AI en Translation, Pages 1-25
Page 3
contain such provocations and false accusations, all of which incite citizens to harass their Jewish brothers and have
⟦danger⟧ from what these two newspapers create in the heart of the sacred Iraqi unity, such that it is no longer hidden from
every wise person that they are moving according to a deliberate plan whose goal is to create an atmosphere of ⟦enmity and⟧ conflict between the sons of the one
homeland.
Your Excellency,
What Your Excellency is famous for in terms of piercing insight and foresight carries me, and my hope is that Your Excellency
appreciates the extent of the reality of the situation and the danger of the fate if the rope of these meddlers is left loose and if
your esteemed ministry does not put an end to the newspapers Al-Hidaya and Al-Alam Al-Arabi and their likes in what they intend of touching the dignity of the community
and shaking the sacred harmony that has always bound the ranks of Iraqis with a strong bond for many generations.
I hope to repeat to Your Excellency that giving space to these two newspapers and others to create lies and fabrications
with the intent of detracting from the dignity of the Israelite community and the degree of its attachment to the country without the esteemed government taking the
necessary effective measures to cut off the root of these assaults may lead to completely unfavorable results that Your Excellency must perceive
with your far-reaching and brilliant vision.
I ask God to grant us all success in what serves this dear country.
Please accept, Your Excellency, my sincere respects;
Head of the Community
Page 4
Number - 2997
Date - 23 Rajab 353 and 31 October 934
His Excellency the Respected Minister of Interior
After greetings and respect
Further to our letter No. 2981 dated 26 October 934
We explained to Your Excellency in our oral meeting on Sunday morning, 28 October 934, with some individuals
that we did not seek to meet you as members of the Israelite community, but rather as Iraqis who are jealous for the interests of the country and are keen
with great care for the continuation of brotherhood between the sons of one homeland.
What some local newspapers cling to and use as a pretext to attack the Jews of Iraq and as a means to undermine
their dignity and challenge their patriotism is Zionism. Therefore, allow us, Your Excellency, to discuss this issue with some
frankness so that you may see, in its light, the reality of the position of the Jews of Iraq regarding this idea. For the Jews of Iraq, on
numerous occasions, have shown their complete aversion to Zionism, so much so that when Dr. A. Ben-Zion came to Baghdad in the year
1922 to collect donations for Palestine as a representative of (Keren Hayesod), he did not find a listening ear from the Jews of Iraq
for his propaganda at all, and he remained in Baghdad for several months without finding help or assistance from the Israelites of Iraq.
Not only this, but the Israelites wrote to the Keren Hayesod Association in London explaining their lack of readiness to assist
the Doctor in his mission, until he was forced to meet His late Majesty King Faisal I. He explained to His Majesty
the concepts of his purpose for coming, and His Majesty showed sympathy for his plan, permitted him to do so, and recommended assisting him. It is possible
for Your Excellency to review the letter numbered 7796 dated 25 May 1922 to the aforementioned Dr. Ben-Zion, in which
the Advisor to the Interior explains the following: (His Majesty the King has ordered me to inform you that His Majesty has no objection
to your procedures according to the plans you presented to him). After that, a branch of the Zionist Agency was also established in Baghdad
and it continued for a long time despite the repeated objections of the community's notables to its existence before the competent authorities
on many occasions. What makes the matter even stranger is that the situation at one point reached the degree that passports to
Palestine were not issued by the government except after the aforementioned Agency's endorsement on them. It is not my intention to interfere with the government's will
and its powers, but I want to demonstrate my point that the infiltration of this idea into Iraq was not by the desire of the Jews initially,
but was with the assistance and licensing of the Iraqi authorities themselves, a matter before which Jewish thinkers remained bewildered. It is not
strange for the Jews of Iraq not to be hostile to an idea they know well, and every person familiar with politics knows, is a bubble
Page 5
( 2 )
British more than it is Jewish
And some may ask, what then is the meaning of the movement of travel and the movement of transferring funds that we see from the Jews of Iraq to
Palestine. A valid question, and I hope I am not burdening Your Excellency if I elaborate a little in clarifying the real factors
from which these two movements arose, I mean travel and the transfer of funds to Palestine. As for travel, the majority
of travelers, if not all of them, are either unemployed people who cannot find work in Iraq, so they follow
livelihood in any of God's countries. The issue of migration to other countries in search of livelihood and seeking
profit is a legitimate matter based on most periods of history and has played and still plays a great role in
modern history. And as for the sick whose recovery has been difficult in Iraq, they head to Palestine
for medical treatment at the hands of world-renowned specialist doctors or to enter hospitals or the well-known sanatoriums of Palestine
or for recovery in the climate of Jerusalem, which has been proven to be better than the climate of Lebanon. It is also known that a significant portion
of those who used to go for summer vacation and recovery to Lebanon, Jews and other Iraqis, have started going
to Palestine for a year or two because of the drop of the Pound relative to the Franc and the Syrian Lira and because of the presence of a number
of famous German doctors in Palestine.
