JEWS

purim

I see you Mr zion started writting or as you rightly mentioned 'damage control'. You wrote yet not telling the whole story. You dodged the reading from 'book of esther' avoiding that 75000 number of the pepole killed that day,it is very typical of you to start cryingbaby when the story presummed to not sit well with audiance in this case iranians. anti-semitie, anti-semitie that is all you say.

for more reading on purim

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purim

I have one question and a comment

First my comment:

As I read the story it was fine until I came to the last paragraph:

"Interestingly anti-semites in history show a deep interest for the story of Purim , that is their warped and twisted version of it. Nazi criminals like Julius Streicher were obsessed by Purim. He is known to have shouted out, calling the Nuremberg trials the `Purim Fest` of 1945.

This makes this little tale an alarmingly pertinent story for today when modern Hamans, ideological Jew haters with no linkage to Iranian identity, have once again taken power inside Persia, and together with their allies outside, are spewing their anti-semitic poison and lies, and preparing for yet another try at their age old desire of Jewish annihilation.

May they also reach the same fate."

1. You are repeating the same b.s. that Israel and the neocons and Hillary Clinton are trying to attach to Iran. Sorry to disinform you but you can't sneak in the fact that Hamans are still living in Iran. Iranians have never been and are not Jew haters, including the regime in power.

All of those that you are attempting to refer to are Iranians. Iranian Muslims in Iran are "Iranians", whether you like it or not. Ahmadinejad is Iranian whether people like it or not. And for once people get over this fable that has been spread un-purpose that Iran wants "to wipe Israel off the map", and stop making the audacious analogy that Ahmadinejad is Hitler. He is no Hitler, and one must be stupid to even make an ignorant connection such as this.

So please stop this propaganda. You are simply feeding the fuel for another illegal war against Iran and the Iranian people, and this time it will not be 75,000 Iranians who will be killed but millions!!

Zion you are searching in the wrong country for your Haman, I am disappointed in you!!

The Jewish political scientist Alfred Grosser is surely right when he said: "Whoever wants to shake off Hitler, must (also) defend the Palestinians."

The true lesson of the Holocaust is that we may never just stand by and watch passively as people are oppressed, stripped of their rights and humiliated.

Now my question:

When a news reporter recently asked Hillary Clinton if she had to pick one person she would want to be who would that be; her response was "Esther". I just want to understand what makes her want to be like Esther?

I never quite got that connection!!

Can someone please explain.

Thanks

Shame on Israel for the Treatment of Palestinians

Zionists like you always complain about how jews were treated throughout the history. But now look at the actions of the government of your liberated "chosen people" in Palestine.

Today a group of human rights and development organizations have called for fundamental policy changes towards the Gaza strip by Israel and the international community. Their report details what they are calling the worst humanitarian crisis in the strip since Israel occupied it in the 1967 war, and describe it as a man-made disaster resulting from the isolation and blockade of Gaza after its take-over by Hamas militants last June.

The following are the main points in the report, sponsored by Amnesty International, Care International UK, Cafod, Christian Aid, Medecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, Save the Children UK and Trocaire.

1. POVERTY LEVELS:

More than 80% of Palestinians in Gaza rely on humanitarian assistance, with UN food aid going to about 1.1 million people - three quarters of the population.
The number of families dependant on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) has increased tenfold since 1999.

Household monthly incomes dropped by 22% in less than four months (June-September 2007). The number of households earning less than $1.20 per person per day went from 55% to 70%.

The UN appeal for humanitarian aid in 2008 is $462m, more than twice the 2006 appeal and the third largest UN request after Sudan and Congo.

RESTRICTION of MOVEMENT:

Israel prevents the import of a list of specific essential humanitarian goods requested by aid agencies, including some fuel supplies, spare parts, cement, technical assistance and cotton for hygiene items.

Travel in and out of Gaza is all but impossible and supplies of food and water, as well as sewage treatment and basic healthcare can no longer be taken for granted.

Food prices are rising and wheat flour, baby milk and cooking oil are increasingly scarce.

A joint Israeli-Palestinian agreement in November 2005 has not succeeded in allowing cross-border access and movement to bolster the Gazan economy.

On average 12 export trucks a day passed through Karni goods crossing during 2006 - a fraction of the intended number.

