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My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents spent their lives in this neighborhood, Aviva, an 84-year-old Jewish grandmother in Tehran, Iran, explained to me over the phone, as her warm voice shivered with years of memories. My ancestors, in fact, settled in this country more than 30 centuries ago.

Avivas reference to 3,000 years of history points also to the origins of the Jewish community in Iran, then known as Persia. The peaks and valleys of Iran Jewish history date back to the late biblical times. The Jewish population predominantly moved to Persia during the Achaemenid Empire, when Cyrus the Great invaded Babylon. The Jewish community became an important, integral and influential part of Persian society, and some scholars argue that at some point, 20 percent of the population was Jewish. People who were once captives became important historical figures, such as Queen Esther. Persian kings including Artaxerxes, Cyrus, and Darius permitted the Jews to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.

When Arabian Islam conquered Persia, the Jewish community faced a new sociopolitical and socioreligious landscape: They were put in a specific classification (dhimmis) and had to pay special taxes, instead of the Muslim zakat, in order to compensate for the caliphates social welfare, protection, and security.

After Shiism became the official state religion in the 16th century, the status and rights of the Jews deteriorated even more. Under the rule of some kings, the Jews were forced to wear a distinctive badge and clothing that separated them from others in the community, allowing them to become targets of hatred. Fear became a part of their everyday lives. In what was known as the Allahdad incident in March 1839, forced conversion against Jews was carried out. The lives of some were spared because they converted to Islam in order to save their lives.

In 1948, Iran still had a Jewish population of about 150,000 peoplethe largest Jewish population in the Middle East after Israel, mainly concentrated in Tehran, Esfahan, and Shiraz. While many Jews lived peacefully in Iran after the founding of the State of Israel, the Islamic Revolution of Iran radically altered the status of Irans Jewish community.

Since 1979, the situation has been different, the seemingly composed and patient Aviva said. We learned to adjust our lives and adapt to the new environment to survive like many others. We dont talk about politics, mind our business, and try not to run into problems.

Some Iranian politicians and media outlets give the impression that Jews have been living in Iran comfortably with equal rights since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif boasted in New York: We have a history of tolerance and cooperation and living together in coexistence with our own Jewish people, and withJews everywhere in the world. The Islamic Republics founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei, famously said to a delegate from the Jewish community that the Jews will be protected and he issued a fatwa for that:

In the holy Quran, Moses, salutations upon him and all his kin, has been mentioned more than any other prophet. Prophet Moses was a mere shepherd when he stood up to the might of pharaoh and destroyed him. Moses, the Speaker-to-Allah, represented pharaohs slaves, the downtrodden, the mostazafeen of his time. Moses would have nothing to do with these pharaoh-like Zionists who run Israel. And our Jews, the descendants of Moses, have nothing to do with them either. We recognize our Jews as separate from those godless, bloodsucking Zionists.

But facts appear to tell us a different story than the narrative Khamenei, Rouhani, Zarif, and other current Iranian leaders attempt to spread, a story that is neither tolerant nor kind. Since 1979, the numbers of the Jewish population are down by more than 90 percent, and fear is a familiar companion for those who remain, whether because they are too old to leave or because they remain attached to the country of their birth.

The execution of Habib Elghanian, the head of the Jewish community, a businessman, and a philanthropist, was the first powerful blow that befell the Jewish community and sent an intimidating massage from the Islamic Republic. This action appeared to be taken mainly for the purpose of imposing fear. The charges against him included friendship with the enemies of God and being a Zionist spy. His granddaughter, Shahrzad Elghanayan, said that after a 20-minute trial on trumped-up charges he was executed. In the span of less than an hour, an influential voice was silenced. That message, that terror, rippled through the community.

In the current climate of the Iranian governments antagonism toward Israel, the remaining Jewish population of Iran, which numbers perhaps 9,000, is caught in complex circumstances. Irans Jewish community has to be extremely cautious of showing any sympathy toward Israel. If they exhibit any sign of this, they risk serious criminal charges, such as being labeled an Israeli spy. Consequences of these charges range from torture to death.

