Exodus of Iran's Jews

Exodus of Iran's Jews[1] refers to the emigration of Persian Jews from Pahlavy Iran in 1950s and later migration wave from Iran during and after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, during which the community of 80,000 dropped to less than 20,000.[1] The migration of Persian Jews after Iranian Revolution is mostly attributed to fear of religious persecution,[1] economic hardships and insecurity after the deposition of the Shah regime and consequent domestic violence and the Iran–Iraq War.

While Iranian constitution generally respects minority rights of non-Muslims (though there are some forms of discrimination), the strong anti-Zionist policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran created a tense and uncomfortable situation for Iranian Jews, who became vulnerable for accusation on alleged collaboration with Israel.

Most of 80,000-strong Iranian Jewish community exited Iran between 1978 and early 1980s. In total, more than 80% of Iranian Jews fled or migrated from the country between 1979 and 2006.[1] A small Jewish community of 7–10 thousands still resides in Iran as a protected minority.

Background

During the years of 1892 to 1910, there had been a few pogroms against Jews, in Shiraz and other towns, culminating in 1910 Shiraz blood libel, resulting in thirteen deaths, injury, robbery, vandalism and near-starvation for the 6,000 Jews of Shiraz.[2]

Historian Ervand Abrahamian estimates 50,000 Jews were living in Iran around 1900,[3] with majority of them residing in Yazd, Shiraz, Tehran, Isfahan and Hamadan.[3]

Migration in early 1950s

The violence and disruption in Arab life associated with the founding of Israel in 1948 drove an increased Jewish immigration from neighboring Iran as well.[4] The anti-Jewish sentiment was on the rise under Mosaddeh,[4] and continued until 1953, in part because of the weakening of the central government and strengthening of clergy in the political struggles between the shah and prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh. According to Trita Parsi, by 1951 only 8,000 of 100,000 Iranian Jews chose to emigrate to Israel.[5] However, according to Sanasarian, from 1948–1953, about one-third of Iranian Jews, most of them poor, emigrated to Israel.[4] David Littman puts the total figure of emigrants to Israel in 1948–1978 at 70,000.[6]

Stability late 1950s to late 1970s

After the deposition of Mossadegh in 1953, the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the most prosperous era for the Jews of Iran. Due to political instability in the 1970s and prompted by the Islamic Revolution, most Iranian Jews have fled the country.

According to the first national census taken in 1956, Jewish population in Iran stood at 65,232,[7] but there is no reliable data about migrations in the first half of the 20th century. David Littman puts the total figure of emigrants to Israel in 1948–1978 at 70,000.[6]

Main exodus late 1970s to 1990s

The tensions between the loyalists of the Shah and Islamists through the 1970s initiated the mass-migration of Iranian Jews, first affecting the higher-class. Instability caused thousands of Persian Jews to leave Iran prior to revolution - some seeking better economic opportunities or stability, while others afraid of the potential Islamic takeover.

In 1979, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini met with the Jewish community upon his return from exile in Paris and issued a fatwa decreeing that the Jews were to be protected.[8] Nevertheless, half of the community chose to emigrate.

At the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, 60,000 Jews were still living in Iran.[9] From then on, Jewish emigration from Iran dramatically increased, as about 30,000 Jews left within several months of the revolution alone.[6] Since the Revolution, Iran's Jewish population, some 30,000 Jews, have emigrated to the United States, Israel, and Europe (mainly to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland).[10]

Some sources put the Iranian Jewish population in the mid and late 1980s as between 50,000–60,000.[11] An estimate based on the 1986 census put the figure considerably higher for the same time, around 55,000.[12] In the 1990s there has been more uniformity in the figures, with most sources since then estimating roughly 25,000 Jews remaining in Iran.[13][14][15][16][17]

The migration of Persian Jews after Iranian Revolution is mostly attributed to fear of religious persecution,[1][18] economic hardships and insecurity after the deposition of the Shah regime and consequent domestic violence and the Iran–Iraq War.

