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Page 2 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 5, 1986 Situation for Iranian Jewry drawing conflicting reports by Edwin Black —JERUSALEM Jewish rights advocates have been understandably confused by recent conflicting reports regard ing dramatically increased perse cution of Iranian Jews. The con troversy arose week before last when the New York Times pub lished a Yienna-datelined story declaring that Jew ish persecution in Iran was reaching new highs. The article spoke of widespread imprisonment, torture and cul tural devastation. But then some Jewish leaders, and nearly all Israeli sources, downplayed the Times report, calling it “exag gerated and distorted.” even while simultaneously admitting that the situation for Iranian Jewry was most bleak. The facts are somew here in the middle, and closer to the Times version of the situation. But the reasons behind the reports and counter-reports tell the real story of w hat is now going on. The Times picture was hardly exaggerated, but it was inaccu rate, according to sources here in direct touch with events in Iran. There has been no “dramatic” shift in persecution, as the head lines report, but there has been w hat knowledgeable sources here call “some deterioration of late.” When the Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in 1979, he quickly declared that his Islamic Revolu tion would preserve the rights of all religious minorities—except Bahais, whom Shiites consider heretical. Several well-known Iranians were executed for being “Zionists,” but in the main, Jews were permitted to maintain their identity and property together with a low profile. Approximately half of Iran’s 60,000 Jews were allowed to emigrate to Western Europe and North America, and many even ended up in Israel. The latest reports approximate 18,000 Jews remaining in Tehe ran, 7,000 in Shiraz, and 5,000 elsewhere throughout Iran. The Times reports that a turn ing point came in 1983 when “2,000 Jews, strolling in Teheran after Sabbath services, were rounded up by Revolutionary Guards, blindfolded, and taken in buses at gunpoint to Evin Pri son” where they were terrorized but released the next day. Ac cording to sources here, the actual incident involved 200 to 300 Jewish teenagers rounded up in Teheran’s Argentina Square, a well-known meeting place for Jewish youth. They were indeed arrested by Revolutionary Guards, terrorized and released the next day after the interven tion of a long-time Jewish member of parliament who still holds his position. The 1983 roundup was hardly a turning point, but since then other events have sent the Jewish situation downhill. The dimin ishing Jewish presence in Iran, together with heightened repres sion of all minorities, has created a “picture which is very dark,” according to Menasche Amir. Kol Israel’s leading expert on day-to-day events in Iran. “The number of Jewish schools is de creasing,” says Amir, “they are mixed with non-Jewish students and must attend class on Shab- bat and Jewish holidays. Before entering their classrooms, the\ must shout “Death to Israel! and other anti-Zionist slogans, and of course they must partici pate in anti-Israel demonstra tions.” Amir adds that when Jewish youngsters attend outside schools, “they must participate in Mos lem religious classes, and they must learn to pray in Islam, and many young people now go home and do actually pray in Islam. Other sources report that Jews are being slowly pauperized by forbidding their commercial ac tivities and by exacting periodic extortion. One Jerusalem woman told of her family’s store being burned to the ground. It was conditions such as these which prompted German Jewish leaders in 1933 to commence Youth Aliya—an effort to save Jewish youngsters before they were scarred forever. But just as conditions have worsened in Iran, travel has become inexora bly difficult. Iranian law forbids children under 12 from leaving the country. Jewish adults fare only slightly better. “Normally, any Iranian can go abroad for medical treat ment, business or to visit family,” explains Amir. “But if he is Jew- ish, he must deposit a big sum and give special guarantees that he will return, plus he must give the passports of his other family members to the frontier police. If he does not come back at the specified time, his family has big troubles. Big troubles.” The recent “deterioration” may have something to do with the escalating power struggle to suc