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Syria OTHER MINORITIES
Jews
Most Jews now living in the Arab world belong to communities
dating back to Old Testament times or originating as colonies of
refugees fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. In Syria, Jews of both
origins, numbering altogether fewer than 3,000 in 1987, are
found. A Syrian Jew is Arabic-speaking and is barely
distinguishable from the Arabs around him. In Syria, as
elsewhere, the degree to which Jews submit to the disciplines of
their religion varies.
The government treats the Jews as a religious community and
not as a racial group. Official documents refer to them as
musawiyin (followers of Moses) and not yahudin
(Jews). The government's translation into English of
musawiyin is "Judists."
Although the Jewish community continues to exercise a certain
authority over the personal status of its members, as a whole it
is under considerable restriction, more because of political
factors than religious ones. The economic freedom of Jews is
limited, and they are under continual surveillance by the police.
Their situation, although not good before the June 1967 War, has
reportedly deteriorated considerably since then.
Data as of April 1987
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