As for the movement of transferring funds to Palestine, its factors are purely economic, including the stagnation of trade between Iraq
and Iran, and this stagnation has caused the wheel of work in the commercial markets to stop completely, so it is natural for
the merchant - at a time when he is unable to invest his capital in a profitable trade - to turn to operating his money for interest
and the interest on capital in Iraq does not exceed 3% at the present time, while in Palestine it is not less
than 8% and may increase. It is self-evident that the owner of capital in all countries of the world transfers his money where there is more profit
and these funds will inevitably return to Iraq if the interest rate rises or the trade market revives again. And because
the Iraqi Jew does not employ his capital in Palestine except in mortgages and interest - because he does not aim through that
except for economic benefits - he is the subject of criticism and resentment from the Zionists. As for the mistreatment by the Zionists of the Iraqis
among the Jews living in Palestine, it is well known and does not need elaboration, and one of its simplest reasons is that the Iraqi
who mortgages properties there - which are generally properties of Muslims - provides relief to the owner and does not force him
to sell them to Zionist agencies as much as he would be if it were impossible for him to borrow money on them.
These are facts we wished to present to Your Excellency so that you may interpret in their light the position of the Israelite community in
Iraq regarding the Zionist movement and the value of the accusations directed at it by local newspapers and the extent
of their share of truth.
There remains for us the issue of Jewish employees and their number in government departments, which the aforementioned newspapers have begun to distort
recently and present them in a way that is not their reality.
Page 6
( 3 )
The example cited by these newspapers as evidence for their claims is the number of employees in the Office of the Comptroller General
specifically, and the employees of the official financial departments in general. We find no need to say that counting the number of Jewish
employees in a single department is a matter unworthy of attention and is nothing more than exaggeration; for just as the number of employees
in the Accounting Department is large, their number in some other official departments is small and may even be non-existent. We do not doubt
that the matter of the accounting employees is a matter of competence and nothing else. It is well known that Jews are well-versed in matters of accounting
and finance, to the extent that most Muslim merchants in Iraq employ Jews to keep their account books and to manage
their financial affairs. Therefore, the employment of Jews in financial departments is something that does not warrant this criticism and denunciation. Denying
the services rendered by the Jewish ⟦employees⟧ of finance to the state is a constant denial of the truth. As for the percentage of Jewish
employees in all state departments, it is not as high as they claim. Furthermore, abandoning the evidence of competence and adhering
to the rule of proportionality in appointing employees is not in the interest of the Iraqi state, in my belief, to make it a basis
for building its future in this matter or other public matters.
I have laid out to Your Excellency all these views and research perspectives, along with many others containing facts and sufficient
arguments on this subject. The reason for my submission to Your Excellency of all this is my belief that my national duty requires it of me,
and my consideration that the time has come for the government to adopt a firm plan in this regard.
The attack on the Israelite community began in its early stages by one or two newspapers seeking causes
of ill-will, and no one expected it to find the fertile soil it has found. So much so that its poison has seeped into the souls of a segment of
the populace and has become one of the public issues that deserve, in my belief, special attention from the government.
The reason for the lack of recourse from the leadership of the community or its notables in this matter until now is that we did not think at any
time that the matter could exceed its initial phase and acquire this seriousness that we see today. Because
the facts laid out here and others are undoubtedly known to the government, and we have always considered that the government is more capable of knowing
the facts in this case and others than anyone else, and we have always trusted that it would not delay in striking the hands of the meddlers by various
means at its disposal and by what we know of its insight and foresight before the situation reaches a degree that affects
public interests.
