The blogosphere is abuzz this week over an intriguing article recently published by Britan's Daily Telegraph. In "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad revealed to have Jewish past," the Telegraph reveals that Ahmadinejad was born with the last name Sabourjian - a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver. The Telegraph made this discovery after zooming in on a photograph, shown at right, of Ahmadinejad holding up his identity card during the March 2008 elections. The document revealed his birth name as well as a small, handwritten note suggesting that his family's conversion to Islam was the reason behind the name change, which took effect when Ahmadinejad was four years old.
Does this mean Ahmadinejad is Jewish? Possibly. "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," writes the Telegraph, "The name is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior."
Some people have joked that this revelation makes Ahmadinejad the ultimate example of a self-hating Jew, an idea that Forward blogger J.J. Goldberg examines in this post. He notes that the Iranian President wouldn't be the first Jew to spew antisemitic rhetoric, naming Russian lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky (Jewish father), chess master Bobby Fischer (Jewish mother) and Adolf Hitler (who possibly had a Jewish grandfather) as other examples.
However, not everyone is willing to label Ahmadinejad a Jew, self-hating or otherwise. In an article titled "Ahmadinejad has no Jewish roots," Guardian writer Meir Javedanfar says these claims are completely false. In fact, says Javendanfar, Ahmadinejad's father was a religious Shia even before his son was born. Moreover, "his mother is a Seyyede... [which] is a title given to women whose family are believed to be direct bloodline descendants of Prophet Muhammad." The name change was a matter of class relations, not religious identity, concludes Javendanfar.
What are your thoughts about this Ahmadinejad controversy?
The second article makes more sense, and I know that few Jews would have been involved in making carpets in Iran; they were the people who might sell carpets, however.
I don’t think he is Jewish, now that all the facts are in.
whether or nor he is a Jew or not is mute. He is a man filled with hate where that hate is centered or where its root lay is a mystery but could be found in both articles mentioned. For if he were Jew and it were through his father then his father or even grandfather rejected the truth. For what reason? survival at some point. Just as many did sixty odd years ago. Some never returned so are still lost out there in the world……….Just an odd thought.
All I can say is, let’s hope not – there are enough self-hating Jews as it is.
Ahmedinejad is Jewish too? That’s is not surprising since the largest concentration of Jews in the middle east outside of Israel are in Iran. Maybe he should stop living the lie of being a Persian and embrace who he really is and make Aliyah!!!!!!!