AI English Translation, Pages 301-325
For your information, as I inform your Excellency that the Torah is located in the Al-Jami' neighborhood, door number
29, and it is registered in the records of the Land Registry Department, and we do not know the fate of its papers since
many years, hoping you will send someone on your behalf to receive the Torah and its contents
after you obtain an official letter addressed to His Excellency the District Governor of Khanaqin District
to receive the Torah and its contents:
As we have been authorized to move to Baghdad and reside in Baghdad, but when you inform us, let it be
to your knowledge that the rest of the families whose citizenship was revoked intend to travel to
Baghdad and remain there until the issuance of their deportation order.
There are only four families left in Khanaqin whose Iraqi citizenship has not been revoked,
and we asked them to receive the Torah, but they refused and declined to receive it because they are
prepared to renounce their citizenship next week. We hope for a reply
and to send the person you decide upon to receive the Torah after obtaining
approval from the official authorities and taking an official letter from His Excellency the District Governor
in Khanaqin. This is for your command, sir.
Head of the Jewish Community
in Khanaqin
Ibrahim Hay Rahmin
Head of the Jewish Community
in Khanaqin
⟦illegible⟧
278
Copy
To His Eminence the Head of the Israelite Community in Baghdad, the Respected
After kissing your noble hands
First of all, peace be upon you. My son, the one called Shapur Daoud, has headed your way, and he is the agent on my behalf
And we hope in any case that you take care of ⟦his affairs⟧ and ⟦with news⟧ known to you that the livestock of his travels has come to
Baghdad for a full month now, arriving from Mosul, and we ask you to take care of sending it to us quickly and it becomes
known to you the circumstances of their cards etc. Their cards are ready and we have taken them from them and he signed them in
Mosul with the money changer, and we hope from God and from you that our journey be at an early hour because
the majority of the group's condition is such that they cannot spend money while they are without work, and if we delay much
during this period as well, they will consume it in unemployment, and as you ordered through your circular which
reached us with the leadership of the Israelite community in Mosul that the person who does not have cards
will remain without shelter in Baghdad, so we hope from God and from you as quickly as you can that
you send us the travels belonging to us, which are tickets in Baghdad, and regarding it ⟦...⟧ help us
our poor group by speeding them up for the sake of arrival, so we hope from God and from you that you help us
with the journey, and to you much thanks
Your servant
Daoud Youssef Hakim
Liai ⟦June⟧
7/21/950
(179)
⟦illegible⟧
1 AUG 50
BAGHDAD
Telegram Number: 4
Serial Number: 7/50
Arrived at hour: 8
Minute: -
Date: 6 / 7
Word count: 29
Administrative Instructions:
Issuing Department: Al-Shamiya
To the Head of the Mosaic Community in Baghdad
We received a telegram to the Shamiya police to deport us to
Basra, and since we are all weak and it costs us double
the fees from Baghdad, and some of us do not even have the
plane fare, we request mediation with the Police Directorate to deport us
via Baghdad / Sion; Abdullah; Isaac
Number
In Wasit
⟦illegible⟧
1 AUG 50
⟦illegible⟧
Number:
Telegram Type:
Record Number:
Arrived at Hour:
Minute:
From: Istanbul
Word Count:
Administrative Instructions: 2
Date:
Issuing Department:
To:
Murad Ibrahim, Yusuf Khadouri, Robin
Zubaida, Rosa, Khatoun, Juliet
16
27
80
His Excellency, the Honorable President of the Israelite Community
Sir, I submit to you this petition of mine, seeking mercy from your paternal compassion and noble kindness.