In any case, the kindness we found from Your Excellency in our meeting mentioned above makes us firm in hope
that we will not need to approach this subject again.
May Your Excellency remain successful in the service of the public;
Head of the Community
Page 7
2999
28 Rajab 353 and 5 November 1934
To His Excellency the Respected Minister of Interior
With greetings and respect, I present to Your Excellency issue No. 68 of Al-Hidaya newspaper and request you to read
the paragraphs marked in red ink on the second and third pages and the entirety of the fourth and fifth pages.
Strict provisions of Iraqi laws apply to these articles, which the newspaper owner is not ignorant of
because they were listed verbatim on page 14 of this same issue.
The occurrence of such a crime in this manner indicates the criminal's total disregard for the sanctity of the law and the prestige
of the government tasked with maintaining it. Therefore, I saw it as my duty to bring this incident to Your Excellency's attention, hoping that
you will order the application of the law in this case, similar to other cases involving crimes against public rights,
and expressing surprise that no action has been taken until now, five days after the newspaper was published among the people.
I also have the honor to present to Your Excellency a letter containing speeches delivered by Sheikh Muhammad al-Husayn
Al Kashif al-Ghita, and on pages 11, 12, and 13 of it, there is speech that constitutes a crime no less serious than the aforementioned
crime, also requesting an order to carry out what the law mandates in this regard. It is understood from the top of page
6 that the mentioned speech was delivered publicly in a gathering of people since 21 February 1934 and was not noticed by
the competent authorities.
These two incidents concern public rights and the state system above all else, but in terms of their relationship
to the sect that I have the honor to lead, they undoubtedly acquire a special seriousness from being issued by
two men who have a religious status and bear a heavy responsibility in terms of the legal and moral consequences borne by
every preacher to whom the reins of public thought are entrusted to an extreme degree. Therefore, it is my duty to protest
against the lies, slanders, and obscene insults contained in these publications and against the weakening of this
sect to the degree that everyone thinks they can assault it with complete safety and tranquility.
Head of the Sect
Page 8
3005
5 Sha'ban 353 and 12 November 1934
His Excellency the Minister of Education
Greetings and respect. During the exercises for the scouting celebration held on the 5th of this month in honor of His Highness
the Crown Prince of Sweden, in which scout troops from some Jewish schools participated, and in the same celebration as well,
it happened that quite a few individuals from the scouts of the Intermediate and Secondary schools accosted these troops by accusing
them of Zionism, and it was understood that insults and obscenities were hurled.
It pains me greatly to find myself compelled to inform Your Excellency of this unfortunate incident, as it is a duty
not to remain silent about it due to its indication of a spirit of division that no one who cares for the interests of the country would wish to see
seeping into the schools and corrupting the thoughts of the new generation since their youth.
Furthermore, confronting Jewish school students with such treatment while they are being raised on the love of their homeland,
Iraq, is a very painful matter for them and undoubtedly leaves a deep impression on their souls.
I am certain that Your Excellency agrees with me that this situation from both sides does not lead to
the good of the country, and therefore I hope that you will kindly investigate the matter and issue what you deem appropriate orders in this
regard.
On this occasion, I would like to inform Your Excellency that the Jewish school scouts are very eager to participate
in the festival planned to be held on the coming 9th of Sha'ban, although they have not received an invitation from the competent authority yet, and the hope
is that their participation will not involve anything that disturbs the peace. Please accept the highest respect.
Head of the Community
Page 9
Revealing the Truths
Commendable efforts for the sake of permanent harmony
His Eminence Professor Al-Adhami had delivered a speech that the wicked misinterpreted, even though his sentence was
conditional and responsive; the condition did not occur, and naturally, there was no need for the response. The imposters wanted to disturb the serenity
to fish in troubled waters, but soon those shadows cleared, faces met, and thus there was nothing in the midst
but serenity, affection, and the strengthening of the sacred national bond. This is what is expected of a man of religion: to stand at the limit
of the law. The public was delighted by the visit of His Excellency Rabbi Sassoon Khadhuri, head of the Israelite community, and some
notables of the community to Professor Al-Adhami last Tuesday evening at Dar al-Ulum in the presence of the Great Imam, where
cups of affection and joy were exchanged. His Eminence Professor Al-Adhami explained that he intended nothing by his speech except the individual
Zionists whom colonial hands have used as a means of corruption, and he did not intend anyone else who is under the protection of Muslims,
who have the same rights and duties as they do.
