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Last update - 15:52 03/10/2009
Is Ahmadinejad trying to hide his Jewish roots by bashing Israel?
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Iran, Jewish World 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's scathing attacks against Israel and his repeated denials of the Nazi Holocaust could be motivated by a desire to conceal his own Jewish roots, an Iran expert told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

The British newspaper examined the Iranian leader's identity card which he displayed in public during his country's elections in March 2008.

The ID card bears his family's original surname, Sabourjian, which is a Jewish name that means cloth weaver, according to The Daily Telegraph.
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The Sabourjians have historically been concentrated in the same region of Iran where Ahmadinejad was born, according to the report.

Ahmadinejad's identity papers indicate that his family changed its name and converted to Islam after he was born, the British newspaper said.

Iranian observers suggested that the president's constant verbal assault against Israel and Jews may be an attempt to prove his loyalty to Shia Islam while making every effort to hide his Jewish past.

"This aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's background explains a lot about him," Iranian studies expert Ali Nourizadeh told The Telegraph. "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," Nourizadeh said. "He feels vulnerable in a radical Shia society."

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      1.   He`s too ugly to be Jewish... unless 13:32  |  Adi 03/10/09
      2.   No, no, a thousand times no 13:40  |  R 03/10/09
      3.   LOL, he may be one of yours.....:) 13:40  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/10/09
      4.   wouldn`t that be the ultimate irony?? 13:43  |  Donna 03/10/09
      5.   not surprising 13:52  |  yona 03/10/09
      6.   also... 13:53  |  ClearCut 03/10/09
      7.   Jews are a religion, not a race 14:04  |  Lese Majeste 03/10/09
      8.   ahmadinejad`s jewish roots 14:04  |  matt 03/10/09
      9.   What a nonsense 14:08  |  Siad 03/10/09
      10.   Ahmadinejad-Sabourjian 14:12  |  Toni 03/10/09
      11.   Hitlers grandmother was Jewish too. 14:23  |  shmendruk 03/10/09
      12.   Ahmadinejad was jewish? 14:24  |  Bob 03/10/09
      13.   Give him a rest.Right now,he`s shelling Kurdish villages 14:31  |  Pavel 03/10/09
      14.   Interesting! If correct lets bring him here on aliya 14:34  |  Mel McManus 03/10/09
      15.   Like Hitler? 15:09  |  Wayne 03/10/09
      16.   sabourjian? 15:11  |  Middle East 03/10/09
      17.   Hahaha 15:13  |  Rob East 03/10/09
      18.   Historical rumors resurface 15:23  |  A TRUE American 03/10/09
      19.   Unbelievable nonsense 15:27  |  Ivan 03/10/09
      20.   Sabourjian 15:34  |  PL 03/10/09
      21.   So Was Hitlers Roots 15:35  |  Marco 03/10/09
      22.   Ferdinand of Spain had Jewish roots 15:37  |  Anonymous 03/10/09
      23.   Why does it matter? 15:46  |  Anonymous 03/10/09
      24.   He does not condemn Judaism ! 16:00  |  David James Vickery 03/10/09
      25.   How `bout that 16:06  |  Johnny 03/10/09
      26.   6 - whats the difference? 16:18  |  Simon 03/10/09
      27.   Jews vs Israel 16:22  |  Reason 03/10/09
      28.   Denying the Holocaust is condemning Judaism 16:28  |  Mike 03/10/09
      29.   Yes, Vickery, 16:34  |  yona 03/10/09
      30.   Whatever 16:36  |  Axel 03/10/09
      31.   Dear PL (Number 3) 16:41  |  AK 03/10/09
      32.   Those converts are the most venomous haters - 16:41  |  17 03/10/09
      33.   AhmadiNutJob 16:42  |  Good 03/10/09
      34.   One more cynical Bull by Great Britainistan`s newspapers. 16:44  |  Fortuna Benmayor 03/10/09
      35.   Armenians 16:46  |  Col [res] Cohen 03/10/09
      36.   # 6 David James Vickey 17:07  |  Hussein 03/10/09
      37.   # 4 17:09  |  Ali 03/10/09
      38.   #6 Vickery - You don`t understand the definition of anti-Semitism 17:11  |  Yonatan 03/10/09
      39.   ahmadinejad 17:15  |  norman 03/10/09
      40.   #11 not true ali according to your faith 17:26  |  tea man 03/10/09
      41.   #6 Vickery - Slight correction: You don`t WANT to understand... 17:28  |  Yonatan 03/10/09
