Iranian Consul Created "New People" to Save Jews in Occupied Paris
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In occupied Paris during WWII, Iranian Consul Abdol Hossein Sardari created a new classification for Persian Jews, calling them "Jughuti" and defining them as Persians of "Mosaic faith" rather than Jewish by blood. This allowed him to issue Iranian passports, saving hundreds of families from Nazi persecution. Despite his actions, Yad Vashem did not recognize him as a Righteous Among the Nations, and he died in poverty.
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- Iranian Consul Abdol Hossein Sardari saved hundreds of Jews in occupied Paris by classifying them as "Jughuti" Persians.
- Sardari issued between 500 and 1,000 Iranian passports to protect families from Nazi racial laws.
- He argued to German officials that Persian Jews were defined by religion, not blood, language, or customs.
- Nazi officials, including Adolf Eichmann, were reportedly confused by Sardari's classification.
- Yad Vashem did not recognize Sardari as a Righteous Among the Nations, stating he did not risk his life.
- Sardari died in poverty in London in 1981.
During the German occupation of Paris in the summer of 1940, junior Iranian diplomat Abdol Hossein Sardari, left in charge of the consulate after the ambassador departed for Vichy, used his access to passport blanks to protect Persian Jews from Nazi racial laws. The Iranian Foreign Ministry had recalled the ambassador, leaving Sardari as the sole official responsible for Iranian subjects in Paris.
In October 1940, Sardari officially informed the Germans that Persian Jews were not Jewish by blood but Persians who practiced "Mosaic faith." He referred to them as "Jughuti," asserting that their only difference from other Persians was their religion, not their language, customs, or blood. This classification caused confusion among Nazi officials, with Adolf Eichmann reportedly calling it a "Jewish trick" in December 1942, but a decision was delayed for months.
Sardari secretly issued Iranian passports to not only Persian Jews but also to other individuals. By the spring of 1943, "Jughuti" were exempted from anti-Jewish measures by the Germans, and Vichy France followed suit in the summer. Biographer Fariborz Mokhtari estimates Sardari issued between 500 and 1,000 passports, covering entire families. Despite losing his salary after Iran broke neutrality in 1941, Sardari continued his efforts.
Yad Vashem did not recognize Sardari as a Righteous Among the Nations, citing that he "did not risk his life." He died in poverty in London in 1981. The source is RADIO HAMSIN, reported by Boris Mirkin.
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