Have You Ever Heard of the Farhud? – Jewish Journal
Posted By admin on June 8, 2022
Warning: The following contains graphic imagery and language.
Last week, I conducted an informal survey: I asked five Ashkenazi friends and five Iranian-Jewish friends in Los Angeles if they had heard of Kristallnacht, the antisemitic pogrom that occurred in Germany in 1938. All of them said yes.
I then asked if they had heard of the Farhud, a deadly pogrom against Iraqi Jews during June 1-2, 1941, in which hundreds were murdered and raped. Out of ten friends in Los Angeles, nine of them had not heard of the Farhud.
And then, a strange thing happened: I asked ten friends in Israel if they had ever heard of the Farhud, given that hundreds of thousands of Israelis have grandparents or great-grandparents of Iraqi Jewish descent. Nine of them also responded that they didnt know what it was.
Im not an Iraqi Jew (Im a neighboring cousin from Iran), but as of the 81st anniversary of the Farhud last week, Im on a mission to expose as many Jews and non-Jews to the atrocities that were committed against this once-vibrant community as a result of a heinous combination of Muslim antisemitism and Nazi propaganda.
The Farhud (pogrom in Arabic) occurred in Baghdad during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Muslim Iraqi mobs screamed Cutal al yehud (Slaughter the Jews!) and butchered nearly 200 Jews (some estimate that number is closer to 1,000). Hundreds were raped; over 1,000 were injured and over 900 homes were destroyed. The Farhud was the closest Iraqi Jews came to experiencing their own mini version of a genocide. One thing is certain: Jews who survived the Farhud were traumatized for the rest of their lives.
Shortly before the Farhud, assailants had compiled a list of Jewish homes and businesses. Jewish leaders begged local authorities for mercy, but to no avail. Jews were beheaded; Jewish babies were slaughtered (some Jewish family threw their babies over rooftops, hoping they would be caught in blankets below to save them); murderers waived severed limbs and other body parts, including in one case, the breast of a young Jewish woman (who had been raped). Perpetrators raped Jewish girls at a local school. Six girls were actually abducted to a village nine miles away.
Learning about the Farhud is not for those with weak stomachs. But here are some key facts about this dark moment in the history of Middle Eastern Jewry that everyone should know:
Nazism Found An Enthusiastic Partner In Arab Nationalism
The Middle East and North Africa were an enormous hub of Nazi activity, and that included actual SS boots on the ground (particularly as far as Nazi masterminds who collaborated with Egyptian leaders were concerned). Many of us have seen the infamous 1941 photo of Palestinian leader Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, in conversation with Adolf Hitler.
Hundreds of Libyan Jews starved to death in Italian-controlled Libya during the Holocaust; most Jews in Cyrenaica were sent to the Jado concentration camp (250 kilometers south of Tripoli). Hundreds were sent to camps in Europe. The Nazis had a long-term strategy for the Middle East, and that included propagandizing Berlin as a friend of downtrodden Muslims everywhere. If they could successfully align with fanatics in the region, Nazi leaders surmised, they might convince jihadists to actually fight Germanys enemies (beyond Jews).
Before the Farhud, the Nazis began to broadcast Radio Berlin in Arabic throughout the Arab and Muslim world. Hitlers Mein Kampf was not only translated into Arabic, but printed in a local Baghdad newspaper, thanks to Fritz Grobba, Germanys charge daffaires in Baghdad. In 1933, he bought Al-Alem Al Arabi (a Christian Iraqi paper) and published Arabic translations of Mein Kampf in installments.
Whereas the Nazis had Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend), Iraq created the Futtuwa, a pre-military youth movement that was active in the 1930s and 1940s. These youth attended the Nazi rally in Nuremberg in 1938; when they returned home, they popularized a chant in Arabic: Long live Hitler, the killer of insects and Jews.
For further information on Nazi activity in the Middle East, I recommend reading Nazis, Islamists, and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Barry Rubin and Wolfgang G. Schwanitz (Yale University Press, 2014).
