The Shiraz Pogrom

From: Fight Hatred

(click here for the source article)

 

Monday, 22 March 2010 14:25

 

The Shiraz Pogrom was a blood libel that took place in the Iranian city of Shiraz on October 30, 1910. The event took place even though no child had died.

The history of Jews in Iran dates back to over 2,700 years. By the time the Persian king Cyrus liberated the Jews from Babylonian captivity, there had already been established a thriving Jewish community in Persia. Although having a long history in Iran, the Jews would often endure persecution and at times suffering from pogroms and forced conversions.

The blood libel started as a bazaar merchant claimed that his daughter was abducted in the Jewish quarter and killed for her blood. A mob began threatening the Jewish community, which denied all the allegations.

Later that day, a body of a child was found by the Jewish cemetery on the outskirts of the city. Although later it turned out to be the body of a Jewish child, rumors that it was the body of the alleged murdered girl spread quickly.

The next day, a mob attacked the Jewish quarter. Soldiers present during the incident began the attack on the neighborhood. Together, the soldiers and rioters proceeded to destroy the Jewish quarter.

After widespread looting, 260 homes were destroyed, as 6000 lost their possessions. 12 Jews were killed and around 50 suffered injuries.

Today, most of the Jews of Shiraz have immigrated to either Israel or the Untied States.

Although the Jews have been a part of Iran for thousands of years, they were not free from anti-Semitism, even when it was backed by fictitious evidence.