tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677825.post6183209182524144999..comments2024-03-14T02:22:26.957+00:00Comments on Point of No Return: Jewish Refugees from Arab and Muslim Countries: Iraq: do Jews really want to return?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677825.post-49996709589331251902017-12-21T11:28:56.468+00:002017-12-21T11:28:56.468+00:00In commenting on the recent article in Haaretz ent...In commenting on the recent article in Haaretz entitled “Decades After Fleeing, Iraqi Jews Plan to Return to Their Homeland”, I would like to clarify info re the invitation from the Iraqi students society in Imperial College in London for the Iraqi Jewish community to participate in the Iraqi Heritage Exhibition in December 2016 <br />The invitation was sent to my sister Niran Bassoon-Timan, personally, in recognition of her strong contacts with Iraqis intellectuals and ordinary Iraqi people through the social networks as well as her access to diplomats and journalists. She agreed to arrange a desk / stand in the exhibition where dozens of books about Iraqi Jewry were exhibited; many of them printed in Israel. She manned the stand for the whole day with the help of her two sons and her colleague in Awlad Altaref forum Dhia Kashi. The stand was supported by Dr. David Dangoor who was very enthusiastic about the idea of such stand and of the activities of the forum.<br />The stand was one of the busiest in the exhibition. Many books were sold and Niran answered many of the questions posed by visitors as well as by several Arabic TV stations. She worked for some three weeks to prepare the book exhibition, together with charts, materials and info related to the history of the Jews of Iraq. The Iraqi Ambassador and the Cultural Attache came to congratulate her for the excellent stand. It was the best publicity one can get. It is a shame that very few of the Iraqi Jewish community in London bothered to participate by visiting and having the opportunity to look at the dozens of books being published in Israel, Iraq, England, Canada and USA about Iraqi (Babylonian) Jews that Niran managed to assemble. <br />It is disheartening that her role was not mentioned in the newspaper article. She is acting as a real bridge between Iraqis and Israelis of Iraqi roots transferring books in both directions, providing research material to researchers, as well organizing cultural activities with an Iraqi Jewish content with people from different religions intermingling.<br />Link to video on the event<br />https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1264274046944908&id=1237164392989207<br /><br />David (Khedher) Basson<br />Tel AvivAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04658653162490099874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12677825.post-17140929900190725982017-12-20T09:56:04.076+00:002017-12-20T09:56:04.076+00:00I am not sure who the journalist refers "Prom...I am not sure who the journalist refers "Prominent members of London's Jewish community" who were surprised to receive an invitation to participate in an Iraqi Heritage Exhibition in December 2016<br /><br />The invitation was to ME personally and I prepared it and manned it with my 2 sons and my partner in my Forum with the full support of David Dangoor.<br /><br />Unfortunately only handful of London's Jewish community attended to support.<br /><br />I was the one who prepared this exhibition for over 3 weeks. I was the one who was available to answer questions about the Jews of Iraq and educate people. I was the one who was confronted by a Palestinian to bash Israel. I was the one who answered questions of few Arabic TV stations who wanted to turn our story as a copy of the Palestinian tragedy.<br /><br />The Iraqi Ambassador and his aids as well as the Iraqi Cultural Attache came to congratulate me for our excellent display <br /><br />It is quite disappointing that while I did not get the support of our community in London apart from few of my friends and mainly from David Dangoor who made it possible, neither me or nor my Forum was mentionedAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15247757418676819847noreply@blogger.com