Where Theres Anti-Zionism, Jews Will Always Be Killed
Im particularly fascinated by one aspect of the Farhud thats worth sharing: In 1941, seven years before the establishment of the modern State of Israel (which antisemites continue to use as justification for isolating, defaming and attacking Jews today), Muslim Iraqis who led the pogroms accused Iraqi Jews of being Zionist sympathizers in the conflict between Jews and Arabs in then-Mandatory Palestine. They also accused Iraqi Jews of working with the British in colonizing Iraq. Does any of this sound familiar? Im reminded of post-revolutionary Iran (1979-today), whose regime identifies Zionism as a capital offense. Maybe thats why every few months, theres a story about a Jewish leader in Iran denouncing Israel publicly or proudly attending an anti-Israel rally.
Heres the worst part about Iraqs history of violent antisemitism today: Whereas other Arab countries, including the former behemoth of Arab nationalism, Egypt, have made peace with Israel, two weeks ago, Iraqs Parliament passed a law criminalizing relations with the Zionist entity. Anyone who violates this new law, including businessmen, faces life imprisonment or even the death sentence. The government said it was only reflecting the will of the people. Hundreds gathered in Tahrir Square (yes, it shares its name with the famous Tahrir Square from Egypts 2011 revolution) in central Baghdad to celebrate the passing of the law.
Hows that for progress 81 years after the country shamefully allowed for the mass slaughter of its ancient Jewish population in Baghdad? Even the regime in Iran had the decency to criminalize Zionism over 40 years ago, rather than today.
For The Last Time, Jews Are Not White.
I can nearly guarantee that certain American celebrities who believe that the Holocaust was a white-on-white crime dont know that Nazism spread its hideous tentacles throughout the Middle East.
I can nearly guarantee that certain American celebrities who believe that the Holocaust was a white-on-white crime dont know that Nazism spread its hideous tentacles throughout the Middle East. Ive also never believed that Jews are white (if thats the case, why are we the target of white supremacists?), but I challenge anyone who weaponizes race against Jews by calling us white and privileged to see photos of brown-skinned Iraqi Jews running out of their destroyed homes in 1941 and screaming in horror, and to tell me that these Jews are white (or privileged).
And then, theres the deeply offensive and untruthful argument that Israel ethnically-cleanses Palestinians. Do you know which once-thriving Jewish population was actually driven out completely from the Arab Middle East? Iraqi Jews. And if you want to get technical, Libyan Jews. And Syrian Jews. And Yemenite Jews.
Three to five Jews remain in Iraq, from a former population of over 135,000 before the Farhud (including 90,000 who lived in Baghdad). Forty or so Jews remain in Syria; while six Jews are still in Yemen. These are estimates and some of the numbers might actually be smaller.
Not a single Jew remains in Libya. Im not a mathematician, but something about that wreaks of ethnic cleansing.
Anyone who knows even minimally about Jewish history knows that modern-day Iraq was one of the most important epicenters of Jewish learning. The Babylonian Talmud was completed there, and Jews have had a continuous presence in the region since they were brought there as captives after the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom of Judea in the sixth-century BCE. That means that for nearly 3,000 years, Jews lived in present-day Iraq. Again, only three to five Jews remain there today.
The Farhud not only marked the beginning of a mass exodus of Iraqi Jews from the country, but tragically, it also marked the end of an ancient Jewish community.
The Farhud not only marked the beginning of a mass exodus of Iraqi Jews from the country, but tragically, it also marked the end of an ancient Jewish community.
I shouldnt have been surprised that my Israeli friends had not heard of the Farhud. A recent poll found that half of Israelis that were polled knew about Kristallnacht; only seven percent had ever heard of the Farhud. That, in itself, is another tragedy.
For more information on the Farhud, read Edwin Blacks The Farhud Roots of the Arab-Nazi Alliance in the Holocaust (Dialog Press, 2010).
