Monday, November 18, 2024
Elder of ZiyonTHE Jews in Morocco are in the most abject state of slavery; but at Tangier it is remarkable that they live intermingled with the Moors, without having any separate quarter, which is the case in all other places where the Mahometan religion prevails. This distinction occasions perpetual disagreements; it excites disputes, in which, if the Jew is wrong, the Moor takes his own satisfaction; and if the Jew is right, he lodges a complaint with the judge, who always decides in favour of the Mussulman. This shocking partiality in the dispensation of justice between individuals of different sects begins from the cradle; so that a Mussulman child will insult and strike a Jew, whatever be his age and infirmities, without his being allowed to complain, or even to defend himself. This inequality prevails even among the children of these different religions; so that I have seen the Mahometan children amuse themselves with beating little Jews, without these daring to defend themselves....When they meet a Mussulman of high rank they are obliged to turn away hastily to a certain distance on the left of the road, to leave their sandals on the ground several paces off, and to put themselves into a most humble posture, their body intirely bent forward, till the Mussulman has passed to a great distance; if they hesitate to do this, or to dismount from their horse when they meet a Mahometan, they are severely punished. I have often been obliged to restrain my soldiers or servants from beating these poor wretches, when they were not active enough in placing themselves in the humble attitude prescribed on them by the Mahometan tyranny.
It turns out that newspapers in the 19th century had a number of articles from multiple sources that showed that, if anything, Ali Bey was soft-pedaling the problem.
His reporting was confirmed and expanded upon in 1859, by a British diplomat based in Rabat. His letter was published in The American Israelite, December 30 1859-January 6 1860.
The observer than adds a sarcastic addition:
The topic even reached the mainstream newspapers in 1888. A widely spread article said:
The Jews of Morocco are to my mind at once the most interesting and most trying race of people, says a writer in the Boston Transcript.....Among the anomalies connected with them is that they are hated and despised by the Moors, subject to every insult and degradation that can be imagined, yet they are recognized as such necessary members of society that there is a law which is actively enforced, forbidding Jews to leave the country under any circumstances. The Jews, outside of one or two coast towns, are treated worse than the meanest and lowest animals... Moor thinks no more of killing a Jew, if he can do It quietly, then of killing a rat. The Jews are not allowed to carry arms of any kind, nor to ride upon a horse, mule or donkey, or bullock, but he must make all journeys on foot; neither are they allowed to wear any foot covering outside of their own quarter, where they are herded together like animals, their dresses being regulated and restricted so they may always be known from the believers at a glance and they are forbidden to build any places of worship or to hold religious services of any kind-which command is religiously disregarded, services being held regularly in their houses, with, in some cities, a guard posted to inform of the approach of strangers.If there is any nasty work to be done, as for instance the embalming of heads of executed rebels 80 that they may bang the longer at the traitor's gate, the Jews are pressed. into service; if the sultan or one of his officers wishes a few thousand dollars to meet a sudden demand, some wealthy Jew who has paid the least for protection, is seized without notice and thrown into a dungeon until he has been squeezed out of a proper sum..
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