Mahmoud Ahmadinejad revealed to have Jewish past
Discuss.
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 short note scrawled on the card suggests his family changed its name to
Ahmadinejad when they converted to embrace Islam after his birth.
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.
Discuss.
