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#Post#: 16615--------------------------------------------------
Pre-Islamic vs Islamic Persia
By: 90sRetroFan Date: November 23, 2022, 2:34 am
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We already know all we need to know about Cyrus II:
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/ancient-world/the-ancient-rolemodels-of-our-enemies/msg15700/#msg15700
but now the anti-regime protestors in Iran are also trying to
portray Sassanid Persia in a positive light as a way to infer
that Iran should never have been Islamized. The Sassanids
themselves also portrayed their own dynasty as a revival of the
Achaemenids (to whom Cyrus II belonged). So let's do a quick
refresher:
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasanian_Empire#In_Jewish_history
[quote]Important developments in Jewish history are associated
with the Sassanian Empire. The Babylonian Talmud was composed
between the third and sixth centuries in Sasanian Persia[161]
and major Jewish academies of learning were established in Sura
and Pumbedita that became cornerstones of Jewish
scholarship.[162] Several individuals of the Imperial family
such as Ifra Hormizd the Queen mother of Shapur II and Queen
Shushandukht, the Jewish wife of Yazdegerd I, significantly
contributed to the close relations between the Jews of the
empire and the government in Ctesiphon.[163][/quote]
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Iran#Sassanid_period
[quote]Shapur I (Or Shvor Malka, which is the Aramaic form of
the name) was friendly to the Jews. His friendship with Shmuel
gained many advantages for the Jewish community. According to
rabbinical sources Shapur II's mother was Jewish, and this gave
the Jewish community relative freedom of religion and many
advantages.
...
The wife of Yazdgerd I and the mother of Bahram V was
Shushandukht who was the daughter of Exilarch Huna b. Nathan.
Shushandukht secured many benefits for the Jewish community and
ordered construction of Jewish neighborhoods in Shushtar, Susa,
Hamedan and Isfahan.[/quote]
In contrast:
[quote]After the Islamic conquest of Persia, Jews ... were
assigned the status of dhimmis, inferior subjects of the Islamic
empire. ... they were prohibited from bearing arms, riding
horses, testifying in courts in cases involving a Muslim, and
frequently required to wear clothes that clearly distinguished
them from Muslims.[/quote]
And guess who rescued the Jews?
[quote]inequality remained in force until the Mongol
invasion.[28]
...
One of the Ilkhanate rulers, Arghun Khan, even preferred Jews
and Christians for administrative positions and appointed Sa'd
al-Daula, a Jew, as his vizier.[/quote]
Fortunately:
[quote]The appointment, however, provoked resentment from the
Muslim clergy, and after Arghun's death in 1291, Sa'd al-Daula
was murdered and Persian Jews suffered a period of violent
clergy-instigated persecutions from the Muslim populace. The
contemporary Christian historian Bar Hebraeus wrote that of the
violence committed against the Jews during that period "neither
tongue can utter, nor the pen write down".[30] Ghazan Khan's
conversion to Islam in 1295 heralded for Persian Jews a
pronounced turn for the worse, as they were once again relegated
to the status of dhimmis.[/quote]
Are we seeing a pattern yet?
It gets better with the rise of Shia over Sunni:
[quote]Further deterioration in the treatment of Persian Jews
occurred during the reign of the Safavids who proclaimed Shi'a
Islam the state religion.
...
the Shah forced Jews to wear a distinctive badge on clothing and
headgear.[/quote]
Guess who rescued the Jews this time round?
[quote]Jews formed close ties with the British and provided
banking support and intelligence for them.[36]
...
In 1876 in accordance to pressure from Moses Montefiore the
Iranian government improved the living conditions of the Jews
and reduced their taxes. In 1881 Sir William Taylour Thomson
finally succeeded to force the Shah to abolish the Jizya tax for
the Persian Jewry[43][/quote]
Are we seeing a pattern yet?
[quote]Elyas a Jewish banker for the British Residency in
Bushehr "was attacked for doing its business in the bazaar."