Each word spoken, each action taken, and all movement throughout the community is calculated and evaluated carefully to prevent these consequences. Still, this is not enough. The government authorities intervene in the few Jewish schools that remain. Jews are not allowed to become school principals. The curriculum has changed, and activities are monitored to make sure, for example, that the main language is Persian and not Hebrew. Distribution of Hebrew texts or the teaching of Judaism is risky and strongly discouraged.

Even within school walls, the Jewish community cannot expect any form of safety or freedom. Current restrictions and discriminatory policies against Jews include bans against Jewish people in key governmental and significant decision-making positions: A Jewish person cant be a member of the influential Guardian Council, a commander in the army, or serve as the president of the nation, among other restrictions. Jews are not permitted to become a judge at any level or assist in the judicial or legislative systems. Furthermore, Jews are banned from becoming members of parliament (the Consultative Assembly) through general elections.

Jews are not allowed to inherit from Muslims. But, if one member of a Jewish family converts to Islam, he would inherit everything. This law seems to be designed to promote conversion to Islam by providing financial incentives.

There exist several forms of discrimination in the penal code as well. Qisas, or the right to equal justice, has not been specified in the penal code for the Jewish people. For example, if a Jew kills a Muslim, the family of the victim has the right to ask for execution as a penalty, but if a Muslim kills a Jew, the right of a family member to demand the execution of the murderer would be left to the discretion of the judges.

Irans constitution lays out in detail the protections for practicing and preaching Islam, but not for Judaism. Article 12 of the Iranian Constitution states:

The official religion of Iran is Islam and the Twelver Jafari school, and this principle will remain eternally immutable. Other Islamic schools are to be accorded full respect, and their followers are free to act in accordance with their own jurisprudence in performing their religious rites. These schools enjoy official status in matters pertaining to religious education, affairs of personal status (marriage, divorce, inheritance, and wills) and related litigation in courts of law. In regions of the country where Muslims following any one of these schools constitute the majority, local regulations, within the bounds of the jurisdiction of local councils, are to be in accordance with the respective school of fiqh, without infringing upon the rights of the followers of other [Islamic] schools.

One might wonder how Iranian leaders dare to boast about equality between Jews and others while intimidating entire segments of its population into silence under laws that are manifestly unequal. To further insult the communities, they claim that Jews remain in Iran because they are treated equally. The impression is given that the Iranian government has created such a welcoming space for its Jewish community that they would freely choose to live there. There is no mention of the vast majority of people that have fled the oppressive laws and policies and settled in other countries for the sake of their physical safety.

So who stays in Iran? Some of the Jews who have stayed in Iran are elderly and unable to tolerate travel or establishing a new home in a foreign country. Some Jews are determined to protect their sacred places and synagogues, or family homes.

Asked why she does not immigrate to another country, Aviva gave me a different reason. When I die, I want to die in my land, she said. I want to be buried next to my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. This is where they drew their first and last breaths. This is where they wept their toys of joy and sorrow. Their blood, sweat, and lives are all part of the soil, and the sky here, and mine is as well. This is my home.

Her simple words echo through my mind. Iran is her home.

***

Read more from Tablets special Iran Week.

Majid Rafizadeh is an Iranian-American political scientist, President of the International American Council, and the author of Peaceful Reformation in Iran's Islam. His Twitter feed is @Dr_Rafizadeh.

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Majid Rafizadeh - Tablet Magazine

The Iranian military has used a Star of David, the symbol of the Jewish faith, as target practice for missile tests, the Israeli envoy to the UN has claimed.

This use of the Star of David as target practice is hateful and unacceptable, Danny Danon told the international bodys Security Council on Wednesday, while handing out satellite imagery allegedly showing the Iranian site.

The photographs showed the six pointed star which represents both Judaism and the Israeli state in what Mr Danon said was a ballistics missile testing ground. An impact crater could clearly be seen.