I, the named Farha daughter of Daoud, have a son who is eleven years old, and this child
there is a group of Muslims who have led him astray until they were able, through their tactics, to prevent him from reaching
us. Two days ago, specifically last Thursday evening, they tried to kidnap him from the house, and he did not return to us until
after five days, until we were able to give a bribe to a group of them and they brought him to us. Regarding this story,
there are witnesses for whatever you require of us. This is due to the lack of anyone to restrain him, and God Almighty
has made me serve in an orphanage as a teacher for the sake of the livelihood of my minor children. I also have an adult son
who is twenty years old and is ill, unable to provide for his own living. I also have a minor daughter aged
fifteen years, and because I have been incapacitated for eight years, he is also unable to provide for our living. This is what
God has promised me; I serve for the sake of their livelihood, and this is what God has promised me. I submit these words of mine in addition:
these people wanted to smuggle the child to another province so that they would not return him to us. This also
has witnesses. May you remain in good health. This is a knock on the door of your justice and paternal compassion, that
you save me from this child, and we are at your disposal if you write an order for this. To you, Honorable Sir,
Secretary of the Community
According to jurisdiction
The Claimant
Farha daughter of Daoud
⟦signature flourish⟧
For filing
Enclosed is a petition
Number 208
⟦800⟧
To the Honorable Head of the Jewish Community
Presented to your Excellency:
Isaac and Reuben Yusuf Hayyim owe a sum of twenty dinars, and since
the aforementioned person has pledged to deliver this amount to your honorable person
directly during my sons' emigration from their homeland, it is requested that you kindly act
to receive this aforementioned amount, noting that this person is from the people of Dohuk
and wishes to deliver the aforementioned amount to the Community, and that the Community
will then deliver it to me. With great respect.
The Petitioner
Ghazala daughter of Hayyim
Resident of Karrada
Number 256 / ⟦251⟧
21 / 4
51
⟦blue thumbprint⟧
⟦faint red pencil scribbles⟧
Done
Ezra Daoud ✓ 1 Eliyahu Shaul ✓ 8/10
2 Aaron Nahum 8/10
Great Synagogue 3 <del>Shimon Hezekiah</del> 8/10
3 Aziz Hezekiah ✓
Meir Synagogue 4 Daoud Salim ✓
<del>4 Salim Hezekiah</del>
Meir Tweig Synagogue Forms 5 Saleh Abboudi ✓
6 Shaul Raphael ✓
7 Shamil Abboud
To assist the nationality 8 Aaron Shall ✓
revocation officials in Meir 9 Khadouri Abdullah ✓
Tweig Synagogue in technical matters
Photographs 10 Yaqub Cohen
11 <del>⟦illegible⟧</del>
Bookkeeping 12 <del>Khadouri</del> Eliyahu 8/10
Western Forms 13 Yusuf Dabbij
Registering Lists 14 Farid Abdullah
Organizing Names 15 Naji Yusuf 8/3
and Forms 16 Hezekiah Ezra 8/3
17 Eliyahu Ephraim 8/10
⟦illegible scribble in blue ink⟧
Baghdad on May 11, 1950.
His Excellency the Chairman of the Provident Fund Committee, Respected.
Presented to your Excellency.
We, the undersigned, railway employees resigned from service,
submit to your Excellency that about a month has passed since our separation from service and the completion of all
transactions required of us, yet despite our repeated follow-ups with the Provident Fund Department,
our rights owed by the Provident Fund have not been paid to us according to Article Eleven,
Paragraph One of the Railway Provident Fund Law No. 26 of 1942, which states
as follows:-
"The amounts credited to the subscriber's account shall be paid to him upon his retirement from service, and in the event of his death,
they shall be handed over to his legal heirs according to a legal distribution of estate."
It is not hidden from your Excellency that the explicit text of the aforementioned article provides for the payment of
all amounts deducted from the employee during his period of service in the Railway Administration, with the addition of
an equivalent amount paid by the General Directorate of Railways.
Therefore, we beg your Excellency to kindly order a decision on this matter and give us
the rights we deserve according to the Railway Provident Fund Law.
This is for your Excellency's order and with highest respect.
