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grossproffit

(5,591 posts)
Thu Mar 30, 2017, 09:41 PM Mar 2017

Pakistan allows man to register as countrys first Jew in decades

Pakistan has allowed one of its 180 million citizens to publicly register as a Jew for the first time since the 1980s.

Fischel Benkhald, 29, was notified on Tuesday that the religious status in his National Database and Registration Authority profile can be changed from Muslim to Jew, Fox News reported Wednesday.

Benkhald, who was born Faisal Benkhald, was brought up by a Jewish mother and Muslim father in Karachi. He had been pushing to change his national identity card status for three years. He chose the Yiddish name Fischel.

In 2014, Benkhald told The Times of Israel he intended to register as a Jew, but feared being rejected and a backlash from neighbors if they found out he was Jewish.

“It is dangerous but I will go at least once to record my request to change the status of my religion from Islam to Judaism so that their response can be documented,” he said.

continued:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/pakistan-allows-man-to-register-as-countrys-first-jew-in-decades/

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Pakistan allows man to register as countrys first Jew in decades (Original Post) grossproffit Mar 2017 OP
wow, that is mighty "Christian of them" still_one Mar 2017 #1
There aren't many Christians in Pakistan. Muslims make up nearly 98% of their population. grossproffit Mar 2017 #2
I know, that is why I put the sarcasm emoji still_one Mar 2017 #3
It's an interesting political issue MosheFeingold Mar 2017 #4

MosheFeingold

(3,051 posts)
4. It's an interesting political issue
Fri Mar 31, 2017, 10:51 AM
Mar 2017

In Islam, one is Muslim if your father is a Muslim (or you convert). And of course, apostasy means death in most Muslim countries.

In Judaism, one is Jewish if your mother is Jewish (or you convert).

There have been a number of spats like this in Israel, so much so that they gave up on having any kind of religion denotation on most official documents, going instead with ethnicity. Some of such cards do exist and can be issued, but it's left up to the person, to a degree.

Just for a concrete detail, my granddaughter (who lives in Israel) married another doctor at her hospital, a Bedouin man (who ultimately ended up converting to Judaism, but that was years later) , so my great-grandchildren are listed as "Arab" and religion "Jewish."

Olive skin, curly black hair, and navy blue eyes. They're going to break many an man's heart just by walking by.

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