However. few people know that at the same time Columbus sailed west. seeking riches and glory in the name of Spain. there were others who were fleeing for their lives from that country. driven by the senseless and cruel religious persecution of the Inquisition. These Individuals were Sephardic Jews. who were welcomed into the overwhelming Islamic society of the Ottoman Empire by the Sultan Bayezid II and settled in its capital Istanbul. The Sultans actions predate by almost four centuries the American Immigrant ideal. emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty. which aloquently states "give me your tired. your poor. your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." However. his actions were worthy of that high standard. Specifically. he ordered his provincial governors "not to refuse the Jews entry or cause them difficulties. but to receive them cordially." and added that "Spanish Jews are received with full sincerity and those who behave otherwise and treat the new immigrants badly are [to be] punished at once." The Sultan was later reported to have said. "The Catholic monarch Ferdinand * � * impoverished Spain by the expulsion of the Jews. and enriched Turkey." The 500th anniversary celebration of that gracious humanitarian act. and the ensuing flowering of the Jewish community and its culture in Turkey. is now being organized by the Quincentennial Foundation and its president. Jak Kahml. This organization has planned an ambitious 3year program of conferences. exhibitions. symposiums. and studies designed to highlight the 500 years of harmonious cooperation between Turks and Jews.
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Immigrant immigrants