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Abdol Hossein Sardari

An Iranian Hero of the Holocaust

Holocaust denial by Iranian officials, especially by the Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, has presented a negative image of Iran and Iranians around the world, overshadowing the important role played by Iranians in helping the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Starting in 1942, Iran accepted over 116,000 Polish refugees, some of them Jews, who were fleeing German and Soviet occupation. Abdol Hossein Sardari, an Iranian diplomat living in Paris, issued many passports to Iranian and non-Iranian Jews in the hopes of protecting them from Nazi persecution. Watch this film to learn more about Iran’s legacy and the Holocaust.