AI English Translation, Pages 76-100
Number 486
On July 19, 1922
(7)
To His Excellency the Respected Minister of Interior
After offering respect and highest greetings
I respond to your letter dated July 13, 922, numbered 10193, that the man you mentioned who
arrived in Baghdad three months ago, I mean Dr. A. Ben-Zion, his coming here was not in the capacity of a representative of the Zionist
Association, but rather he arrived in the capacity of a delegate on behalf of the association called (Keren Hayesod) founded in London in the year
1920 for the purpose of (collecting) money from all Israelites for the sake of expanding the economy and doing good in Palestine. And this
project, of course, its benefit extends to all residents of Palestine. As for the delegation of the aforementioned doctor, it is known to the
Sublime Government, as upon his arrival he had the honor of appearing before His Majesty our Great King and presented to him the matter of his delegation in collecting money
from our Israelite community in Baghdad for the mentioned project. And His Majesty our Great King, may his glory last, authorized him personally for that
and also a letter was sent to him from the Advisor to the Ministry of Interior, Colonel Cornwallis, dated May 25, 922, and numbered
A/7796, in which he says to him what is translated as (His Majesty the King has ordered me to inform you that His Majesty has no objection to
your proceeding according to the plans you presented to him). Accordingly, the aforementioned doctor invited the notables of our community
and its figures, and I, the petitioner, was also present at this meeting, and he explained all of that to them. In this meeting, it was deemed good
to support him by carrying out the mentioned project because of its general benefit for all residents of Palestine and to help our brothers
who are oppressed and afflicted in Ukraine. In this gathering, a committee was organized for that, which was named (Keren Hayesod Committee
Baghdad), and after that, what was necessary was also organized for the subscription of donations for the mentioned project and its plans, nothing else.
As for the mentioned doctor, he has no involvement in receiving the donations; rather, they are submitted from the name of the donors directly to (Keren Hayesod London)
and the aforementioned doctor did not engage in anything outside the plans of the aforementioned project, i.e., the (Keren Hayesod) project.
This is the truth of the situation of the aforementioned Dr. Ben-Zion and his actions, and I do not think there is anything in him that calls for suspicion otherwise.
To Your Excellency from us further respect;
Acting Chief Rabbi of Baghdad
No. O/4496
Ministry of Interior
Baghdad the 25th May 1922
(1)
Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 24th inst. I am to
inform you that the King does not find it convenient
to write a personal letter to the Chief Rabbi concerning
your mission to Iraq.
His Majesty, however, has authorised me to
inform you that he has no objection to your proceeding
on the lines which you explained to him.
I am sir
Yours faithfully
(Sd) K. Cornwallis
A. Bension, Esq.,
c/o Menashi Abraham Gourgi
Khan al Ortma
Baghdad.
Sent on the day
⟦/1.5.22 .f⟧
(9)
2981
8 Rajab 1353 and 26 October 1934
His Excellency, the Honorable Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect. In my letters numbered 2183 and 2295 dated July 4 and September 11, 1933,
I explained to those watching over the interests of the country how some of those driven by hidden, sinful motives are making
attempts aimed at disturbing the permanent serenity that used to prevail in the relationship of the Iraqi Jew with his fellow citizen.
I was encouraged to do so only by my certain knowledge that the venerable 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 great regret - to knock on the door of 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 serious attention. For the situation
lately has worsened to the point where I can say that the existence of the Israelite community in Iraq will become
threatened by dangers in a short time, if it has not already become threatened by them at the present time.
And this time, I saw fit to support my presentation with an example - although it does not need proof because it is known
and recognized - which is the article published by Al-Hidaya newspaper in its issue 167, which you will find with this letter,
titled (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 grounds that they are Zionists. It is ironic to find that writing about Zionism has
no longer included - lately - anything other than incitement against the Jews of Iraq by various means.
This is one article among many articles that this newspaper and Al-Alam Al-Arabi newspaper continue to publish, all of which contain
such deceptions and false accusations, and all of which urge citizens to harass their Jewish brothers, and all of which
drip with lethal poison spat by these two newspapers into the heart of the sacred Iraqi unity, so that it is no longer hidden from
To be continued
2
(1)
Every wise person knows that they are only proceeding according to a calculated plan whose goal is to create a murky atmosphere, misunderstanding, and hatred among the children of
the same homeland.