His Eminence the Professor returned the visit, accompanied by professors from the College of Dar al-Ulum, namely Professor Sayyid
Kamal al-Din al-Ta'i, Professor Sayyid Abd al-Hadi Effendi, Professor Muhammad Said Bek, and the notables
Izzat Bek and Muhammad Effendi Farhat, to the Shamash School. There, heartfelt conversations were exchanged, emanating from pure hearts
based on the sacred national bond. Then the honorable visitors were invited to visit the leadership of the community, where they were received with great hospitality.
These mutual visits left a favorable impression on souls and struck with the catapult of truth the devilish hand
that wants to tamper with and corrupt national unity to establish its foothold and to weave from the spiders of its lies a web of discord.
And is there anything flimsier than a spider's web?
Page 10
2184
14 July 1933
The honorable and virtuous notable Ishaq Effendi Ephraim Saleh, respected
After greetings and respect
Reference to your letter dated 16 July 5693
We have taken the necessary measures regarding what you mentioned,
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
Head of the Community
Page 11
To His Eminence, the Head of the Jewish Community, the Respected
We present to you herewith a copy of the letter submitted to His Excellency the Minister of Interior, and in your capacity as head
of the Jewish community, you must take the necessary legal measures regarding what was stated in
the body of our aforementioned letter. With much respect to Your Eminence.
20 / July 1933
A resident of the Adhamiyah district
Papers
Page 12
1933/7/14
His Excellency the Respected Minister of Interior
After greetings.
Regarding the demonstration that took place in the Al-Adhamiya sub-district on Tuesday, corresponding to
11 Rabi' al-Awwal 1352, coinciding with July 4, 1933, during which some
illegal transgressions occurred against a group of Jews residing in the aforementioned sub-district.
I inform you that the cause of this movement, which disturbed public security and caused division among the elements of the country
at a time when it is most in need of solidarity and cooperation for the sake of preserving independence and the reputation of
the country, is the teacher at Al-Adhamiya Primary School named Kamal al-Din Daoud, as he invited
the students to his house, distributed refreshments to them, and gave them an enthusiastic speech urging ⟦them⟧ to
carry out the aforementioned transgression, expressing to them his readiness to bear all the damages that might befall
them. Thus, this person spread the toxins of division among the young students from whom we expect
to be a help in building the structure of the homeland in the future.
A resident of Al-Adhamiya sub-district
A copy to His Excellency the Director of General Education
" " Director of Baghdad District Police
" " Director of Al-Adhamiya Sub-district
Page 15
official, and I believe, and no doubt Your Excellency shares this belief with me, that the
firm measures required are limited to the following:
First: Preventing any local newspaper from publishing anything that contains an attack on the Jews of Iraq or anything that
smacks of discrimination between the Iraqi Israelite community and the other sons of the country,
and taking legal action against anyone who attempts to disturb the sacred unity.
Second: Strict monitoring of the behavior of some official teachers who attempt to create
the ominous theory: "This is a Jew, this is a Muslim, and this is a Christian," and striking down
such dangerous attempts that generate feelings of hatred and animosity among the dear youth, if any exist.
Third: Alerting the competent departments responsible for internal security to exert their utmost
effort in preventing any attempt intended to assault Iraqi unity through
religious and sectarian division.
These are brief observations that two factors prompt me to submit to Your Excellency: the first is the
praiseworthy encouragement that the Iraqi Israelite community receives from Your Excellency and Their Excellencies
and Highnesses, the statesmen, regarding the care for its interests as an important member of the body of
the Iraqi people and an inseparable part of the entity of the most sacred Kingdom, upon whose
tranquility and safety the tranquility and safety of the homeland largely depends; and the second is the position with which
the members of my community have entrusted me and which my Great Master the King honored me by approving, which is the presidency of the Israelite community
in Baghdad.
The confidence of the Israelite community in the current government is far-reaching, and it is a confidence derived from the sincerity
of the men working for the great national cause, and from the inspiration of the Great Lord of the country sitting on
the throne of Mesopotamia, and from the shared heartfelt feeling in everything that concerns this dear country and what it
lacks in terms of mighty efforts for the sake of a life full of dignity, of which Iraqis are proud that its factors and results
are a good example for other peoples and a living proverb.
