Т. 2. Азия и Африка: Наследие и современность

384 Азия и Африка: наследие и современность. Т. 2 СЕКЦИЯ XXI. «ШКОЛА МОЛОДОГО ВОСТОКОВЕДА» — 2017 WORKSHOP OF YOUNG SCHOLARS IN ASIAN AND AFRICAN STUDIES — 2017 Sayed Reza Ghaemi (Shahid Motahari University, Tehran); Muhammad Allahdadi (Quran and Hadith Research Institute, Tehran) Interaction with Jewish Minority in Bārforush in the 19 th Century Bārforush is one of the oldest cities in the south bank of the Caspian Sea, recently called Babol. Because of its unique position, this city has always been the most important business center in the district of Tabaristan. It has been a place of residence for the people of different tribes and religions, including the Jews. At the beginning of the Safavid era, Jews migrated to Bārforush to do business. They started working mostly in the cloth business and doing jobs banned for Muslims, like selling alcohol beverages. The interaction between Muslims and Jews was generally good. They were peacefully trading, and Jews freely performed their religious rites. The only notable incident was a murder of a Muslim girl by a Jew that made the Muslims to attack the Jewish neighborhood killing 14 Jews, which produced fear among the members of this religious minority. When Muhammad Hassan Bārforushi, usually known as Sheikh-e-Kabir , entered the city, he was informed about the relationship between the Muslims and the Jews. He started preaching among the city population talking them about the Jews. He explained that the Jews are monotheists and from the viewpoint of Islam they are the “People of the book” that must be respected. This improved the relationship between two communities, so that there were no conflicts thereafter. With the establishment of Israel in 1947, many Jews immigrated to that land, so there was almost no Jew left in the city, except some old ones.