Ezra Shaul | ⟦line⟧ | Ezra Menachem Qojman | ⟦line⟧
Koji Sassoon | ⟦line⟧
Selim Ephraim | ⟦line⟧
Moshe Youssef | ⟦line⟧
Selim Moshe | ⟦line⟧
Heskel Daoud | ⟦line⟧
Selim Yazo | ⟦line⟧
Naji Tobia | ⟦line⟧
Yaqub Namardi | ⟦line⟧
Selim Ephraim Babai | ⟦line⟧
Salman Moshe | ⟦line⟧
⟦Ezra Ledwi⟧ | ⟦line⟧
Munshi Shaul | ⟦line⟧
For filing
Form
A copy of it to:-
His Excellency the General Manager of Railways - for kind information and to take what you deem appropriate
in this case, please.
⟦Ahmed Lewi⟧
Robin Wallah Abboud - ⟦Najia⟧ ⟦Al-Najjar⟧ Beauty Shop
167/1 Al-Nidal Street
Bab Al-Agha 17/46 - Azza Elia
Put you in the coat
3) Mr. Nassim Shehata Rabie
5) Mr. Salim Naseh
6) Mr. Salim Daoud Sadiqa
7) Hassoun Shahrabani - Karrada Al-Bu Jumaa 202/1
(Below) 5925 - [Yaqub Yusuf] - Residence ⟦Bastamiya⟧
And it was otherwise
The National School
Telephone Number: 4468
Baghdad
19
Dear Brother, Mr. Salim Khabbaza, the respected
After greetings
The bearer of this, Mr. Naji Anbar
Anbar is one of our relatives and you can
rely on his morals and activity
Please accept my respect.
Sincerely
20 / 5 / 950
⟦signature⟧
Note
⟦line⟧
Mr. Naji Anbar was a clerk at Al-Amara High School
previously and is a student at the College of Commerce now
and he was separated from his job on the date 4 / 12 / 948
His Excellency the President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad, the respected ..
Presented to your Excellency:
Out of my desire to serve the honorable members of my community, I submit this
petition, hoping your Excellency will appoint me as an honorary employee in the Denaturalization Committee.
As for my qualifications, I am a student in the fifth secondary grade at the
Shamash Secondary School. With this, I offer your Excellency my utmost thanks and respect.
Your loyal servant
Saqin Naeem Ezra
⟦signature⟧
3/8/1950
Address: - Saqin Naeem Ezra
Qanbar Ali Quarter
House Number 2109
102
1) Al-Banim ⟦illegible⟧
2) ⟦illegible⟧ Nasser
3) Al-Bahith ⟦illegible⟧
For filing
Receipt
Telephone Number { 7480 3006
Meir Elias Hospital
Baghdad
MEIR ELIAS HOSPITAL
BAGHDAD
TELEPHONES { 7480 3006
No. Number: 766
Date: 18 / 6 / 1950
To whom it may concern
The named Karjiya Abed entered this hospital on 5 / 6 / 950 complaining of
chronic nephritis, then was discharged on 13 / 6 / 1950 after improvement. And based
on her request, she was provided with this certificate.
Iraq 10 Fils
Save Palestine
Iraq 20 Fils
Iraq 20 Fils
Director of Meir Elias Hospital
For filing
⟦illegible⟧
11/22
⟦line⟧
25/5/949
Two thousand Dinars and three hundred and seventy-five fils only
Amount required:
The above-mentioned amount must be collected from Mr. ⟦illegible⟧
As stated in the attached list and according to the attached receipt
Issued in the name of the complainant ⟦illegible⟧ son of ⟦illegible⟧ son of ⟦illegible⟧
Please kindly take the necessary action regarding this. With high respect
⟦illegible⟧
10/2/1950
Signature ⟦illegible⟧
On behalf of ⟦illegible⟧
Date ⟦illegible⟧
Number ⟦illegible⟧
10/2/1950
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
Amount ⟦illegible⟧
In Iraqi Dinars
2000/375
⟦line⟧
1) ⟦illegible⟧
2) ⟦illegible⟧
3) ⟦illegible⟧
1 - Withdrawal of licenses of lawyers who signed citizenship renunciation forms before the Cabinet's decision to revoke
their citizenship.
