Nacionalismo mesiánico en Irán: el caso del presidente Maḥmud Aḥmadineĵād y la figura del Mahdi

Abstract

Former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2005-2013) Maḥmoud Aḥmadineĵād was known for his extremist rhetoric and outlandish style. During his tenure, he not only proclaimed the immediate coming of the Mahdi, but considered that he considered Iran as a privileged nation above the rest. In this paper wewill analyze the declarations of president Ahmadinejad from the point of view of messianic nationalism and the history of messianism in Iran. We will also study the political tensions of the moment, as well as the impact of the belief in the Mahdi for Shiite Muslims. Given Aḥmadineĵād's possible belonging to the Ḥoŷŷatiyē society, we will analyze its characteristics and the role that it may have played in the president's mentality. Despite the impact of his speeches, which provoked a negative reaction from the Shiite clergy, he failed to provoke a rethinking of national identity or undermine the power of the clergy in the country.