Let's All Move to Iran ..... Chief Rabbi Of Iran: There Is Complete Freedom Of Religion In Iran

Interesting... I don't see any Neturei Karta running to live there... I wonder why
Rav Yehudah Grami, the Chief Rabbi of Teheran, said there was “complete freedom of religion” in Iran in an interview on Sunday.

In the interview, which was carried out in Hebrew with Al-Monitor and broadcast on Channel 12 News in Israel, Rav Grami spoke about many aspects of Jewish life in Iran.

“I estimate that there are between 20,000 and 25,000 Jews in the country. Most of them live in Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan and Kermanshah, though there are other, small communities too,” Rav Grami said.

“We have total freedom of religion,” claimed Rav Grami. ” All the shuls are open, and Torah classes take place there. We have all sorts of educational institutions too, including elementary and middle schools.”

Rav Grami also spoke about the coronavirus crisis, which seems to have barely affected the Jewish community in hard-hit Iran, in part, thanks to his swift action by closing all shuls in March.

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“I immediately understood where this was heading, so I ordered that all the shuls be closed and that people daven privately, without a minyan. At the same time, on Purim, I authorized just this once to have the Megillah read via livestream, and I forbade people from fasting on Taanis Esther. I continued giving my classes through Instagram and Skype. I am convinced that we came out of it [the coronavirus crisis] relatively unscathed because of all the precautions we took.”

Rav Grami said that there is little problem with anti-Semitism in Iran. “Our Muslim neighbors have a lot of respect for us as Jews living in Iran,” he said. “Unlike in Europe, for example, we do not have guards outside our shuls and schools, and our personal safety is excellent. Of course, we sometimes encounter people who are anti-Semitic, but that happens everywhere. Most of the population respects us and lives in peace with us. What is important is that in Iran there is no such concept as organized attacks on Jews.”

What about Iran’s quite volatile relationship with Israel? “We are always emphasizing that we do not like getting involved in all the disputes, wars and politics between the two countries,” Rav Grami asserted. “It is a debate between politicians and has nothing to do with religion.”

“People tend to get confused, but there is a big difference between Zionism and Judaism. Judaism is a religion that is 3,300 years old, while Zionism is a national and political movement that is just 100 years old. As a country, the State of Israel has nothing to do with religion in general and Judaism in particular. This is not a war between religions. All the Jews here emphasize that. The worst thing that could happen would be to give the impression that this is a war of religion.”

Rav Grami also spoke about his much-publicized condolence call to the family of Quds Force commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

“What the Western world does not fully understand is that Soleimani is an Iranian national hero,” Rav Grami said. “He is really admired in our country. He showed great bravery in the Iran-Iraq War. Then, in the war in Syria, it was Soleimani who defeated the Islamic State, and this was very important to the people of Iran. Our visit, as representatives of all the religions, was to respect his memory after everything he did on behalf of Iran.”