Iran unveils clock counting down the days until Israel's 'destruction'

The holy star was used as a target for a mid-range Qiam ballistic missile test in December 2016, Mr Danon said in aformal complaint to the UN from the Mission of Israel.

The missile launch is not only a direct violation of UNSCR 2231, but is also a clear evidence of Irans continued intention to harm the State of Israel, Mr Danon told delegates, referencing the 2015 resolution which paved the way for lifting international sanctions on Iran in return for curbs to its nuclear programme.

It is the Iranians who prop up the [Syrian President Bashar] Assad regime as hundreds of thousands are killed, finance the terrorists of Hezbollah as they threaten the citizens of Israel, and support extremists and tyrants throughout the Middle East and around the world, he added.

The incident is not the first time there has been an anti-Semitic flavour to Iranian test strikes: in March 2016, two ballistic missiles were test fired, reportedly carrying the message Israel must be wiped out written on the sides of the weapons in Hebrew.

The Islamic Republic has sworn the destruction of the Jewish state.

Iran conducted its first missile strike outside its own territory in 30 years earlier this month, hitting Isis positions in northern Syria as revenge for the 7 June suicide attacks in Tehranwhich killed 17 people.

The incidents at parliament and the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini were the first attacks on Iranian soil claimed by the Sunni group, which believes the Shia Islam mostly practised in Iran is heretical.

Irans Revolutionary Guard warned at the time that any further attacks on Iran would result in more strikes.

Tehran is known to have carried out two ballistic missile tests so far this year. It claims the non-nuclear weapons not violate the landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers in 2015.

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Iran is using the Star of David as target practice for missile tests - The Independent

An Iraqi soldier stands inside a compound ISIS used as a prison in Mosul. Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters

Agriculture is not an unimportant source of income for them, he told NBC News.

Woertz explained that ISIS had previously been able to seize the wages of civil servants who lived in militant-held zones but were still being paid government wages. However, Iraq had ended the practice of paying wages into ISIS-controlled areas, cutting off a revenue stream to the militants.

It is also not a winning brand anymore, Woertz said. When it was gaining control of areas it had an image of invincibility for a little while or was able to project that image on social media but now it is a losing brand that attracts less overseas support in the form of donations.

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As far as they want to be a state, they have failed, or are about to fail, Woertz said.

However, despite ISIS's "caliphate" project appearing increasingly unsustainable, experts warned that conditions in the region were still ripe for Islamist violence.

"A great deal will depend on effective governance in areas [liberated from ISIS]," said Butter of Chatham House. "But it is still quite a mess. There are a lot of people pushing ISIS-style ideology and they may find some receptiveness in Iraq if the country continues to be governed in the way it has been.

"ISIS as weve known it is looking very much on the way out, but something else could replace it," he added. "The ideology behind it is quite virulent.

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ISIS Revenue Falls 80 Percent as Militants Lose Ground in Iraq, Syria - NBCNews.com

Canada has about 200 special forces soldiers operating in northern Iraq, supported by a combat hospital, a helicopter detachment, a surveillance plane and an air-to-air refueling aircraft. Photograph: Valda Kalnina/EPA

Canada is extending its military mission against the Islamic State group in Iraq for another two years, the countrys defense minister announced Thursday.

Harjit Sajjan left open the possibility of ramping up the offensive, saying the military would deploy capabilities as needed.

The coalition has made significant progress in the fight against Daesh in Mosul, Sajjan said in a statement, using the Arabic name for the group.

As the situation evolves, coalition allies and partners must remain flexible and adapt to changing threats.

Implicit in the announcement is a rejection of accusations by opposition parties that Justin Trudeaus government has been waging a secret war in Iraq without parliamentary approval.

Canada has about 200 special forces soldiers operating in northern Iraq supported by a combat hospital, a helicopter detachment, a surveillance plane and an air-to-air refueling aircraft.

Critics questioned the governments claim that Canada had undertaken a non-combat advise and assist role in Iraq after it was revealed earlier this month that a Canadian special forces sniper had killed an Isis fighter.

I can tell you that defending our allies in the coalition has been an integral part of our mission, Trudeau said on Tuesday.