      42.   Shalom Ahmadi 17:28  |  Amir N. 03/10/09
      43.   no he is not and his hate of israel based on logic 17:29  |  Reza Shah 03/10/09
      44.   Sabourjian Armenian?? 17:32  |  Neshan Balian 03/10/09
      45.   World`s Best Kept Secret... 17:36  |  Yosemite 03/10/09
      46.   #6 You`re right! I wish to apologize 17:40  |  Avshalom Beni 03/10/09
      47.   #12 denying the Holocaust 17:45  |  chris 03/10/09
      48.   Bobby Fisher`s mother was Jewish 17:49  |  Rafé 03/10/09
      49.   The man is so Problematic to Jews 17:50  |  mark blair 03/10/09
      50.   #7 - David James Vickery is wrong 17:56  |  Maurice 03/10/09
      51.   Ahmadinejad was reared a Jew till eleven 18:00  |  Parviz Parzini 03/10/09
      52.   Well whad`ya know...??? 18:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/10/09
      53.   PL # 6 18:04  |  miss ann thrope 03/10/09
      54.   to No 1.......and 18:07  |  GA 03/10/09
      55.   holocaust denial 18:07  |  TC 03/10/09
      56.   May be he is also Swedish? 18:08  |  MIke 03/10/09
      57.   Me think he doth protest too much.. :-)) 18:10  |  Johnnymac 03/10/09
      58.   David James Vickery_You Can`t Be Fooled. You Must Be very Smart ! 18:17  |  Eli 03/10/09
      59.   I Wish Shakira Were Jewish... 18:20  |  Yosemite 03/10/09
      60.   Iranian roots 18:32  |  Jez 03/10/09
      61.   Why Should Mahmoud`s Roots Matter? 18:34  |  massaraksh 03/10/09
      62.   Identifying Jews by names in the West 18:37  |  Ahimaaz 03/10/09
      63.   Channeling William of Occam not Freud 18:41  |  Mark Lincoln 03/10/09
      64.   Sabourjian- Street sweeper 18:45  |  Comforti 03/10/09
      65.   yonatan in kfar saba 18:47  |  potobac 03/10/09
      66.   So was Torquemada 19:01  |  Michael N 03/10/09
      67.   Palestinian are jewish convert to.... 19:05  |  nevermind 03/10/09
      68.   Everyone famous was or is a jew 19:08  |  Yom Tov 03/10/09
      69.   #1 Middle East. Jews were settled in Armenian 1st Century BC. 19:16  |  Maureen Ann 03/10/09
      70.   News Flash:Hitler Not Jewish. Sorry #5 19:26  |  Joan 03/10/09
      71.   Another Self-hating Jew? 19:45  |  Jay 03/10/09
      72.   #6 Anonymous 19:51  |  Conroy 03/10/09
      73.   There are Jews who don`t like Israel 19:56  |  Free_Thinker 03/10/09
      74.   Oh me G*d, what a cross Israel is to bear now... 19:59  |  Esther 03/10/09
      75.   How can adhmadnijad be anti semetic if he himself is semetic.. 20:04  |  John 03/10/09
      76.   Nu? 20:15  |  Colin Wright 03/10/09
      77.   Yet another example of shoddy British "jornalism" 20:26  |  Mongo 03/10/09
      78.   Ahmedinejad, a Jew? #12 20:35  |  Rann 03/10/09
      79.   Colin wright 20:38  |  Jackie 03/10/09
      80.   Sabourjian is not necessarily jewish 20:57  |  Barry Wheaton 03/10/09
      81.   to David James Vickery 21:11  |  Rich heart 03/10/09
      82.   Oy gevalt! 21:15  |  Pieboy 03/10/09
      83.   probably Armenian, similar cases in Turkey 21:19  |  mehmet 03/10/09
      84.   jian is not only armenian, jewish too 21:25  |  gil 03/10/09
      85.   Most jews are Iranian descent 21:46  |  Avram 03/10/09
      86.   Mel McManus - capital idea! 21:53  |  Mark Lincoln 03/10/09
      87.   He looks identical to a Persian Jew I know... 22:07  |  I`m 03/10/09
      88.   #29 potobac - Your approach to the EU is interesting 22:09  |  Yonatan 03/10/09
      89.   Actually the meaning of the name Sabourjian is 22:21  |  Gil 03/10/09
      90.   #31 nevermind - Read some recent genetics studies 22:21  |  Yonatan 03/10/09
      91.   To GA 22:34  |  Irani 03/10/09
      92.   Jewish names 23:22  |  Avi 03/10/09
      93.   *the world hates Ahmedinedzad because he was born a Jew* 23:27  |  a friend of N Karta 03/10/09
      94.   LIke Mohammed`s Jewish Wife Who Converted Before the Marriage? 23:29  |  Arik Silverman 03/10/09
      95.   Mr.Ahmadinejew....? I presume. ! 23:44  |  Stephen. 03/10/09
      96.   #12 david, the "working definition of anti-semitism" has become.. 23:51  |  eric 03/10/09
      97.   no wonder neturei karta like him? 23:54  |  persian 03/10/09
      98.   #.44. Barry Wheaton...?? 23:57  |  Stephen. 03/10/09
      99.   # 4 nice try pl, but it is PURELY a jewish persian name 00:24  |  eric 04/10/09
      100.   rich heart 45 00:39  |  potobac 04/10/09