Hoping that you will meet this letter of mine with your well-known kindness, I ask God to grant us all success
under the shadow of our Master, His Majesty the Great King, in serving the dear homeland.
And I hope to remain sincerely at Your Excellency's good expectation;
⟦Sassoon Khidhouri⟧
President of the Israelite Community
Baghdad
Page 16
2999
28 Rajab 1353 and 5 November 1934
His Excellency the Respected Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect. I present to Your Excellency issue No. 168 of Al-Hidaya newspaper and request a reading of
the paragraphs marked in red ink on the second and third pages, and the entirety of the fourth and fifth pages.
Strict provisions of Iraqi laws apply to these articles, which the newspaper owner is not ignorant of
because they were included verbatim on page 14 of this same issue.
The occurrence of such a crime in this manner indicates a total disregard by the perpetrator for the sanctity of the law and the prestige
of the government tasked with its preservation. Therefore, I saw it as my duty to draw Your Excellency's attention to this incident, hoping that
you will order the application of the law in this case, similar to other cases involving crimes against public rights,
and expressing surprise that no action has been taken until now, five days after the newspaper was distributed among the people.
I also have the honor to present to Your Excellency a pamphlet containing speeches delivered by Sheikh Muhammad al-Husayn
Al Kashif al-Ghita. On pages 11, 12, and 13, there is speech that constitutes a crime no less serious than the aforementioned
crime, also requesting an order to carry out what the law mandates in this matter. It is understood from the top of page
6 that the mentioned speech was delivered publicly in a gathering of people since 21 February 1934, and the competent
authorities did not pay attention to it.
These two incidents concern public rights and the state system above all else, but in terms of their relationship
to the sect that I have the honor to lead, they undoubtedly acquire a special seriousness as they were issued by
two men who have a religious status and bear a heavy responsibility in terms of the legal and moral awakening, as
each one of them holds the reins of public thought to an extreme degree. Therefore, it is my duty to protest
against the lies, slanders, and obscene insults contained in these publications, and against the weakening of this
sect to the degree that everyone thinks they can assault it with complete safety and tranquility.
Head of the Sect
Page 17
3005
5 Sha'ban 353 and 12 November 1934
His Excellency the Minister of Education
Greetings and respect. During the exercises for the scouting celebration held on the 5th of this month in honor of His Highness
the Crown Prince of Sweden, in which scout troops from some Jewish schools participated, and in the same celebration as well,
it happened that quite a few individuals from the scouts of the Intermediate and Secondary schools accosted these troops, accusing
them of Zionism and ⟦pelted them⟧ with various insults and obscenities.
It pains me greatly to find myself forced to inform Your Excellency of this unfortunate incident, as it is necessary
not to remain silent about it due to its indication of a spirit of division that no one who cares for the country's welfare would wish to see
seeping into the schools and corrupting the thoughts of the new generation from their youth.
Furthermore, confronting Jewish school students with such treatment while they are being raised on the love of their homeland,
Iraq, is a very painful matter for them and undoubtedly leaves a deep impression on their souls.
I am certain that Your Excellency agrees with me that this situation, from both sides, does not lead to
the good of the country. Therefore, I hope you will be kind enough to investigate the matter and issue what you deem appropriate orders in this
regard.
On this occasion, I would like to inform Your Excellency that the Jewish school scouts are very eager to participate
in the festival planned for the upcoming 9th of Sha'ban, although they have not received an invitation from the competent authority yet, and I hope
that their participation will not involve anything that disturbs the peace. Please accept my highest respect,
Head of the Community
Page 18
Number - 2997
Date - 23 Rajab 353 and 31 October 934
His Excellency, the Honorable Minister of Interior
After greetings and respect
Further to our letter No. 2981 dated 26 October 934
We explained to Your Excellency in our oral meeting on Sunday morning, 28 October 934, with some individuals
that we did not seek to meet you as individuals of the Israelite community, but rather as Iraqis who are jealous for the interests of the country and are keen
with extreme keenness on the continuation of brotherhood between the sons of one homeland.
