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Last update - 08:25 28/12/2006
Three Iranians seeking conversion to Judaism denied Israel visas
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

Three Iranians interested in converting to Judaism recently left their native country, but have been unable to find any entity to assist them.

The three Shi'ite Muslims left Iran and approached the Israeli embassy and Jewish communities in Azerbaijan, but were rejected. It is impossible to convert to Judaism in Iran, as they would be considered heretics, a crime punishable by death. They are now waiting in a makeshift city in Turkey for a United Nations hearing on their application for refugee status.

The three left Iran two months ago and immediately approached the Israeli embassy in Baku. According to N., they were given a chilly reception. N. points out that embassy officials did not invite them into the building, but talked to them on the street.
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"We told them we want visas to Israel in order to convert," N. recounts. "They told us that if we are not Jewish, our parents aren't Jewish and we have no family members in Israel, we cannot get visas."

The three also did not receive warm welcomes in Baku synagogues. At one place of worship, they were laughed at, at another - locked out. They were told there is no rabbinical court that can handle conversion in Baku.

N. says he became interested in other religions while still a practicing Shi'ite, and learned that Judaism was the basis of the other religions. N. wrote to the United Nations: "Since I stopped obeying the Muslim commandments, my soul has sought a way home. In order to be a complete Jew, it is necessary to undergo official processes."

Iran does not officially allow its citizens to travel to Israel, although many of the 25,000-strong Jewish community have done so through Turkey.

The three potential converts are now waiting for a February hearing date, and dependent on financial help from their families. "The Iranian authorities are aware of our plans. They can't hurt us so they are trying to harm our families." They hope to get assistance from some Israeli or Jewish institutions.

Contact with the three is mostly through e-mail and the occasional phone call from N., who always verifies at the beginning of each call that recent e-mails really originated in Israel and not with Iranian security forces.