2 - Restrictions on the transfer of car ownership by requiring the presentation of a (non-renunciation) certificate from the Travel and Nationality Police.
3 - Slowness in the process of renunciation and deportation, difficulties with bans, income tax, foreign transfers, and the proposal
to create a special directorate for the revocation of citizenship.
4 - Reserve fund for resigned railway employees.
5 - The issue of guarantees for students of the College of Medicine and Pharmacy.
6 - Facilitating passports for patients and students going abroad and emergency cases.
7 - Consideration by the competent authorities regarding the issue of sufficing with the confiscation of prohibited materials (gold and money)
seized from persons attempting to escape without fining them.
Note:
His Excellency the Head of the Community met His Excellency the Minister of Interior regarding the above points on 7/1/50
His Excellency promised to ⟦reconsider⟧ paragraphs (1) and (2) and to work with speed
regarding paragraph (3), and also promised to ⟦re-examine⟧ the issue of paying ⟦amounts⟧ to resigned employees
from the railways from the reserve fund (4). As for the issue of ⟦recovery⟧ of medical guarantees, he referred it to
the Minister of Affairs, and also requested ensuring consideration of the rest of the (6) points ⟦thereon⟧
that some of these important points which
regarding them we tried to escape, so ⟦...⟧
regarding this subject is very necessary
The residents of the villages of Susnawa, Shushan, and Aqra
complain of assaults such as the theft of their crops and being pelted with stones. One person named Yehuda was killed while he was
returning from Aqra to his village, Susnawa. Seven families from among them have displaced to Baghdad and were housed in the Menashi
Saleh school.
The case of the residents of Sheikhan belonging to the Aqra district
The assaults against them reached the point that they were detained by Agha Abdullah Sharifan for fifteen
days, then they left most of their property and displaced to Mosul.
The case of the residents of Kifri
The residents of Kifri cannot travel to Baghdad without special permits (compensation certificates) which cannot
be obtained except with difficulty, and they also face harassment and insults from some administrative officials and locals.
The case of the residents of Shahraban
The majority of the Jewish community sold their residential houses and then renounced their citizenship, and they have now become homeless.
They cannot leave their town because they face much harassment, and they seek permission to displace to Baghdad
to wait for their turn for deportation, as they claim that the harassment has reached the point that it is impossible for them to leave their homes at
certain times.
The case of the residents of Rawanduz, Takwana, Diana, Rost, Rania, and Batas (Erbil Province)
Some injuries occurred among members of the community as a result of assaults against them. They gathered in three centers (the provincial
center), (Koysinjaq), and (Diana) to escape the assaults.
Delay in deciding on the renunciation of citizenship
The residents of Amarah, Nasiriyah, Shamiya, Altun Kupri, Halabja, Shahraban, Khanaqin, Baqubah, Sulaymaniyah,
Diwaniyah, and Basra complain about the delay in deciding on their requests to renounce citizenship, especially since most of them submitted their forms
more than two months ago and have sold their property and furniture. They are now suffering from poverty, and some of them live in schools
and churches.
Tuz Khurmatu
Assaults on Jewish families; two families were actually sent to Baghdad under police guard after they were
subjected to unjust assaults by individuals from the local population.
Samawah
When some Jewish families registered their names to renounce their citizenship, a group of locals tried to assault
them; because of that, they were forced to travel to Baghdad to renounce their citizenship.
Mandali
The administrative authorities, in cooperation with the locals, harass the Jews; because of that, some of them were displaced into detention and imprisoned,
and at other times insulted when they visited [the authorities]. Some were forced to leave Mandali for Baghdad. Furthermore, there are no sufficient instructions with
the authorities regarding the renunciation of citizenship, and the refugees are still here waiting for the processing of the renunciation and travel.