Your Excellency,
What Your Excellency is famous for in terms of penetrating insight and foresight makes me firm in the 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 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 continued to bind the ranks of Iraqis with a strong bond for many
generations.
I hope to reiterate to Your Excellency that allowing room for these two newspapers and others to create lies and fabrications
with the intent of detracting from the dignity of the Jewish community and the degree of its attachment to the country, without the esteemed government taking
firm and effective measures to cut off the root of these assaults, may lead to results that are not at all
praiseworthy, which 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, the assurances of my highest respect,
⟦signature⟧
Head of the Community
(11)
2997
23 Rajab 1353
31 October 1934
His Excellency the Honorable Minister of Interior
After greetings and respect
Further to our letter No. 2981 dated 26 October 1934
We explained to Your Excellency in our oral meeting on Sunday morning, 28 October 1934, with
some individuals, that we did not request to meet you as members of the Israelite community, but as Iraqis who are jealous
for the interests of the country and are very keen on the continuation of brotherhood between the children 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 Iraq's Jews
regarding this idea. The Jews of Iraq have, on many occasions, shown their complete loathing of Zionism, so much so
that when Dr. A. Ben-Zion came to Baghdad in 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 orally his purpose for coming, and His Majesty showed sympathy for his plans and gave him permission
for that and recommended assisting him. Your Excellency can review the letter numbered 7796 A 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).
⟦illegible stamp in red ink⟧
After that, he also established a branch of the Zionist Agency in Baghdad, which continued for a long time despite the successive
objections of the community's notables regarding its existence to the competent authorities many times. What makes the matter 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's endorsement on them. My intention is not to interfere with the government's will and 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 it was
with the support and licensing of the Iraqi authorities themselves, a matter that left Jewish thinkers bewildered before it. It is not
strange for the Jews of Iraq not to support an idea they know well, and which everyone familiar with politics knows,
is a British political idea more than it is a Jewish one.
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, and I hope I will not be a burden on Your Excellency if I expand 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 the unemployed who cannot find work in
Iraq, so they follow livelihood in any of God's lands. The issue of migration to other countries
in pursuit of livelihood and seeking profit is a legitimate matter, much of which has occurred in most periods of history and has played
and still plays a great role in modern history. And as for the sick for whom healing has been difficult
in Iraq, they head to Palestine for medical treatment at the hands of international specialist doctors or to enter
Palestine's well-known hospitals and 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 or for recovery
to Lebanon, 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 that
the merchant turns - at a time when he is unable to invest his capital in a profitable trade - to operating his funds
for interest. The interest on capital in Iraq does not exceed 3% at present, while it
in Palestine 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 funds where there is more profit. These ⟦rights⟧ funds will inevitably return to Iraq if the interest rises or
the trade market revives again. And because the Iraqi Jew does not operate his capital in Palestine except
3
(12)
with mortgages and surplus - because he aims for nothing beyond that except economic benefits - he is a subject of criticism
and resentment from the Zionists. As for the Zionists' mistreatment of Iraqi Jews living in Palestine,
it is well-known and needs no explanation. One of the 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 he would be if it were impossible for him to borrow money against 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 accusations leveled against them by local newspapers
and the extent of their truthfulness.
We are left with the issue of Jewish employees and their number in government departments, which the aforementioned newspapers have begun
to harp on recently, presenting them contrary to their reality. The example these newspapers cite
as evidence for their claims is the number of employees in the Office of the Comptroller General in particular, and employees of 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 a form of exaggeration, nothing more. Just as the number of employees
in the Accounting Department is large, their number in some other official departments is small and may 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 the Jew is proficient
in accounting and financial matters, to the extent that most Muslim merchants in Iraq employ Jews to keep
their account books and manage their financial affairs. Therefore, employing Jews in financial departments is not something that warrants
this criticism and condemnation. Denying the services rendered by Jewish financial employees to the state is
a denial of truth itself. As for the percentage of Jewish employees in all state departments, it is not 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, I believe, 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 presenting all this to Your Excellency is my belief that my national duty
requires it, and my consideration that the time has come for the government to adopt a decisive 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 it would find the fertile soil it did, such that its poison spread
4
⟦(14)⟧
into the souls of a portion of the residents and has become one of the public issues that deserve, I believe,
special attention from the government. And the reason for the lack of recourse from the head 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 stage
and acquire this seriousness that we see it in 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 the 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 knock on this subject again.