What some local newspapers cling to and take as a pretext to attack the Jews of Iraq and as a means to undermine
their dignity and challenge their patriotism is Zionism. Therefore, allow us, Your Excellency, to discuss this issue with some
frankness so that you may see, in its light, the reality of the position of Iraq's Jews regarding this idea. For the Jews of Iraq on
numerous occasions have shown their complete aversion to Zionism, so much so that when Dr. A. Ben-Zion came to Baghdad in the year
1922 to collect donations for Palestine as a delegate for (Keren Hayesod), he did not find a listening ear from the Jews of Iraq
for his propaganda at all, and he remained in Baghdad for several months without finding support or assistance from the Israelites of Iraq.
Not only this, but the Israelites wrote to the Keren Hayesod Association in London explaining their lack of readiness to assist
the Doctor in his mission, until he was forced to meet His late Majesty King Faisal I, and he explained to His Majesty
orally his purpose for coming. His Majesty showed sympathy for his plans, permitted him to do so, and recommended assisting him. It is possible
for Your Excellency to review the letter numbered 7796 dated 25 May 1922 to the aforementioned Dr. Ben-Zion, in which
the Advisor to the Interior explains the following: (His Majesty the King has ordered me to inform you that His Majesty has no objection
to your procedures according to the plans you presented to him). After that, a branch of the Zionist Agency was also established in Baghdad
and continued for a long time, despite the repeated objections of the community's notables to its existence before the competent
authorities many times. What makes the matter even stranger is that the situation reached a point after a while where passports to
Palestine were not issued by the government except after the aforementioned Agency had endorsed them. It is not my intention to interfere with the government's wishes
and its powers, but I want to demonstrate my point that the infiltration of this idea into Iraq was never by the desire of the Jews,
but rather with the support and licensing of the Iraqi authorities themselves, a matter before which Jewish thinkers remained bewildered. It is not
strange for the Jews of Iraq not to support an idea they know well, and every person familiar with politics knows, that it is an idea
Page 19
( 2 )
British more than it is Jewish.
And someone might ask: then what is the meaning of the travel movement and the movement of transferring funds that we see from the Jews of Iraq to
Palestine? A valid question. I hope I am not a burden on Your Excellency if I elaborate a little in clarifying the real factors
from which these two movements arose, meaning travel and the transfer of funds to Palestine. As for travel, the majority
of travelers, if not all of them, are either unemployed people who cannot find work for themselves in Iraq, so they seek
livelihood in any of God's lands. The issue of migration to other countries in pursuit of livelihood and seeking
gain is a legitimate matter based on most periods of history and has played and still plays a great role in
modern history. And as for the sick whose recovery has been difficult in Iraq, they head to Palestine
for medical treatment at the hands of world-renowned specialist doctors or to enter Palestine's well-known hospitals or sanatoriums
or for recovery in the climate of Jerusalem, which has been proven to be better than the climate of Lebanon. It is also known that a significant portion
of those who used to go for summer vacation and recovery to Lebanon, among Jews and other Iraqis, have begun going
to Palestine for a year or two because of the drop of the Pound relative to the Franc and the Syrian Lira, and because of the presence of a number
of famous German doctors in Palestine.
As for the movement of transferring funds to Palestine, its factors are purely economic, including the stagnation of trade between Iraq
and Iran. This stagnation has caused the wheel of work in the commercial markets to stop completely, so it is natural for
the merchant - at a time when he is unable to invest his capital in a profitable trade - to turn to operating his money for interest.
The interest on capital in Iraq does not exceed 3% at the present time, while in Palestine it is not less
than 8% and may increase. It is self-evident that the owner of capital in all countries of the world transfers his money where there is more profit,
and these funds will inevitably return to Iraq if the surplus rises or the trade market revives again. And because
the Iraqi Jew does not employ his capital in Palestine except in mortgages and interest - because he sees nothing behind that
except economic benefits - he is the subject of criticism and resentment from the Zionists. As for the mistreatment by the Zionists of the Iraqis
among the Jews living in Palestine, it is well-known and needs no explanation. One of its simplest reasons is that the Iraqi
who mortgages properties there - which are generally Muslim properties - provides relief to the owner and does not force him
to sell them to Zionist agencies as much as would be the case if it were impossible for him to borrow money on them.
These are facts we wished to present to Your Excellency so that you may interpret, in their light, the position of the Israelite community in
Iraq regarding the Zionist movement in Palestine, and the value of the accusations directed at it by local newspapers and the extent
of their truthfulness.
