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Publié le 30 Septembre 2014

Le CRIF soutient les efforts de l'UNESCO pour sauvegarder le patrimoine culturel de l'Irak

À l'initiative de la France et de l'Irak, s'est tenu à l'UNESCO le lundi 29 septembre un colloque sur la protection du patrimoine irakien. L'ambassadeur de France auprès de l'UNESCO a dénoncé la guerre contre la culture à laquelle se livrent les djihadistes parlant d'un véritable "nettoyage culturel".

Comme l'a expliqué magistralement l'ambassadeur, si le patrimoine représente l'identité d'une région, témoigne de son histoire, alors sa destruction n'est pas le dommage collatéral de la guerre, il procède de la même logique d'anéantissement des hommes. Philippe Lalliot, tout comme la directrice de l'UNESCO Irina Bokova ont appelé à la préservation de tous les monuments religieux: Musulmans, Juifs, Yézidis, Chrétiens et à lutter contre le trafic d'œuvres d'art qui finance le terrorisme.

Monseigneur Pascal Gollnish, directeur général de l'œuvre d'Orient, a dénoncé ce qu'il a appelé "les crimes culturels contre l'humanité" que représente le saccage d'un patrimoine religieux témoin de "l'interaction des cultes" en Irak. Il a particulièrement demandé la protection de la tombe du prophète Nahum.

Les préoccupations des intervenants rejoignent celles du CRIF, de la JJAC ("Justice pour les Juifs des pays arabes") et du Congrès juif mondial, qu'Ève Gani a représenté à l'UNESCO.

En juin 2014, une mission du CRIF et de la JJAC sous la Présidence de Roger Cukierman et du Rabbin de New York Élie Abadie avait en effet présenté à la directrice de l'UNESCO Irina Bokova un inventaire de patrimoines des Juifs des pays arabes, dont le patrimoine irakien composé notamment de tombes de nombreux prophètes bibliques, parmi lesquels Ezra le Scribe. 

La France présentera une importante résolution au prochain Conseil exécutif de l'UNESCO qui se tiendra au mois d'octobre pour mandater l'organisation d'une mission à Bagdad, visant à examiner les dommages causés au patrimoine mésopotamien, berceau de l'écriture du monde.

Lien : http://www.CRIF.org/fr/leCRIFenaction/destruction-du-patrimoine-religieux-le-CRIF-et-la-jjac-justice-jews-arab-countries-demandent-la-mise-en-place-d%E2%80%99une-commission-multiconfessionnelle-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99unesco/51121

Jewish Holy Sites in Iraq

Respectfully submitted by:

Prof. Shmuel Moreh

Chairman of the Association of Jewish Academics from Iraq

June 6, 2014

Director,

UNESCO

A Call to Save Biblical Prophets' Shrines in Iraq and to Reconstruct them as World's Holy Places

Mesopotamia, known today as Iraq, is the birth place of the Patriarch Abraham in Ur-Keshdim. It is the land populated by shrines and tombs of Biblical Prophets and Saints. They were deported by the Assyrians and Babylonian to Babylonia after the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. There is some confusion of their exact location at the same time in different places. Others are confused with other saints from different religions.

After the victorious Muslim conquest, who considered Islam as the last, perfect and most favorable religion by Allah (Qur'an, 3:19), introduced the habit of saint's veneration and pilgrimage. Prayers and alms were offered to these tombs in expectation of fulfillment of their desires for healing, marriage, birth of a male baby, success in life, etc. Legends of their miracles were spread all over the Muslim and Jewish Diaspora. Many times disputes rose mainly between Muslims and Jews, in case that the names of the Prophets were mentioned in the Qur'an. In this case the Muslims hurried to build a mosque higher than the Synagogues or Churches to indicate the superiority of Islam, as the last and perfect religion. 

As the Chairman of the Association of Jewish Academics from Iraq (1980- ), I am in consistent correspondence with Iraqi Scholars. On 2011, I have received a call from Iraq, informing that the Shrine of Prophet Ezekiel at al-Kifl, is being converted by the Shi'i Waqf into a mosque. I sent an urgent e-mail to the President of Iraq, Mr. Talbani, asking him to hand the construction of the Shrine to the UNESCO, but no answer was received, except denial by the Iraqi Shi'i Waqf Authorities in Iraq. Photographs received from Iraq affirm that the conversion of the Shrine and the Hebrew Scripts were damaged. While Jewish Shrines which were converted into mosques because they were mentioned in the Qur'an were repaired, others were neglected and remained in ruins.

Our request is to keep the following main Shrines which were kept and used by the Jewish community until the last day of their forced expel during 1950-1952 from Iraq:

1.         The Shrine of the prophet Ezekiel at al-Kifl , on the western branch of the Euphrates, south of Baghdad. It was the most Holy Shrines venerated by the Jews and Muslims, since it was mentioned in the Qur'an (the Holy Qur'an (21:85; 38:38)) as Dha 'l-Kifl. It was in the hands of the Jews until few days before their forced expulsion from Iraq (1950-1952). Miracles were told of the Prophet by some pilgrims.  Now it is used by Muslims as a Mosque and the Hebrew Inscriptions were damaged during constructions by the Shi'i Waqf . My article in Jerusalem Post, were responded by denial of the Shi'i Waqf in Iraqi newsPapers.

2.         The Shrine of 'Ezra the Scribe (in the Qur'an it is mention as al-'Uzair), who led the wave of Rebuilding the Second Temple.  It was in control of the Jewish Community until the Exodus of 1951. It  is in ruins today.

3.         The Shrine of Joshua' the son of Yehosadaq, the High Priest (Cohen Gadol). Is located on the Western side of Baghdad near the Jewish quarter.  When Rabbi 'Abd-Allah Somekh died in 1889, the Muslim neighbors refused to bury him there, but the Turkish authority handed it to the Muslims since it was mentioned in the Qur'an. (21:87). On 1910 it was returned to the Jews until the Jewish forced exodus of 1951.

4.         The Tomb of Sheikh Ishaq Gaon in the Jewish quarter of Baghdad. He is said to be the treasurer of the fourth Caliph 'Ali b. Abi Talib. Now it is unattended and fell into ruins.

5.         The shrine of the Prophet Daniel and his three companions who are said to be buried in of mosque of Kirkuk north of Baghdad. The tombs need reconstruction.

6.         The Shrine of the prophet Jonah (Dhu 'l-Noon) Qur'an (21:87), called also Yunis (4:163; 6:86; 10:98; 37:129) is located in a pre-Islamic Church in Mosul, which was converted into a mosque after the Islamic conquest.

7.         The Shrine of the Prophet Nahum and his Sister Sarah who are buried in the Christian city of Al-Qoosh. Most of the baby mails who were born after a vow in north Iraq are called Nahum, even in Israel today. Professor Yona Sabar of UCLA who visited the tomb found it in a ruined condition.    

To conclude, putting these holy shrines under the supervision and reconstruction of the UNISCO would maintain them and allow all faiths to visit them. Hundreds of pilgrims who might come, would supply hundreds of tourist business to the pour Iraqi people and allow non-Muslims the possibility of pilgrimage which was denied to them more that 60 years ago. Archeological excavations and historic Studies would be possible for the benefit of Biblical and historical studies.

Prof. Shmuel Moreh

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern Studies,

Institute of Asian & African Studies

Israel Prize Laureate in Oriental Stuies (1999)

Commander of the Order of Lion of Finland (1986)

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