May Your Excellency remain successful in the service of the collective,
On behalf of
The Head of the Community
Secret
8 Rajab 1353 and 15 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 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 owner of the
newspaper is not ignorant of, as they were listed 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 maintenance. 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 published
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, 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 the 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 community that I have the honor to head, 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 liability borne by
every religious 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 community to the degree that everyone thinks they can assault it with complete safety
and tranquility.
⟦Sassoon⟧
Head of the Community
2005
Secret
⟦illegible stamp⟧
5 Sha'ban 1353 and 12 November 1934
His Excellency the Respected Minister of Education
Greetings and respect. During the rehearsals 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 confronted these troops, accusing them of Zionism
and hurling various insults and obscenities at them.
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, given its indication of a spirit of division that no one who cares for the country's interests would wish to see seeping
into 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 to love their homeland,
Iraq, is a very painful matter for them and will undoubtedly leave 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 wish 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. I hope
that their participation will not result in anything that disturbs the spirits. Please accept the assurances of my highest respect;
On behalf of
The Head of the Community
Iraq
Ministry of Education
Personnel Affairs Department
Number: 12006
Date: 11 Ramadan 353
18 December 34
Subject: School Students
(17)
To the Honorable Head of the Jewish Community
Reference to your letter numbered 3005 and dated 12 / 11 / 34.
We have instructed that the necessary measures be taken to prevent such incidents
from occurring in the future.
⟦signature⟧
Minister of Education
A copy to:
Personnel Affairs Department
Presidency of the Jewish Community
Number 2571
Date 21 / 12 / 934
A. Q.
⟦illegible stamp in red ink⟧
3621 on the second of April 1956 N to Baghdad
Memorandum to the Committee for the Liquidation of the Property of the Jewish Community
Please seize the building No. 1/41 on Al-Rashid Street belonging to the person named ⟦...⟧ who has two brothers who left
three years ago and joined the Israeli Defense Forces according to the information available to us, as their father passed away
two months ago. As for the building, it was registered in the name of their deceased father in the Land Registry Department, but the transfer of its ownership
in the name of the heirs has not taken place until now.
It has also been found that a part of the building is leased to the Iraqi Navigation Company for an amount of ⟦...⟧ Dinars annually,
while the other part is occupied by the heirs of the aforementioned deceased who have not left Iraq until now.
Therefore, we request that the necessary measures be taken regarding the seizure of the share of the two persons who left
Iraq and joined the aforementioned army.
We have also learned that there is an amount of three hundred and fifty Dinars deposited in one of the banks
in the name of their aforementioned deceased father, and that this amount belongs to all the heirs, including the two persons who left
Iraq and joined the aforementioned army. Therefore, we request that the necessary measures be taken regarding the seizure of the share of the two
aforementioned persons in this amount as well, and to inform us of the result so that we can take the necessary measures regarding it.
Furthermore, the two aforementioned persons left Iraq in 1951 and have not returned to it until now.
And support us with the measures taken by you in this regard, with appreciation.
On behalf of
Directorate of Technical Investigations
The Honorable President of the Jewish Community in Baghdad ⟦(8)⟧
After greetings and respect,
I present to your Excellency the following case in its chapter, which the Saray police commissioner surprised me with
last night, which is: while I was returning to my home passing by the Saray road around the hour of
eight in the evening, and when I reached the aforementioned police station, one of the police officers approached me and arrested
me ⟦on false grounds⟧ and brought me before the commissioner. I saw nothing but the commissioner pouring down on me and starting to insult me with the most hideous insults.
He was not satisfied with that, but ordered my hands to be shackled and put me in one of the rooms and locked the door on me, and returned repeating
his act of beating with a stick. He broke a stick handle on me and completed the beating with his hands and feet while I
was screaming from my pain from those harsh blows, inquiring about my guilt in a felony or a crime I committed.
He did not pay attention to my screaming, but continued his insult until I reached a corrupted state, and with every bit of strength
he ordered cold water to be poured on me, and he drenched me with it until all my clothes were soaked.