There remains for us the issue of Jewish employees and their number in government departments, which the aforementioned newspapers have begun to chew over
recently and present in a way that is contrary to the truth.
Page 20
( 3 )
The example cited by these newspapers as evidence for their claims is the number of employees in the Office of the Comptroller General
specifically, and the employees of the official financial departments in general. We find no need to say that counting the number of Jewish
employees in a single department is a matter unworthy of attention and is nothing more than exaggeration; for just as the number of employees
in the Accounting Department is large, their number in some other official departments is small and may even be non-existent. There is no doubt
that the issue of accounting employees is a matter of competence and nothing else. It is well known that Jews are well-versed in matters of accounting
and finance, to the extent that most Muslim merchants in Iraq employ Jews to keep their account books and manage
their financial affairs. Therefore, the employment of Jews in financial departments is not something that warrants this criticism and denunciation. Denying
the services rendered by Jewish financial employees to the state is a denial of the truth itself. As for the percentage of Jewish employees
in all state departments, it is not as high as they claim. Furthermore, abandoning merit and competence and adhering
to the rule of proportionality in appointing employees is not in the interest of the Iraqi state, in my belief, to make it a basis
for building its future in this matter or other public matters.
I have laid out all these matters to Your Excellency and set aside the discussion of many others containing facts and sufficient arguments
on this subject. The reason for my submission to Your Excellency in all of this is my belief that my national duty requires ⟦me⟧
and my consideration that the time has come for the government to take a firm plan in this regard.
The attack on the Israelite community began in its early stages by one or two newspapers seeking means of
livelihood, and no one hoped that it would find the fertile soil it did. So much so that its poison seeped into the souls of a section of
the people and became one of the public issues that deserve, in my opinion, special attention from the government.
The reason for the lack of recourse from the leadership of the community or its notables in this matter until now is that we did not think at any
time that the matter could move beyond its initial phase and acquire this seriousness that we see today. Because
the facts laid out here and others are undoubtedly known to the government, and we have always considered that the government is more capable of knowing
the facts in this story and others than anyone else, and we have always trusted that it would not delay in striking the hands of the meddlers by various
means at its disposal and by what we know of its insight and foresight before the situation reaches a degree that affects
public interests.
In any case, the kindness we found from Your Excellency in our meeting mentioned above makes us firm in hope
that we will not need to approach this subject again.
May Your Excellency remain successful in the service of the public!
Head of the Community
Page 21
Number 2981
Date - 18 Rajab 1353 and 26 October 934
His Excellency the Respected Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect
In my letters numbered 2183 and 2295 dated July 14 and September 11, 933, I explained
to those watching over the interests of the country how some of those moved by hidden, sinful intentions are making
attempts aimed at disturbing the permanent serenity that used to prevail in the relationship of the Iraqi Jew with his fellow citizen.
Nothing encouraged me to do so except my certain knowledge that the honorable Iraqi government shares with me the belief
that it is not in the interest of the country nor security at all to allow any attempt of this kind to achieve
its failed goals. There is no doubt that Your Excellency agrees with me that the aggression directed at
our community, which has lived in security and peace in this country for hundreds of years, does not threaten the community alone with harm,
but rather touches Iraqi dignity and the country's interest and strikes the unity of the Iraqi nation to the core.
Today I find myself compelled - with much regret - to knock on this serious subject for a third time,
feeling that it is my duty, as it is the duty of us all, to give this matter new attention.
For the situation in recent times has worsened to the point that I can say that the existence of the Israelite community
in Iraq will soon become threatened by dangers, if it has not already become threatened by them at the present
time.
And this time I saw fit to support my presentations with an example - although they do not need proof because they are
known and recognized - which is the article published by Al-Hidaya newspaper in its issue 167, which you will find
with this letter under the title (Zionism), which dealt with the Jews of Iraq with insults and slanders, gnawing at
their dignity, touching their rights, and inciting hatred against them on the claim that they are Zionists. It is ironic to find
that writing about Zionism no longer includes - in recent times - anything other than incitement against the Jews of Iraq
by various means.
This is one article among many articles that this newspaper and the Al-Alam Al-Arabi newspaper are still publishing.
