The Jews of Bahrain:

"I consider myself a Bahraini Jewish Arab - and I am very proud of it."
Visitors to Bahrain are always surprised to learn that Jews and Arabs live, and work, together here; but Bahrainis
consider it odd that people think their situation is unusual.
"I know nowhere but Bahrain. I was born here, and my friends are here. I spend my nights with them, I spend my
days with them, and I do my business with them. Religion is not an issue. When my friends come to my house, at
prayer time they go to a room in my house and pray. They don't say, "This is a Jewish house, I will not pray in it."
This is just an example. People see it as a big deal, but for us, it's not a big deal," says Rouben D. Rouben, 46, sole
distributor of Sharp Electronics in the country.
The Jewish community began to settle in Bahrain in the early 1900s, most of them came from Iraq, Iran and India --
traders who found Bahrain the ideal place to live. "My family moved to Bahrain in 1914. Nothing happened to make
us leave Iraq. My grandfather was a trader and when he came here, he just decided he wanted to live here," says

Rouben.
Before the creation of Israel in 1948, 600 Jews lived in Bahrain. But after each Middle East war, some Bahraini
Jews would leave the country, most went to the U.S. or England. Today only 30 Jews live in Bahrain, but the Jewish
community is on the rise. "My brother has five children, and many of the others that live here all have a couple of
children, so we are getting bigger, not smaller," says Rouben, a confirmed bachelor.
"Nobody has ever made any unwelcome remarks to me and we feel comfortable here - this is our home. We really
feel that we are Bahrainis, and I'm not saying this because I'm speaking to a journalist. We are Bahrainis. Business
wise, we provide services to everyone in the community. W feel very comfortable here, this is our home," says Meir
Nonoo, 58, managing director of the Bahrain Financing Company.
When waves of protest rose throughout the Arab world over Israel's creation 1948, some Bahrainis held
demonstrations in the streets, but no Jewish businesses were vandalized, or destroyed.
And, according to Rouben, it was not Bahrainis who destroyed their synagogue in 1948.
"The problems didn't come from the Bahrainis, but from a few foreigners. At that time, there were a lot of pearl
divers and Iranian merchants coming here to trade. There were a few problems, but none of the Bahrainis were
involved. When riots broke out in the streets protesting the creation of Israel, many of the Jewish families took
refuge with Bahraini friends and their families. Most of the Jews stayed in Muslim houses until things settled down,"
says Rouben.
"In 1948 these foreigners raided the synagogue, and I think a house was burned. But nobody was hurt. Some people

decided to leave, but not because anything happened personally to them," says Rouben.
"I remember 1967 very well; there were also demonstrations on the streets. I was 10 or12 years old, and we were
standing in our shop and my brother wanted to close the shutters. A policeman told him not to do it. "We are here,
you have nothing to worry about," he said. The demonstrations weren't violent, they were just shouting against
Israel. They never touched any of our shops or homes, and I don't think they would have -- even if the police weren't
there."
"For me, Israeli is a nationality and not a religion. The religion is Jewish, but they are mixing this with that. Okay,
it's a Jewish state, but Israel is not Judaism," Rouben says.
"Our showroom is on the main street of Bahrain, with the name Rouben written in large letters on the outside. This
showroom has been here for 16 years, before that, we had different showrooms but always with the same name since
1958. And before that, my grandfather's sign used to read 'Meir Daoud Rouben and Sons,' from 1920 on - and
nothing ever happened to us. No one ever vandalized our shops, or broke our windows. Not once in all these years,"
says Rouben.
Meir Nonoo 58, is one of the Bahraini Jews that decided to give another country a try, only to come back home.
"Because of the sluggish economy in the '60s, I left here to live in Great Neck, Long Island. But I returned to
Bahrain as soon as the economy picked up. I lived there for 11 years and got a really good job. I actually ended up
being the vice president of a major bank in New York, doing foreign exchange. Then, with the advent of the oil
boom, my brother asked to come back to look after the family business, which I did, and I can say that we've built
up a nice family business."
And the Jews of Bahrain aren't worried about anyone try to get a piece of their "family business." Rouben said he
has had the Sharp dealership since 1965. "No one would ever try to do such a thing here. All Bahrainis have equal
rights, and the government would protect us.
"My brother is the director of some companies here that are on the stock exchange here in Bahrain. And another
brother, who recently passed away, was the managing director of Bahrain Cinema Company."
Rouben says the Bahraini Jews all have successful positions: "For us, we started our businesses from nothing. My
father was working as a cashier chief for 35 years, and now, thank God, we are okay. If there were any 'ifs' or 'buts',

we wouldn't have reached this stage.

