Iran's Leaders: In Their Own Words

With just days left before Iran's deadline to comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for Iran to halt its nuclear activities, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his associates continue to flout the international community. During his time as president and as Tehran's mayor, his words - and those of other government officials and clerics - have given insight into their radical beliefs, including their desire to Islamize the world. [1]

Ahmadinejad is known for his devotion to the Hidden Imam, or Mahdi, a Messiah-like figure of Shia Islam. The president believes that his government must prepare for the Imam's imminent return and that it is his duty to trigger a period of chaos, war and bloodshed that will lead to the coming of the Mahdi, who will eventually rule the world. Ahmadinejad claims a "private personal channel" to the Mahdi.

In a speech on Sept. 14, 2005 to the United Nations, Ahmadinejad called for the Mahdi's re-emergence. [2] Recalling his speech afterwards, Ahmadinejad said:
"One of our group told me that, when I started to say 'In the name of God, the almighty, the merciful,' he saw a light around me and I was placed inside this aura. I felt it myself. I felt the atmosphere suddenly change and, for those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink." [3]

At other times, Ahmadinejad has said:
"We must prepare ourselves to rule the world and the only way to do that is to put forth views on the basis of the Expectation of Return [the return of the Mahdi]." [4]

"Our revolution's main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi…Today, we should define our economic, cultural and political policies based on the policy of Imam Mahdi's return." [5]

"Have no doubt… Allah willing, Islam will conquer what? It will conquer all the mountain tops of the world." [6]

"…With respect to the needs of Islamic countries, we are ready to transfer nuclear know-how to these countries." [7]

Speaking on television a day before Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and began firing rockets on Israel, Ahmadinejad said:
"The rage of the Muslim peoples will not be restricted to the boundaries of our region... The waves of the explosion... will reach the corrupt forces [i.e. the Western countries] which support this fake regime." [8]

Ahmadinejad has declared that Israel should be "wiped off the map," denies the Holocaust and also has said:
"The real cure for the conflict is elimination of the Zionist regime." [9]

"The way to peace in the Middle East is the destruction of Israel." [10]

"Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation. The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm." [11]

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has made its own decision and in the nuclear case, God-willing, with patience and power, will continue its path." [12]

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's advisor, Mohammad Ali Ramin:

"So long as Israel exists in the region…there will never be peace and security in the Middle East. So the resolution of the Holocaust issue will end in the destruction of Israel." [13]

Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai:

"America seems so big, but in fact is like a paper tiger - even the slightest tremor could easily make it crumple and disappear." [14]

Footnotes

[1] La Guardia, Anton, "'Divine mission' driving Iran's new leader Ahmadinejad's confidence," The Daily Telegraph (London), Jan. 14, 2006

[2] Manji, Irshad, "Armageddon? Great, bring it on," The Times (London), May 1, 2006

[3] Moore, Charles, "There's method in the Mahdi madness of Iran's president," The Daily Telegraph (London), Jan. 14, 2006

[4] "Iran's Ahmadinejad: Sharon dead and 'others to follow suit," Iran Focus, Jan. 5, 2006, http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5166

[5] Hughes, Paul, "Iran President Paves the Way for Arabs' Imam Return," Reuters, Nov. 17, 2005

[6] "Iran's New President Glorifies Martyrdom," The Middle East Research Institute Special Dispatch 945, July 29, 2005, http://memri.org/bin/opener.cgi?Page=archives&ID=SP94505

[7] Harris, Francis and La Guardia, Anton, "Campaign to curb Iran's nuclear plans on the verge of collapse," The Daily Telegraph, Sept. 16, 2005, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/16/wiran16.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/09/16/ixnewstop.html

[8] "Iran and the Recent Escalation on Israel's Borders," Middle East Media Research Institute, Special Dispatch No. 1204, July 13, 2006, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP120406

[9] Berger, Sebastien; Bishop, Patrick, "'Eliminate' Israel to solve the crisis, says Iranian president," The Daily Telegraph, Aug. 4, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/04/wmid204.xml

[10] Ibid.

[11] Butcher, Tim, "Israel will be annihilated in one storm, says Iran leader," The Daily Telegraph, April 15, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/15/wiran15.xml

[12] "Iran to continue pursuing nuclear technology, supreme leader says," Associated Press, published in USA Today, via Associated Press, Aug. 21, 2006, http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-08-21-iran-nukes_x.htm

[13] Shareie, Shervin, "Presidential Aide: Jewish People Are Historically Accused of Corruption," Rooz Special Report, June 9, 2006, http://www.roozonline.com/english/015942.shtml

[14] "Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai: 'America is Like a Paper Tiger - Even the Slightest Tremor Could Easily," Middle East Media Research Institute Special Dispatch No. 1189, June 21, 2006, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP118906

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