All of this was without motive or reason; rather, the only reason for all this is that I am
Jewish, and the aforementioned commissioner attributed Zionism to me, as he was uttering those words
while performing his official duty, which is (beating) the only innocent and oppressed person. And the
Assistant Police Chief of Saray witnessed my torture and my condition when he requested me at night by telephone, and he supported
the validity of my claim and said to me, "Go, and we will look into the case with the commissioner." Therefore, I beg
your Excellency to review the authorities to see my lawsuit with the commissioner to realize my right.
And if I am guilty, I shall receive my punishment - this, and respect to your Excellency.
I attach for you the medical report that I obtained from Dr. Daoud Nassim, showing in it
the traces of beating and punches.
The Petitioner
Akram Ibrahim Da'bool
⟦In the name of⟧ ⟦Mardoud⟧ ⟦Da'bool⟧
2026
20 Shaban 1353 and 27 November 1934
A
(19)
(Secret)
His Excellency the Respectable Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect
I hereby submit 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 me to intervene if
the petitioner had not inspired me that the assault arose from the signs of an anti-Jewish movement receiving 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 acting on the matter, resisting it, and removing its causes with all necessary attention.
On behalf of
The Head of the Community
(2)
With the help of God, Sunday, 25 Kislev 5670 ⟦illegible⟧ namely from Rosh Hashanah ⟦illegible⟧ to this day
Summary of expenses that were spent from the Sabbath day ⟦illegible⟧ to this day ⟦illegible⟧
Dirham ⟦illegible⟧ Toman ⟦illegible⟧ until the day of 25 Kislev ⟦illegible⟧ which was upon them ⟦illegible⟧
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(21)
20-24
28 November 934
⟦illegible⟧
To the Honorable President of the Jewish Community in Basra, respected
Basra
After greetings and respect
I hope to inform you that as a result of our appeal to the government with some of the community's notables
The permit for the Muslim Youth Council in Basra has been cancelled - and may you remain
⟦illegible⟧
President of the Community
Note: I hope to consider this letter confidential and not to let anyone know its content except the members of the
Spiritual Council secretly
2185
9 Muharram 353 and 12 April 935
His Excellency the Respected Minister of Interior ⟦Opinion⟧
Greetings and Respect,
I submit to Your Excellency herewith a copy of an article published in the "Jewish Daily Post" newspaper issued in London on March 27, 1935, along with its Arabic translation. The article refers to another article published in a German newspaper known as "Jenaische Zeitung" signed by a man named Dr. Hubner, who, as I understand, is employed as a teacher in one of the official schools. I was not able to obtain the German newspaper itself to verify the publication of the mentioned article, but there is no doubt that the government can do so.
If Dr. Hubner's article was indeed published, it constitutes a matter that requires the government's attention from several aspects. It indicates that the man is not loyal to the teaching profession entrusted to him. It also indicates that he has another mission, facilitated by the discord he claims exists between the Jews and their fellow Iraqis. This mission must be political, and if one of its necessary requirements is the existence or creation of such discord, then the man is among the foreigners whom the government usually regards as undesirable, according to what I believe are the general principles applied by the government in this regard.
What gives the case special importance is that the man is employed to work in the education of Iraqi youth; if he sows such seeds in their minds and hearts, a dangerous result will follow that harms general Iraqi interests from fundamental sides, and the damage therein will be severe and deep-seated in particular. Two or three years ago, some incidents occurred, minor in themselves, which nevertheless made me feel with great pain that in some schools there are some hands working for division and hatred among students, even if the effort in this direction is, thank God, limited to people who do not have a strong connection to Iraq.
Therefore, I have seen it as my duty to present the matter to Your Excellency, hoping that you will order the taking of all firm measures required by the incident.
With great respect to Your Excellency,
Sassoon
Head of the Jewish Community
A copy of it to His Excellency the Respected Minister of Education
⟦illegible⟧
The Jewish Daily Post
March 27
ANTI-SEMITISM IN IRAQ.
"An Advantage For Us Germans"
(From our own Correspondent)
The "Jenaische Zeitung" publishes an article by Dr. H. G. Houber,
a German teacher at Baghdad, in which it is stated that although the Germ
⟦illegible⟧ans are not numerically strongly represented there, their influence
is important and continually growing.
There is great sympathy in Iraq for the new Germany, says the
writer, largely owing to the energetic measures which the latter
has taken against the Jews, Iraq also has its Jewish problem,
a good quarter of the population are Jews, who play the leading
part in commerce. This and other causes, religious or political,
have led to very strained relation between the Arabs and the Jews.
