|
|
March 28, 2003/Adar2 24 5763, Vol. 55, No. 31
Jews in Muslim lands fearful
RACHEL POMERANCE
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK - As the U.S. military pounds Iraq, Jewish communities in Muslim countries may become increasingly vulnerable.
Jews not only are tiny minorities in the Muslim world, but to some of their surrounding public, they represent the perceived twin threats of Israel and America.
As coverage from Al-Jazeera and other Arab stations rouses the Muslim world with tireless coverage of the war - which many Muslims think came at Israel's behest - Jewish communities could become a whipping-boy for ideologues.
"There are indications that angry and instigated crowds could turn violent and direct their anger and aggression toward individual Jews and Jewish communal installations," said Steven Schwager, executive vice president of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
In anticipation of the war, the JDC has been working with Jewish communities in Muslim countries, along with their governments and non-governmental organizations.
The JDC, the North American federation system's overseas partner for relief and welfare, instructs Jews in Muslim countries to keep a low profile and helps them assess risks, such as attending Jewish day school or synagogue.
The World Jewish Congress also has heightened its contacts with Jews in Muslim countries with a hotline, Web site and weekly conference calls.
Around the region:
- In Morocco, King Mo-hammed VI has sought to reassure the Jewish community since the outbreak of the war, with public announcements warning citizens against harming each other.
- Anti-American sentiment is running high in Turkey, and its Jews have been warned of possible attacks. The well-organized community has taken measures to secure itself, such as closing schools and dispersing Jews into small clusters for synagogue services.
- The Jews of Iraq are considered the most vulnerable community in the Muslim world, due to their tiny number and the war that surrounds them.
|
