DO WATCH 'ROUGH DIAMONDS' ON NETFLIX.

There is a new mini-series on Netflix called Rough Diamonds. The story is set in the present day and thoroughly modern city of Antwerp in Belgium (the movie is in the Flemish language but you can flip it to English dubbing). 

Rough Diamonds is centered around the largest diamond trading center in the world dominated by the orthodox Haredi Jews of Antwerp. There are about 20,000 to 25,000 of the Haredi Jews in today's Antwerp. (There were more than 50,000 before WW2).

The movie correctly depicts the orthodox Haredi Jews as being in constant prayer, they recite prayers before they eat or drink from a cup, they segregate the sexes, they do not go to the cinema to watch movies or even watch movies on TV (in 21st century Belgium!!), men do not shake hands with women, men and women who are not muhrim (blood relations) cannot be alone together, etc etc.

Yet these same very religious folks are depicted in the movie as almost completely without ethics and moral values. They cheat each other within families and within the community, lie, scheme, commit crimes, fornicate, commit adultery, indulge in homosexuality, commit acts of violence, deal in drugs etc - just to make money. Money is their real 'imaginary god'. 

But what struck me (as a constant observer of religion) were the too many religious practises of the Jews which are also practised by the mullas.  Here is a short list of them which you can see in the movie Rough Diamonds:

1. Netilet Yadim : For example the movie started with a Netilet Yadim. This is the ritual washing of the hands when a Jewish person gets up from sleep in the bed. They keep some water in a small container by the bed with which they ritually wash their two hands up to the wrists three times each. The wash water goes into a slightly larger container also kept for that purpose. The Jewish reasoning is 'you do not know where your hands have been during the night'.

The mullas say the same thing :  'when one of you awakens from his sleep, do not let him dip his hands into the vessel until he has washed his hands three times. Verily, he does not know where his hands spent the night'.

2. During weddings segregated dining for men and women separated by a curtain  : the Haredi Jews segregate males from females with a curtain in between them during weddings. This is common among many Arabs in the Arab countries. 

3. Men cannot shake hands with women who are not their blood relations - the Haredi Jews do not allow men and women who are not blood relations to shake hands. Or to come into any type of physical contact in normal social gatherings. The mullas say the exact same thing.

4. Prayers for the dead seven days and 30 days after death :  The Haredi Jews conduct prayers for the dead on the seventh day and the 30th day after a Jewish person has died.  In some sects the mullas conduct prayers for the dead on the third day and the 40th day respectively after the death of someone.

5. Haredi women keep their hair covered, Haredi men grow their beards long : the observant Haredi  women keep their hair constantly covered. The men also grow long beards - and also grow curly sideburns. This is as per the Jewish teachings. 

6. Kosher snacks : when they take their children out the Haredi women pack 'kosher' snacks for the children. They buy kosher snacks at the Jewish bakeries. They do not buy pop-corn or any other snacks from the other non-Jewish sellers or non-Jewish shops. 

If you have time or the interest do watch that Netflix series.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.