Justice for the founder of Portugal's Jewish community

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In the 1920s, Captain Artur Barros Basto, a Portuguese war hero, helped found his country's first Jewish community in 400 years, but was later stripped of his ranks and forced into near penury due to his religion. Now this historical wrong may be set right.


By Henrique Zimmerman

It is a secret that has accompanied me for as long as I can remember: the secret of the Portuguese Dreyfus. But who even dreamed that this secret would now be the subject of a political disagreement in the Lisbon parliament, after 75 years and three generations of campaigns to clear his name.




ARTICLE:
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/justice-for-the-founder-of-portugal-s-jewish-community-1.413459

[vmpsmII]

He wasn't persecuted because he was a jew but because he was ratter critical and not a supporter of the current administration at the time.

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He wasn't persecuted because he was a jew but because he was ratter critical and not a supporter of the current administration at the time.

This aspect of his life was not developed in the article.
The article speaks about other charges, including homosexvality for participation to circumcision rituals:

In 1937 Barros Basto was put on trial in two cases, one civil and the other military, and was found guilty of participating in circumcision ceremonies and of homosexvality. At the trials, the circumcisions were called "homosexval rituals with youths aged 17 and 18, who were forced to expose their sexval organ," according to witnesses, who recounted Barros Basto would kiss men, mainly after religious ceremonies. He explained to no avail that in Moroccan Jewry, as opposed to Christianity, it is customary to display affection. After he was found guilty, the government stripped the officer of his military rank and repossessed his pension.

In what way was he opposed to the administration besides his activity for renewal of Jewish life in Portugal?

[vmpsmII]

Well in those days just by speaking ill of the government in public could get you in trouble. Witch he did in numerous occasions and by doing that he was rapidly marked as political undesirable. He was also a member of the "carbonária" a masonic organization.