Anti-Jewish acts were sometimes linked to resentment of European
powers.[50] In this time Iranian Jews who were aware of the
growing influence of European Jews in global affairs turned to
them for assistance. In 1840 the Jewish community of Hamedan
sent an envoy, Nissim Bar Selomah, to meet Western Jewry. He
went to England and met with Moses Montefiore, who provided
"certificates" against the accusations of the Jews.[51]
From 1860 many attempts were made by the Persian Jewish
community to secure assistance from European Jews against
Muslims.[/quote]
Next thing you know:
[quote]By 1905, many Jews of Isfahan were trading opium. This
commerce which was very profitable, involved trade with India
and China. The head of Isfahan Jewry was known to have contacts
with house of David Sassoon.[34][/quote]
(See also:
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/true-left-vs-false-left/jews-have-nothing-in-common-with-us!/msg15910/#msg15910<br
/>)
Which brings us back to:
[quote]The Pahlavi dynasty implemented modernizing reforms,
which greatly improved the life of Jews. The influence of the
Shi'a clergy was weakened, and the restrictions on Jews and
other religious minorities were abolished.[62] Reza Shah
prohibited mass conversion of Jews and eliminated the Shi'ite
concept of ritual uncleanness of non-Muslims.[citation needed]
Modern Hebrew was incorporated into the curriculum of Jewish
schools and Jewish newspapers were published. Jews were also
allowed to hold government jobs.[6] In 1915 two Jewish brothers,
Mordechai and Asher ben Avaraham, opened the first Jewish
newspaper called "Shalom". These changes moved the balance of
power in the Jewish community from elders and Rabbis to the
youth. Establishment of Zionist Organization of Persia further
accelerated this transfer of power to the young Jews. The Jews
of Persia understood that "Zion" is the biblical name of
Jerusalem and Zionism demonstrates that end of exile and the
beginning of redemption. The Persian Zionist Aziz ben Yona Naim
wrote in the early 1920s :"Zionism is nothing but a new name and
new institution, for the Zionist idea has been present in Jewish
thought for over two thousands years."[63] In the wake of
Zionist activity, many Jews emigrated to Palestine. Many Persian
Jews were poorer than their European brethren but nevertheless
they enthusiastically bought Shekels, contributed to the
national funds, and sought to be represented at Zionist Congress
held in Europe.[/quote]
See also:
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/issues/dress-decolonization/msg16111/#msg16111
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/issues/psychological-decolonization/msg16127/#msg16127
So, back to the present, can you figure out who will benefit the
most if the current Islamic Republic is overthrown in Iran?
#Post#: 16639--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pre-Islamic vs Islamic Persia
By: guest78 Date: November 24, 2022, 1:02 pm
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"Next thing you know...." ;D
#Post#: 19842--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pre-Islamic vs Islamic Persia
By: 90sRetroFan Date: May 24, 2023, 3:34 pm
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Our enemies admit that medieval Persians were less patriarchist
than medieval Icelanders:
HTML https://vdare.com/articles/swahili-dna-tests-reveal-long-standing-turpitude-of-academe
[quote]The engaging webzine Ancient Origins, which I also
recommend, has a more readable version of the Nature article:
Ancient DNA is Restoring the Origin Story of the Swahili People
of the East African Coast (by Chapurukha Kusimba, March, 2023).
Contradicting what we had expected… our genetic analysis
identified… that the overwhelming majority of male-line
ancestors came from Asia, while female-line ancestors came from
Africa. This finding must reflect a history of Persian males
traveling to the coast and having children with local women.
The Ancient Origins article reasonably proposes, because so much
of the folk habits, including the status of Shirazi women,
resemble East Africa generally, that this intermarriage was
peaceful. In societies built on slave raiding, like Iceland, the
women are more likely to submit to the culture of the
capturers.[/quote]
Background:
HTML https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05754-w
Contrast also with Spanish colonies (where the indigenous women
also submitted to the culture of the "white" conquistadors):
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/colonial-era/aztecs-arrival-of-cortes-and-the-conquistadors/
Or, for that matter, with British colonies:
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/colonial-era/colonialism-and-sexism/msg13115/#msg13115
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