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Tajikistan's Jews despair as only synagogue razed By Reuters Tags: Jewish community, Tajikistan  Tajikistan has knocked down its only synagogue to make way for a new presidential palace, casting the Jewish community into despair, community members said on Wednesday. The 19th century building is due to be replaced by a park adjoining the new palace for President Imomali Rakhmon, who has ruled the impoverished, mainly Muslim nation since 1992. Community leaders said the weekend demolition of their synagogue - a wooden, one-story house adorned with stars of David - put their 350-strong community under threat. Advertisement "It's painful to lose something very dear, something that cannot be valued in money terms," Rabbi Mikhail Abdurakhmanov said after the building was bulldozed. "At the moment the existence of Tajikistan's only Jewish community is under threat. It's also a threat to elderly people who came here for help," he told Reuters. The Jewish community in Tajikistan - descendants of Persian-speaking Bukhara Jews who have lived in Central Asia for centuries - has dwindled since the country's independence from Soviet rule with many leaving for Israel. The mayor's office of the capital Dushanbe declined to comment but the government has previously promised to allocate a new plot of land for the synagogue. Abdurakhmanov said he had yet to hear from the city authorities about its fate. The building technically belonged to the state because Soviet officials nationaliZed it in 1951 while allowing Jews to continue to worship there. Before its demolition, the synagogue ran a daily canteen for the poor and allocated humanitarian aid to its mainly elderly community members with an average monthly income of about $20. Lev Leviev, head of the world Bukhara Jews congress and an Israeli businessman, said he had discussed the synagogue's reconstruction with Tajikistan's president. But, addressing reporters after talks with Rakhmon, Leviev declined to give further details, saying it was a "subtle and delicate issue." More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Haniyeh's plea Hamas leader in Gaza says rocket fire must stop for sake of Palestinians. Softening position Shin Bet agrees to free prisoners 'with blood on their hands' for Shalit.   1.   It`s okay, it`s time to come home. 17:24  |  Rejoice!!! 25/06/08   2.   Calculations 17:26  |  Peter 25/06/08   3.   immoralTajikistan 18:09  |  Yaacob 25/06/08   4.   Come HOME! 18:10  |  uri 25/06/08   5.   The won`t come to Israel immediately. Build a new synagogue ! 18:14  |  Fortuna Benmayor 25/06/08   6.   This action demonstrated "Muslim Hospitality". 18:28  |  y 25/06/08   7.   And the Europeans are silent 18:51  |  Binyamin Dissen 25/06/08   8.   Tell us once again how welcome Jews are among Muslims 18:58  |  *BEN JABO 25/06/08   9.   Another example of how jews are welcome 19:17  |  Yosi 25/06/08   10.   leave the filth pool and come home to israel, dear ones. 19:27  |  frenz 25/06/08   11.   demolition of synsgoge in tajikistan 20:12  |  sawaahh 25/06/08   12.   Muslims have destroyed synagogues througout history 20:18  |  Conroy 25/06/08   13.   Come to your REAL home (Iran) 20:43  |  Dariush 25/06/08   14.   It is indeed time to come home, to a new synagogue in Jerusalem 20:45  |  Tulip 25/06/08   15.   sawahh 20:47  |  Connie 25/06/08   16.   Sawaah # 11, read carefully! 20:49  |  Tulip 25/06/08   17.   Jews Cry, Muslems Kill 20:50  |  Slappy 25/06/08   18.   What surprises me is that Muslims didn`t tear down 20:56  |  * BEN JABO 25/06/08   19.   #13 Dariush - Jews feel at home in Iran? 20:58  |  * BEN JABO 25/06/08   20.   Ben Jabo #18: palace is shrine 21:03  |  Tulip 25/06/08   21.   zionist fraud 21:37  |  jojo 25/06/08   22.   Muslim like to be treated in a way that they NEVER treat people 22:17  |  Catholic American 25/06/08   23.   Touch of their own medicine razing cemetries 22:18  |  Secular 25/06/08   24.   Respect for `People of the Book`? 22:54  |  Paul Henzen 25/06/08   25.   More Islamic Fascism, More Antisemitism by Muslims 23:04  |  Baruch Gold 25/06/08   26.   It`s always sad to read stories such as this 23:20  |  Gina 25/06/08   27.   IMAGINE WORLD OUTCRY IF A MOSQUE WAS SO DETRO 23:21  |  Avi 25/06/08   28.   Illegal to build Synagogues in muslim countries. 00:06  |  Avram 26/06/08   29.   I won` t forget it 00:07  |  vlado 26/06/08   30.   Sawaahh 00:07  |  Miransky 26/06/08   31.   Dariush, Jews are slaves in iran! you heard of Dhimmitude? 00:19  |  Avram 26/06/08   32.   Avram is also a Sellout! 00:46  |  John 26/06/08   33.   Secular, No they have not! That is a complete lie! 00:47  |  Avram 26/06/08   34.   Paul Henzen is the Biggest Sellout of All! 00:49  |  John 26/06/08   35.   Israel`s gates R open so no pity deserved 4 diasporans by choice 01:34  |  Norm 26/06/08   36.   Ben Jabo is a Sellout! 01:41  |  John 26/06/08   37.   Dear Rejoice!!! and Tulip 01:49  |  TOBIAS RÜGER 26/06/08   38.   It is interesting to read Iranian nationalists like Dariush... 02:19  |  Serge 26/06/08   39.   #32 John - Villanova 02:38  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/08   40.   Irony of faith 02:45  |  Mahmoud 26/06/08   41.   Avram, Let me teach you the real facts about IRAN 02:45  |  Dariuish 26/06/08   42.   One more proof of Muslim tolerance 02:49  |  Frank 26/06/08   43.   Secular -- Which cemetaries have these Tajik Jews disrespected? 03:09  |  Gina 26/06/08   44.   Tobiass, You Dot Get IT! Tradition is important, 03:27  |  Avram 26/06/08   45.   Tobias 03:48  |  Tulip 26/06/08   46.   Dariush, Jewish schools are closed now 03:51  |  Tulip 26/06/08   47.   Dariush, Iran does not grant visas to westerners! 04:14  |  Avram 26/06/08   48.   Never a Good Thing to Tear down a Synagogue 04:25  |  Khalil 26/06/08   49.   NOT TO IRAN 04:56  |  Neil Golan 26/06/08   50.   Too much complaining 06:37  |  Spectator 26/06/08   51.   rebuild !!! 07:13  |  Shosh 26/06/08   52.   Speculator, So if in the USA we burned down every black church it 07:27  |  Avram 26/06/08   53.   "Palestinian land was usurped " 07:44  |  Spectator but Blind 26/06/08   54.   stupid, ignorant, and fanatical posters 09:21  |  Tajik citizen 26/06/08   55.   to Darioush 10:11  |  Harry 26/06/08   56.   move the synagogue Mr President! 10:17  |  Harry 26/06/08   57.   #32-2 John - Villanova - Nobel Prize Winners 16:07  |  * BEN JABO 26/06/08   58.   Tadjik citizen # 54, don`t you worship stones? 21:30  |  Tulip 26/06/08   59.   #57-2 John-Villanova 17:30  |  * BEN JABO 27/06/08   60.   to Tajik citizen 01:09  |  Joshua 28/06/08   61.   Israel should be very happy 03:25  |  Ismail 28/06/08   62.   #61 Ismail - Jerusalem of Gold 07:14  |  * BEN JABO 28/06/08   63.   #62 The issue is freedom to choose where to live 01:39  |  DesMnsDave 29/06/08

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