But here is what Ahmadinejad said in closing his remarks. "I emphatically declare that today's world, more than ever before, longs for just and righteous people with love for all humanity, and above all, longs for the perfect, righteous human being and the real savior who has been promised to all peoples and who will establish justice, peace, and brotherhood on the planet. all Almighty God, all men and women are your creatures, and you have ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirst for justice, the perfect human being promised to all by you, and make us among his followers, among those who strive for his return and his cause."i'm no expert on shia islam. i know a small handful of shia and have only read a couple of books about the basics of their theology, but what strikes me when i read many american conservatives' accounts of what the twelfth imam means is that they're not describing islam, they're describing christianity.
Well, in the first place, can you imagine if George W. Bush had gone to the podium of the UN and prayed? Ahmadinejad offered two or three prayers last night, opened up with one, dear Almighty God, bless us and all in this hall. That close that Ahmadinejad gave is a reference to his belief that the 12th Imam is near. In his religion, the 12th Imam will show up in Iran someplace -- I forget the name of the place -- and when he does, that's the end of the earth. The 12th Imam comes and cleanses the earth by getting rid of everybody, and he believes that it's going to happen in the next two years.
read the limbaugh's interpretation of the ahmadinejad quote again. if you substitute "12th imam" with "christ" you get a fairly accurate account of what many evangelical christians believe. it's very weird. limbaugh is actually describing something that looks just like a fairly familiar flavor of christianity to me--a type of christianity that includes many of his listeners. and yet he finds the belief he is describing to be very scary.
well, i don't blame him. people praying for the end of the world is a scary thing. especially when the people who believe the end of days are near control nuclear weapons. it's just that iran is not the nuclear country where the leaders are praying for the end of the world. that's the united states.