Supplies to Gaza, intended to be 250 trucks a day, are limited to 45 trucks a day.
Economic Collapse:

Gaza businesses are about subsistence not wealth creation
Most private businesses have shut down in the last six months and 95% of Gaza's industrial operations are suspended as a result of import and export restrictions. Unemployment is close to 40%.

Construction and agriculture have ground to a halt, 3,500 factories out of 3,900 have closed, causing 75,000 private sector job losses.

Gaza's agricultural sector has suffered from repeated Israeli incursions destroying fields and greenhouses. Israel insists that no crop is allowed to grow over 40cm high, limiting farmers to cash crops which are costly to produce and heavily reliant on accessible export markets.

The numbers of people working in Israel, 24,000 Gazans in 2000, has been reduced to zero.

UTILITES:

Israeli allows 2.2 million litres of EU-supplied industrial diesel per week, which is not enough to keep Gaza's main power plant operating at full capacity.

There is a 20% shortfall in electricity with implications for hospitals, sewage works, water supply and other public institutions.

Between 25-30% of the population of the Gaza Strip does not receive running water at home because electricity is not available for pumping. About 30-40 million litres of sewage flows untreated into the sea every day.

HEALTHCARE CRISIS:

Hospitals experience power cuts for 8-12 hours a day and depend on generators to run basic facilities, although there is a shortage of diesel. Spare parts for generators are almost impossible to obtain.

Access to lifesaving treatment outside Gaza has become more necessary, but in December 2007 only 64% of applicants were given permits to leave the strip by Israel, leading to dozens of patient deaths.

CHILDREN:

More than 56% of Gaza's population are children. Almost 2,000 pupils have dropped out of school this academic year.

School has been disrupted by electricity cuts; classes with high energy consumption such as IT have been cancelled; there is a shortage of textbooks and other resources.

A UN survey indicated 80% failure rates in most years and up to 90% failure rates in mathematics.

Director of the UN relief agency for Palestinian Refugees in Gaza, John Ging, said: "What we are seeing is the collapse of education standards due to the cumulative effects of the occupation, closures, poverty and violence."

SECURITY:

Israel retains effective control of Gaza's land and sea borders and air space, and the movement of people and goods. As such it has obligations as an occupying power to ensure the welfare of the Palestinian population, the humanitarian agencies say.

They acknowledge Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens from rocket attacks from Gaza, but argue that the current strategy of isolating and blockading Gaza has not stopped rocket attacks.

Gazans' lives are mostly characterised by insecurity according to the agencies: military presence and attacks, extra-judicial assassinations, loss of land, restrictions on movement, lack of drinking water, unemployment, and barriers to healthcare and education.

Dariush is sooooooooooooooo to the point

"They have always been whining from the beginning of time and they are still whining. Who knows for a fact who did what and whose fault was five thousand years ago, look what is being done today and who is doing what!!!
If you Zionists start treating other with respect, no one will hate you!"

Forget about Purim, yam-kipur or whatever; Fix your problem - DO NOT BE RACIST AND SUPREMACIST!!!!!!

MUST READ WEBSITE: Ask the

MUST READ WEBSITE:
Ask the Rabbi:

//tikkun.org/

Zion to viva Iran-2

Yet another conflicting story by Zion. You should get your head out of your bible and look around. From south Africa to Palestine your genocidal actions are in conflict with your statements. Perhaps if your religion would prevent you from committing sins(crimes) by warning you like Islam or would teach you the simple teaching in Zoroastrianism, world would be a better place today. Rather than as you put it, being acrobatic and artistic. What bunch of crap! Zion, are these really bible stories or you are smoking as you are writing these?

Others

The purpose of telling this story by Zion is explained in the last paragraph where Zion refers to Iranians and others around the world as Hamans and Jew haters, trying to portrait that people hate Jews not for Jews inhumane actions today, but it is in their genes inherited from those Hamans.
This fool is taking you for a fool!
They have always been whining from the beginning of time and they are still whining. Who knows for a fact who did what and whose fault was five thousand years ago, look what is being done today and who is doing what!!!
If you Zionists start treating other with respect, no one will hate you!

Zion...

Please not try to respond to all comments, because that damages the value of the page! I didn't have time to read it now, but I will later :) Cheers!

