NEWS: Ahmadinejad’s Messianic Politics

Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad As Ahmadinejad begins his second term as Iran’s President amid much furore, his government continues to spend heavily on constructing the Mahdi Highway stretched from the holy city of Qom to the Iran-Iraq border. ‘The road is in the direction of Samarra, in Iraq, the location from which the Mahdi disappeared and where he is expected to reappear. It is there for the Mahdi to use to come immediately to the holy city of Qom and begin his reign on earth’. The Mahdi is the 12th Imam who most Shi’as believe to have gone into occultation and will return in the Latter Days only to bring justice to the world. Reportedly, Ahmadinejad often goes to Qom to throw letters down a well at Jamkaran Mosque which is believed by many Shi’as to be the hiding place of the Mahdi. Furthermore, at times Ahmadinejad, who is said to leave an empty seat for the Hidden Imam in his cabinet meetings, has claimed that the 12th Imam supports his government. In a detailed analysis, Radio Liberty explains how Ahmadinejad’s political strategies are influenced by his messianic beliefs and why these should not be taken lightly. Read full story here.