The Foreign Ministry stated that the three approached the Baku embassy on a weekend when offices were closed, and have not returned. They would have been helped during regular office hours. The ministry also noted that Israeli law prohibits entry to Israel for the purposes of conversion, although there is an appeals committee to examine specific cases
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  1.   Well, If They`re Not Double Agents Then, 00:56  |  Yosemite Sam 28/12/06
  2.   refugee status 01:51  |  Briton 28/12/06
  3.   Religious Intolerance - Iranian Style 01:55  |  Lavi 28/12/06
  4.   Terrible situation 02:03  |  Reuven 28/12/06
  5.   Thank God.... 02:12  |  Thinker 28/12/06
  6.   Iranian converts 02:21  |  Sam 28/12/06
  7.   They can come to America 02:27  |  Jon 28/12/06
  8.   Iranian converts 02:29  |  Miriam 28/12/06
  9.   Too bad.... 02:40  |  Rollin 28/12/06
  10.   worthy of assistance 03:32  |  Nechama 28/12/06
  11.   we should facilitate such desires. we should stop being tribal. 03:34  |  ralph 28/12/06
  12.   weird...but 04:03  |  jon purizhansky 28/12/06
  13.   convert to Judaism! 04:44  |  Akiva Patysh, Tzioni 28/12/06
  14.   Re #7 ...or France, or Britain ... 04:44  |  DJStahl 28/12/06
  15.   Miriam Reik! Iran has what? 05:06  |  Miriam Reich 28/12/06
  16.   Miriam, Iran has not the second largest Jewish population. 05:34  |  Lasting peace 28/12/06
  17.   Shi`ite Muslims converting to Judaism??? 05:54  |  vs 28/12/06
  18.   rading the torah, and then begining to live by the jewish law 06:05  |  READY 28/12/06
  19.   We are a religion and nation, so what is the problem? 06:10  |  fathfull 28/12/06
  20.   Muslim Converts 06:17  |  Rosie 28/12/06
  21.   Convert Iranians to Judaism 06:28  |  Daniel Leopold 28/12/06
  22.   charajeminad 06:53  |  RASTA FARI 28/12/06
  23.   thousands are converting to Christianity 06:56  |  Nylsa 28/12/06
  24.   Wait till they find out what a mohel is 07:00  |  Sherman 28/12/06
  25.   death penalty 07:02  |  zichron 28/12/06
  26.   Briton - don`t blame Amnesty 07:31  |  Nick 28/12/06
  27.   nice way to repay the kindness of Cyrus the Great, NOT 07:44  |  M. 28/12/06
  28.   OUTRAGEOUS! 07:56  |  Robert 28/12/06
  29.   The UK 08:12  |  Niall 28/12/06
  30.   hypocrisy to let them in 08:33  |  rob 28/12/06
  31.   Akiva Patysh 08:35  |  Tareq 28/12/06
  32.   Daniel Leopold on conversion 08:45  |  Anubhav 28/12/06
  33.   Not "outrageous", as it has been for ages 08:51  |  David 28/12/06
  34.   Holocaust denial backfired 09:08  |  lola 28/12/06
  35.   Israel should welcome all refugees? 09:14  |  Maryon 28/12/06
  36.   Iranian concersions 09:40  |  Esther 28/12/06
  37.   The Koran forbids it! 10:23  |  Alicia 28/12/06
  38.   The Jewish World must not turn down these 3 Iranians, , , 10:37  |  Joseph E . 28/12/06
  39.   Did anybody notice? 10:56  |  FOX 28/12/06
  40.   Asylum in Canada ? 11:02  |  Yaela Katz 28/12/06
  41.   "Money in them thar hills" 11:04  |  FOX 28/12/06
  42.   Olmert 11:25  |  Josh 28/12/06
  43.   39: Fox and ignorance 12:05  |  David Teich 28/12/06
  44.   still thinking the Islamic way, how could they be jewish ? 12:11  |  observer 28/12/06
  45.   Conditional Stays, Perhaps 12:21  |  Ariel 28/12/06
  46.   Econimic Advantage 12:32  |  Adel 28/12/06
  47.   How can they convert 12:55  |  Moe 28/12/06
  48.   We don`t encourage conversion 12:56  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 28/12/06
  49.   beware of Iranians carrying gifts 13:51  |  Kym 28/12/06
  50.   Shlomo from TA 14:38  |  Jack 28/12/06
  51.   Anubhav-#32-I quite agree with you 14:45  |  Daniel Leopold 28/12/06
  52.   Shlomo #48: We don`t encourage conversion 14:54  |  RollinAgain 28/12/06
  53.   Seeking Light 15:05  |  Brod 28/12/06
  54.   Shameful response by both Embassy and Baku community 15:19  |  Noam 28/12/06
  55.   They should convert to Christianity or become gay... 15:41  |  Paul Henzen 28/12/06
  56.   END THE OCCUPATION!! 15:44  |  Gabe1 28/12/06
  57.   # 49 Kim - if mental sanity is required to be Jewish... 15:44  |  Paul Henzen 28/12/06
  58.   turning away...uh that IS the way it is done... 15:46  |  Rivkah 28/12/06
  59.   Tempest in a teacup 15:50  |  hanoi 28/12/06
  60.   Conversion discouraged 16:02  |  Niv 28/12/06
  61.   the solution: conversion is onething and citizenship is another 16:09  |  observer 28/12/06
  62.   I wonder what happens if jews convert to Christianity or Islam 16:34  |  elijah 28/12/06
  63.   gabe1 16:46  |  chanah 28/12/06
  64.   rollinagain 16:50  |  chanah 28/12/06
  65.   # 62 Elijah - harrassment by ultra-Orthodox ! 16:52  |  Paul Henzen 28/12/06
  66.   Noam 16:53  |  chanah 28/12/06
  67.   Elijah #62 16:56  |  Niv 28/12/06
  68.   Israel is NOT the center of Judaism 16:58  |  dan 28/12/06
  69.   Let`s warmly receive the would-be converts into the Jewish Faith. 17:03  |  Timothy 28/12/06
  70.   Problem Is... 17:13  |  Yosemite Sam 28/12/06
  71.   #62 You wonder what happens 17:15  |  Syl 28/12/06
  72.   TO Elijah in Lebanon #62 17:26  |  Alicia 28/12/06
  73.   Remember Avraham 17:35  |  Syl 28/12/06
  74.   FOX ?? 17:40  |  Danite 28/12/06
  75.   END THE OCCUPATION #56 17:42  |  Gabe1 28/12/06
  76.   To reeven #4 and to #1 John le C 17:43  |  Clod 28/12/06
  77.   Maybe they are Jewish enough according to the World Zionist Organ 17:52  |  Emad Matahin 28/12/06
  78.   Where are the Reform Rabbis when we need them? 17:54  |  Tosefta 28/12/06
  79.   Iranian Conversions 18:22  |  Michael T 28/12/06
  80.   Iranian Conversions 18:25  |  Michael T 28/12/06
  81.   We need these Iranian converts 18:43  |  Tosefta 28/12/06
  82.   Danite??? #74 19:20  |  FOX 28/12/06