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From: jho@ihlpa.UUCP (Yosi Hoshen)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion,net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Arab tolerance
Message-ID: <964@ihlpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Dec-85 10:35:28 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.964
Posted: Thu Dec 26 10:35:28 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Dec-85 00:50:19 EST
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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Xref: watmath net.politics:12684 net.religion:8575 net.nlang.india:936

Nidhal Guessoum writes:

> 	1) When the prophet migrated from Mecca to Medina, the
> 	   first thing he did after he was declared ruler of the city
> 	   by the muslim community, was to assure the large Jewish
> 	   community there ,IN WRITING , that Islam  not only respects 
> 	   their religious traditions and laws, but makes it an article
> 	   of faith for the muslims to believe in Moses as a true
> 	   prophet of God, and therefore no harm would be done to
> 	   the Jews as long as they too respect the muslim
> 	   community. 

It is undeniable that Jews were sometimes treated in Arab lands better
than in the Christian countries in Europe.  However, the above assurance
was not kept.  Few historical example will illustrate it:
    
    1.  The yellow badge of shame was not invented in Nazi Germany, but
	rather by the Caliph Haroun al Rashid of Baghadad in 807 A.D>

    2.  In 1066, more han 5000 Jews were murdered by Arab mob in Grandada

    3.  In 1033, 6000 Jews were massacred in Fez.

Recent history has even more examples of Arab moslem intolerance against
the Jews.

> 	2) The "copt" ( christian ) community in Egypt has been
> 	   living safely and peacefuly for centuries in a muslim
> 	   environment. They constitute , I think , about 10% of
> 	   the total population, i.e. about 4 million people.

It is quite clear that the potrayal of Arab Moslem benevolence
towards the Copts in Egypt is an exercise in misinformation.
Consider the following:

   1.  In Decmber 1972, Moslem fanatics burned houses, shops and
       churches owned by Copts all over Egypt.  Copts were attacked
       and beaten.  (London Times, Jan 9, 1973)

   2.  The president of the American Coptic Association, S. F.
       Karas,  reported in 1976 that Copts suffered from 
       severe discrimination in many areas of life, including
       government and education.
  
-- 
Yosi Hoshen, AT&T Bell Laboratories
Naperville, Illinois,  Mail: ihnp4!ihlpa!jho