"Everyone here has their niche," Rouben continues. "We are involved in electronics. Next to us is the Ambassador
Store; they're the agents for Seiko, Akai and Pioneer. They are also Jews, but they live here and in London, and go
and come back. His brothers are the agents for Rolex and Longuines, and Westinghouse. They all have houses here.
Then there's Bahrain Financing Company, that's the Nonoo family. The Cohen family has had their sign up for 55
years and no one has ever taken it down, or marred it."
"I have a partnership with a Bahraini Muslim in another business, but that was my choice. And that's a completely
different business. We own properties, houses, buildings, land; we trade on the Bahraini stock market. There is
absolutely no difference between me and anybody on the street here," said Rouben.
And Rouben points out that the Bahraini government has taken good care of them. "When the late Amir (Shaikh Isa
bin Salman Al Khalifa) passed away last year, the present Amir (Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa) called the
Jewish community together and told us there was nothing to worry about, the government would continue with its
same policy. He assured us nothing would change."
"Every single one of us went to meet him," Rouben said.
"Shaikh Hamed told us that any Bahraini, born in Bahrain, who has emigrated elsewhere, has the right to come back
to Bahrain, and get a Bahraini passport anytime they want," Nonoo explained.
"And the Crown Prince also told us that the government is prepared to give us land to build a synagogue, since we
did not rebuild the old synagogue and now it is not in a good part of town now," says Nonoo.
Like their Arab counterparts, the Bahraini Jews feel a lot of problems are due to inaccuracies reported in the media.
"People think it's strange that there are Jews in Bahrain. For me, I am proud that I am in Bahrain. I don't mind it, but
everybody seems shocked that there are Jews in Bahrain. But once they know the local community, the Bahrainis,
then they form a different idea. It's because of propaganda and the media, they exaggerate things.
Many countries, including the U.S., has taken notice of Bahrain's evenhanded policies. In 1999, the U.S. State
Department released a report complimenting Bahrain's policy of religious tolerance. The report, which examined
religious tolerance throughout the world, noted Bahrain's constitution provided for freedom of worship for both
Muslims and non-Muslims. The report said the Bahraini community set an example to many other countries
regarding religious tolerance and freedom of worship.
"I think most of what you hear on the news is all, excuse me, B.S. I'm sure there are Jews and Arabs living next door
to each other in Israel who are friends," says Rouben.
Rouben said many American Congressmen and British MPs have come to visit them, seeking assurances that the
Jewish community is well treated. "Many people assumed that Jewish people would not feel comfortable living with
Muslims, but they don't know anything," says Meir Nonoo.
"This is something that a lot of Western Jews don't understand. We don't have a 'problem' here between Jews and
Arabs. The problem is an Arab-Israeli problem, not an Arab-Jewish problem," says Meir's nephew, Abraham
Nonoo, 31, director of Bahrain Financing Company, who believes it's too easy to generalize about this subject
without thinking of specifics.
Abraham, who left Bahrain at the age of 11 to be educated in England, returned to Bahrain when he was 23. "I've
traveled the world enough to realize that it's not worth being small-minded over someone's religion. At the end of
the day, we're all people, and religion should not be a barrier for friendship in any way."
"Sorry to say this, but there are lots of Americans who are totally ignorant about the Arabs, about who the Arabs are
and what they really are all about. It's important for Americans not to judge Arabs by newspapers and other
propaganda. If they lived with them, as we do, they would know what good people they really are," said Rouben.
"I would like to tell Americans that Bahrain is a very clean and open society, and it's also very cosmopolitan." adds
Meir Nonoo. "As for business opportunities, they've amended the laws and now foreigners can open companies in
Bahrain, which you can't do anywhere else in the Gulf. And there's a lot of red tape in other (Gulf) countries, which
you don't have here."
It is clear that both men are proud of their country, and happy to talk about its advantages.
"Bahrain is the best place in the Gulf, believe me, there is no question about it," says Meir. "If any company doing
business in the region thinks about establishing themselves anywhere but here, they would be really silly, because
Bahrainis are well-educated, they speak excellent English, there is good local manpower, the cost of living is not
exorbitant, and you can find good housing and offices."
"I'd tell Americans to please come here; it's a wonderful society," Meir continues. "It's a hundred times nicer than
New York; and there are no crimes here. You can walk down the street with billions of dollars in you pocket without
anybody questioning you or bothering you. We consider ourselves very fortunate to live in Bahrain."
"Nobody looks at religion here," says Meir. "There are Bahraini Christians here, and there are 13 churches in
Bahrain. There is even a Hindu temple here. It's an open society."
"When I die, I hope to be buried here," says Meir. "Our Jewish cemetery is very well kept, and it's been here for
over one hundred years. It is right next to the Christian cemetery, and the Shi'as cemetery is across the street from
us. We live together and we rest in peace together, just the way it should be."

