The idea for this book came from the late Israel Asper, head of the Asper Foundation of Winnipeg, Canada, who, shortly before he died, suggested it as a topic for me. The trustees of the Asper Foundation took up his idea after his death and enabled me to pursue it by making available the resources of the Foundation. Their enthusiasm, and that of Moses Levy, Executive Director, and Jeffrey Morry, Senior Program Manager, of the Asper Foundation, has been a constant support. At no point has the Asper Foundation sought editorial control.
Throughout the course of my writing, the sustained encouragement and support of Sir Ronald Cohen and Sir Harry Solomon, two special friends, has meant a great deal to me, and has considerably enhanced the book. They have been an inspiration to me in telling this much–neglected story.
The originating publisher, McClelland & Stewart of Toronto, has been supportive from the outset. I am grateful to the company and its staff, and to Doug Pepper, Susan Renouf, Marilyn Biderman, Aruna Dahanayake, Anne Holloway and Chris Bucci, for helping produce this volume to the highest standards. My Canadian literary agent and friend, Michael Levine, has been a font of encouragement. Roy Bishko made an important contribution toward the preparation of the maps. The cartographer Tim Aspden, with his usual skill and patience, has turned my rough drafts into maps of the highest quality.
I am grateful to Yale University Press, both in New Haven and London, and in particular Robert Baldock and Heather Nathan, for making the book available to the rest of the English–speaking world. I am grateful above all to those Jews, born in Muslim lands, who have helped me with my search for material and encouraged me in my task, among them: Dr. Ada Aharoni, Lord Alliance, Mordechai Ben–Porat, Mordechai Bibi, Samuel J. Cohen, Dr. Naim E. Dangoor OBE, Ellis Douek, Bertha Fattal, Shahnaz Keypour Feinstein, Robert Khalifa, Marc Khedr, Raphael N. Luzon, Naim S. Mahlab, Jacob and Odette Masliyah, Tania Pardo, Tony Rocca, Claudia Roden, Tova Murad Sadka, Professor Victor D. Sanua, Myriam Schechter Wolf, David R. Shama, Edwin Shuker, Vivianne M. Silver, Julian Sofaer, Eli Timan, Edna Turner (Anzarut), Suzy Vidal (Sultana Latifa), Regina Waldman (Bulbil), Ovadia Yerushalmy, Levana Zamir and Aida Zelouf.
The literature on the history of Jews in Arab and Muslim lands is vast. Books and articles, academic volumes and personal memoirs, have explored every one of the fourteen countries involved. They have also explored the themes that recur throughout the story of the age–old relationship of Jews and Muslims. I have tried to do justice to this large body of published work, without which no book can be written on the subject. The bibliography in this book reflects my own indebtedness, and that of the reader.
I am also indebted to those historians without whose pioneering work this book could not have been written, in particular: Michel Abitbol, Mark R. Cohen, WJ. Fischel, S.D. Goitein, H.Z. Hirschberg, David Levering Lewis, Maurice M. Roumani, Robert Satloff and Norman A. Stillman. Important suggestions as to form and content have been made by David Matas, Allan Levine and Stanley Urman.
Many people have sent me material or put me in touch with those who could. I would like to thank in particular: Hilary E. Appell, L.L. Amior, Barbara Barnett, Daniel Behar, Emily Blanck, David Cohen, Mark Durie, Oded Eran, Dan Gillerman, Nayim Güleryüz, Danna Harman, Rabbi Aubrey Hersh, General J.F.R. Jacob, Tammy and David Kovler, Douglas Krikler, John Krivine, Rabbi N.S. Liss, Roger E. Nixon, Yoni Ozdana, Orly Rahimyan, Ken Robbins, Tony Rocca, Debra Roth, Taffy Sassoon, Rabbi Barry Schlesinger, Ruth Schweitzer, Natalie Shamash, Margaret Shannon, Morey and Barbara Shapira, Linda Shapiro, Steven Solarz, Eri Steimatzky, Judy Stoffman, Dr. Romeo Vecht, Enid Wurtman and Ben–Dror Yemini. I am grateful to Bat Ye’or, Andrew G. Bostom and David Littman for patiently answering my queries about their work. Judy Feld Carr talked to me about her efforts to free the Jews of Syria. Professor Paul translated for me Abraham ibn Ezra’s ode on the Almohad persecutions. Professor Etan Kohlberg gave me the benefit of his extensive knowledge of early Islam.
For allowing me to use photographs in their collections, I am grateful to Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Archive, the Nahum Goldman Museum of the Diaspora, Tel Aviv; the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Ada Aharoni, Gourji C. Bekhor, Naim Dangoor and Maurice Roumani.
For helping me to sort a mass of printed and manuscript material, I am grateful to my daughter, Natalie Gilbert, and to Ela Czernecka. I was helped, as always, in the considerable task of correspondence, organisation and follow–up by Kay Thomson. Throughout the preparation and writing of this book, my wife, Esther, has been a source of encouragement and wise guidance.