Aftermath

Jews have their minority rights protected in Iran, though there is official discrimination. In order to prevent circumventing emigration restrictions, the Iranian government prevents Jewish families from traveling abroad contemporaneously.[19]

The United States State Department estimated the number of Jews in Iran at 20,000–25,000 as of 2009.[20] The 2012 census did put the figure of remaining Jewish community in Iran at about 9,000.[21] The Jewish population of Iran is 8,756 according to the most recent 2013 Iranian census.[22][23]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Mahdī ,ʻA.A. and Daniel, E.L. Culture and Customs of Iran. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2006: P60. ISBN 0-313-32053-5
  2. ↑ Laurence D Loeb (4 May 2012). Outcaste (RLE Iran D): Jewish Life in Southern Iran. Routledge. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-136-81277-4. In 1892, several Jews were murdered in Shiraz (Alliance, 1892:52). Twenty Jews were murdered and three synagogues were burned down in 1897 (Alliance, 1897:87). Pogroms, forced conversion and expulsion swept Zarqon, Lar, Jahrom, Darab, Nobendigan, Sarvestan and Kazerun (Alliance, 1900—1910). Jews abandoned Lar and Jabrom, which were never resettled, and emigrated to Shiraz and thence to Palestine, where they joined the numerous Shirazis who had previously escaped. Just after the holiday of Sukkot in 1910, a pogrom organized by the apostate Qavam family resulted in thirteen deaths, injury, theft. vandalism and near starvation for the 6000 Jews of Shiraz (Alliance, 1910:229—245).
  3. 1 2 Abrahamian, Ervand (2008). A History of Modern Iran. Cambridge, U.K.; New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 17–18. ISBN 9780521528917. OCLC 171111098.
  4. 1 2 3 Sanasarian (2000), p. 47
  5. ↑ Parsi, T. Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States. Yale University Press. pp. 64–65.
  6. 1 2 3 Littman (1979), p. 5.
  7. ↑ Hourcade, Bernard; Balland, Daniel (15 December 1994). "Demography i. In Persia since 1319 Š./1940.". Encyclopædia Iranica. New York: Columbia University.
  8. ↑ Parsi, Trita (2007). Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States, Trita Parsi, page 8. ISBN 0300120575. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  9. ↑ SCI (1986). "6. Followers of Selected Religions in the 1976 & 1986 Censuses". Tehran: Statistical Centre of Iran.
  10. ↑ "Iran Virtual Jewish History Tour". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  11. ↑ Sanasarian (2000), p. 48
  12. ↑ Iran – Geography. Mongabay.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
  13. ↑ Harrison, Frances (September 22, 2006). "Iran's proud but discreet Jews". BBC News. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Iran Jewish leader calls recent mass aliyah 'misinformation' bid". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  15. ↑ "Iran Jewish MP criticizes 'anti-human' Israel acts". Ynentnews.com. July 5, 2008.
  16. ↑ Harrison, Frances (2006-09-22). "Iran's proud but discreet Jews". BBC.
  17. ↑ Jews in Iran Describe a Life of Freedom Despite Anti-Israel Actions by Tehran|csmonitor.com Archived 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ↑ Migration Information Source – Iran: A Vast Diaspora Abroad and Millions of Refugees at Home. Migrationinformation.org. Retrieved on 2011-05-29.
  19. ↑ Sontag, Deborah (1 October 2000). "Israel Seeks to Uncover Fate Of 11 Jews Lost Fleeing Iran". New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  20. ↑ Iran. State.gov. Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
  21. ↑ "AFP: Iran young, urbanised and educated: census". Google.com. 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
  22. ↑ "Iran young, urbanised and educated: census". Google.com. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  23. ↑ "Iran Urges Baby Boom With Population Aging | Persian Gulf News Bulletin". Khalije-fars.com. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
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