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Iranian Jewish immigrant Puriya Hajaram (Alberto Denkberg)
Last update - 07:52 14/04/2007
Israel denies entry to Muslim wife of Jewish Iranian immigrant
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

Israel has refused entry to the Muslim wife of a Jewish immigrant from Iran. The wife is currently in Turkey but could be sent back to Iran within days, where she is likely to be severely punished.

The immigrant, Puriya Hajaram on Thursday appealed to Haaretz for help in bringing his wife to Israel. "I was told before coming that I would get help here. Otherwise I wouldn't have come alone," he said.

Hajaram, 23, left Iran with his wife, R., for fear of being drafted into the Iranian army. The two crossed the border to Turkey illegally. They went to the Israeli consulate, where they were told that only Hajaram could get an entrance visa to Israel because his family lives here.
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His wife remained in a cheap hotel in Istanbul waiting for a permit to join her husband.

"From the first day we left until four days ago she hasn't left the hotel. She has no passport," he said.

A few days ago she was caught by the Turkish police. Hajaram said she was arrested when she left her room to take a shower. The Turkish police now intend to deport her to Iran. "I pray and beg they don't deport her. The Torah says that if someone needs help we must help him," he said.

Officials at the Jewish Agency and Israeli consulate promised him that he would be able to send for his wife once he immigrated, he said.

He arrived eight months ago, went to an ulpan and now speaks broken Hebrew. From the moment he could, Hajaram has been trying to bring his wife to Israel. "I went back and forth to offices and in the end they wrote to me that there is a security problem. I know there is no such problem, I know my wife and her family and none of them work for the government," he said.

The Interior Ministry said that Puriya's wife was refused entry for security reasons. The Shin Bet commented that "according to the security standards, this case does not enable entry to Israel." However, "specific cases may be examined as exceptions. Each such request would be looked at in a practical way, taking account of the particular circumstances," the Shin Bet said.

Hajaram's wife intended to convert to Judaism after finding a rabbi to help her. Hajaram is about to join the IDF. "I'm going to the army to help Israel, and I ask it to help me," he said. "Jews, Muslims, all Israelis. Somebody, help us."