Viva Iran -2

Finally there is the imperfections and moral shortcomings depicted in the scriptures:
There are two levels to this:
One is the deliberate attempt to prevent humans, even the greatest of Biblical heroes to be treated as divine beings, superhuman or immaculate. The distinction between God the ideal, and human mortals as the reality is essential in Judaism. They are all portrayed as committing sin and doing wrong at some point in their lives. From Adam to Abraham, to Moses to David and Solomon and so forth. This is not to justify their misdeeds. Quite the contrary. They are all condemned for it and forced to pay its consequences. Themselves and their offsprings.

Then there is the wider context of the dual, paradoxical and even contradictory aspects of God Himself as he is depicted in the Jewish scriptures. The merciful God and the violent one.
(In this story instance, remember again that the conflict is between Amalekits and Israelites. The commandment about Amalekites in the Torah is an early one and very strict (Deutronomy 25:19)
``You shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Never forget this ! `` and Notice the inherent contradiction in the command itself...)

This is a controversial and widely discussed issue. It is for instance one of the major questions and themes in the Talmud.
You have the violence in say Deuteronomy and Judges, then you also have the exact opposite in say Jonah and Ruth. Here I just want to suggest the core of the way it is approached in Judaism. It is stated in the very name Israel: (One who) struggles with God.
Also remember that Judaism is a strictly monotheistic religion. There is no separate force of evil. It is not a mystical abstraction either. The concept of God holds within it the totality of the reality out there, and just like the reality out there that we know, it has to contain the peaceful and the violent, and the mystery that combines them. The fear inspiring and the compassionate . You have to look at the Jewish Bible as a process in time of better understanding and formulating the concept of the divine and its relation to man. The struggle to confront the fear inspiring and to surpass it towards the moral and the source of compassion. God in Judaism is both. It is man`s duty to reshape his relation to Him from the primeval to that of the highly elaborate and moral. (This is Einstein`s way of putting it:
`The Jewish scriptures admirably illustrate the development
from the religion of fear to moral religion`)

There is a lovely discussion in the Talmud about this.
Talmud asks at one point why is it that Abraham was chosen for the covenant and not Noah?
The answer it gives is this: When Noah was told about God`s plan to kill all humans and animals in a flood and what he was asked to do, he followed God`s orders without questioning. But when God told Abraham of his plan to destroy the city of Sodom with all who dwell in it, Abraham challenged Him outright:
`Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?` (Genesis 18:25)
Abraham would not give in until he managed to `force` God to modify His plan and to promise to spare the city if he found as few as 10 righteous among its inhabitants. That is why Abraham qualified and Noah didn`t. God in Judaism is not looking for submission, although He might demand it some times. Ultimately God is nothing but an approach to the world and to man`s relation to it and to his fellow man. In the Jewish view, man is obliged to constantly challenge his understanding of this approach, to shatter it and create it anew in a better form.

This is the very point of all these stories. The very message of the scriptures.
As one version of that famous saying goes, Judaism is not really a religion. It is an art form.

A life long act of acrobatics. Living your entire life as ... a fiddler on the roof !

Remember?

Viva Iran- 1

You ask a good and deep question! This is what the rabbis have also asked repeatedly. There are several layers to the answer of your question.

First, as I mentioned, the story goes like this: In Persia and Media, once a decree was issued, the king could not cancel it. The only option was to issue a new verdict that would allow the Jews to be armed and to defend themselves against the attackers. A similar remark exists in the story of Daniel as well about this same supposed Persian custom. And remember, this is a story of Jews and their enemies. Persia is merely the scene of the play, an allegory of the entire world.

Secondly, regarding the issue of the large number of 75000 casualties: remember this is not a historical account. The style of the story is that of extravagance and exaggerations. The book begins with specifying the grandeur of the Persian Empire. It then tells about a royal feast that lasts for 6 months nonstop.... Everything in the story is blown up intentionally.

Thirdly, you are essentially right about the bitter and violent undertone of the story. As I mentioned, this is the archetypical story of the never ending challenge of facing genocidal Jew hatred in every generation and there is nothing sweet about it. It is precisely this bitter message that has necessitated the dark humor and the evident parodical tone of the way the story is narrated. It also shows itself in the outwardly loud and crazy way the feast is celebrated. There is a famous rabbinical saying about the celebration. It is the only time that people are allowed, even encouraged, to drink until they can`t tell the difference between saying `Blessed be Mordechai` and `cursed be Haman`. This is all there to make a bitter message that is being discussed bearable.

Thanks

Anonymous Observer,
Thanks for pointing out the photos and for your words of support.

