it isnt abouyt hatred. if it was about hatred this synagogue wouldnt have been built in teh first place,. if you look at teh dates you mentioned yopu will see that it is very close to the time where israel was created and it is at the time where the fight for palestine was hottest. So i can confidently say that it isnt about hatred for the jews , it is about insjutice.

Why i am so sure? because i am an arab and a muslim. and i have nothing against any jew if my pelstinian brothers ( christians, jews or muslims) would have their full right to their land . My grandmother best friend in school was a jew . She used to tell me storeies about how they played togeather. I dont see any problem with that , just like jews live in Morroco , tunisia, yemen and iran now with no problem.

I know some jews see israel as a backup plan. ‘‘When the world goes crazy we have a safe haven’’ . This isnt true, simply because the haven was ripped put of othe people. This haven is located in teh middle of countries that is full of refugees that are victim of this haven. This is not a difinition of haven.

arabs are proud people with culture and history and roots in teh area. thimnking that if we pressure tyhem long enough or if we defeat them time after time will let things go away will not help and will not make us forget . best thing to do is to aknowledge that jews can be part of this region . Palestine will never democratically be jewish . It is not recogniozed by all its neighbors as jweish and zionists are giving jews more and more every day a bad name among an area they are trying to call home.

I hope people understand . Again, arabs have nothing against jews . And have every thing against zionism.

A muslim arab

 

[LaMar]

Greetz Meedo & Others,

I see the Zionism in the early 20th century as a national liberation movement. It wasn’t directed at Arabs but at the British and French who didn’t have any business in Palestine.

I see the secular nationalist movements among Palestinians (of all religions and none) like the PLO and others, as a national liberation movement, directed at Israelis (of all religions and none) who have occupied & colonized territories outside of their own, and who have no business in these territories.

The original article had nothing to do with Zionism. It was just an example suggesting that some people, someplace, have chosen to table their differences and transcend fighting in favor of seeing one another as human beings and treating each other decently. You’ll note that the last few paragraphs talk about Hindus and Christians, who – like the Jews of Bahrain – also enjoy citizenship and human rights in a Muslim country. It appears that the people on this little island seem to know something that many others – like many on this message board – do not.

 

[Righteousone]

Poor Jews…they should have a right to go to their own country. (Israel).

 

[Kaninchen]

Not at all, some were zionists ofcourse but i don’t think the majority were . besides many immigrated for various reasons and not Israel. many morrocon jews till this day feel they were tricked as the zionist agents cameand told them to pack and leave quickly for the arabs are coming to get you . Somthing that was not the case.

Arab countries didnt kick anybody out. But you have to udnerstand that the position in arab countries were not happy for many people not just jews. For example many jews immigrated from Egypt because the state became socialist and confiscated lands and property. Everey one was subject tio that , jews christians and muslims. Jews immigrated like any would immigrate , better life and better economy.

another reasonf or their immigration is probably the scar of bieng associated with the ''jewish ‘’ state that usurped other peoples land. Same people you live among. it isnt an easy living . Thus there were multiple reasons to immigrate.

another reason is that Israel itself encouraged jews to immigrate . There were dedicated ioperations from Yemen Iraq , Morroco Ethiopia , you name it.

If you are trying to Equate palestinians whose lands werwe taken from them by invaders to jews who immigrated then you are totally wrong. Plestinians didnt go to a jewish land and accupied it and displaced people. it was vice versa.

meedo

I very, very rarely get involved in discussions about Israel. I’m a European Jewess, I’ve never had the slightest intention of moving there and, from time to time, the Israeli government makes me more than a little annoyed.

There seems to me to be one central feature of participants (on both sides) in discussions between Arabs and Jews - very many of them fall into the trap of actually believing their own propaganda.

Congratulations, you’re well suited to such discussions.

 

[meedo]

I very, very rarely get involved in discussions about Israel. I’m a European Jewess, I’ve never had the slightest intention of moving there and, from time to time, the Israeli government makes me more than a little annoyed.

There seems to me to be one central feature of participants (on both sides) in discussions between Arabs and Jews - very many of them fall into the trap of actually believing their own propaganda.

Congratulations, you’re well suited to such discussions.

Hello,

I understand where you are coming from. I do not say that i have all truth. I don’t know all truth. May be parts of what i am using is propaganda. But i am willing to listen and understand.

propaganda itself isnt teh problem. Theproblem comes when you refuse the truth when it collides with propaganda. i dont have all truth. there are two sides to every story. When i posted on this trhead. My intentions were good . My intentions where to actually give the readers of this thread the message of what many arabs that i met wanted to convey. Judaism is not an enemy of arabs or muslims. Colonialism is.

I wish you a happy and peaceful life. weather you are a jew ion Europe aor you decide to be ajew in israel or in teh arab land. It doesnt matter. To påersecurte jews or any other people is wrong. The holocaust was wrong. but what i am saying here is that some jews ( like any otehr people) can do bad things, things that niot necessarily even benefit them on the long run. If jewish readers here decide to take my posts as anti jewish , then probably i failed in my mission of getting the message across.

May be i do use propaganda. but if i do then rest assured that i dont do it intentionally. Buit it would be good of you to correct me instead of losing hope on me right?

Sorry LaMar if i hacked your thread. i didnt mean to.

best regards for all of you,

Meedo

 

[LaMar]

Hey Meedo,

I’m not one of those “on-topic police” types, so hack away!

I just piped up because I didn’t want the original subject lost. We really can all get along.

Take Care,

LaMar

Hello,

Sorry LaMar if i hacked your thread. i didnt mean to.

best regards for all of you,

Meedo

 

[Kaninchen]

best regards for all of you,

Meedo

Shalom, Meedo