The Tajik Synagogue Fiasco

I’d hate to to do it, but I’m going to have to disagree with both Joe Katzman and Meryl Yourish’s characterization of the destruction of Tajikistan’s lone synagogue.

Joe puts it in the “tolerance for other religions” category. I’m assuming that’s to point out how Muslim Tajiks are intolerant of the Jews in their midst. Tajikistan is certainly not free of problems, but if there is any particular religious intolerance, it is the all-too-common Central Asian state antipathy to all religions.

Eric, a commenter on Joe’s post, says that this is more a bureaucratic issue. He’s right. I don’t know Dushanbe’s layout enough to chime in on why this particular location was chosen, but the story I linked suggested this was prime real estate for a new government office building (“Palace” in the sense that the Soviets used it). It does sadden me that this is happening and that the Tajik government refuses to offer compensation.

As for Meryl’s comments, I encountered more indifference and ignorance (societal and official) about Jews than anything else in Uzbekistan, where the Jewish community has had more than its fair share of rough times. The biggest threat, for good or ill, to the Jews of Central Asia since the collapse of the Soviet Union has been the lure of Israel* and the United States. I got the impression that most Muslims could have cared less whether they stayed or went. As for the state’s opinion, it is pretty much the same for everyone, Jew, Muslim, or Christian: “Submit,” not, “We want you to leave.”

IMMEDIATE UPDATE: I get a slight impression from this story that there will be some kind of decent resolution of the issue.

MOSCOW. May 28 (Interfax) – Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS President Levi Levayev has urged Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov to prevent the demolition of a Dushanbe synagogue, which is planned by the city’s administration.

The building, which is the city’s only synagogue, will be replaced with a palace of nations and a park.

“Demolishing the ancient synagogue will provoke a negative response not only from the world’s Jewish communities, but also in the media,” Levayev said.

“The Jews came from Central Asia, including Tajikistan, and have always had warm feelings toward the friendly Tajik people, with whom they have been linked by many centuries of good relations,” he said.

“Such hasty decisions will not help raise Tajikistan’s prestige on the international stage. Rather, they could damage our peoples’ century- long relations,” Levayev said.

He called on Rakhmonov to invite religious and public leaders to Dushanbe to find the most optimal solution to the problem.

This story is getting a fair amount of attention, and that is nothing but bad news for President Rakhmonov, especially as he is so heavily dependent on foreign donors. So, if you feel like doing something, get in touch with your Congressional representatives to tell them you feel that this issue should have an impact on US aid packages to Tajikistan.

*The lure of Israel was strong enough that handfuls of Uzbeks paid Jewish leaders to certify them as Jews on their Uzbek passports so they could emigrate to Israel.