British Newspaper: Ahmadinejad Was Born Jewish
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was born to a Jewish family that converted to Islam when he was four years old, according to a British newspaper.
The Daily Telegraph reported the discovery Saturday, based on Ahmadinejad’s original family name of Sabourjian.
The newspaper published a picture of the Iranian president holding up his identity card during last year’s election campaign, in a way that shows his family’s previous name.
According to the article, Sabourjian is a common Iranian Jewish name, especially among those from Aradan, where the |Iranian president was born.
The newspaper reported that the name means cloth weaver, or specifically talit weaver. It adds that the word “sabour” means talit, and the suffix “jian” indicates that his family was practicing Jews.
The British newspaper also reported that the name is included in an Iranian Home Ministry list of names reserved for Iranian Jews.
Ahmadinejad never denied that his family changed its name when it moved to Tehran in the 1950’s. However he has never stated the family’s original name.
Read J.J. Goldberg’s blog post, Ahmadinejad and Other Self-hating Jews.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
