Katie Halper

Katie Halper

Posted: October 8, 2009 12:21 PM

Leaked Ahmadinejad Diary Proves Iran Prez Is Jewish

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A controversy has erupted recently about whether Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is actually a Jew. Pundits and professors alike are divided over whether his original last name, which his family changed when he was 4, is exclusively Jewish. I attended Camp Havanagila, a Zionist summer camp in the Catskill Mountains, when I was young—and so, it seems did MA. For decades ago, as a young camper, I happened to come across his diary when I was cleaning up under my bunk bed. I didn't know who MA was then, but kept it because it offered such a novel perspective. Now, I am presenting it to the public—to settle the matter of his background once and for all.


The following excerpts from are Ahmadinejad's childhood years.The first entry was written when Ahmadinejad was 6, two years after the family converted.

March 1,1962 

Dear diary,

I had a playdate with Ali and asked him what he got for Hanukkah and he had no idea what I was talking about. At first I thought it was that his parents were mean and didn't give him any presents. But then I realized he actually didn't even know the holiday existed. He's so stupid. Who doesn't know what Hanukkah is?

March 3, 1962
Dear diary,
I was telling my mom I don't want anymore playdates with Ali because he's too stupid for me to associate with. I thought my mom would agree since she and my dad put such a premium on education and intelligence. But then my mom told me that actually most people don't know about Hanukkah because most people don't celebrate it. She told me to keep it a secret that we do. I asked her why and she said she'd tell me later. I wonder what it could be. I'm very curious, skeptical and analytical by nature, so it's driving me meshuggah.

March 7, 1962 

Dear diary,
My mom told me that a few years ago my parents did this thing called conversion where they stopped being Jewish, kind of and started being Muslim, kind of. But I'm not supposed to tell anyone because I could get the family in trouble. It's a family secret, so that's why I'm only telling you, dear diary. Other family secrets are Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Purim and the fact that we eat hamantashen which I thought was a national delicacy since the whole Purim thing takes place in Persia, which is, of course, present-day Iran anyway.

March 20, 1962
Dear diary,
I just found out that we even changed our name to cover up being Jewish. It used to be Saborjhian which means cloth-weavers, a traditionally non Muslim profession considered religiously impure. Now our name is  Ahmadinejad which means prayer mat seller. I also learned my name wasn't always Mahmoud.  It was originally Moishe.

April 1, 1962
Dear diary,
today I offered my friend Mohammed some whitefish salad because his lamb sandwich  looked really good and I was hoping he would trade half with me. But he didn't want to because he said he'd never heard of white fish and it looked weird. Who doesn't know what white fish is? I thought to myself this guy is almost as dumb as Ali. But then I went home and my mom told me that white fish is a secret food, along with borscht, blintzes and danishes. I feel bad for the people who didn't start out Jewish. They don't ever get to eat a danish and those are good.

April 2, 1962
Dear diary,
I wish my mom wasn't such a bargain hunter. She refuses to buy me a soccer ball at the local bazaar  because she says she can find it cheaper. And she says if she can't find it cheaper, I need to wait for it go on sale. Oy. So annoying. I'm already the worst soccer player and my asthma doesn't help so I need all the extra practice I can get.

April 20,  1962
Dear diary,
My mom got me a soccer ball and it's pink! And has a barbie on it! And it's all banged up. Oy, how embarassing!

April 23, 1962
Dear diary,
Happy Passover. My aunt Frieda is soooooo annoying. First of all, she makes me eat her gefilte fish, which stinks. And she makes me down the jelly which makes me gag and wheaze. And she won't shut up about the holocaust. She spent the whole seder talking about it. Forget the slaves in Egypt, Frieda just cares about the Jews in Europe. It's like enough already. She keeps saying, Never again. She really needs to learn how to live in the moment. But Frieda does make excellent charoses I'll give her that much.

April 24, 1962
Dear diary,
today I told my parents aunt Frieda shouldn't come over anymore because all she talks about is that whole depressing holocaust thing and it's depressing and old fashioned. My parents got all angry and sensitive and said the holocaust was very important and very tragic and that I needed to take it seriously. But the holocaust was, like, so twenty five years ago. Come on people. Get over it.

The following excerpts are from Ahmadinejad's teenage years

December 2, 1969                                                                                                           

Dear diary,
My parents are trying to force me to go to this Jewish summer camp. I really don't want to go.

July 3, 1969
Dear diary,
This camp is so terrible. First of all it is co-ed which was weird and uncomfortable. All the kids had long hair. And playing the guitar is like a sharia/ talmudic law, for crying out loud. All the kids do all day is talk about revolution and sing The Times They are a Changing and Blowing in the Wind. My friend Hasaan goes to a regular camp that regular Iranians go to and there are no girls or hippies or talk of politics or guitars. They spend most of the time playing soccer and camping and hiking.