For the sword
⟦illegible⟧
Note
These notes were delivered to His Excellency the Minister of Interior on 7/2/950. Fuad al-Tamimi on 7/2/950
400
To His Eminence, the Head of the Jewish Community in Baghdad, the Respected
Subject: Statement on the situation and condition of the Jews of Tuz Khurmatu
Presented to Your Eminence:
We mention to Your Eminence that our situation is very bad, especially recently, as we have been attacked several times with direct assaults which
caused us heavy losses in property. We have previously presented the matter to your presence several times, but it was not possible for us
to explain it to the competent government departments. Among these are the threats made by some of them in order to sell houses, which
is unprecedented in all parts of Iraq. They have become accustomed to threatening house owners to sell them to them
at low prices and in a compulsory manner. Among these is what happened to Isaac Eliyahu, who was attacked at a
late hour of the night in his home and severely beaten, as well as Zion Koli Cohen, who was attacked
and beaten in his shop. All of this is considered a simple matter compared to what we will mention later, which I see as something that breaks
the heart, and we mention it as it happened on Tuesday night, corresponding to 4/7/1950, to a woman named Farha
daughter of Dahoud.
The Case in Detail
Her husband, named Moshe Malla, traveled to Kirkuk on Monday, corresponding to 3/7/1950, traveling by train
for his private business and left her with her two children in her house. At exactly twelve o'clock noon, i.e., at
exactly midnight on Tuesday night, corresponding to 4/7/1950, we heard a voice coming from the depths of
the heart and breaking the liver; it was the voice of the afflicted Farha Dahoud, wife of the aforementioned. One of the villains attacked her,
namely Sadiq bin Jaafar, who lives in their neighborhood, and threatened her with a heinous death if she did not obey him for harassment.
Since the aforementioned is one of the honorable and chaste women and would not submit to shame, she defended herself with her utmost
energy, but her being alone in the house did not help. He stabbed her many times with a dagger he was carrying
in his hand, in her head and in various parts of her body, even though she is pregnant and her condition was then very serious. The
criminal was arrested and thrown into detention, and we sent her to Kirkuk for medication and treatment by a private car
according to the consultation of the central doctor in Tuz Khurmatu, and we do not know anything about her fate after that.
The Goal: Sir, the goal of our letter to your position is to consider our case with consideration and sympathy for us and to save us
from this repeated aggression from time to time, and now our situation is going from bad to worse. This can only be done by ordering
the follow-up of our transaction, which was completed by our registration to leave Iraq permanently, and speeding up our deportation outside Iraq
immediately and without stopping because our situation has become unbearable and we cannot endure for one day, as any delay
that occurs to us causes us grave dangers. Thank you.
For filing
Urgent
Note: Please note the signatures and names of the Jews on the adjacent page supporting all our claims.
Mukhtar and the Jews ⟦...⟧
Ozri Dalim Association
Menashi Saleh School Branch
Telephone Number: 5583
Baghdad, July 4, 1950
Note
Regarding the exchange of Messrs. Shaul Barak, Anwar Shina
and Ibrahim Nunia with His Excellency the President of the Community in his report
dated 11 / 7 / 950 in his report -
1- 60% ⟦debt⟧ is to be spent - for the school
2- Deporting them after they are recognized
⟦signature⟧
His Excellency the Respected President of the Jewish Community
After greetings,
On 22 / 6 / 950, we received from Your Excellency a mandate to form a special committee
for the housing and support of some of our immigrant brothers from the provinces. We have accepted this mandate
with which you have honored us, thanking Your Excellency for your kind trust, and out of our belief that
assisting the leadership of the community in this difficult ordeal, in addition to the fact that the task
assigned to us is purely humanitarian.
We devoted ourselves to the work with all diligence and sincerity immediately upon receiving your letter. The first thing
we noticed was the mixing of a significant number of people from other provinces with those coming
from Sulaymaniyah, and we also found a large number of people who imposed themselves by force on
the shelter under the pretext of serving the immigrants, while their true goal was to find shelter,
food, and provisions for themselves.
We spent the first week of starting our work in an attempt to eliminate
this chaos, so we exerted great effort in filtering what could be sorted, until the shelter was prepared
with an administration that has some degree of control and definition of responsibility.
