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| Jews Celebrate Holocaust Muslim Heroes |
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| Tuesday, 06 November 2007 | |
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Before World War II, there were only 200 Jews in Muslim-majority Albania, which had a total population of 800,000. After the war, there were many more Jews after Jewish refugees from some half dozen European countries fled the Nazi persecution and sought shelter in Albania, according to Israeli officials. Gershman, a Jew, said Albanian King Zog, who ruled the country from 1928 to 1939, personally saved the Weizmann family, who fled to Albania after 1938's Nazi crackdown on Jews in Germany. The Code of Besa exhibition features black and white photographs of Albanians holding family photos and awards honoring their heroism. Thanks to the Albania-Israel Friendship Association Gershman was able to trace many Albanian Muslims who rescued Jews from the Nazi. He spent four years in Albania and met families of the heroes, photographed them and learnt about moving rescue operations. Israel has already honored 63 Albanians as "Righteous Among the Nations," a title granted to non-Jews who helped Jews escape Nazi persecution. Gershman said the Albanians have left a legacy that runs in the face of the stereotyped portrayal of Muslims in the West. "It's all about good people," he noted. "They think that all Muslims are terrorists - and that's crazy." Among those Gershman photographed is Enver Alia Sheqer, whose late father rescued Yeoshua Baruchowic from a Nazi convoy and sheltered him at his home for three years until the war was over. For decades, Baruchowic, a dentist in Mexico, exchanged letters with Sheqer, 50, and his father, who died in 2004. He calls Sheqer his "brother." "It's glorious. It's something I waited to do all my life," Baruchowic said when meeting Sheqer at the exhibition. Sheqer said asserted that his father was motivated by the principles of Islam. "My father was a devout Muslim," he said. "He believed that to save one life is to enter paradise." He said his father had to help Baruchowic because of the Albanian code of "Besa," which means "to keep the promise." "It is a virtue that has characterized the Albanian people for centuries. It means faith and trust," Albanian Charge d'Affaires in Israel Qirjako Kureta told the Post. He said Albanians saw Jews as fellow human beings who needed shelter. "They neither gave up their Jews nor supplied the Germans with names of Jews in their villages." Source: www.islamonline.net           Readers have left 20 comments.
Zesto:
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It would be wonderful if the spirit and respect for Jews by the Albanian Muslims were to inspire all Muslims.
(1)
2007-11-07 08:06:32
Taz:
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If you look at Iran and Morocco you will see that Jews and Muslims do live side by side in peace today. If you think it's the Muslims who cause the violence then why is it that Israel attacks her neigbours? Zionism is the real evil ideology. Zesto you Zionist troll!
(2)
2007-11-07 09:57:13
shan:
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This is nothing new muslims have given refuge to jews for hundreds of years.
when they were being slaughtered during the inquisition they found refuge in muslim lands from morrocco-turkey to bosnia. its a pity that zionists forced jews into a position were they became the oppressors of palestinian muslims.
(3)
2007-11-07 11:06:45
Zesto:
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If you look at Iran and Morocco you will see that Jews and Muslims do live side by side in peace today. If you think it's the Muslims who cause the violence then why is it that Israel attacks her neigbours? Zionism is the real evil ideology. Zesto you Zionist troll! — TazAh! Its only the right kind of Jews then. The Dhimmi's! That's why 800,000 Jews fled Arab lands to live in Israel. Maybe the weather was better!
(4)
2007-11-07 13:49:30
Zesto:
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This is nothing new muslims have given refuge to jews for hundreds of years. — shanwhen they were being slaughtered during the inquisition they found refuge in muslim lands from morrocco-turkey to bosnia. its a pity that zionists forced jews into a position were they became the oppressors of palestinian muslims. Are there no Palestinian Christians now left? I knew they were leaving because of the persecution but I thought there were some still staying.
(5)
2007-11-07 13:51:14
azaad:
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Is it not the case that the Jews have survived as a people largely because of Muslims?
When all around Europe so-called Christians were murdering/expelling Jews by the thousands, in Muslim lands Jews lived, thrived and are here to tell the tale -- if only they WOULD tell the tale! How easily is that crucial historical fact forgotten in the phrase : 'judaeo-christian civilisation'!