      101.   To Joan #34 `Hitler not Jewish` 01:00  |  Colin Wright 04/10/09
      102.   Karl Rove working for Mousavi? 01:03  |  Les Lyshkov 04/10/09
      103.   Sabourjian is Armenian. 01:13  |  Fortuna Benmayor 04/10/09
      104.   For the anti-Semitic gay poster # 49. 01:21  |  Fortuna Benmayor 04/10/09
      105.   Marco #5 01:40  |  Mary Witherspoon 04/10/09
      106.   Ahmadinezhad`s Jewish past 01:42  |  Samuel 04/10/09
      107.   yes he is jewish 03:06  |  nader 04/10/09
      108.   I`m laughing. 03:13  |  Anonymous 04/10/09
      109.   Caught red-handed 04:25  |  JW 04/10/09
      110.   Yonatan--it is you who does not understand anti-semitism 04:49  |  Tarik 04/10/09
      111.   To David James Vickery 05:00  |  Marlene N. 04/10/09
      112.   Ahmadmadmadjid "The Jew" 05:28  |  eliezermoshehbagezer 04/10/09
      113.   Mehdi Khazali arrested when calling to investigate Mr. A roots 05:29  |  jail is good 4 u 04/10/09
      114.   #4 Sabourijian 05:42  |  *BEN JABO 04/10/09
      115.   irony 05:48  |  M 04/10/09
      116.   The funniest joke 07:18  |  EW 04/10/09
      117.   photo op: Ahmadinejad Discovers, Embraces Jewish Ancestry. 07:22  |  free lance lol 04/10/09
      118.   irony indeed: 31 July 1988: King Hussein Address to the Nation: 07:39  |  freelance lol 04/10/09
      119.   Sensational piece of news! 08:27  |  Michael Dar 04/10/09
      120.   How about Stalin? Le Pen? Wagner? 08:29  |  S 04/10/09
      121.   Ahmadinejew 08:43  |  Conroy 04/10/09
      122.   What is the similarity between Ahmadinejad & Mustafa Ataturk of 09:23  |  Historian 04/10/09
      123.   just like homophobia 10:09  |  SJ 04/10/09
      124.   ahmadi is jewish like mao tse tung wasjewish 10:16  |  marion k 04/10/09
      125.   Not a joke, there`s an old Russian (Jewish) saying 10:22  |  Uri 04/10/09
      126.   Did Ahmad have a brit, and was it glat kosher...? 10:25  |  Esther 04/10/09
      127.   Actually, Wagner turned antisemitic only... 10:30  |  Uri 04/10/09
      128.   What do his relatives have to say? 10:40  |  Petra Meyer 04/10/09
      129.   Iran renounces Zionism, not Jews 10:55  |  Jaap 04/10/09
      130.   No hitler actually traced his roots & was frustrated being jewish 11:54  |  John 04/10/09
      131.   Mahmoud A 12:01  |  LeonL 04/10/09
      132.   Oh No Another Hitler! 12:09  |  Jack Benny 04/10/09
      133.   To All 12:14  |  Sohel saheen 04/10/09
      134.   Mongo how old are you? 12:20  |  Alberta Einstein. 04/10/09
      135.   Bashing Israel? more like destroying Israel 13:23  |  Avi 04/10/09
      136.   Is Ahmadinejad trying to hide his Jewish roots by bashing Israel? 13:43  |  Bahareh 04/10/09
      137.   Ivan #5 15:49  |  Ofer 04/10/09
      138.   #126 Esther - If ahMADinejad had a brit 17:04  |  *BEN JABO 04/10/09
      139.   Heydrich had Jewish roots 17:15  |  Partha Ray 04/10/09
      140.   Ahmadinejad trying to hide his Jewish roots 18:58  |  Henry Soloway 04/10/09
      141.   See video kissing his brothers 20:13  |  Rich heart 04/10/09
      142.   Sabourjian is 100% Jewish Name, Not Armenian 20:16  |  R. Zrubaveli 04/10/09
      143.   #103 : With High Probability, It is not Armenian 20:25  |  joshua 04/10/09
      144.   #103 : With High Probability, It is not Armenian 20:25  |  joshua 04/10/09
      145.   Why Deny to be a Jew? 20:36  |  Joshua 04/10/09
      146.   #141 - Ahmadinejad and Neturei Karta 20:40  |  chris 04/10/09
      147.   Two Faced Ahmadinejad 20:49  |  EZ 04/10/09
      148.   Iranian Blood running in every Jewish heart 21:16  |  Joshua 04/10/09
      149.   Ahmadineejad 21:47  |  Joe Kelsall 04/10/09
      150.   Our Landsman 23:08  |  Wilhelm 04/10/09
      151.   To Settle The Matter............! 23:28  |  The Teacher/Instruct 04/10/09
      152.   Ahmadjinedad as a Jew? 02:18  |  Tony 05/10/09
      153.   Sabourjian 04:47  |  Tout 05/10/09
      154.   And all the mullahs converted, too. Now, this explains it. 04:54  |  AlexK 05/10/09
      155.   We have a hidden Jew among us 06:31  |  Malach HaMavet 05/10/09
      156.   I`m an Armenian Jew. 20:40  |  Paul Bogosian 05/10/09
      157.   israel and the roots? 22:56  |  luganys 05/10/09
      158.   I do not get it. 23:41  |  Chuck Solana 05/10/09
      159.   armenian jews 20:21  |  A 21/10/09
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