Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rumored to have Jewish past

[DogOnPorch]

He could demand right of return...I'm sure the Israelis would let him in...not so sure about out.

[Guest American Woman]

Dear god this is painful to read. Painful, or painfully funny, I'm not sure which.

I'm most fascinated to hear how a DNA sample could confirm if Makmood is Jewish. Good grief, that's hilarious. Did the human genome project map a gene for Klezmer while I was at work, or something?

There is now new and exciting DNA evidence for common Jewish origin -- not just among Cohanim, the Priestly Class, but among Jews scattered all over the globe.

A genome-wide genetic signature of Jewish ancestry perfectly separates individuals with and without full Jewish ancestry in a large random sample of European Americans

[kimmy]

Well, that's pretty interesting. It's plausible, I suppose: a group with a specific geographic origin and a tradition of being insular and not interbreeding with the general populace could plausibly have enough in common to correlate with members of a group that is, predominately, of a certain faith. If you ran a sample of my mom's blood through a genetic sequencing gizmo, and you could probably trace her to a group of eastern european religious kooks, and make a reasonable guess as to mom's religious leanings. (in mom's case, you'd be wrong, however.)

But I notice this research is specific to Ashkenazi Jews, a group native to central Europe-- Poland, Germany, France-- these are the Jews that the well known stereotype is patterned after. Amajinabinabad sure ain't one of them. Run Makmood's blood sample through a genetic sequencing gizmo and it'll tell you exactly one thing: with a reasonable degree of probability, he's of Persian descent.

But what it boils down to is this: the number of people who have joined, and left, the Jewish faith over the centuries makes any discussion of determining someone's Jewishness through DNA a complete non-starter.

-k

[Sir Bandelot]

Eugenics rears its ugly head?

[kimmy]

Eugenics rears its ugly head?

Point that shit at Naomi, not me, Sir.

-k

[naomiglover]

I will change the title of this thread.

I knew that Iran was a diverse country, but I didn't know that only 51% of Iranians are Persian, until I read this:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Iran.pdf

[kimmy]

I will change the title of this thread.

I knew that Iran was a diverse country, but I didn't know that only 51% of Iranians are Persian, until I read this:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Iran.pdf

uh-huh

The main ethnic groups in Iran are

Persians (65 percent)

, Azerbaijani Turks (16 percent), Kurds (7 percent), Lurs (6 percent), Arabs (2 percent), Baluchis (2 percent), Turkmens (1 percent), Turkish tribal groups such as the Qashqai (1 percent), and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups such as Armenians, Assyrians, and Georgians (less than 1 percent).

Source: your own link.

-k

[naomiglover]

uh-huh

The main ethnic groups in Iran are

Persians (65 percent)

, Azerbaijani Turks (16 percent), Kurds (7 percent), Lurs (6 percent), Arabs (2 percent), Baluchis (2 percent), Turkmens (1 percent), Turkish tribal groups such as the Qashqai (1 percent), and non-Persian, non-Turkic groups such as Armenians, Assyrians, and Georgians (less than 1 percent).

Source: your own link.

-k

I posted the wrong link from the References on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnicities_in_Iran

The link should have been from CIA factbook which puts the number at 51%

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th...ok/geos/ir.html

"Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%"

[jbg]

Because it's an interesting piece of news.

Don't you think that it's interesting that a man with such a large international spotlight on him, who is perceived to be an anti-Jew by many, is actually a Jew himself?

Hitler had some Jewish ancestry. Given that most Jews did not return from Babylonian exile after the destruction of the First Temple and many fled east to Persia and intermarried, it's not at all surprising that I'maDinnerJacket had some Jewish blood. Is he Jewish? I doubt it.

[kactus]

Hitler had some Jewish ancestry. Given that most Jews did not return from Babylonian exile after the destruction of the First Temple and many fled east to Persia and intermarried, it's not at all surprising that I'maDinnerJacket had some Jewish blood. Is he Jewish? I doubt it.

It was King Cyrus the Great, the creator of Persian empire, whose nation saved the Jews from the Babylons and allowed them to go back to Jerusalem to build the second temple! It is amasing that you say jews didn't return from Babylonian exile but conveniently ignore the fact that they were also saved big time by the persians from the massacre! Your negative generalisations as usual paints a different picture from facts! Look up the history! Facts are facts like some people keep reminding...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_cylinder

Edited October 14, 2009 by kactus

[jbg]

It was King Cyrus the Great, the creator of Persian empire, whose nation saved the Jews from the Babylons and allowed them to go back to Jerusalem to build the second temple! It is amasing that you say jews didn't return from Babylonian exile but conveniently ignore the fact that they were also saved big time by the persians from the massacre! Your negative generalisations as usual paints a different picture from facts! Look up the history! Facts are facts like some people keep reminding...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_cylinder

You gravely and deliberately mischaracterize my post.

My point is that things were so good for them in Mesopotamia and Persia that most exiles chose not to return, Cyrus the Great's help nothwithstanding. I did not say that the Babylonians massacred anyone.

Why don't you read before babbling?

[kactus]

You gravely and deliberately mischaracterize my post.

My point is that things were so good for them in Mesopotamia and Persia that most exiles chose not to return, Cyrus the Great's help nothwithstanding. I did not say that the Babylonians massacred anyone.

Why don't you read before babbling?

But...Babylonians were going to massacre the jews and had it not been because of the persians; jews would have been massacred big time! Persians were their saviour. Read the bible it is all stated there. My point of contention is your style of cherrypicking events from the past to suit your personal agenda! Heck! I don't give a shit about ahmy which you compare to Hitler. As far as I am concerned they are the mass murderers of the protesters in the recent election in Iran. There is clearly enough evidence to draw a distinction between the government and the people. What I find bigotry is your deliberate attempt on this forum to demonise the population at large because of their religion! Especially one which throughout the history was a great saviour of jews.

Edited October 15, 2009 by kactus

[M.Dancer]

The Persians certainly did not overthrow the Babylonians (Magi, actually) for the sake of the Jews.....read your herodotus

[weareone]

You also posted this: Don't you think that it's interesting that a man with such a large international spotlight on him, who is perceived to be an anti-Jew by many, is actually a Jew himself?

You said that he is "actually a Jew himself," so you evidently concluded that that was accurate, while evidently it's not.

Shades of Hitler.

[weareone]

I am not sure how to react to this news.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...ewish-past.html

"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. "

Not exactly a revelation. A minority of Jews have occupied the ME for eons. When the tide changes do religionsso . During the Spanish Inquisition many Jews became Christians, primarily to save their butts. Same during Hitler. Many Jews became Catholics,like Madeline Albright's family. And probably mine.

Edited October 18, 2009 by weareone

[jbg]

I am not sure how to react to this news.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...ewish-past.html

"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. "

I'm glad you that you have some words of dislike for Ahmadinejad's, apparently on the allegation that he's Jewish.