Morris Motamed

Morris Motamed is the only Jewish member of Parliament in Iran's Majlis, and is the official representative of the largest (25,000) Jewish community in the Middle East diaspora outside of Israel. The Persian Jewish community stretches back nearly 3000 years to around 680 BC when Jews fled King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and were freed from Babylonian captivity by Persia's King Cyrus the Great. Cyrus also underwrote the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

But now those ties are under strain. President Ahmedinejad has repeatedly offended the Iranian Jewish community with his attacks on Israel and the Holocaust, and there is worry for the community's safety if Israel attacks Iran. Concerns abound that the Jewish community could be pressured as they were during the Israel-Hezbollah War of 2006. After several synagogues in the southern city of Shiraz were attacked during the conflict, Jews held a pro-Hezbollah rally to prove their loyalty to the regime. In October, 2007 the Israeli press disclosed that "Danger!" letters had been sent to Iranian Jews by Jews in the diaspora warning them to flee ahead of an impending military attack on Iran.

Schuh: What is the condition of the Jewish community in Iran?

Motamed: Fortunately we have no problem in the Jewish community's living conditions. People often ask if there was any change after President Khatami's was succeeded by President Ahmedinejad and if there was any change in conditions for religious minorities, especially Jews? We always answered that fortunately and happily, that there was no change, and we hope that there will be no change in a negative direction..

Do you ever consider emigrating to Israel or the USA?

Emigration? I haven't thought about it and haven't decided anything. For the time being all my family members are living in the United States.

What is most difficult about life in Iran?

There is no difference between the way of life of the minority communities and the main body of the society, which means the Muslims.