Ahmadinejad on geopolitics and the return of the Hidden Imam
According to the Iranian news website Tabnak, in an address that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered on December 4 to "the families of martyrs and altruists in Isfahan," he explained the reasons for recent US policies in the Middle East. Of course, oil is involved. But more fundamentally, the US government is trying to prevent the return of the Hidden Imam.
In short, although most western analysts have completely missed this key fact, the Bush/Cheney administration was acting primarily on the basis of Shiite eschatology, and the Obama administration has followed suit.
No, this is not a parody from the Onion. Nor is it a piece of malicious neocon/Zionist/Orientalist/war-mongering propaganda concocted to distort the views of President Ahmadinejad, whom we all know to be the head of an impeccably "realist" and "pragmatic" government. Tabnak is an Iranian news website with hard-line anti-reformist views and connections to elements in the Revolutionary Guards.
Professor Shaul Bakhash was kind enough to provide an English-language translation of some key passages from Ahmadinejad's speech, which I post with his permission:
As President Ahmadinejad put it in this illuminating speech:
--Jeff Weintraub
==============================
Tehran Bureau
December 6, 2009
Ahmadinejad has proof US trying to stop Hidden Imam
------------------------------
Ahmadinejad says he has proof US trying to stop Hidden Imam
Tabnak | Dec. 4, 2009
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that he has documented evidence that the United States was trying to prevent the coming of the Hidden Imam (messiah).
According to a Khabar Online report, Ahmadinejad expounded on the plots hatched by the East and West for the annihilation of Iran.
"[Ronald] Reagan and his foreign minister were two of the stupidest people in the world," he said, addressing an audience of the families of martyrs and altruists in Isfahan on Friday.
Referring to his June reelection, Ahmadinejad said, "The enemy... was hyping the issue as if the Iranian nation has been weakened and as if this was the best opportunity to get concessions from them. But your humble son [Ahmadinejad] stood in front of the oppressive powers and shouted: You are dead wrong! The Iranian nation will put you in your place."
"In the recent [post-election] incident, they claimed that they had devised a plan that could bring hundreds of governments to their knees," he continued. "But he who is on the righteous path will always be victorious and will never see defeat."
Ahmadinejad said that the oppressive powers were after Iran's oil and other natural resources. "They have a reason for this and they act upon that reason," he said. "However, they do not break the news about it. We have documented proof that they believe that a descendant of the prophet of Islam will raise in these parts [Middle East] and he will dry the roots of all injustice in the world. They have devised all these plans to prevent the coming of the Hidden Imam because they know that the Iranian nation is the one that will prepare the grounds for his coming and will be the supporters of his rule."
"They have planned to annihilate Iran. This is while all policymakers and analysts believe Iran is the true winner in the Middle East," he went on to proclaim.
"In Afghanistan, they are caught like an animal in a quagmire. But instead of pulling their troops out to save themselves, they are deploying more soldiers. Even if they stay in Afghanistan for another 50 years they will be forced to leave with disgrace -- because this is a historical experience [repeated countless times]. In my last visit to New York, I asked them, 'Is there not one sane person in your country to tell you these things?'"
Ahmadinejad said that the most important region of the world was the Middle East and the most important country in the Middle East was Iran.
"They know themselves that they need Iran in the Middle East, but because of their arrogance they do not want to accept this reality. They are nothing without the Iranian nation and all their rhetoric is because they don't want to appear weak."
In short, although most western analysts have completely missed this key fact, the Bush/Cheney administration was acting primarily on the basis of Shiite eschatology, and the Obama administration has followed suit.
No, this is not a parody from the Onion. Nor is it a piece of malicious neocon/Zionist/Orientalist/war-mongering propaganda concocted to distort the views of President Ahmadinejad, whom we all know to be the head of an impeccably "realist" and "pragmatic" government. Tabnak is an Iranian news website with hard-line anti-reformist views and connections to elements in the Revolutionary Guards.