Eric Vernon contributed to this report.
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  1.   Let her in 03:39  |  Robert 13/04/07
  2.   Cant beleve this. 03:43  |  johnnymac 13/04/07
  3.   life is wonderful, weird, strange. we must help them. 03:48  |  ralph 13/04/07
  4.   This is a shame 04:00  |  Lynn 13/04/07
  5.   WE CAN NOT LET ANOTHER MOSLEM TERRORIST IN ISRAEL LET GO TO LA CA 04:26  |  ROBIN 13/04/07
  6.   # 3 ISRAEL IS AN CORROUPT COUNTRY BUT WE CANT TRUST MOSLEMS ANYMO 04:34  |  ALBERT 13/04/07
  7.   in memory 04:56  |  Ami 13/04/07
  8.   How abhorrent 05:07  |  Toffee 13/04/07
  9.   accept her only if she converts. 05:09  |  ralph 13/04/07
  10.   A matter of obligation 05:13  |  Yair ben Avraham 13/04/07
  11.   Muslim wife 05:24  |  Naim S. Mahlab 13/04/07
  12.   she is a spy 05:29  |  dov 13/04/07
  13.   Understandable 05:32  |  Simon 13/04/07
  14.   Let the wife in 06:34  |  An Australian 13/04/07
  15.   Another example of Israeli racism 06:36  |  Marlene 13/04/07
  16.   I believe she`s sincere... 06:52  |  maria 13/04/07
  17.   Israel... 06:58  |  maria 13/04/07
  18.   Dov`s she is a spy 07:03  |  Victor 13/04/07
  19.   Shame on two of you 07:06  |  Gordon 13/04/07
  20.   "She is a spy" 07:07  |  Victor 13/04/07
  21.   Do a mizvah, let her in. 07:41  |  sg 13/04/07
  22.   MUSLIM WIFE 08:38  |  JOSHUA 13/04/07
  23.   I`m Not Against Islam! Coexistance Is Best! 08:57  |  Yosemite 13/04/07
  24.   Let Her in 09:03  |  Zak Lamont 13/04/07
  25.   Outrageous / Insensitive 09:32  |  semsem 13/04/07
  26.   refusing her entry breaks the law 09:41  |  Tara 13/04/07
  27.   A lack of compassion and humanity 09:51  |  Fairplay 13/04/07
  28.   #2, the Iranians are not barbarians..they 09:55  |  Barbarian 13/04/07
  29.   the dirty Iranian woman deserves this fate 09:58  |  AK 13/04/07
  30.   #26 your comment is outrageous 10:12  |  Isac 13/04/07
  31.   shame BUT 10:27  |  shimon 13/04/07
  32.   Children won`t be Jewish 10:32  |  Andrew 13/04/07
  33.   Just think ... 10:45  |  Palisraeli 13/04/07
  34.   welcome to israel 11:05  |  sammy 13/04/07
  35.   Let her in 11:10  |  Angela 13/04/07
  36.   Wake up ISRAEL this is playing into the hands of our detractors 11:21  |  Ari ben Yisrael 13/04/07
  37.   Jewish people should not be going to Israel, 11:21  |  John 13/04/07
  38.   To Dov and others 11:27  |  TelAviv 13/04/07
  39.   Just think Pallie 11:40  |  Aby 13/04/07
  40.   We are the chosen people !! 11:40  |  Andrei 13/04/07
  41.   Let this woman in 11:43  |  Daniel Leopold 13/04/07
  42.   Denial of entry to Jewish Iranian`s Muslim wife 12:04  |  Len 13/04/07
  43.   israel has enough problems on its hands. 12:04  |  ephraim 13/04/07
  44.   The Agency of Unkept Promises 12:31  |  sh 13/04/07
  45.   Either they`re both spies or neither 12:34  |  Michael 13/04/07
  46.   # 33 Children and Andrew 12:38  |  Lynn 13/04/07
  47.   She is probably terrified, give her asylum!!! 12:50  |  Lynn 13/04/07
  48.   Stupid country! 12:50  |  Itsik 13/04/07
  49.   #34 you are correct but... 12:52  |  Itsik 13/04/07
  50.   #12 Naim 12:57  |  Itsik 13/04/07
  51.   Imagine......with apologys to John Lennon 12:57  |  Daniel 13/04/07
  52.   her options? 13:01  |  Nerys 13/04/07
  53.   Sounds improbable,a Muslim woman could marry an "infidel" in Iran 13:05  |  Absolute Sweden 13/04/07
  54.   I am married a muslim too 13:05  |  merre 13/04/07
  55.   I voted for Lieberman but I think we should let her in ! 13:06  |  redmike 13/04/07
  56.   Israel Please! 13:08  |  S 13/04/07
  57.   #33 - she has offered to convert .. 13:09  |  redmike 13/04/07
  58.   #41 andrei 13:09  |  Itsik 13/04/07
  59.   Please, help these young love-birds! 13:10  |  Alicia 13/04/07
  60.   Patition - Haaretz! 13:11  |  Itsik 13/04/07
  61.   tiny Isreal 13:16  |  Armando Vargas 13/04/07
  62.   to # 30 13:25  |  Armando Vargas 13/04/07
  63.   Israel is not a democracy!! 13:25  |  Maureen Ann 13/04/07
  64.   HOW MANY JEWS ARE GRANTED CITIZENSHIP BY THE IRANIANS? 13:41  |  jim 13/04/07
  65.   Israel security 13:46  |  Michael 13/04/07
  66.   Too Rich for Purya.. 13:46  |  Benlolo 13/04/07
  67.   #16 and 35 13:48  |  Moshe 13/04/07
  68.   Let her in. 13:55  |  Simple Tom 13/04/07
  69.   whatas the difference... 14:06  |  ravi 13/04/07
  70.   The Apartheid Case grows stronger 14:09  |  Tim 13/04/07
  71.   this Land does NOT belong to you, so... 14:11  |  imad 13/04/07
  72.   M. Ann 14:13  |  Nerys 13/04/07
  73.   Zak Lamont, 14:13  |  Sophimore