'Divine mission' driving Iran's new leader

[AngryAmish]

<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/14/wiran14.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/14/ixworld.html>

"As Iran rushes towards confrontation with the world over its nuclear programme, the question uppermost in the mind of western leaders is "What is moving its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to such recklessness?"

snip

But listen carefully to the utterances of Mr Ahmadinejad - recently described by President George W Bush as an "odd man" - and there is another dimension, a religious messianism that, some suspect, is giving the Iranian leader a dangerous sense of divine mission."

snip

The most remarkable aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's piety is his devotion to the Hidden Imam, the Messiah-like figure of Shia Islam, and the president's belief that his government must prepare the country for his return.

snip

He is said to have gone into "occlusion" in the ninth century, at the age of five. His return will be preceded by cosmic chaos, war and bloodshed. After a cataclysmic confrontation with evil and darkness, the Mahdi will lead the world to an era of universal peace."

This is madness. This is like having Robertson in charge of this country. (If true. This is the Telegraph after all)

From time to time there are various folks who have claimed to be the mahdi and it never ends well.

[MidwestTransplant]

1. Is this about Bush?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. That is one scary dude

and don't think Israel hasn't noticed.

[orwell]

4. Who is scarier?

A religious zealot with no nuclear weapons in a country that has never used a nuclear weapon- or
A religious zealot with the most nuclear weapons on the planet in a country that has used them twice?

Hmmmm...that's a tough one...

[orwell]

3. But...But...

...he is evil. And ---fill in the blank-- fundamentalist rapture lovers are good because...well...well...

Never mind...

[ladjf]

5. It's the battle of the "Divine Missions" Bush's and Iran's.

All of these "Divine Missions" are hell to pay for the rest of us.