"For us Germans, this antagonism is rather advantage and it
facilitates my work also in a certain sense, since it is not easy
here for the Jews, to develop anti-German propaganda."
The remarkable admission of the last sentence suggests that the
teaching of the German doctor at Baghdad consists in teaching the
Arabs the wisdom of Julius Streicher.
58/6
3 56 N for the year 46 J 656 P 2
⟦...⟧ Judgment of the Baghdad Court of Appeal in its cassation capacity
Upon scrutiny and deliberation
It was found that the facts of "Tasyir Ruwad Marius" took place in the Karkh district, and since these facts and what followed
of legal effects and the resulting consequences • were divided by the Karkh First Instance Court in lawsuit 562 B 46 in the texts of first instance
initially and based on the principles of "territorial jurisdiction" and as required by the rules of jurisdiction in terms of
its location, conditions, and requirements • accordingly, the referred matter is sent, and since Article 48 of the Civil and Commercial Procedure Law
and according to its rules, the court was prevented from it. And based on the contested decision, we overturned it due to the court's lack of territorial jurisdiction
• Therefore:
We decided by consensus to overturn the aforementioned preliminary judgment for its illegality due to lack of territorial jurisdiction because the article
mentioned • is the one that designates the court in which the lawsuit is filed in the place where the incident occurs • so the first instance in the subject of this
lawsuit is the Karkh First Instance Court, and since this lawsuit was filed in the Rusafa First Instance Court, it had to be overturned from this
aspect for lack of jurisdiction because courts are not allowed to exceed the limits of their jurisdiction • and since the papers and minutes
took place in the Rusafa First Instance Court, it should have been in the Karkh First Instance Court, and since Article 48 of the Procedure Law
has designated the court in which the lawsuit is filed in the place where the incident occurs, and since the facts of the incident took place in the Karkh First Instance district
• Therefore we decided
To accept the cassation objection in form and substance, and since the court overlooked this legal aspect in the judgment
while Article 48 has designated the court in which the lawsuit is filed in the place where the incident occurs, and since the facts of the incident
took place in the Karkh First Instance district, the lawsuit should have been filed there, and since the court overlooked this aspect
while Article 48 has designated the court in which the lawsuit is filed in the place where the incident occurs, and since the facts of the incident took place
in the Karkh First Instance district, the lawsuit should have been filed there, and since the court overlooked this aspect, we decided to overturn the judgment
• and dismiss the lawsuit for lack of territorial jurisdiction, so we decided to return the cassation fee to the plaintiff and notify the court accordingly and according to the rules
Issued by consensus on the eighth day of the month of November for the year one thousand nine hundred and forty-six AD
On behalf of the sole judge in Rusafa First Instance
And the judge in Karkh First Instance
A true copy for the sole judge
And since the court overlooked this aspect, we decided
⟦illegible⟧
March 27
The Jewish Daily post
ANTI-SEMITISM IN IRAQ.
" An advantage for us Germans."
( From our own Correspondent)
The " Jenaische Zeitung " publishes an article by Dr. H. G. Houber
a German teacher at Baghdad, in which it is stated that although the
Germans are not numerically strongly represented there, their influen⟦ce⟧
is important and continually growing.
There is great sympathy in Iraq for the new Germany, says the writer
largely owing to the energetic ,easures which the latter has taken
against the Jews, Iraq also has its Jewish Problem., a good quarter
of the population are Jews,who play the leading part in commerce. This
and other causes, religious or political, have led to very strained
relation between the Arabs and the Jews.
" For us Germans , this antagonism is rather advantage ant it
facilitates my work also in a certain sense, since it is not easy here
for the Jews, to develop anti-German propaganda."
The remarkable admission of the last sentence suggests that the
teaching of the German doctor at Baghdad consists in teaching the Ara⟦bs⟧
the wisdom of Jelius Streicher.
⟦line⟧
Jewish Daily Post
27 March 935
Anti-Semites in Iraq
"A benefit for us Germans"
(From our correspondent)
The newspaper "Panamie Triming" published an article signed by Dr. H. J. Huber, who is a German teacher
in Baghdad, in which he says that although the Germans are not numerous there, their influence is
significant and is still increasing.