As for the most serious issues we faced, it was that many families of unemployed Baghdad residents
had occupied the large synagogue called (Farha Sweigh Synagogue) and the
number of these families began to increase day by day, and its members began demanding from us urgently
⟦signature⟧
12 / 7
For filing
Dropped
Ozri Dalim Association
Menashi Saleh School Branch
Telephone Number: 5583
Baghdad on: 195
to support them, which caused us great confusion and threatened our entire
project with collapse. We initially tried to block the access points between
the synagogue and the school, but we reconsidered to avoid discord.
Then we thought about moving the original immigrants to another school so we could limit our mission,
so we held a session attended by representatives of the Schools Committee. During the deliberation, the Schools Committee
presented valid reasons that made us abandon our idea.
Finally, we found no choice but to include those staying in the synagogue in our care as well, out of mercy for their condition
and to alleviate our troubles with them. However, we closed the outer door of the synagogue so that the number of
incoming families would not increase, and thus we were able to relatively limit our mission.
This committee is doing its utmost to care for those staying in the school and the synagogue
in terms of health, nutrition, clothing, and others. The number of these people is currently estimated
at 750 - 800 adults and children, and caring for them consumes large sums of money.
We made the first attempt to draw the attention of wealthy families to the issue of this
shelter, and to stir the chivalry of the ladies in particular to come to our aid with financial assistance. So we sent
an invitation to about 150 ladies from prominent families to attend the Menashi Saleh School
on Monday evening, the 2nd of it, so they could see firsthand the condition of these unfortunate people. But
unfortunately, only a number of ladies not exceeding ten responded to our invitation,
and thus our invitation and our idea failed.
The arrival of immigrants from the northern provinces is still ongoing,
which makes our mission more complicated day after day. It is obvious that
Ozri Dalim Association
Menashi Saleh School Branch
Telephone Number: 5583
Baghdad on:
195:
Expenses have begun to increase as our obligations increase
It is not hidden from your Excellency that the amounts at our disposal at the present time are nearly
exhausted. Therefore, if this shelter is to be maintained, there must be a
sufficient reserve fund of no less than one thousand dinars to ensure the management of the shelter for a certain period
until the leadership of the community looks into the matter of these immigrants and finds a quick solution to their problem
which is becoming more complex every day
We present the case to your Excellency, hoping you will kindly look into it and give it the attention
that its urgency deserves. It would be appreciated if you would kindly hold an urgent session of the
Lay Council, which we would be honored to attend to present the details of the current situation and what it will reveal
in the future
In conclusion, I wish your Excellency, on behalf of the esteemed committee and the writers, success in serving the public
interest. Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest respect
Sincerely
⟦signature⟧
Vice Chairman of the Immigrant Shelter Committee
To His Eminence, the Head of the Israelite Community - Baghdad
Greetings and respect,
We present to your Eminence one of the wealthy Jews in Erbil, named Eliya Ishaq. He has applied
to renounce his Iraqi citizenship for himself and his family. He has traveled repeatedly to Baghdad until he was able
to secure his wealth - or its equivalent with one of the merchants, and it is hoped to be (the house of Mukammal). Then he returned
to Erbil to complete the transaction. He had completed it with a very late number, but he was able to
complete his transaction through the city's influential people and became part of the first group whose
Iraqi citizenship is revoked. However, if justice were applied and those
poor people were not shown mercy, he would have been in the fifth group. All of this had one goal, which was to save himself
from the duty placed upon his shoulders by the community.
Your Eminence, we were hoping that this person would be an example of what
men do as requested of them toward the poor according to the requirements of the time.
This movement sets a lesson for the remaining wealthy people, and thus the condition of the poor worsens
from all aspects. Therefore, please delay the deportation of the person addressed above
and the persons whose names are listed below until an indefinite time, so that
this delay serves as a lesson to the rest of the wealthy and for the legally registered transactions. May you remain
for your loved ones.