ceed Ayatollah Khomeini, par ticularly as it effects the Ayatol lah Montazeri. Just recently, Montazeri declared on Teheran See Situation, page 25. News Briefs Syrian nationals monitored GENEVA (JTA)— Syrian nationals, includingdiplomals in Switzerland arc having a hard time getting around. The Swiss government has given strict instructions to the police to keep a watchful eye on their movements through Switzerland. The orders stem from Syria’s involvement in an attempt to smuggle explosives aboard an Israeli airliner at Heathrow Air port in London last April 17. Britain broke diplomatic ties with j Damascus after evidence of Syrian complicity emerged in the I trial of Nezar Hindawi, the Jordanian national convicted of the ! crime. Refusnik couple arrives in Israel TEL AVIV (JTA)-—Dr. Iosif Irlin, a world-renowned cancer research specialist, arrived in Israel Sunday with his wife, Svetlana, also a scientist, after a seven-year struggle to leave the Soviet Union. Both had been dismissed from their jobs at the Oncological Center of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Medicine when they first applied for exit visas in April 1979. Iosif Irlin, 52, held a hunger strike last August, breaking it only when w'orld figures, including Israel’s chief rabbis, had promised to intercede on his behalf. Jerusalem bans demonstrations TEL AVIV (JTA)—The police Monday banned all protest marches and demonstrations inside Jerusalem’s Old City to avoid a repetition of the disorders that followed the fatal stab bing of yeshiva student Eliahu Amdi by Arabs in the Old City Nov. 15. The ban, which applies to Jews and Arabs alike, was denounced by both leftist and rightwing elements. It was ordered by Police Chief David Kraus, who said funeral proces sions would be restricted to cemetery grounds. Fewer Jews leave U.S.S.R. NEW YORK (JTA)—Only 102 Jews were allowed to leave the Soviet Union last month, it was reported Monday by the National Conference on Soviet Jewry. Of this total, 32 went to Israel, according to the Conference. In November 1985, 128 Jews left the U.S.S.R. Ailing Israeli judge improves TEL AVIV (JTA)—Retired Supreme Court Justice Haim Cohen appeared to be recovering Tuesday alter a massive heart attack Sunday which left him clinically dead. Doctors at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba who revived him. said the 75-year-old jurist has emerged from a coma, is breathing naturally, talking, smiling and eating light food. But they said he would have to remain in the intensive care unit under observation for another three to four days before he can be considered out of danger. T'T7 H Publication Reception for Rabbi Emanuel Feldman's newest book “The Biblical Echo” will take place at Congregation Beth Jacob Wednesday, December 17, 1986 at 8:15 p.m. Shapiro Auditorium 1855 La Vista Rd., N.E. Orthodox urge divestiture BALTIMORE (JTA)—The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOUC) unanimously adopted a resolution at the close of its national convention here last Friday calling on “all Jewish institutions, our member congre gations and their congregants to divest from their portfolios all investments in companies that do business with South Atrica and do not comply with the ‘Sullivan Principles.”’ Sidney Kwestel, president of the UOJC which represents 1,500 Orthodox congregations in the U.S. and Canada with a membership of 1.2 million, called the move “not just a state ment, but a call to action.” He noted that the UOJC has spoken out against apartheid in the past but had not previously taken a position on divestment. Knesset gets new member JERUSALE M (J l A)— Dedi Zucker, 34, a political scien tist and leader of Peace Now, was sworn in as a member ol the Knesset Monday, representing the Citizens Rights Movement (C RM). He replaces Mordechai Bar-On who resigned his seat recently. Bar-On quit voluntarily, saying he did not want to stand tor re-election but wanted his successor to gain parliamentar\ experience before the next elections. Court to hear suspected Nazi WASHINGTON (JTA)—The Supreme Court agreed last week to hear the appeal of Lithuanian-born Juozas Kungys, a w ar crimes suspect, against a Federal appellate decision to strip him ol his U.S. citizenship. Kungys, 70, a resident of Clifton, N J., is accused ol lying about his Nazi past when he immigrated to the U.S. in 1948 and obtained citizenship in 1954. He is alleged to have partici pated in the massacre of more than 2,000 Jews in Lithuania in 1941.