Martin Meenagh blog

Is Ahmedinajad Jewish?

I have Iranian students, amongst others, and I was convinced that, when they told me a story of the working-class nationalist and famous antisemite, Mahmoud Ahmedinajad, today that they were 'winding me up'.

However, it appears that Ahmedinajad is not the President's real name, as his relatives reportedly acknowledge here; his birth name was Saborjhian. This was a name, according to this source, associated with people of Jewish ancestry.

The notion that this, no doubt put about by Ahmedinajad's many and varied enemies, keeps him up at night is too funny to ignore. Go on. Spread it. Persian wars are a bad thing; asking legitimate questions, if slightly crazy, is not.

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