You better revise History to believe your misconceptions

Submitted by julian (United States), Feb 17, 2010 at 02:46

"In the eyes of history, religious toleration is the highest evidence of culture in a people….It was not until the Western nations broke away from their religious law that they became more tolerant, and it was only when the Muslims fell away from their religious law that they declined in tolerance and other evidences of the highest culture. Before the coming of Islam it (tolerance) had never been preached as an essential part of religion… –Marmaduke Pickthall

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THE JEWS OF IRAN

Few know that Iran is home to the largest number of Jews anywhere in the Middle East outside Israel.

About 25,000 Jews live in Iran and most are determined to remain as proud of their Iranian culture as of their Jewish roots.

"We are Iranian and we have been living in Iran for more than 3,000 YEARS," says the Jewish hospital director Ciamak Morsathegh.

"I am not going to leave [to Israel] - I will stay in Iran under any conditions," he declares.

He says the father of Iran's revolution, Imam Khomeini, recognised Jews as a religious minority that should be protected.

As a result Jews have one representative in the Iranian parliament.

"Imam Khomeini made a distinction between Jews and Zionists and he supported us," says Mr Hammami.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5367892.stm

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