Does Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Have Jewish Roots?

In a way, you knew this kind of story could be out there and was just waiting to be uncovered: according to a story in the Daily Telegraph, Iran’s Israel-detesting, anti-Semitic epitome President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have Jewish roots:

A photograph of the Iranian president holding up his identity card during elections in March 2008 clearly shows his family has Jewish roots.

A close-up of the document reveals he was previously known as Sabourjian – a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver.

The Sabourjians traditionally hail from Aradan, Mr Ahmadinejad’s birthplace, and the name derives from “weaver of the Sabour”, the name for the Jewish Tallit shawl in Persia. The name is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran’s Ministry of the Interior.

Experts last night suggested Mr Ahmadinejad’s track record for hate-filled attacks on Jews could be an overcompensation to hide his past.

Ali Nourizadeh, of the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies, said: “This aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad’s background explains a lot about him.

“Every family that converts into a different religion takes a new identity by condemning their old faith.

“By making anti-Israeli statements he is trying to shed any suspicions about his Jewish connections. He feels vulnerable in a radical Shia society.”

A London-based expert on Iranian Jewry said that “jian” ending to the name specifically showed the family had been practising Jews.

“He has changed his name for religious reasons, or at least his parents had,” said the Iranian-born Jew living in London. “Sabourjian is well known Jewish name in Iran.”

Surprising? It is a jolt. It will be stunning to many people — akin to a story suddenly surfacing that Rush Limbaugh is a Democrat, Glenn Beck has a high IQ, or a breaking story that that Roman Polanksi owns a chain of teenage daycare centers.

Could this mean that we’ll see a story in the future about Ahmadinejad being (re?) bar mitzvahed?

If he wants to be circumscrized or re-circumsized again, there are probably a lot of Jews who’d be happy to do it for him. I know a mohel who works for tips.

But this story is not yet confirmed. To confirm it, this key question needs to be answered:

How often does he eat at Chinese restaurants?

SOME OTHER COMMENTARY ON THIS STORY:
–Jules Crittenden:

I love it when this happens … though some Jews might not be too crazy about the kinship. Guess who’s eligible to immigrate to Israel. It’s big news, even bigger than Letterman turning out to be the butt of his own jokes …

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a self-loathing Jew! OK, that’s not exactly how UK Telegraph put it, but close enough..

–Gun Toting Liberal:

Seems they ALL (i.e., Ted Bundy, Timothy McVeigh, Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, Mark Foley and the rest of ‘em) are hiding a skeleton or two in their proverbial “closets” once the Truth be known in the end.

–Hot Air’s Allahpundit:

Interestingly, rather than flatly deny the charge when asked about it, the Iranian embassy in London simply refused to comment. This is actually old news, sort of: The Guardian reported on the name change all the way back in 2005, shortly after Dinnerjacket became president, but there’s nothing in their account about the Jewish roots of the name “Sabourjian.” The closest they get is an oblique acknowledgment that the name was changed “for a mixture of religious and economic reasons, relatives say.” (For what it’s worth, an unnamed cousin is quoted as saying Ahmadinejad was into the Koran even as a small child, which means if he had a Jewish upbringing, it must have been awfully brief.) From what I can tell, not until earlier this year when one of his political opponents made hay about it did the Jewish resonance of the name became a public issue. How can that be, I wonder. The world’s most notorious Holocaust-denier comes from a Jewish family, and the evidence of it was published in a major western newspaper almost five years ago — and no one’s brought up it until now? How’d that happen?

–Desertpeace:

The tabloids of the world are literally ‘full of it’ this morning. The ‘expose’ of the decade….. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is ’secretly Jewish’!

If so….. do you care? Does it matter??

Do you really think the ’scrawled note’ on his identity card was never seen by government officials when he entered the race for President of Iran? And when they did see it, they obviously did not care.

All of the tabloid articles mentioned that “Experts told the Telegraph his vitriolic attacks against Jews could be an attempt to hide his past.” Attacks against Jews? Where?? When??? Verbal attacks against Israel and zionism maybe….. but against Jews, NEVER.There IS a difference.

–Islandcrisis:

Well now his secret is revealed. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a JEWISH! Mehdi Khazali (a blogger) should be feeling happy today as this news will be posted on many other blogs as from right now! To note: Mehdi Khazali is an Iranian blogger who was arrested for trying to blog about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad! SLAPPED!

–Solomania:

So the Sabourjians changed their religion and their name under pressure to pass, and young “Mahmoud” has been overcompensating ever since. Amazing. He couldn’t just get a nose job and a little plastic surgery? (Let’s face it, the guy’s a mess.)

The phenomenon of Jews denouncing other Jews and being their own worst critics (and I do mean worst) is a well known one, in history down to the present day — whether it’s those who profess to still identify with the faith, as with some members of Jewish Voice for Peace (most have long since substituted Marxism for their religion and simply live off genetics), those whose parents converted (as with Marx), or those who converted out themselves and now prove their bona fides by trashing their former co-religionists.

One thing’s for sure, this is just more proof that there’s something about those Jews — always prime movers on every side of world-historical events and movements. In fact, maybe that’s it! Ahmadinejad (nee Sabourjian) is just a ZIonist under deep cover, agitating for a war to bring about Iran’s ultimate defeat and the massive expansion of Greater Israel’s borders. Think about it, fever swampers.

The title of course refers to the fact that Adolf Hitler’s name was almost “Schickelgruber” — a far less marketable one than “Hitler.” How might history have been different? “Heil Schickelgruber” just doesn’t have that ring. Of course, Sabourjian is actually a lot easier on Western ears and tongues than is Ahmadinejad…

–Israel Matzav:

The Telegraph also notes that a blogger who called for investigating Ahamdinejad’s family roots during last summer’s election campaign has been arrested.

None of this will come as a surprise to Jews (and in fact, I vaguely recall hearing rumors about this in the past). Isaiah warned hundreds of years ago that those who would destroy us will come from among us.