Documents Out Ahmadinejad as Having Jewish Roots: Report

A report by the Telegraph purports to have solid evidence that Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has Jewish roots. The proof? A photograph of the Iranian president holding up his identity card during elections in March 2008 which the site states clearly displays the evidence.

The Telegraph notes that a close-up of the document reveals Ahmadinejad previously had the surname Sabourjian, which is a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver. A short note on the ID card, according to the Telegraph, suggests that Adhmadinejad's family changed their name when they converted to Islam after his birth.

According to the report, the name is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior. It might also explain a great deal about Ahmadinejad's statements of denial about the existence of the Holocaust.

Ali Nourizadeh, of the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies, seems to believe this is why Ahmadinejad is so vehement about Israel and Judaism.

"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. He feels vulnerable in a radical Shia society."

Allegations of Ahmadinejad's Jewish history have been floating around since Mehdi Khazali, the son of Ayatollah Khazali, called for an investigation into the Iranian president's family origins on a blog. Khazali was later arrested amid protests of Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election.