Re: Another from my archives.

"Juan M." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Until the last half of the 20th Century, Jews were better treated by
Muslims
> than by many Christians.
>

Overall, you are probably correct.

However, it is more like asking a slave, who h would rather have as a
master. One who beats him daily or one who beats him only twice a week. In
either case, ....

Here is a short history of Jews under living under Arab rule. It does not
include life under non-Arab Muslims (Turks, Persians, Tatars) It is also not
meant to be comprehensive:

Muhammad attacks Jewish Arabian tribes for refusing to convert to Islam.
Eventually the Southern Arabian tribes are destroyed: 624-7

Muslim forces capture Caesarea, forcing the city's estimated 100,000 Jews to
follow the Pact of Omar, which meant they had to pray quietly, not build new
synagogues and not prevent Jews from converting to Islam. The Jews were also
forbidden from riding horses and holding judicial or civil posts, and were
forced to wear a yellow patch for identification: 637

Destruction of Jewish Berber tribes in North Africa: 7th century

mass murders of Jews in Arab lands occurred in Morocco where whole
communities were wiped out by Muslim ruler Idris I: 8th century

Joseph HaNagid, the Jewish vizier of Granada, Spain, was crucified by an
Arab mob that proceeded to raze the Jewish quarter of the city and slaughter
its 5,000 inhabitants. December 30, 1066

The rule of Almohad in Spain, Jews were required to wear identification:
1146

The Almohads either forcibly converted or decimated several communities:
12th century

The first Jewish ghetto, or mellah, was created in Fez: 1438

Arab mobs in Fez slaughtered thousands of Jews, leaving only 11 alive: 1465

Ali Burzi Pasha murdered hundreds of Jews, Libya: 1785

Jews massacred in Algiers: 1805, 1815 and 1830

Marrakesh more than 300 hundred Jews were murdered between 1864 and 1880

Furthermore, decrees ordering the destruction of synagogues were enacted in
Egypt and Syria (1014, 1293-4, 1301-2), Iraq (854-859, 1344) and Yemen
(1676).

Jews were forced to convert to Islam or face death in Yemen (1165 and 1678),
Morocco (1275, 1465 and 1790-92) and Baghdad (1333 and 1344).

Then there is the Damascus blood libel of 1840. This led, in addition to
Damascus, to pograms in Cairo, Algeirs, Yemen, Aden, Alexandria, Baghdad,
Morocco and so on, in which hundereds of Jews died.