July 15, 1969
Dear diary, 
Camp still sucks. And you won't believe this! Remember that Barbie soccer ball? Well my cousin Jessica who lives in Great Neck is also at camp, which she loves. Today she  asked me how I liked the soccer ball. Turns out it was a hand-me-down from Jessica. How embarrassing.

August 10, 1973
Dear diary,
I am writing to you from a cruise on the Caspian sea with my parents, my siblings, aunt Frieda, Uncle Saul, and my cousins Sheldon and Rivkah. Once again, my aunt Frieda will not stop talking about the Holocaust. The whole family gets in on it. I thought I was going to throw up. The unlimited buffet didn't help either.

August 17, 1973
Dear diary,
I'm back from the cruise. I think the whole family gained 15 pounds each. I didn't like the cruise at all. I was sea sick the whole time and the moisture is bad for my asthma. Plus I didn't enjoy the entertainment, which was a bunch of self deprecating comedians. My family loved them, but I hated them. I really can't relate to my family at all. It's gets worse and worse as I get older.

April 19, 1974
Dear diary,
Today at the Bazaar I stumbled across this book called The Forced War by American David Hoggan. It was published in Germany but thanks to my familiarity with Yiddish, I was able to get the gist of it. It questions the atrocities allegedly committed against the Jews. Maybe I'll give it to Aunt Frieda.

April 22 1974
Dear diary,
Happy Passover. Not! I hate this holiday even more than I used to. I presented Aunt Frieda with The Forced War and the whole family went messhuga. Frieda called Hoggan and anti-semite putz. The whole family got in on it and when I tried to defend Hogan's argument they told me to "sha, you vantz!" They are so closed minded.

July 13, 1974
Dear diary,
Here I am back at camp as a counselor. I hate it here but my parents made me go so I could learn the value of a rial. I have a brilliant idea. I've been trying to get fired so I can go home so I've been speaking truth to power and telling my campers that the Holocaust never happened. Each night instead of singing them to sleep with Joani Mitchel songs or reading them Shalom Aleichem  stories, I read them a chapter from one of the my several Holocaust denial books. I have quite an extensive collection now, from Hoggan to David Irving to Pat Buchanan.

July 15, 1974
Dear diary,
I think my plan is working. I gotta run to a meeting with the director of the camp and I'm pretty sure I'm getting fired. Yes! I'm kind of sad because I won't be able to spread the truth about the myth of the holocaust. But one day, if I'm ever president, which I would love to be, I will use my voice and power to show people the truth about the holocaust. Maybe I could even host a conference denying the Holocaust ever happened. That would be so great. OK. Gotta run... more later. I better hide you, diary. I'll put you under the bed.

 

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Sounds like a made up storty. It is true though that there were and still are (however far less) Jews living in Iran. At the same time there were and are many Iranian-born Jews in Israel and even part of their government,etc. like Moshe Katsav (Hebrew: משה קצב‎), (born Mūsā Qasāb ((Persian: موسى قصاب)) December 5, 1945 in Yazd, Iran), a former President of Israel and member of the Israeli Knesset or Lieutenant-General (res.) Shaul Mofaz. Many Iranians do believe that MA used to be Jewish. It might be a rumor but many times rumors have a kernel of truth!

    Reply    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:09 PM on 12/06/2009

Hey, three posters on this comment thread, please read everything, including who writes this blog and what her profession is. Katie is a comedian. That said, I think Ahmadinejad is a jew. He looks like one, don't you think. His gestures are like one, oy? Now, whether or not his original name is, or is NOT, jewish, or can be, is NOT an issue I fall over.
The issue that makes me suspect that this Mahmoud is hiding his identity, is the fact that his name was changed at all. Whatever for? It is also great fun to keep suspecting him and uttering this, writing about it all over, because at some time people will begin to ask Ahmadinejad, no matter what the evidence, why are you hiding the fact that you are a jew? And when he protests, we can go on denying that he is what he says he is. Serves him right!

    Reply    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:58 AM on 10/16/2009

One small other point....Barbie was first launched in 1959, can someone explain how in 1962 they are already making barbie branded merchandise...and this merchandise (pink soccer ball his mom got him that embarasses him) is already circulating in the Middle East? I'm also a little frustrated that our comments have to be reviewed prior to being posted! Did anyone review the ARTICLE before it was posted?

    Reply    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:13 AM on 10/11/2009
- stpmdn I'm a Fan of stpmdn 5 fans permalink

I think this is made up. But he might be jewish. A lot of Jewish people lived in Iran during shah rule. Iran did and I think still has the second most population of Jewish people in the middle east after Israel.

    Reply    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:02 PM on 10/08/2009

This is a silly story all the way around. I don't know if he is jewish or not but the rest of the story is just made up. As an example "being president some day". At that time Iran had no presidents and was a kingdom so he would have wanted to be king. That is like someone in US saying if someday he was prime minister he would do a certain thing.

    Reply    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:14 PM on 10/08/2009

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