Caption for photo: From the outstanding film The Forgotten Refugees. Please click here to watch the full documentary.
“Recognizing November 30th as Jewish Refugee Day”
Jews lived in Arab lands long before the appearance of Islam in the 7th century CE. For example, Jews lived in what is now Libya from the 3rd century BCE, and Iraq from the 6th century BCE. After the Islamic conquests, Jews and Christians were allowed to live in Arab lands as long as they knew their place as dhimmis. For example, dhimmis frequently had to express their submission and pay a tax to Muslims. Jews were not allowed to build any structure taller than what a Muslim could build. They were not allowed to ride horses since a horse is a noble animal. They were at the mercy of whichever Islamic ruler was in charge at the time.
We encourage you to watch the film The Forgotten Refugees to learn more about this issue and hear from Jews who experienced it.
Once the Jewish state of Israel was established, Islamic countries and leaders were outraged. Discrimination and violence against Jews exploded. The vast majority of ancient Jewish communities were ethnically cleansed from Arab lands, see below. They were forced to leave everything behind. A recent UN report outlines the enormous losses over 850,000 Jews suffered from their expulsion. The Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) has exposed the scale of that devastation.
This issue has been forgotten for too long. In 2014 Israel established November 30th as a day to commemorate Jewish refugees from Arab lands and Iran. Now even leaders in the US are paying attention to the injustice. There is a bipartisan bill before congress to recognize November 30th as Jewish Refugee Day. You can read more about it here.
Caption for image: The 850,000+ Forgotten Jewish Refugees of the Arab World
Caption for photo: Yemenite Jewish Wedding Tradition