Breaking With History

Bahrain Appoints Jewish Man, Four Women to Key Council

By Hoda Abdel-Hamid

C A I R O, Egypt, Sept. 28 —
Ibrahim Dawood Nonoo says
he’s made his dead grandfather proud. As a Jew living
in a Muslim-dominated Gulf state, he’s always been the
odd man out; in a few days, he will be the odd man in.
His grandfather’s pride may well extend to the few dozen other Jews who
live, work and play alongside the more than 600,000 Muslims in the oil-rich
state of Bahrain.
A decree issued by Bahrain’s leader, Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa,
this week named 19 newcomers — Nonoo included — to Majlis al-Shoura,
Bahrain’s consultative council.
It Was a Man’s World
Nonoo will be joined by four women, who are also making history as the first
of their “kind” to be admitted. They will officially join the council on October
3.

The previously all-male, all-Muslim council reviews laws drafted by the

Cabinet before they are sent to the emir for final approval.
Nonoo, a Jewish businessman, whose family is of Iraqi origin, said his
Bahrain nomination to the council did not come as a total surprise to him.
has broken with history and its
Muslim neighbors to allow a Jewish
man and four women into a key body.
(ABCNEWS.com/ Magellan
Geographix)
Nonoo’s family arrived in Bahrain in 1905 and has lived there ever since. He is one of only 35 Jews known to reside
in the state. In essence, the Jewish population is a handful of families.
“I was born here,” said Nonoo, “and my religious faith was never a problem. I am a Bahraini before anything.”
Free to Pray
Unlike some Muslim nations, Bahrain’s laws allow for religious freedom.
But even if Nonoo was not surprised, his appointment marked a first and “it is surely a sign of changing mentalities”
said one Western diplomat.
“Gulf States, with the exception of Saudia Arabia, have been slowly opening up to Israel. There are a lot of business
deals happening already,” the diplomat said.
Emirs of Qatar, Bahrain and Oman all met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak during the U.N. Millennium
Summit in New York last month. “This is a big achievement,” said newly appointed female council member Mona
Al Zayani, who earned a PhD. from the University of Southern California.
“It puts women in a position to be observed and we can prove we are worthy of the confidence bestowed upon us.”
“I am looking forward to this,” says Alice Samaan, a Christian who is also a new appointee. “It is a challenge to
walk into a place that was reserved for men. I hope we can contribute in issues that will benefit women and young
people.

Right on Minority Rights

Women in Bahrain have enjoyed relative social freedom compared to other Gulf States.
“Women are very active in the private and public sector,” said male council member Fouad Shehab.
“This Majlis [council] will really represent this society. Women have a different look at issues, they will
complement men,” Shehab said.
Shehab, who has been re-appointed for a second term, said he was proud to see Bahrain introduce women and non-
Muslims to politics.
In Saudia Arabia, non-Muslims are not allowed to practice their faith and women hold very few rights.
Bahrain authorities dissolved the island state’s first elected parliament in 1975, two years after it was set up.
Restoration of the elected parliament was the main spark to political unrest by Bahrain’s majority Shiite Muslim
community in 1994. The disturbances abated in 1998.
Political parties are banned in Bahrain, the Gulf’s financial and banking hub.

Bahrain’s population is estimated at 650,000 of which 45,000 are Christians.