(6)
2007-11-08 10:12:40
Zesto:
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Is it not the case that the Jews have survived as a people largely because of Muslims? — azaadWhen all around Europe so-called Christians were murdering/expelling Jews by the thousands, in Muslim lands Jews lived, thrived and are here to tell the tale -- if only they WOULD tell the tale! How easily is that crucial historical fact forgotten in the phrase : 'judaeo-christian civilisation'! I agree with you that Jews owe their safety to Muslims at certain times in history - and also owe their peril and danger to Muslims at other times in history. Remember 1948 and 1967 (to name two). Those were attempts to wipe out Jews from Israel.
(7)
2007-11-08 12:41:41
shan:
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1948 and 1967 were attempts stop theives and murderers from robbing and killing.
if the zionists had not invaded and occupied palestine then today there would be no problems in palestine. as i said before zionists have done a great disservice to jewish and muslim co existence,zionism is the enemy of both jews and muslims as a lot of jews are finding out.
(8)
2007-11-08 14:35:03
Zesto:
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1948 and 1967 were attempts stop theives and murderers from robbing and killing. — shanif the zionists had not invaded and occupied palestine then today there would be no problems in palestine. as i said before zionists have done a great disservice to jewish and muslim co existence,zionism is the enemy of both jews and muslims as a lot of jews are finding out. No. !948 and 1967 were unprovoked attacks on Israel in order to steal their land and turn it into Arab/Muslim land, and slaughter the Jews. Its only through sheer incompetence and lack of military nous that the Arabs failed miserably. They don't like defeat - and yet defeat is a very common state for Arab nations. Maybe they should try peace, like Egypt and Jordan. Zionism is simply a movement to support the return of the Jewish Nation to the Jews by re-uniting them to their historical home and roots, as written in the Koran. Allah was the FIRST Zionist since he granted The Land of Israel to the Jewish people. You KNOW its in the Koran.
(9)
2007-11-08 18:33:53
RSD:
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This story is not simply that the Albanians were good people, but perhaps more importantly that as Muslims they resisted the call by the Nazis and the Muslim Hanschjar SS leadership to participate in a racist & genocidal enterprise. It is also significant that the Albanians did not turn their backs on the Jews at their moment of greatest suffering, something which cannot be said of other Muslims. It is something that the Albanians have much to be proud of.
The claims about which religion treated the Jews better are informed largely by self-serving statements which seek to promote the standing of the speaker. The fact is that based on independent evidence that neither Christianity nor Islam were truly better than the other and that both had cycles of sectarian violence. 18th & 19th Century UK government officials were shocked at the treatment that Jews received at the hands of their Muslim neighbours across the Middle East.
(10)
2007-11-08 20:33:49
shan:
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RSD were they shocked while they were selling africans as animals or were they shocked as they were exterminating millions of indians after their first war of independence.
were they so shocked that they enslaved and killed tens of millions of african human beings,do inform us. finally zesto tell us where in the quran it says the land of palestine was given to jews.
(11)
2007-11-09 11:39:30
Zesto:
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RSD were they shocked while they were selling africans as animals or were they shocked as they were exterminating millions of indians after their first war of independence. — shanwere they so shocked that they enslaved and killed tens of millions of african human beings,do inform us. finally zesto tell us where in the quran it says the land of palestine was given to jews. Surely you know Sura 5:21 where Allah says to Moses in telling the Jews to "enter into the holy land which Allah has assigned to you". Can't be clearer than that. You really MUST read the Koran to avoid the apostacy of trying to deny the Jews of Israel.
(12)
2007-11-09 15:06:54
Zesto:
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RSD were they shocked while they were selling africans as animals or were they shocked as they were exterminating millions of indians after their first war of independence. — shanwere they so shocked that they enslaved and killed tens of millions of african human beings,do inform us. finally zesto tell us where in the quran it says the land of palestine was given to jews. I must have missed something here. Were they shocked when Arab traders sold millions of Black Africans to slavery? Of course we were. Were we shocked at Madrid, 9/11, 7/7, Madrid, Bali and all the other terrorist attacks. We can be shocked. The Raj wasn't a great time either.
(13)
2007-11-09 15:12:45
shan:
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give th evidence zesto it is quite easy to say whatever you like back up the evidence that milions were sold injto slavery by arabs, i have visted black awareness events,yet i have never come accross these groups claiming tens of millions of africans were sold as slaves,but i have visited the marcus garvey centre and they claim upto 300 million africans were lost to slavery.
every day in iraq is 7/7 and every month is 911,the hundreds of thousands of terror attacks by so called christian soldeirs in iraq are infront of us. 60 years of terrorism against the palestinians by jews is proof of how shocked people are by jewish claims to be eternal victims. zesto you are a zesty zionist i have read the quran but nowhere is the word jew mentioned.
