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Muslims Rescue Baghdad’s Jewish Community Center
ArabNews ^
| April 12, 2003
| AFP
Posted on 04/12/2003 2:12:16 PM PDT by FairOpinion
BAGHDAD, 13 April 2003 Iraqi Muslims came to the aid of Baghdads tiny Jewish community yesterday, chasing out looters trying to sack its cultural center in the heart of the capital.
At 3:00 a.m., I saw two men, one with a beard, on the roof of the Jewish community house and I cried out to my friend, Hossam, bring the Kalashnikovs! said Hassam Kassam, 21.
Neither Hassan nor Hossam, who is the guard at the center, was armed at the time but the threat worked in scaring off the intruders. Two hours later, the looters returned again and Hassan Kassem used the trick once more.
The center is located in a freshly painted white house on a lane off Rashid Street in Baghdads old town. Two days ago, amid rampant looting in the capital, neighbors removed the sign reading Special Committee for the Religious Affairs of Ezra Menahem Daniel to make the premises less conspicuous.
On Friday at about 10:30 a.m., two men seized an opportunity created by the guards mid-morning break to try to force open the door in a first attempt to burgle the center. We came over right way and asked them what they wanted, said Abdallah Nurredin, 50.
They tried to explain that they wanted to talk to the guard, Nurredin said, but when they saw the look we were giving them, they left without saying another word.
Yesterday, Hossam the guard left to look for a real gun in case the persistent thieves returned.
The Jews have always lived here, in this house, and it is only normal that we should protect them, said Ibrahim Mohamad, 36, who works in a small undergarments factory near the center of town.
Although the majority of Jews fled the country in the early 1950s, many of their Muslim tenants come each week to pay their rent to an old woman at the center, Mohamad said.
He recalled that in October 1998, a Palestinian killed two Jews and two Muslims in an attack on the community center. We raced help to the victims, regardless of whether they were Jewish or Muslim.
In the Batauin district near the Saddun commercial artery, the entrance of a large synagogue is blocked by an immense iron portal. The way onto the street is obstructed by trees and chairs. A self-defense militia formed Friday to fight back against bandits.
We are defending the synagogue like all houses on the street and we will not let anyone touch it, said Edward Benham, a 19-year-old computer science student. The young Christian said Jews normally came each Saturday but because of the lingering security problem, no one came today.
Iraqs Jewish community settled in Mesopotamia in the seventh century BC and numbered more than 100,000 before the creation of Israel in 1948.
Currently, about 50 Jews live in Iraq.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: baghdad; iraq; iraqifreedom; iraqijews; jcc; jewish; jews; looting; muslim
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More heartwarming news that is being ignored by the main media.
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2
posted on
04/12/2003 2:14:06 PM PDT
by
Support Free Republic
(Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
To: FairOpinion; dennisw
Wonderful, even if there only 50 Jews left.
3
posted on
04/12/2003 2:15:56 PM PDT
by
xJones
To: xJones
Sounds about like how many are left in Poland or France.
To: FairOpinion
"Hossam, bring the Kalashnikovs" LOL
To: TheLooseThread
I think the Iraqis have a really good shot at this working. Very loving people.
6
posted on
04/12/2003 2:20:09 PM PDT
by
crobnson
To: TheLooseThread
Hey - loose lips sink ships. Now those guys know it was only a trick! ;)
7
posted on
04/12/2003 2:21:21 PM PDT
by
geopyg
To: FairOpinion
The Jews have always lived here, in this house, and it is only normal that we should protect them, said Ibrahim Mohamad, 36, who works in a small undergarments factory near the center of town. More proof that the Iraqis are really decent people who deserved to be liberated. I am so glad we did this, and I only hope we can get them off to a great start.
With every story of the decency of these people I have more and more hope.
To: TheLooseThread
Devon! Get the Tables!!!......(those that get it will get it)
9
posted on
04/12/2003 2:23:28 PM PDT
by
The_Pickle
("We have no Permanent Allies, We have no Permanent Enemies, Only Permanent Interests")
To: FairOpinion
I wish some of those anti-war protesters were at least a fraction as decent as these people.
10
posted on
04/12/2003 2:24:18 PM PDT
by
mvpel
(Michael Pelletier)
To: FairOpinion
At 3:00 a.m., I saw two men, one with a beard, on the roof of the Jewish community house and I cried out to my friend, Hossam, bring the Kalashnikovs! said Hassam Kassam, 21.
LOL
To: FairOpinion
Great story.
12
posted on
04/12/2003 2:27:56 PM PDT
by
Dog Gone
To: FairOpinion
"Hossam, bring the Kalashnikovs! "Okay. How about the Cohens and the Goldbergs?"
To: FairOpinion
Great story!!!
14
posted on
04/12/2003 2:29:08 PM PDT
by
LRS
To: geopyg
It's unlikely the looters coem to FR. Now, if it was posted on DU or other islamic terrorist sites then there may be a problem...
15
posted on
04/12/2003 2:29:22 PM PDT
by
Bernard
To: geopyg
Says he sent his buddy out to get some real firearms. Hopefully he will bring some back before the thieves read this!
To: FairOpinion
Extremely interesting that this is being reported in an Arab newspaper, yet not a peep in an American paper.
I am not suggesting anything besides the fact I'm very surprised Jews still live in Iraq.
17
posted on
04/12/2003 2:30:59 PM PDT
by
JZoback
(Don't have such an open mind, your brain falls out)
To: FairOpinion
Bump for Hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!bv
18
posted on
04/12/2003 2:32:55 PM PDT
by
BossLady
(Welcome to Saddam's Big Pimpin' Palace.......please don't step on the plastic plants...)
To: FairOpinion
?At 3:00 a.m., I saw two men, one with a beard, on the roof of the Jewish community house and I cried out to my friend, ?Hossam, bring the Kalashnikovs!? said Hassam Kassam, 21...in just 3 weeks iraq has a better 2nd amendment than california.
19
posted on
04/12/2003 2:33:14 PM PDT
by
RWG
To: FairOpinion
BTTT!
20
posted on
04/12/2003 2:33:48 PM PDT
by
thatdewd
(Billboards for the rich, spraycans for the poor, and taglines for the rest...)
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