Abdol Hossein Sardari
Encyclopedia
Abdol Hossein Sardari was an Iran
ian statesman and diplomat who saved the lives of many Jews during the Holocaust. He is known as the "Schindler
of Iran" and was the uncle of Fereydoun Hoveyda
.
in 1941. There was a sizeable community of Iranian Jews in Paris when Adolf Hitler
invaded and occupied the city. Leaning on the national socialist perception that Germany were Aryans, Nazi Germany and Iran had an agreement which protected all Iranian citizens against German acts of aggression, Sardari was able to protect Iranian Jews, whose families had been present in Iran since the time of the Persian Empire. (Cyrus the Great
personally ordered the Jews of Babylonia to be freed from Babylonian slavery.) He very strongly argued this point to the Germans and specifically ascertained that the Iranian Jews
were protected under these statutes. The Nazis grudgingly agreed and accordingly, many Persian Jews were saved from harassment and eventually deportation by the Nazi regime.
But Sardari went further. Once he realized the full nature of Nazi ambitions, he began issuing hundreds of Iranian passport
s for non-Iranian Jews to save them from prosecution. To safeguard his plan, he did not ask for permission, and felt that support by the Iranian leadership was implied. His actions were later confirmed and applauded by the government of Iran.
on multiple occasions.
He died in London
in 1981. In April 1978, three years before his death, Abdol Hossein Sardari responded to the queries of Yad Vashem
, the Israel
i national Holocaust Memorial, about his actions in this way: "As you may know, I had the pleasure of being the Iranian Consul in Paris
during the German occupation of France, and as such it was my duty to save all Iranians, including Iranian Jews."
and later desperately looks for ways to save her and other Jews from the imminent threat of deportation.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian statesman and diplomat who saved the lives of many Jews during the Holocaust. He is known as the "Schindler
Oskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler was an ethnic German industrialist born in Moravia. He is credited with saving over 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories, which were located in what is now Poland and the Czech Republic respectively.He is the subject of the...
of Iran" and was the uncle of Fereydoun Hoveyda
Fereydoun Hoveyda
Fereydoon Hoveyda was an influential Iranian diplomat, writer and thinker. He was the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations from 1971 until 1979...
.
Biography
Sardari was in charge of the Iranian consular office in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1941. There was a sizeable community of Iranian Jews in Paris when Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
invaded and occupied the city. Leaning on the national socialist perception that Germany were Aryans, Nazi Germany and Iran had an agreement which protected all Iranian citizens against German acts of aggression, Sardari was able to protect Iranian Jews, whose families had been present in Iran since the time of the Persian Empire. (Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus II of Persia , commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much...
personally ordered the Jews of Babylonia to be freed from Babylonian slavery.) He very strongly argued this point to the Germans and specifically ascertained that the Iranian Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
were protected under these statutes. The Nazis grudgingly agreed and accordingly, many Persian Jews were saved from harassment and eventually deportation by the Nazi regime.
But Sardari went further. Once he realized the full nature of Nazi ambitions, he began issuing hundreds of Iranian passport
Iranian passport
Iranian passports are issued to nationals of Iran for the purpose of international travel. The passport serves as a proof of Iranian citizenship.The Iranian passports are burgundy, with Iranian Coat of Arms emblazoned on the top of the front cover....
s for non-Iranian Jews to save them from prosecution. To safeguard his plan, he did not ask for permission, and felt that support by the Iranian leadership was implied. His actions were later confirmed and applauded by the government of Iran.
Honors
Sardari has been honored by Jewish organizations such as the convention in Beverly Hills, and the Simon Wiesenthal CenterSimon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
on multiple occasions.
He died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1981. In April 1978, three years before his death, Abdol Hossein Sardari responded to the queries of Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
, the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i national Holocaust Memorial, about his actions in this way: "As you may know, I had the pleasure of being the Iranian Consul in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during the German occupation of France, and as such it was my duty to save all Iranians, including Iranian Jews."
In popular culture
Zero Degree Turn (Madare sefr darajeh), a popular Iranian TV series (2007), was loosely based on Sardari's actions in Paris. The focus of the series is an Iranian Muslim who falls in love with a Jewish woman while studying in France during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and later desperately looks for ways to save her and other Jews from the imminent threat of deportation.