(14)
2007-11-09 16:21:56
Zesto:
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give th evidence zesto it is quite easy to say whatever you like back up the evidence that milions were sold injto slavery by arabs, i have visted black awareness events,yet i have never come accross these groups claiming tens of millions of africans were sold as slaves,but i have visited the marcus garvey centre and they claim upto 300 million africans were lost to slavery. — shanevery day in iraq is 7/7 and every month is 911,the hundreds of thousands of terror attacks by so called christian soldeirs in iraq are infront of us. 60 years of terrorism against the palestinians by jews is proof of how shocked people are by jewish claims to be eternal victims. zesto you are a zesty zionist i have read the quran but nowhere is the word jew mentioned. I guess the word "Israeite" is mentioned, or "Children of Israel". Shattering an illusion. They are Jews! I might agree that 'in iraq is 7/7 and every month is 911' because the perpetrators are of the same religion. Its the 'insurgents' that are doing all the killing at the moment.
(15)
2007-11-09 22:07:16
shan:
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So the word jew is not in the quran,thus shattering one of your lies.
the occupation soldeirs in iraq are blowing kisses and giving flowers to the iraqi people by air and ground. your logic is the same logic used by supporters of nazis when they were killing jews,all the dead died of deseases and the rest have been taken to camps for their own protection. nothign changes much about murderers they always blame the victims.
(16)
2007-11-10 11:52:39
RSD:
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Shan, the answer to your question is a resounding "yes, the British were shocked by the realities of the slave trade and no country on earth did more in practical terms to end it. Certainly there were those who profitted from and promoted slavery in Britain, but there were more people opposed to it. Claims about the numbers of Africans taken into slavery are indeterminable and it should be remembered that the Europeans merely latched onto an existing trade dominated by the Muslim traders of northern Africa. It should also not be forgotten that the Barbary Corsairs, from what is today Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, were raiding European coastal areas all the way to Iceland and even across the Atlantic to North America taking slaves from the native populations into the 19th Century. Slavery was and is an abomination that nearly every nation on earth is guilty of exploiting.
As for the millions alleged killed by the British during any action in India I am afraid your hyperbole has overtaken facts. Tens of Thousands were killed during the Sepoy Mutiny and the execution of mutinous Sepoys was done in a barbaric fashion. However it has to be seen in the context of the barbarity directed towards those Indians and British who opposed this uprising.
(17)
2007-11-12 08:47:22
shan:
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RSD since you have not given evidence but repeat your opinions i shal give you evidence of what i said about the killings of millions in india.
there is a study done by a british writer called late victorian holocausts in which it shows the number of indians who died due to british occupation of india. also check with the indian government who have had studies carried out which show after the first war of indepence more than a million people were slaughtered in india. as i said before give the proof just because a zionist says something does not become the truth. Finally as john pilger said,we seem to know all the criminal leaders in the world except our own,i wonder why.
(18)
2007-11-12 11:57:31
RSD:
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From a quick read of the text you refer to I do not see any demonstration of the idea that had the British not been present in India that the famine would not have occurred. It can be claimed that many hundreds of thousands of Indians died partly due to the economic decisions of the British and their Indian collaborators. But as the British did not, and do not, control the weather the absence fo the monsoon rains was not their fault and this was the prime cause of the famine. There is the argument that the British government should have shipped its grain product to India to relieve the famine. But there is no indication that this would have been feasible or achievable. The profiteers which are obliquely refered to would have been Indians for the most part, and other Indian provinces do not seem to have been welcoming of the displaced starving. All in all it seems that all concerned were tarred with the same brush of guilt.
As for John Pilger, having had some dealings with him 20 years ago I believe your faith in him is misplaced.
(19)
2007-11-12 20:03:23
shan:
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read the text fully and do remember that some of us do go and read the real history of the world not the one written by the victors.
the book clearly states lord curzon was told to finance his attack of afghanistan from indian coffers,there was no famine throughout india,there was ample food but it was exported to get money for the invasion of afghanistan and people were left to starve just like in ireland,i have noted that british governments has used food as a weapon all over the world. anyone who speaks the truth is somehow not trustable but people who follow the script are great people. so do not patrionise us as long as we have freedom to speak the truth i shall do so.
(20)
2007-11-14 12:22:06
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The result of a painstaking drive to dust off old, ignored archives, a photo exhibition in West Jerusalem is honoring Albanian Muslims who risked their own lives to hide and protect Jews hunted by the Nazis, Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday, November 4. 