Tabby Refael is a Los Angeles-based writer, speaker, and civic action activist. Follow her on Twitter @TabbyRefael
More here:
Have You Ever Heard of the Farhud? - Jewish Journal
- Ashkenazi Jews Are Not Khazars. Heres The Proof. - The Forward - December 31st, 2022
- Bones yielding insights about Ashkenazi DNA in a German town built atop ... - December 25th, 2022
- 9. Race, ethnicity, heritage and immigration among U.S. Jews - December 23rd, 2022
- Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry - Wikipedia - December 20th, 2022
- We Were The Lucky Ones: Robin Weigert, Lior Ashkenazi Join Cast ... - November 19th, 2022
- Y-chromosomal Aaron - Wikipedia - October 23rd, 2022
- Wanted for work in Israel: pimps and Ashkenazi cooks - Haaretz - October 23rd, 2022
- Ashkenazi Jewish Heritage and Genetic Risk | OncoLink - October 17th, 2022
- Israeli needle-free alternative to amnio can detect thousands of mutations - The Times of Israel - October 17th, 2022
- Jamaican Organizations and B'nai Brith to Work Together to Highlight Little-Known Chapter of the Holocaust - bnaibrith.ca - October 17th, 2022
- Work remains on Tay-Sachs and other Ashkenazi genetic disorders J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 19th, 2022
- Canada's oldest Ashkenazi congregation just recovered a 100-year-old time capsule on their milestone anniversary weekend - The Canadian Jewish News - September 19th, 2022
- How to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah With the Help of London Restaurants This Year - Eater London - September 19th, 2022
- Pope criticised over running 'supermarket of religions' - TVP World - September 19th, 2022
- Want to know more about breast cancer and genetics? This Q&A will have all the answers - HerCanberra - September 19th, 2022
- They have their secret. Now I have a secret too: The story behind SumiLicious, the only Scarborough restaurant to receive a Michelin award - Toronto... - September 19th, 2022
- Trip notebook: Papal critics, an ambassador for Italian and sitting on the same level - Crux Now - September 19th, 2022
- Netanyahu poised to lead most rightwing government in Israeli history - Mondoweiss - September 19th, 2022
- Recap: Recent Advances in the Treatment of Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer - Cancer Network - September 19th, 2022
- $55 million gift to Penn is aimed at stopping breast cancer before it starts - The Philadelphia Inquirer - September 16th, 2022
- The Pope Addresses The Heart Of The Belt & Road Initiative In Kazakhstan - Silk Road Briefing - September 16th, 2022
- Who will / should win the Ophirs? - Blog - The Film Experience - September 16th, 2022
- Lox block: UWS congregation takes beloved salmon off the menu, citing environmental concerns - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 11th, 2022
- Meet the Rabbi Who Ended 1300 Years of Ritual Humiliation - aish.com - Aish.com - September 11th, 2022
- Playing with Fragments - The Jewish Standard - September 11th, 2022
- All the Rosh Hashanah Gifts You Need - Kveller.com - September 11th, 2022
- A tour of what it means to be Christian in multicultural Kazakhstan - Travel Tomorrow - September 11th, 2022
- This Rosh Hashanah, fill up on symbolic dips, bites and small plates J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 8th, 2022
- This Missouri bagel shop went viral for its Talmud-inspired effort to feed the needy - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 8th, 2022
- Missouri bagel shop goes viral for effort to feed the needy J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 8th, 2022
- Radiocarbon dating only works halfway we may have the solution - PiPa News - September 8th, 2022
- Congress of World and Traditional Religions Leaders to be held at Palace of Independence - inform.kz/en - September 8th, 2022
- Israeli Terror Victim Teens Gifted Tefillin and Shabbat Candlesticks on Canadian Trip - Lubavitch.com - September 6th, 2022
- Taking inspiration from the Talmud to feed the needy - Australian Jewish News - September 6th, 2022
- New book explores the insane career of Syrian Jewish hustler Crazy Eddie Antar - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - August 25th, 2022
- UK man who survived concentration camp as baby finally learns his familys identity - The Times of Israel - August 25th, 2022
- Japanese American National Museum premieres cancer-battling directors film on pains of WWII incarceration camps - Yahoo News - August 25th, 2022
- Licorice Pizza to Galaxy Quest: the seven best films to watch on TV this week - The Guardian - August 20th, 2022
- Fascinating Details of Judean Shepherd's Life 6000 Years Ago Revealed by New Tech - Ancient Origins - August 20th, 2022