Hooman H.,
glad you liked it.

Re: Eskandari

"Although Nakba may have been a tragic day, you say it as if the Arabs have the cleanest hands of all."

WHat kind of logic you have here? DO you look at people as numbers? People have feelings and their lives are as valueable to them as yours to you.

Yes, A little child that gets crushed under the roof of her house is as innocent as Jesus, no matter what ethnicity and religious background she has!

This is the kind of arrogant mentality that raises hatred. I wonder if Israel is determined to kill as may palestinians to the point that there will only be few thousand of them to be remembered as the "Native people" for the sake of history!

Hey what happened, JJ? Did you pull the other "PURIM" posting?

I'm asking Jewish Folks:
What is it with Jewish Diaspora? Is it your destiny to be always "on the run"? I mean, I say this with all due respect to Jews (except zionists that I don't think they are Jews). How do you view all this migrations during the whole Jewish history, befor and after Moses era?

I do feel for your agony what happened in Europe in Ghetto years and later as mush as I feel for the agony of Palestinians now. After all we are all human beings and need to take care of each other.

Peace;

Hey samsam1111

don't thank Zion for telling the truth. I have never seen an Israeli thanking Iranians for what they have done not only in the ancient history but during the WWII. They are talking about preemptive strikes against your country. I have parents living there, you most probably don't. So I feel pissed when I hear them talking about that about great Iran. Iran with whatever government has shown the greatest respect for human life. Just look at the Iran-Iraq war, while Israel and US helped Saddam bombing Iran, Iranians while losing at first never threw one WMD to Iraq. They could, Iraq did, but Iran under KHOMAINI didn't. Just remember that. Javan-Mardi is in our blood. So instead of you thanking Mr. ZION for this writing, think if you have ever been thanked as an Iranian for your role to save the Jews and conduct humane action in wars that we did not start!
get it straight!!
Being against the regime is what Zionists use to promote a war against your country. Shame on you and others who don't see that. I am not blaming Zion here, but he has never criticized Israeli government, not even one. While Iran and Israel rank similar when it comes to Human Rights issues. We Iranians know that, these guys don't. Arrogance and ignorance is their bliss. So go thank them as much as you want, not knowing that most of our wars and invasions was done by people who absolutely agree with Zion's ideology, such as yourself. Shame on you.
What a bunch of Morons in LA!

Unexplained historical point

Dear Zion,

Nice article about Purim, however, reading Esther book, still I don't understand why Jews killed more than 75000 people just in 2 days under permission of Xerxes The Great. Your argument (bible argument) is that they did it to protect themselves. Apparently, Mordechai found out about Haman's plot before he could get a chance to run it. So if Esther and Mordechai had a strong influence on Xerxes why they (Jews) killed more than 75000 Iranians before anything happen? They just could ask the king for Jews amnesty in whole Persian Empire. Unfortunately, Purim does not seem to be a beautiful story in Jews/Persian history as you have described here. Maybe more clarifications of yours or other readers can shed a light on my doubts.

Best
Parham

Thanks for posting

Interesting. Thanks for the read.

One More Point

There is another possible link between story of Purim and literary tradition in Iran, although it is much more of a very conjectural nature.
I am referring to the figure of Zahak in Shahnamah, who like Haman comes to power in Persia originating from more or less the same region as the Amalekites. The parallel can be seen more clearly when studying the background to both stories. The events of Purim take place in the Jewish exile after the destruction of the Solomon`s Temple. The reasons for the downfall of the Temple event can be traced back to the ending years of King Solomon`s rule, when he, the wisest of all kings, went astray by adopting idolatrous and pagan rituals and customs of his surroundings. Similarly rule of Zahak in Shahanamah is the result of the corruption of the wisest king Jamshid and his associations with the Daevas. Jamshid`s relation to Solomon in later Persian literature can for instance explain why Persepolis ( the capital of Darius, the king under whose rule the Second Temple was built in Jerusalem) was also known as `The Throne of Jamshid` in later traditions, or why the province of `Fars` was specifically associated with King Solomon in the Islamic period, or why Solomon plays such a prominent role in later Persian literature. (Even the tomb of Cyrus was once associated to Solomon`s mother by the locals as well as Karaites)

As I said all this speculations are highly conjectural, but interesting foods for thought nevertheless.

Zion

I put Purim in my posting below instead of Hamans as per your story. There were so many creepy names in your article that I got them mixed up.
Of course I respect Jews and my comments are toward Zionists for their actions.