1- Eliya Ishaq and his family
2- Sion Salman
3- Sasson Ephraim
4- Wadi' Sasson
5- Habib Yaqub
20 / 7 / 950
Representative of the Jewish Group in Erbil
⟦signature⟧
For filing
⟦illegible⟧
Erbil
To His Eminence, the Head of the Israelite Community - Baghdad, the Respected.
Greetings and respect,
Confirming our letter sent to your high position on ⟦20⟧ / ⟦8⟧ / 50, we hope it has reached you
and we will await what needs to be done, and for you to inform us of the result as soon as possible
so that we can perform useful work for these unfortunate people within
the center of the province and outside it, for whom the doors of livelihood and
assistance have been closed in their faces, and daily they arrive from all directions seeking temporary
aid and the management of their affairs. Until this day, I have carried out all their affairs
internally and externally and solved their problems without any financial assistance, whether
institutional or personal. Because the wealthy of our city are far from performing
any charitable work, and it seems this is not due to ignorance of that.
As for Elia Isaac Al-Arbili, before he headed to your side, he had collected the travel
fees for the first caravan, as he is of the middle-class
status, and from some of the poor of the caravan, and he consumed about 150
dinars approximately until the transaction finally began with this
small amount. While he had previously transferred his wealth and deposited it with the house of (Mukammal
his brothers), he should have left at least one thousand
dinars - (1000) from his wealth to alleviate the pain of the poor and benefit some of them.
Perhaps when he visits your presence, you will know how to deal with him, firstly
regarding the betrayal he committed by submitting a transaction number through
gullible people, and secondly, transferring his wealth to Baghdad and refusing his assistance
to the community. In any case, if he pays your Eminence the sum of 500 dinars
to be spent on the poor of Erbil and remains as a trust with you, do not delay
the travel of the aforementioned person. May you remain [well].
Representative of the Jewish Community in Erbil
⟦signature⟧
21 / 8 / 950
Erbil 21 / 8 / 50
To His Excellency the Respected Mutasarrif
In our capacity as the committee of the Mosaic community in Erbil, we have the honor to present the following:-
We, the Jews present in Erbil, plead with your Excellency to save us from the head of the community
⟦illegible⟧ named Saleh Yusuf Ezra, and the police for their failure to properly implement the law, which does not
know pity or mercy, because of his influence over us and his agreement with the police for his material interests.
In the name of religion and mercy, he fights us and shows no mercy to our elders or our young ⟦illegible⟧
And the actions of Saleh Yusuf Ezra, a malicious person whose heart is void of mercy, inclined to the slightest harm, playing on
the strings, showing no mercy to his prey from behind, and the citizen is not in it, as the beast attacks us openly
because he seizes the weak points in us to succeed in his conspiracy by night and impose it on us by day, he has a strong
ability to take instructions from the official to wound him, devoid of self, interest or searching for his interest
and full ability to work in his false way, ⟦illegible⟧ hides a suspicion for him that he enters because
he used to fight us during the war days with the power of authority and spy and conspire against us to loot our pockets.
All resources of ⟦illegible⟧ and bets and constraints are in his hand, he does not hesitate for any dirham and whoever opposed him, woe to him.
⟦illegible⟧ by his situation, a situation and not on the sale of meat in Erbil, and for the sake of material, he permitted us to eat meat in the month of
August. Like the Haham Bashi named Isaac Yaqub, he liked it, and in the name of the mentioned Haham he stops them ⟦illegible⟧
his conspiracy until he extorts what is in every pocket of the citizen ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ for the purpose of this
division until he creates for us an invention of evacuation appearances and says that this ⟦illegible⟧ came so that orders
to inform every rich man of his money to know in his pocket and his money, and then the door will be open for ⟦illegible⟧
all the money, and I do not hide from you that the desire not to evacuate ⟦illegible⟧ on the residents of Erbil chased the dirhams.
The appearances of our ruling head, and we do not ask about him in appearance or essence, and our duty is our religion in reality.