- The Pletzel of Paris and The Bread That Shares Its Name - aish.com - Aish.com - August 18th, 2022
- Archaeologists discover mosaic with inscription to Peter that may point to location of his home - The Christian Post - August 18th, 2022
- Wolfgang Petersen another celebrity to succumb to pancreatic cancer - Calgary Herald - August 18th, 2022
- A Cry in the Wilderness: How Jewish Organizations Can Help With Jewish Genetic Diseases - Jewish Journal - August 12th, 2022
- Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sports meets with Chief Rabbi of Ashkenazi Jewish community in country - AZERTAC News - August 12th, 2022
- Czerny as the new Lustiger, the 'Jewish cardinal' and papal contender - Crux Now - August 12th, 2022
- Honoring the Jews of Jamaica | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com - Algemeiner - August 12th, 2022
- Anne Frank, Arab-Jewish relations, karaoke in focus at upcoming Israeli film awards - The Times of Israel - August 12th, 2022
- Metas new chatbot is already parroting users prejudice and misinformation - Popular Science - August 12th, 2022
- Meet the Jews of color exploring what it means to be Black, Asian, Latino and Jewish - Forward - August 12th, 2022
- Jewish wilderness wedding featured animal-skin ketubah, harvest altar J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 12th, 2022
- Ashkenazi Jewish Panel: What It May Reveal About Your Genes - July 23rd, 2022
- At SFJFF opening night, we're all just happy to be back at the Castro J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - July 23rd, 2022
- Verimatrix and Harmonic Partner to Enable Streaming Content Protection at SaaS Speed - StreetInsider.com - July 23rd, 2022
- Russian cuisine has evolved in light of scarcity and isolation - KCRW - July 23rd, 2022
- Tina Sacks on racial inequality in health and feeling 'Jewish enough' - The Jewish News of Northern California - July 23rd, 2022
- Who serves the best kosher pizza in NYC? We found out - Forward - July 23rd, 2022
- Fight Over Fear: Ayesha Khan on the importance of mammograms in fighting breast cancer - FOX 5 DC - July 14th, 2022
- I was named after my uncle who was shot and killed. His Hebrew name is a privilege I dont bear lightly - Forward - July 14th, 2022
- Groups Launched to Help Jewish Couples with IVF Face Uncertain Landscape After Roe Reversal - Jewish Exponent - July 14th, 2022
- Tipping Point: Israel on the Brink The Brooklyn Rail - Brooklyn Rail - July 14th, 2022
- World Premiere of ASHKENAZI SEANCE to be Presented at The Brick This Month - Broadway World - July 10th, 2022
- Lentils Make the Best Fake Minced Meat - Lifehacker - July 10th, 2022
- Liberal Pakistani Writer And Nuclear Scientist Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy: 'European Jews Fleeing Hitler Were Far Less Welcome Than Muslims Are In Today's... - July 10th, 2022
- Book Appreciation: AB Yehoshua's "Mr Mani" -- A Great Work of Fiction - artsfuse.org - July 10th, 2022
- The secret Plymouth graveyard unearthed behind this door with the aid of Google and a box of old keys - Plymouth Live - July 10th, 2022
- Bustle's Guide To Abortion Care - Bustle - June 26th, 2022
- Op-Ed: A notebook with family recipes reminds me of Ukraines strength - Los Angeles Times - June 26th, 2022
- Hey Pandas, Who Has An Unusual Ethnic Background That Has Everyone Wondering What You're Mixed With? - Bored Panda - June 26th, 2022
- Pompe Diseases Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) Market is predicted to increase at a high 7% CAGR ov - PharmiWeb.com - June 26th, 2022
- A Rare Tanach And The Ladino Renaissance - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 17th, 2022
- I Never Met My Jewish Father. Converting to Judaism Helped Me Forgive Him. Kveller - Kveller.com - June 17th, 2022
- Failing to Silence the Jewish Fiddle - Jewish Journal - June 17th, 2022
- The ADL, Progressives and White Nationalists - City Watch - June 17th, 2022
- Verimatrix Threat Defense Technology Wins 2022 Global Infosec Award - TechDecisions - June 17th, 2022
- Obituary Bernard Allan Lublin - The Henrico Citizen - Henrico Citizen - June 17th, 2022
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: What is the benefit of visiting a genetic counselor? - Times-West Virginian - June 17th, 2022
- A lesbian Orthodox horror movie and other Jewish highlights of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - June 8th, 2022
- Eating Your Way Through The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem - aish.com - Aish - June 8th, 2022
- Why cold summer soups are actually really Jewish - St. Louis Jewish Light - June 8th, 2022
- Ben M. Freeman Wants Jews To Be Proud of Their Heritage - jewishboston.com - June 8th, 2022
Comments