Religion & Beliefs
Ahmadinejad: World’s Biggest Self-Hating Jew?
By Adam Chandler / October 5, 2009
An article in the daily Israeli paper Ha’aretz suggests that the virulent strain of anti-Israel, Holocaust-denying rhetorical jingo that spouts from the mouth of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be a symptom of something more agonizingly cliche unexpected: a repudiation of his own Jewish roots. This, of course, takes the banner of Jewish self-hatred to entirely new (Roseanne Barr-like) levels.
A picture taken of the Iranian leader during elections held in March of 2008 features an image of Ahmadinejad’s identity card bearing his former last name, Sabourjian, a common Jewish name in Iran. The name derives from "weaver of the Sabour," the Persian name for a tallit. The Daily Telegraph reports that Ahmadinejad’s identity papers indicate that his family changed its name and converted to Islam after he was born.
I have to admit, this is kind of exciting news. What may turn out to be more exciting is how the information is handled. Will this confirm what Abe Foxman has said all along? Perhaps even non-Jews who speak out against Israel are retroactive self-hating Jews? If Christianity and Islam were birthed of Jewish tradition, is any anti-Israel sentiment somehow a manifestation of a dormant Jewish inclination toward the hatred of Jews? Will Norman Podhoretz take the opportunity to connect Ahmadinejad’s constantly sniping of Israel’s right to exist to the liberal movement?
More importantly, what are the psychological implications of this revelation for Jews? Does this make Ahmadinejad a sadder or more sympathetic figure? Do we have to claim him? Is it our duty as Jews to do? Discuss.Â
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This can’t be good for the jews.
All i know is that the schmuck is dangerous.
I vote shipping him a can of ham for his birthday!
Monday’s Guardian published a credible piece denying Ahmadinejad’s Jewish roots.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/05/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-jewish-family
Oh, well. Nobody’s perfect.Â
I’ll grant that we are a people fond of claiming anyone we can, even tangientally–I’m thinking of Adam Sandler’s determinations on who is "half-Jewish." (The only exception to this rule is Madonna–and no, I’m not making a comparison between Ahmadinejad and Madonna, though…) But, should we claim him in some attempt to shame him, paint him as self-loathing and therefore a tragic cliche rather than a blatant racist? I think not.
Even if we can paint him into that corner, it means nothing. The ties to our Muslim cousins don’t negate the water-muddying politics. Without any admission of defeat implied, we have millenia of proof that it’ll take more to resolve this than a few sessions of family therapy. More importantly, any perceived admission wouldn’t negate his current power; he has a country behind him (mostly) with that country’s scary resources at his disposal. Would we really gain anything other than a High-Holy day MOT?
Plus, he’d have to claim us in return–that seems unlikely. Maybe we’d have better luck with Madonna after all.
There’s no evidence that Hitler had Jewish ancestry.  This isn’t to say it is impossible, just that there is no evidence. His father, Alois Hitler (nĂ© Shicklgruber) was born out of wedlock, to Marie Schicklgruber who later married Johann George Hitler.  But while we can’t be certain as to Alois’ paternity, there’s very little evidence that the father was Jewish.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/797/was-hitler-part-jewish
Ahmadinejad’s mother was said to be a direct descendent of Muhammad, so it would appear that if Ahmadinejad was of Jewish ancestry, then it’s probably only on his father’s side.
Still it puts Ahmadinjad in a tradition that includes Noam Chomsky, Norman Finklestein, and Neturei Karta.
rumors spoke even about some jewish ancester for Hitler (his grand mother was maid in jewish familly and have had a relation with his boss), so the genetic grand father of hitler could have been jewish.
all documents have been destroyed by Hitler.
Give him the Israel prize and any other major Jewish award we can think of. If you cannot get a sniper’s laser on him, then instead make a fool out of him.
Unleash the forces of Jewish guilt upon him, send him the works of Bernard Malamud or Philip Roth to make his anger seem passe. Name him one of the Forward’s Six Best Jewish Despots under 60 or under 5’6".
We acknowledge our own. Christians sort of give themselves a pass–Those Christians who do terrible things aren’t REAL ™ Christians. Jews look at Madoff, for example, and say "Yeah, he’s one of ours". Acknowledging Achmedinijad, though…that’s a tough one. There are few people I dislike more than this man. If it turns out he is Jewish, I say we pounce on that. Send him truckloads of dessert we made. Invite him to hundreds of sabbath dinners a week. Try and set him up with as many of our daughters as humanly possible (This is almost all I get from my temple). Treat him like a Jew, and the Jew will come out.
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