Thank you Reza for your kind words. Yes, certainly you are correct by noting that Ahmadinejad is but one man, and that behind him must exist a group of men working to further his aims – perhaps we could refer to them as “Ayatollah Yazdi et al.” or “Yazdi’s coterie.” Either way, it doesn’t surprise me that this group, who believe that the Mahdi is not only the 12th Imam, but that his occultation can be revealed, unveiled, or brought to light by the actions of man, are secretive as you adroitly point out. Since almost all Iranian Muslims, Shia or otherwise, view this sect as one filled with immature beliefs and other aspects which separate it from more mainstream, more intellectually developed, and more thoughtful strains of Islam, group secrecy becomes almost a necessity (in that respect, not unlike the Crypto-Jews or Marranos of Spain). While I happen to be a Jew, it does not escape me that intelligent men exist everywhere. And those intelligent Iranian Muslims must cringe when they realize that their country has been in effect hijacked by Yazdi et al., a near cult.
Vice versa, if I were a follower of the hidden 12th Imam, I would probably keep my beliefs relatively quiet– if for no other reason than to avoid the belittlement that must accompany the holding of such views by more mainstream countrymen. When your cohorts believe literally (not figuratively) that the 12th Imam – the true Mahdi – is hiding in a specific hole in the ground known as the “Jamkaran Well” in the city of Isfahan (near Qom, or Q’um), you open yourself up to the embarrassment of your, mainstream Muslim, Westernized, or at least modernized neighbors. That this is true is “unremarkable” as doctors would say since it happens, and has happened, throughout recorded history.
If Yazdi’s coterie didn’t control nuclear weapons, I would pay them no heed. But alas, as you rather passionately point out (and passion is demanded when discussing this subject!), they view themselves as realistically able to hasten the Mahdi’s return. And as I tried to point out in the last paragraph of my last post, no particular “evil intentions” need be ascribed to these men. They are only doing what they believe in their heart of hearts. The problem that exists for the rest of us, including the millions of Iranians who will in fact be killed by Israel’s retaliatory vengeance after they are struck (which no student of history can rightfully deny them) is that Yazdi’s coterie are in fact very close to achieving their goal.
