The Persian Foreign Minister, Mohammed Ali Firughi Khan, during a visit here stated that there is no anti-Semitism in Persia, in an inteview with a representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
In accordance with the Persian Constitution, there is no difference made between Persian citizens, irrespective of their race or religion, the Foreign Minister stated. The Jews in Persia enjoy all rights granted to the citizens of the country: they live in absolute security, and play an important and useful part in the economic life of Persia. They enjoy complete freedom in their national and religious life, in which the Government does not interfere in the slightest. There are Jewish schools in our country, Jewish national organizations, and Jewish religious communities.
“I authorize the J.T.A.,” he said, “to state officially in my own name and the name of the Persian Government that anti-Semitism never existed in modern Persia, does not exist now, and will never be aroused there. Any rumors that have been spread about persecution of Jews in Persia are entirely unfounded.
“I should like to disperse any wrong impressions which Jewish and other public opinion may have gathered about the Jews in Persia and the attitude of the Government to them, particularly in respect of the execution of Mr. Haim, a former Jewish Deputy in the Persian Parliament. Any people may have great men and may have rogues, and to say because a rogue was punished that a whole people is being persecuted, is wrong.”
The fact is, the Foreign Minister said, that Haim was executed together with several Persian Moslems, who faced the same charge as he did of high treason to the State, and that proves that there was no discrimination against him as a Jew. “We sentenced Haim, the traitor, not Haim, the Jew.
“The attitude of the Persian Government and of the Persian people to the Jews continues to be the very best. The Persian Parliament has at present a Jewish Deputy, Mr. Logman, who is an honest and respected man, who takes an active part in parliamentary life, and enjoys the esteem of both his political friends and opponents.
“The Foreign Minister spoke also of the attitude of the Persian Government to the establishment of a Jewish National Home in Palestine.
“The Persian Government favors the idea of the establishment of a Jewish National Home in their historic land of Palestine,” he said. “My speech as President of the League of Nations Council when the conflict over the Wailing Wall was discussed, is sufficient to show what the attitude of my Government is in this question.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