⟦illegible⟧
He has two powers dominating the people, one of which is human for transmitting news and stopping every individual
towards President Saleh, and the second is a lethal force that attacks every weak person and pounces on the weak points
of every opponent who changes his positions. The fighting President ⟦illegible⟧ in the unseen with all its details ⟦illegible⟧ a group
We requested the Hilla Saleh area for a statement of the report of outgoing and incoming accounts related to the sect's accounts
and the man of greed and Antoine the President refuses to provide the report as he still insists on refusing to provide
the accounts. A while ago, the President asked the people for donations in the name of the poor ostensibly, so the people
answered him that they would donate provided it is spent on the poor according to the outgoing and incoming accounts, and if he refuses
then you are prepared to help the poor directly. Indeed, assistance was provided
to the poor directly, so through their need they do not know what is being plotted for sedition and from which
abyss the building is planned. Therefore, we appeal to you by your worship to intervene immediately to save us from the hand
of this tyrant before he explodes, becomes resentful, and destroys us. We and the rest of the world know that our unjust president
has begun to lend us the last of the weapons he has by the pressure of weapons until our duty at the House of Notification ⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧ (Where were the accounts at the time?) and how were they executed ⟦illegible⟧
insisting on obtaining our rights and our money and they do not agree for anyone to pass them over a people
who have begun to object to the dropping of shares ⟦illegible⟧ so the state may know ⟦illegible⟧
After the issuance of a law to drop shares, the head of our sect (Saleh) received all the documents
of the dropping and began selling each one for half a dinar, and every signature transaction for two or five dinars
of course indirectly as he has private brokers, and according to
their ability to fall. And all the people's cunning does not see what is being plotted for them, and the one who knows the matters
fears God to speak because force is above everything, and after all this we do not know with which authority
God
He destroys us with that destructive power. Thus He punishes us indirectly.
In conclusion, we plead with His Excellency the President of the Israeli Community in Baghdad to mediate
and save us from the bloodsucker, our president Saleh, no matter the cost, as he says to us:
"As long as Saleh exists, no one shall travel from Erbil until I suck the last drop of your blood,"
especially us, the poor. First in God, and then we seek help from you, so please intervene in our matter
politically, for if Saleh, our alleged president, knows, he knows how to speak
and deceive you with falsehood. This matter is for you to decide.
All the Jews present in
Erbil
We are afraid to sign for fear
of our president, though we
all agree.
4/1
Naturally for material interests, regarding the issuance of the Qarmoushi law, and this law is: -
Every drop-out must be obliged ⟦need⟧ to present a paper certified by the sect
stating that he has not been married for thirty years, and this paper is called a "Marriage Certificate"
And the ruling is such that whoever faces the President, the specialized employee at the drop-out office insists on him to issue this law
meaning (the marital certificate) ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ every drop-out ⟦...⟧ must be obliged to have a marital certificate.
The specialized employee ⟦...⟧ informed one of these people that there is no money and no need for this certificate ⟦...⟧
And my brother, understand that every certificate requires stamps for 500 fils. And I do not pay
meaning with such despicable acts ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ my brother, it is for the benefit of both parties as no certificate is signed except after receiving
two dinars, or one dinar, or half a dinar according to what is possible and affordable ⟦...⟧
And indeed, the marriage certificate became a law that applies to us, signed in the name of
the deputy head of the sect, the Rabbi called Sassoon Khedhouri, one of his tails ⟦...⟧
And the people ask the Rabbi about the mentioned ruling: Why do you take dirhams from us for your signature on
the marriage? Any Rabbi would answer us: Just as he receives the dirhams, I likewise hand them over
to my master, President Saleh, as you know that I have no voice and any opposition issued
by me, my aforementioned master Saleh will expel me ⟦...⟧
This is how things go in Erbil with this tyrant and his servant, except for the poor, as we have
no power or strength; we have all become a toy in the hands of the President, and most of our rich people fear him.
His thorn is strengthened by the authorities, not for the sake of managing our affairs, but the opposite of that, as