Page 22
contain such camouflages and false accusations, all of which incite citizens to harass their Jewish brothers, and all of which
drip with lethal poison exhaled by these two newspapers into the heart of the sacred Iraqi unity, such that it is no longer hidden from
any wise person that they are proceeding according to a deliberate plan whose goal is to create a murky atmosphere, misunderstanding, and hatred among the sons of the
same homeland.
Your Excellency,
What Your Excellency is famous for in terms of piercing insight and foresight gives me firm hope that Your Excellency
appreciates with me the reality of the situation and the danger of the fate if the rope of these meddlers is left ⟦on⟧ their shoulders, and if
your esteemed ministry does not put an end to the newspapers Al-Hidaya and Al-Alam Al-Arabi and their ilk in what they intend of touching the dignity of the community
and shaking the sacred harmony that has continued to bind the ranks of Iraqis with a strong bond for many generations.
I hope to repeat to Your Excellency that allowing these two newspapers and others to create lies and fabrications
with the intent of detracting from the dignity of the Israelite community and the degree of its attachment to the country, without the venerable government taking the ⟦necessary⟧
firm and effective measures to cut off the root of these assaults, may lead to completely unfavorable results that Your Excellency must surely perceive
with your far-reaching and brilliant vision.
I ask God to grant us all success in what serves this dear country.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my sincere respect;
Head of the Community
Page 23
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Baghdad
נשיאות הקהלה היהודית • בגדד
PRESIDENT OF
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY - BAGHDAD
NO::
Number::
DATE::
Date:: 20 Shaban 353 and 27 November 934
SUBJECT ⟦line⟧:
Subject ⟦line⟧:
⟦illegible stamp⟧
His Excellency the Honorable Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect
I submit herewith a petition received by me from the person named Ibrahim Gabriel, a resident of Qara Tappa, in which he complains
of an incident of assault that occurred to him there.
The matter itself pertains to the police administration, and I have no doubt that Your Excellency
will order what is required according to the procedures in this regard. There would have been no reason for an appeal from my side if
the petitioner had not made me understand that the assault stems from signs of a movement of hostility towards Jews that meets with some
encouragement from the authorities responsible for the matter. What calls for consideration is that the Jews of
Qara Tappa do not exceed fifty souls and will be under constant threat if their environment becomes hostile
to them without the competent authorities being active in the matter, resisting it, and removing its causes with all necessary attention.
President of the Community
Page 24
Presidency of the Israelite Community
Presidency of the Jewish Community - Baghdad
PRESIDENT OF
in Baghdad
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY - BAGHDAD
NO::
Number::
DATE::
Date:: 20 Sha'ban 353 and 27 November 934
SUBJECT:
Subject:
Secret
His Excellency the Magnificent Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect
I submit herewith a petition received by me from the person named Ibrahim Gabriel, a resident of Qarah Tapa, in which he complains
of an incident of assault that occurred to him there.
The matter itself pertains to the police administration, and I have no doubt that Your Excellency
will order what is required according to the rules in this regard. There would have been no reason for a review by me if
the petitioner had not concerned me with the fact that the assault arose from signs of a movement of hostility towards Jews that finds facilitation
and encouragement by the authorities responsible for the matter. What calls for consideration is that the Jews of
Qarah Tapa do not exceed fifty souls and will be under constant threat if their environment becomes hostile
towards them without the competent authorities being active in the matter, resisting it, and removing its causes with all necessary attention.
President of the Community
Page 25
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Presidency of the Jewish Community - Baghdad
PRESIDENT OF
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY - BAGHDAD
Baghdad
NO::
Number::
DATE::
Date:: 20 Sha'ban 353 and 27 November 934
SUBJECT:
Subject:
Secret
His Excellency the Magnificent Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect
I submit herewith a petition received by me from a person named Ibrahim Gabriel, a resident of Qara Tappa, in which he complains
of an incident of assault that occurred to him there.
The matter itself pertains to the police administration, and I have no doubt that Your Excellency
will order what is required according to the rules in this regard. There would have been no reason for a referral from me if
the petitioner had not concerned me with the fact that the assault stems from signs of an anti-Jewish movement receiving some
encouragement from the authorities responsible for the matter. It is noteworthy that the Jews of
Qara Tappa do not exceed fifty souls and will be under constant threat if their environment becomes hostile
to them without the competent authorities taking action for the matter, resisting it, and removing its causes with all necessary attention.
President of the Community