Apocalyptic Iranian 'messiah' theory 'proves the country CANNOT be allowed nuclear weapons': PETER VAN ONSELEN on the deranged belief system of Iran's ayatollahs

 It is concerning when any country has nuclear weapons - but it’s a threat the world has learned to manage. 

There’s a basic assumption that most nuclear-armed countries refrain from using atomic bombs out of self-preservation. 

That is, if they fired nuclear warheads, their country would be destroyed. Defence experts call this 'Mutually Assured Destruction'. 

But what if a state doesn’t fear destruction? What if it welcomes it, viewing it as a gateway to divine salvation? 

That’s long been the concern with Iran. And it’s not an exaggerated risk.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions don’t exist in a vacuum. They sit within a broader ideological framework that includes what's known as millenarianism: the belief that the world is heading for a final, transformative clash between good and evil.

Years ago, as a university academic, I supervised an honours student whose thesis examined millenarianism. It opened my eyes to its impact on politics in the Middle East.

In Shia Islam, millenarianism is tied to the return of the Mahdi, or the Hidden Imam. He is a messianic figure who will emerge in an era of chaos to establish a just Islamic order.

FULL ARTICLE AT: https://mol.im/a/14840603 via https://dailym.ai/android