Religion Compass

Anti-Semitism is not the prerogative of the not-quite-popular Iranian President. Earlier this week on the very same day that Ahmadinejad reiterated his Holocaust-denying statements, Mahdi Khazali, the son of a hard-line Shi’a Ayatollah, accused him of being a Crypto-Jew. Writing on his oft-visited blog, Khazali blamed ‘Crypto-Jews’ for Iran’s growing politico-economic plight. Arguing that the time has come to ‘reveal the truth’ about the Jewish role in Iran, Khazali accused two Grand Ayatollahs, an influential businessman, and the Iranian President of hiding their true Jewish identity, whereby perpetuating the misery of the Iranians. Ahmadinejad’s relatives had earlier informed The Guardian that the family had changed its name for ‘a mixture of religious and economic reasons’. Allegedly, the family’s old name Saburjian still appears on Ahmadinejad’s ID card. It remains to be seen how the anti-Semite President responds to this serious accusation. Read full story here.

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