There is a strong love for the New Germany in Iraq, according to the writer, and the reason for this
feeling is primarily due to the severe measures taken by Germany against the Jews. For
Iraq also has a Jewish problem. Because they constitute a quarter of the population and have the upper hand in trade,
these and other reasons, some religious and some political, have caused strong tension in relations between Arabs
and Jews.
This discord is undoubtedly beneficial to us Germans, and it also facilitates my work from another perspective
since it is not easy for the Jews here to carry out propaganda against Germany.
The noteworthy admission in the last phrase implies that the teaching of this German teacher
in Baghdad is nothing but indoctrinating the Arabs with the wisdom of Julius Streicher!
25 June 1935
His Excellency the Honorable Minister of Interior
Greetings and respect,
Further to my letter to Your Excellency No. 3185 dated 12 April 1935,
I enclose herewith a copy of the German newspaper in which the article I referred to was published.
It is the newspaper "Pannischer Zeitung" dated 15 March 1935, and the article appeared on page
ten of it. I also provide an accurate literal translation of the entire article.
The original that I have now reviewed does not contradict anything from the translation I provided
previously; rather, it appears from the article as a whole that the man is seeking here to carry out a mission he did not fully declare in
his statements, but he refers to it more than once. This mission cannot be consistent with the complete neutrality
and sincerity required of a foreigner here, especially if he has an important role in teaching the youth.
Furthermore, anyone familiar with the curricula drawn up by the German government, for which it has established
special departments and budgets to spread anti-Semitism in all parts of the world, must have a strong
suspicion regarding a connection between the work referred to by the teacher in the specific paragraph about the alleged banter in
his article and the hidden activities exerted by the aforementioned departments in all parts of the world. Iraq
must have its ample share of them, considering it is the center of the Arab countries today. In any case, the
mentioned phrase cannot be interpreted as anything other than the mission being political, and this cannot be consistent with the teaching mission.
It is also surprising what the teacher refers to regarding the political dialogues
between him and the students about Hitler and Iraq's need for someone like him, and the modern German national anthems
that he teaches them—those anthems of which hardly one is free from insulting the Jews. It pains me
greatly that all this has been taking place for some time in full view and hearing of the competent authorities. I
can only compare this laxity with the extreme firmness and severity exercised by the competent
school authorities regarding the Israelite schools.
I wish to assure Your Excellency that my interest in this matter does not stem from observing
the interest of my community only, or observing this interest in the first degree. I observe two matters that I consider
fundamental in this regard concerning public interests:
The first is that foreigners exhibit more than what is forgivable in violating the sanctity of Eastern countries,
so I think it is appropriate not to overlook a single instance for them until they understand that this country has a sanctity that must
be preserved and that there is an aspect of its affairs that must not be touched. Let the foreigner who comes here know
He must behave with decorum before the public interests, and before spreading his political wares with all the reassurance that
we find in the present article, he must look right and left to find conscious, vigilant souls, and he is mistaken who
thinks what the matter will lead to if he exceeds his limits.
Second, division in this country is a disease that must be eradicated and its last ghost eliminated in every
front, because it has not appeared in one area without spreading quickly to other areas, and it has not affected minor interests without soon
threatening fundamental interests upon which the entity of the state rests.
All of this is not hidden from Your Excellency, so I suffice with what has been presented above any other comment, and I ask you to kindly accept
my deepest respect.
Head of the Community
Jenaer Zeitung newspaper on March 15, 1935, page 10
Since the beginning of last autumn, when I went as a teacher of the German language in Baghdad, many
contradictory perceptions of this country gathered in my imagination. We all knew it from the stories of "One Thousand and One Nights," and perhaps we know
something about it from the story of the Baghdad Railway and from German-Turkish relations before and after the outbreak of
the war in this country. Our image stops at this point, and few of us know that Baghdad is
the capital of an independent state.
The truth is that Iraq was released from the British Mandate since the year 1931, even if the British
had maintained their interests ⟦beside⟧ them and obtained some special privileges.
We all know this land of the two rivers called Mesopotamia, and imaginary illusions come to us
about its natural landscapes and its buildings that stretch between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. And we forget
that between the Peace and the Euphrates extends a barren sandy desert, even if it is crossed today by huge cars in a period of 26
hours, and that the lands between the two rivers were barren and desolate, but today they have begun to regain their fertility little
by little through modern irrigation methods.
