Baghdad residents band to protect Jewish community center and synagogue
In the Batauin district near the Saddun commercial artery, the entrance of a large synagogue is blocked by an immense iron portal.The way onto the street is obstructed by trees and chairs. A self-defence militia formed on Saturday to fight back against bandits."We are defending the synagogue like all houses on the street and we will not let anyone touch it," said Edward Benham, a 19-year-old computer science student.The young Christian said that Jews normally came each Saturday but because of the lingering security problem, no one came last Saturday.
Here's an article about the history of the Jewish community in Baghdad, now 38 strong.