Minor Points

First of all, a big thanks to the editors for choosing a great photo for this article to go with this article.

And thanks Abarmard and Samsam for your kind comments, and to everyone else for taking the time to read this little article.

I just wanted to add some minor points that I did not mentioned in the article. First Mordechai although effectively acts as Esthers uncle and guardian in the story, is actually her cousin. This is yet another allusion to the Babylonian origins of the feast, since in Babylonian mythology the gods Ishtar and Marduk were also known to be cousins.

Another thing is the similarity between the beginning of the story concerning events that take place between the King and his previous queen Vashti, and the beginning of the later masterpiece `One thousand and one nights`. It hints very clearly that an old storytelling tradition must have existed that has inspired both stories.

Just wanted to add these little point here.

Photo of Esther and Mordechai's Tomb

Zion,

I don't know if you have seen this, but here's a link to some photos that were posted on this site by a group who traveled to Iran, one of which is of Esther and Mordechai's tomb in Iran. It has survived since the time of Xrexes and was rebuilt during the Ilkhanite reign. It's one of the later photos in the collection, perhaps in the 80's sequence.

//iranian.com/main/albums/bon-voyage?page...

The photo includes the English inscription if you cannot read Persian. I agree with you that there is no genuine rationale for hostility between the Iranian and Israeli nations. In fact, the two nations have much in common. We are two of the handful of non-Arab nations in the Middle East. Additionally, while historically Israel
has done nothing but good for the Iranian nation, Iranians have been victims of Arab hatred, racism and violence many times in theri history, the most recent being the Iran-Iraq war where all Arabs, including Palestinians, banded together against Iran in the name of "Arab brotherhood". To that extent, the anti-Israeli hatred that I often see on this site baffles me, and I have always said as much.

All these claims of "human rights" are bogus. Otherwise, why don't we see them cry for Tibet, or Darfur or many, many internal problems facing the Iranian nation. They are just brainwashed.

Thanks Jewish friend, for your humane portrayal of our nation

and it,s  founder Cyrus the great(peace be upon him) in your holy book.May there be a long lasting peace between your nation and palestinians to make the hate mongers disappear.

Regards!

Zion

It was a very touching story for simple minded individuals. In fact, if it wasn't for the atrocities and crimes you Zionists have and are committing in the world, every body would feel sorry for you and become a Jewish tomorrow. But the facts are the facts and what we see today is in conflict with your pretty little story. In another posting you were wishing Iran and Iranian dead. What happened suddenly over knight you became Moses.
From one side you are all whining and from other side killing innocent people! I personally think devil has been trained by you Zionists. I guess based on your twisted story anyone who is against you Zionist's genocidal actions today is from Purim group and bad which is about 5 billion 9 hundred 80 million of the world's 6 billion population and they must be destroyed right?
You all speak of you David so highly while he was nothing but a murderer and rubber and womanizer who didn't ever had mercy on his army commander and hand him killed so he can take his wife. And you idolize him and are waiting for him to come and bring peace? If you story is as just as David that explains your actions! I think what you Zionist are doing today is what you were doing then and that was why you were treated that way. We have not seen the very passed with our own eyes, but we see today!!!

Love your neighbor (palestinians), at least don't kill'em!

You see, we still dont hate the jews, arabs, or any group of people, but many of us don't like to see the israeli's treatment of the palestinians! Why do u hate the people whom you stole their land from? after all they are your semite cousins! you cannot see the atrocities your people are doing against them, and you wonder why they respond! Wouldn't you? You guys have too much hate inside you and u dont see that others notice that. change your behavior against your cousins and others, and you'll see that we are not your enemies and we still can be friends! Arabs or jews are all human beings like us, so lets live in peace and be fair to others!  Any action requires a reaction!

Thanks for clarificaion

Very interesting read. Thanks

Observer

Although Nakba may have been a tragic day, you say it as if the Arabs have the cleanest hands of all.

Mr Zion you've got it wrong again!

People's opposition to Zionists has to do what they've done to Palestinians and their evil plans for Iran.
May 15 is Nakba Day, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine . In 1948, the newly-created State of Israel destroyed hundreds of Palestinian villages, and caused to flee or exiled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. These refugees and their descendents number today in the millions as Israel continues to deny them their right of return. This is where you should look for truth.