Baghdad has not retained its past beauty, and nothing worth mentioning remains of those great historical buildings.
There is nothing in this old town except one long, narrow street surrounded on both sides by two-story commercial shops
with their humble environment and numerous open-air cafes extending along both sides of the river from the north of the town
to its south. There are three mosques decorated with mosaics adorning this single large street in Baghdad, whose
population is nearly three-quarters of a million. In general, in this street's beauty, you feel a disproportionate
mix of Eastern and Western taste.
This street widens in its southern and northern sections, where it becomes surrounded on both sides
by modern houses inhabited mostly by the English and political representatives of foreign countries. Here, on
the banks of the river and outside the town, beautiful palm forests have been planted, and you find a sight that catches the eye when
you stand on the Maude Bridge and overlook the river and the town.
The two banks of the town are connected by two narrow, low bridges that open when boats pass, and during the flood season
of the river, they become useless.
Baghdad, the young capital of a state on the path to independence, has progressed much in the last
three years. As for the interior of the town, it has remained preserving its clear Eastern appearance, especially when
villagers and Bedouins wander in the center of the town and the markets. Here and in the cafes, the life of the common people continues, which attracts
the gaze of strangers as you see them wearing their strange national dress, while their women rarely leave their homes and they are
veiled, except for European and Christian women. In the cafes, where the sounds of loud Eastern music
emitted from the gramophone constantly ring, you find no one but men.
Among the civilized Iraqis, you find those who wear the national dress, and European dress has spread in
recent years along with the fascist hat, which is either black or lead-colored. It resembles the hat
which our young men wear, but here everyone wears it, from middle-aged men to boys, without exception, while the Turkish tarboosh
is beginning to decline and disappear.
Among the wealthy Iraqis and those in power, you find those who have married women from neighboring countries such as Syria
(whose women are more civilized, and Syrians occupy most of the higher teaching positions) or from European women (especially
Austrians, Germans, or Swiss). You find some of them, unfortunately, imitating Europeans in their manners and preferring
to speak in English or French.
In the social life of the town, the English are emulated, whose number is between 300 and 500, and they <del>and all of them</del> they
have an ambassador. Moreover, the English constitute almost half of the professors and attendees at the Medical College,
and to them goes the credit for establishing most of the educational systems, but Iraqi national circles always seek liberation
from the mandate and influence of the English.
As for the German community, whose members live gathered around the legation, it contains approximately fifty
people, and this number includes a number of Austrians and Jews. In terms of number, it is the
second independent foreign community. Before the war, when there was a German school in Baghdad, the number of Germans
was much higher.
As for artistic life, such as music concerts, acting, and meetings, it is non-existent. As for the foreign
Germans, they have their own private meetings and banquets.
And here, referring to the German legation headed by Dr. Grobba, the head of the National Socialist bloc
of Germans, we find the point of reliance for this bloc in Dr. Jordan, the specialist in ancient archaeology,
who now manages the Iraqi Museum and seeks to establish a social life among the members of the community. In every
month, approximately, a social evening is held for winter relief, in which every German is required to provide financial or technical assistance for this
purpose. Although the number of Germans is small in this country, their influence is great and is constantly increasing thanks to
the efforts made by the German Minister Plenipotentiary, who is very well-liked by everyone. In this country, you find
a special sympathy for the New Germany, and among the motives for this sympathy is that its general persecution of the Jews is not
at the bottom of the list. In Iraq, there is also a Jewish problem, and although it is not as intense as it is in Palestine, the
Jews constitute a third of the population in Baghdad <del>and they</del> they play the main role in trade and the stock exchange. These
and other reasons, some religious and some political, have led to the severe tension existing between the Arab national circles
and the Jews. This aversion between the two parties is to our benefit as Germans and undoubtedly also makes it easier for us
here, as it is not easy for the Jews here to spread propaganda against the Germans.
I teach at the secondary school for boys, which is equivalent to the German secondary education system, and the lady
who preceded me in this field started last year with a class consisting of seven students, including four Muslims,
two Jews, and one Christian. I am continuing in the footsteps of this class, and I have also started a new class
for German studies consisting of fourteen students, but since freedom has been given to the students to choose
between French and German, and since the French language has been taught here for a long time and the Jewish students
incline without exception to French, you find the demand for the German language is low. My wife teaches