Iran stands as a bastion of fundamentalist Islam.An Islamic state ruled by Ayatollahs who decree that all must yield unto Allah….

UPSOT OLD MUSLIM LADY PRAYING

But on the streets and in the bazaars of the old Persian city of Shiraz are followers of another, ancient faith - indistinguishable from their countrymen and women – until called to prayer.They are the Jews of Iran.

UPSOT PRAYING JEWS.

Largely forgotten by the outside world, they claim a lineage stretching back 2,700 years….to when Persian King “Cyrus the Great” conquered neighbouring Babylon and freed their enslaved Jewish ancestors.Through the centuries their fortunes have ebbed and flowed – yet the Jewish community steadily rose to prominence as the businessmen, professionals and artisans of Persia.The biggest upheaval came in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution – fearing a pogrom many Jews fled.But there was no slaughter and despite periodic harassment Iran still hosts the largest Jewish community in the Middle East outside of Israel.

MORRIS MOTAMED (50) after revolution something like 75% tried to leave the country – and mostly they went to the United States of America (04:04)

Iran’s ruling mullah’s decreed the remaining Jews to be “people of the book”. Their rights as a religious minority protected by the constitution.

Moris Motamed holds a seat in Iran’s Parliament reserved for the Jewish minority – not an easy job – being a Jewish MP in an Assembly that routinely calls for the destruction of Israel – but still, he doggedly defends the interests of his constituents.

(03:40) “At this time we think the population is something 22 -25,000” (45) “but before the revolution the numbers was something like 100,000.

A by product of the Islamic revolution is that the Jewish community has also become increasingly devout.Only about 10% can fluently speak or read Hebrew – yet this once secular community now packs the synagogues.

MORRIS MOTAMED GRAB36:03 “In Tehran we have something about 22 synagogues – all of them are working (10)///

EARLY OUT

MUSICMost members of the Jewish community keep a discretely low profile.Most…but not all…In Tehran’s antiques street, Moses Baba defiantly proclaims his business and his faith – for all to see.

GRAB MOSES14:45 “Hello gentlemen, how are you!.. good luck – Moses Baba! Shalom..shalom!

(15.18) Q, how long have you had this shop ?(15::24) yes 55 years, 95 years ago my father and my grand father shop started a business in Esfahan (15:31)15:40 “Tea or Vodka?. .I have..Q. Vodka…in the Islamic Republic?A. Me Jewish….not Islamic (48)So little Vodka?…Please..A. Ok” (15.52)

Jews are exempt from Iran’s alcohol prohibition. A privilege Moses relishes – even if he has to hide the bottle from regime’s roaming vigilantes – the Hezbollah…

GRAB MOSES16.08 “(let me see where I put it I’m afraid of these bearded figures, that’s why I hide it somewhere” (16: 15).///(17.08)“ Mahtab, where did you put the bottles, here, three, under there” (17.13))(17.52) it’s been found,eh good on you (18.02)20:10 “Shalom, Shalom!” (toast)(20.42) Q.”How is business?”(20.44)A.Not good, the city belongs to Hezbollah, no tourist, no work, finish.(20;49)

Seeing no future for his children here – Moses encouraged them to leave – his grandchildren now photographic memories from another world.

MOSES(27.39) Q. “ and where do your children live now ?”(27.44) “Israel and America” (27:47)///(28.33) “it’s good, they asked me to go there, but I say no, I like it here”(28.39)///29.41 those old people like us we can’t live there 29.45

UPSOT PRAYERS AT SYNAGOGUEBut it’s not entirely a one-way exodus. After 20 years living in Los Angeles, Robert, a real estate agent has come home – if only temporarily - to look for a wife…and Shabbat prayers on a Friday night is the place to be.

GRAB ROBERT
56:41. Q. What’s wrong with the girls in LA?
A. There is nothing wrong – you see the girls – twenty years after she left after revolution – you cannot expect that she stay Iranian – but if you like pure Iranian – original – out of the oven (laughs) fresh from the oven (smiles) you come to the source (56;11)///

But not too many young women are impressed by Robert’s pitch. Parisa and her friends desperately want to leave Iran – but being matched with men old enough to be their fathers is, they say, too higher price to pay.

(02:51) Q. There’s a guy from Los Angeles – his name is Robert – he is looking for a bride – have any of the girls – does he look interesting to any of the girls as a husband? (00)(bursts in laughter – looks at friends – shakes head) Ooh..please!! (07)

GRAB ROBERT////but I’m looking for a younger girl so…Q. How old are you (23)A. I’m 44 years oldQ. and how old is the girl you are looking for?A. Around 27 max (33)

GRAB PARISA38) They have unfortunately high age – for example – 40 – and they think they can marriage for example – 20 - 20 years and it’s a problem (54) and the people of Iran say to them why don’ they marry in America? Why they go to Iran – why? What happened for them? (04:06)

GRAB ROBERT(54:55) “I had my date – you know.Q. How’d you go?A. You know its very different – she came with her Mum - (04) /// CUT///56:41 Well good luck with the dating.thank you very much – please pray for me

GRAB PARISA01:30 Q. Would you like to stay here in Iran or move to America – like so many other Jews from Iran?A. about me?Q. yeahA. I’d like to go to America – yeah - I like – because in America we are free – too free , about culture, about religion, about relationship, about friendship and especially education of university (53)

“For the Jewish community of Iran life isn’t quite so as harmonious as both Government officials and community leaders would have us believe. The fact is that Jews are persecuted from time to time by extremist elements within the Government. The community’s greatest crisis came in 1999, when 13 Jewish men from here, in the city of Shiraz were arrested and charged with spying for Israel

Their imprisonment prompted widespread condemnation from Western Governments.They were caught up in a power struggle between Islamic hardliners and reformists who’d supported the Jewish community.

All 13 were eventually pardoned – and while the future for Jews may be uncertain, they thank God they don’t share the fate of Iran’s largest religious minority – the 300,000 strong Bahai community. A 19th century offshoot of Islam, the Bahai are regarded as heretics – and followers are ruthlessly persecuted by Iran’s fundamentalist Mullahs.

GRAB MORRIS“we believe that Bahai is not a religion, so that was the reason and also the Government didn’t try to tolerate Bahai in Iran”

In a Tehran apartment, a Jewish family and friends gather to celebrate the birth of a boy.Behind closed doors the scarves of the compulsory Islamic dress code are abandoned.GRAB SORAYA(49:56) “As you see we have parties – we are mixed and we don’t have big problems (50:06)Former English teacher, Soraya is the aunt of baby Ramtin.GRAB SORAYA(34:12) “we have a circumcision which is a baby – Jewish people they have this ceremony(17) 8 days after the birth they have this ceremony – its really important (34:25)

It’s a ceremony repeated in Jewish communities the world over. Soraya says life for her people is now much better than in the years immediately following the revolution.But when little Ramtin grows up and leaves the bosum of his family he can still expect a life of discrimination.

GRAB SORAYA(51:55) LATER IN POINT///”they prefer to have Moslem people in their universities or in their factories, something like these things – they prefer Moslems peoples to minority people (52:11).UPSOT DANCING STING

GRAB SORAYA(51:55) LATER IN POINT///”they prefer to have Moslem people in their universities or in their factories, something like these things – they prefer Moslems peoples to minority people (52:11).UPSOT DANCING STING

Iran is in their blood. They’re determined that a new generation of Jews will endure – continuing an extraordinary connection with this land that stretches back nearly 3000 years.