Why Iran wants War?
Ahmadinejad & Co. starring in Armageddon

By: Slater Bakhtavar
2006/05/17

“The Iranian nation will wipe the strain of regret on the foreheads of those
who want to bring about injustice”, President Ahmadinejad scorned at a
recent rally in the province of Zanjan . Iran “will cut off the hands of any
aggressor”, any attack would be met with a response that is double-fold
including suicide attacks across Europe and the United States , he warned.
“ Israel should be wiped off the map”, the predominately Jewish nation
“cannot survive” and is headed “towards extinction” quipped the fanatical
President.

If one were to listen to his rhetoric alone, even the most astute political
intellectuals would think Iran is a nation equipped with the most dangerous
military arsenal capable of challenging any nation.  But Iran ’s rhetoric has
little to do with their outdated and dismal military, their fledging economy
or their detested government. The root of the government’s fiery tone may be
traced to their Shi’te ideology messianic belief in a mysterious, mystical
twelfth imam who ventured into hiding over a thousand years ago.

The Hidden Imam is a central concept in the teachings of Shi’te Islam. Born
Muhammad al-Mahdi he ventured into a cave in 941 AD hidden by a gate called the Gate of Occultation.  The doctrine of Occultation professes Allah aided the cloaking of the Imam away from the eyes of man so that he could be kept alive until his return. Shi’tes believe that the Twelfth Imam will return to
lead the religious battle between good and evil when the world has become
consummately nefarious.

According to Shi’te orthodoxy humans may not force or hasten the return of
the Imam, but the Hojjateiehs a group of which Ahmadinejad is a member,
opine that humans may stir up chaos to encourage his return.  With his
recent rhetoric vowing for the destruction of Israel, demanding deportation
of the Jews to Europe and denying the Holocaust that the President seems to
be doing just that. In fact, his messianic axiom of the Twelfth Imam and the
subsequent suppression of the forces of evil [modern day US, UK, Israel and
many other nations] is central to Ahmadinejad’s foreign policy. The Iranian
government’s official policy has undercut efforts of the international
community by rejecting a United Nations deadline to suspend Iran’s nuclear
program, threatening to quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty and vying that
“nothing can stop Iran’s path to nuclear technology.” In anticipation of a
stand off with the West Iran recently clinched agreements with eight
different Middle East insurgency groups to carry out suicide attacks against
Israeli, British and US interests across the world. Ironically this plan is
called ‘Judgment Day.’


During a private meeting with an Iranian cleric in November Ahmadinejad
claimed that while giving a speech before the United Nations he felt “the
atmosphere change and for 27 to 28 minutes the leaders did not blink” “they
were astonished.. it had opened their eyes and ears to the Islamic
Republic.” He further said that he felt the hand of God upon him as he
delivered his omniscient speech. In his egocentric fantasy world the Iranian
President likely sees himself as a deputy of the Imam with a divine mission
to encourage his arrival.  His references to the Imam in conjunction with
threats to wipe countries off the face of earth should be taken seriously.
Foreign policy experts should examine the Islamic Republic from both a
political and religious perspective. To the clerical regime the return of
the Imam is not a mere possibility, but a surety. Their attitude towards the
international community seems to point at their preparation for that day.

International concerns aside, there are domestic reasons for the regimes
erratic behavior. After 27 years of executions, floggings, stoning,
oppression of political dissent, violation of women’s rights, oppression of
religious minorities, the largest brain drain in the world, rampant
prostitution, crime, drug use and mass unemployment the Islamic Republic is
domestically quite loathed.  In fact, recent student polls show that close
to eighty five percent of the population supports fundamental democratic
changes in the regime.  Iranian students have consistently poured into the
streets in pro-Democracy protests only to be violently suppressed, jailed,
tortured and often murdered. But, dictatorships can only oppress for so long
and it’s only a matter of time before Iran explodes in a pro-Western
democratic revolution.  The regime knows that the only way they can leave
any kind of legacy is by invoking nationalistic pride by pushing the country
into another war and unlike the Iran-Iraq war this time they’re paving the
way for the return of the Twelfth Imam.

From challenging the world to enhancing Iran’s nuclear programs every issue
is implemented for the arrival of Mahdi. The Islamic Republic is not vying
for war because they’re too arrogant to understand they will be crushed.
They’re vying for war because they believe Mahdi will return to help them
defeat the United States and others who dare stand up to them.  Ahamadinejad
and Company’s Armageddon may be coming to a theater near you and it’s
probably the scariest movie we’ll ever see unless we aggressively invest in
the overthrow of the regime before it’s debut appearance.