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#Post#: 16615--------------------------------------------------
Pre-Islamic vs Islamic Persia
DIR 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]
--- End 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.
--- End 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.
--- End 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.
--- End 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.
--- End 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.
--- End 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]
--- End 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.
--- End 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]
--- End 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.
--- End 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
DIR 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
DIR 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.
--- End 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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