This is completely in keeping with our responsibilities as Canadians, as members of the coalition in northern Iraq, and it will continue to be that way, he said.

For Sajjan, Canadian operations in Iraq are consistent with a recent defense policy review that made very clear Canadas readiness and willingness to do its part for the global community, including confronting security issues that threaten our shores and those of our allies and partners.

Trudeaus Liberals withdrew six Canadian fighter jets from the coalition in 2016, fulfilling a campaign promise, but tripled the number of military trainers in Iraq to 210.

Hundreds of ground personnel were also deployed to support two surveillance aircraft and a refueling jet, as well as a handful of tactical helicopters.

The mission extension to the end of March 2019 the same year Trudeau goes to the polls to seek a second mandate allows for a total number of 850 soldiers tasked to the coalition.

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Canada commits to fight against Isis in Iraq for another two years - The Guardian

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE

Air Force Capt. Gregory Billy Bob Thornton was flying over Iraq catching up on old times with a fellow A-10 jet pilot on the ground serving with a U.S. Army unit in Baghdad when the conversation abruptly changed.

He comes back on the radio and he says, Were taking direct enemy fire. We need you in here now. And it went from kind of catching up with one of our buddies to now going in and protecting him because hes under fire, Thornton said.

It was April 6, 2003, just days after U.S. troops went into Baghdad during the Iraq war.

Nearby, fellow A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot Lt. Col. Raymond Donk Strasburger was flying in a second jet and would soon join Thornton in a fierce battle with Iraqi Republican Guard troops firing tank rounds at U.S. soldiers on the other side of the Tigris River.

Thornton, 47, will receive a Silver Star the third highest medal for valor in the military in a private ceremony today at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for his effort to help thwart the assault against U.S. troops.

Air Combat Command commander Gen. James Mike Holmes was expected to present the medal.

Thornton said the medal, upgraded from a Distinguished Flying Cross he originally received for the combat mission, was humbling. Air Force squadron mates had originally asked that Thornton receive the Silver Star. The Air Force agreed to the upgrade after a review of the mission years later.

I was actually driving to work when the general called to let me know, and I was shocked, surprised, thrilled, all kinds of emotions, said Thornton, a Southwest Airlines pilot who lives in Monument, Colo.

Strasburger, 56, a retired colonel, flew to Dayton with his wife, Teresa, from their home in Germany for the event. Thornton and Strasburger were assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., during the Iraq war.

In an email sent en route to Dayton, Strasburger, previously given the Silver Star for the combat mission, lauded Thorntons unequivocal and heart-felt dedication to preserve the lives of their fellow A-10 pilot and Army soldiers under a hailstorm of heavy enemy fire on the ground, and to simultaneously destroy the enemy at the expense of his own life if thats what it took.

According to an Air Force narrative, Thornton and Strasburger made multiple passes under enemy fire, firing the Thunderbolt IIs 30-millimeter gun and launching rockets and missiles through very heavy anti-aircraft fire and blinding sandstorms to decimate an enemy Republican Guard force.

In the midst of the 33-minute attack, the two aircraft destroyed three T-72 tanks, six armored personnel carriers and several other enemy vehicles, the Air Force said.

The memories are still vivid for Thornton, a retired lieutenant colonel.

The adrenalin was just amazing when we got done flying, he said. My first shot was on the lead tank, and I got a secondary explosion, and I still remember that vividly.

On his fourth pass, something he believes it may have been a missile nearly struck his A-10.

I maneuvered the airplane hard and I remember hearing Donks voice on the radio going, Are you OK?

Thornton was. The pilot went back on the offensive in a sandstorm that cut visibility to about a mile, or three times less pilots are normally allowed to train in, he said.

The two pilots used night flying-like tactics to avoid hitting each other, Thornton said.

You do so many different scenarios through training, and you just get comfortable in the airplane and it becomes a part of you, he said. The training kicked in. I didnt feel scared at all.

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Former Air Force pilot to receive Silver Star for Iraq combat mission - Dayton Daily News