Professor Shaul Bakhash was kind enough to provide an English-language translation of some key passages from Ahmadinejad's speech, which I post with his permission:
"It is true that these arrogant powers are after the oil and wealth of this country. But beneath all this, they have another reason on the basis of which they act. Of course, they don't reveal this in the news. But we have obtained the documents [that show] that they believe that one of the kin of the blessed Prophet has appeared in this spot, and he will make the roots of all the oppressors of the world wither. They have drawn up all these plans to prevent the appearance of His Eminence. And they know that the Iranian nation is the ground-layer of this event and will be the ally of this government."The independent website Tehran Bureau also posted its own translation of the Tabnak report (below). Or those of you who know Farsi (unlike me!) can read it here.
President Ahmadinejad also described the iron logic of Iran's centrality to the entire international system. He said: "Reagan and the American Secretary of State of the time, who are both among the stupidest men of the world, had announced that 'we want to erase the name of Iran from geography.'" [JW: Of course, that quotation is pure fabrication, possibly with a bit of projection thrown in.] However, he noted, the Middle East is the most important region of the world and Iran the most important country in the Middle East: "Therefore, Iran must be regarded as the most important country in the world....Without the Iranian nation, they [the great powers] are nothing in the world."
As President Ahmadinejad put it in this illuminating speech:
In my last visit to New York, I asked them, 'Is there not one sane person in your country to tell you these things?'"Sounds like a reasonable question to me.
--Jeff Weintraub
==============================
Tehran Bureau
December 6, 2009
Ahmadinejad has proof US trying to stop Hidden Imam
------------------------------
Ahmadinejad says he has proof US trying to stop Hidden Imam
Tabnak | Dec. 4, 2009
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that he has documented evidence that the United States was trying to prevent the coming of the Hidden Imam (messiah).
According to a Khabar Online report, Ahmadinejad expounded on the plots hatched by the East and West for the annihilation of Iran.
"[Ronald] Reagan and his foreign minister were two of the stupidest people in the world," he said, addressing an audience of the families of martyrs and altruists in Isfahan on Friday.
Referring to his June reelection, Ahmadinejad said, "The enemy... was hyping the issue as if the Iranian nation has been weakened and as if this was the best opportunity to get concessions from them. But your humble son [Ahmadinejad] stood in front of the oppressive powers and shouted: You are dead wrong! The Iranian nation will put you in your place."
"In the recent [post-election] incident, they claimed that they had devised a plan that could bring hundreds of governments to their knees," he continued. "But he who is on the righteous path will always be victorious and will never see defeat."
Ahmadinejad said that the oppressive powers were after Iran's oil and other natural resources. "They have a reason for this and they act upon that reason," he said. "However, they do not break the news about it. We have documented proof that they believe that a descendant of the prophet of Islam will raise in these parts [Middle East] and he will dry the roots of all injustice in the world. They have devised all these plans to prevent the coming of the Hidden Imam because they know that the Iranian nation is the one that will prepare the grounds for his coming and will be the supporters of his rule."
"They have planned to annihilate Iran. This is while all policymakers and analysts believe Iran is the true winner in the Middle East," he went on to proclaim.
"In Afghanistan, they are caught like an animal in a quagmire. But instead of pulling their troops out to save themselves, they are deploying more soldiers. Even if they stay in Afghanistan for another 50 years they will be forced to leave with disgrace -- because this is a historical experience [repeated countless times]. In my last visit to New York, I asked them, 'Is there not one sane person in your country to tell you these things?'"
Ahmadinejad said that the most important region of the world was the Middle East and the most important country in the Middle East was Iran.
"They know themselves that they need Iran in the Middle East, but because of their arrogance they do not want to accept this reality. They are nothing without the Iranian nation and all their rhetoric is because they don't want to appear weak."
posted by Jeff Weintraub at 3:25 PM
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