Ever wonder what interests the leaders of Iran are pursuing when they aren’t occupied with the construction of more centrifuges to hasten the day they have nuclear weapons?

Well, for one thing, they seem interested in historical research — with a rather revisionist bent. MEMRI has posted translated excerpts of a Dec. 28 interview with Mohammad Ali Ramin, Iranian Presidential Advisor, who discussed what the Iranian historical research discovered about Hitler’s Jewish parents and powerful Jewish associates (I’m not making this up):

"Adolf Hitler himself developed an aversion to Judaism because his mother was a Jewish whore. …

"Thus… Hitler simultaneously developed both feelings of solidarity with Judaism and feelings of hatred towards it, and this emotional ambivalence shaped his behavior towards the Jews. On the one hand, his entire family, the people who shared his views, and his associates who brought him into power and stood by him to the last – including his lovers and his personal doctor – were [all] Jewish. On the other hand, he welcomed the policy of expelling the Jews from Central Europe for two other reasons: Firstly, the establishment of a Jewish government in Palestine was an aspiration of the rich and influential Jews who surrounded him. Secondly, exiling the Jews from Europe and Germany was a general and historical demand of the Western Christian nations. With the full support of the British, and in coordination with them, Hitler addressed this general demand and [thereby] managed to gain widespread popularity in Europe. Obviously, publishing writings and information of this sort is forbidden in Germany and in the West…

(Hat tip to Yoni the blogger, who really needs to learn to provide links to the sources he cites.)

In addition to researching the past, the Iranian government is also very interested in predicting the future. A Ynetnews story recently drew attention to an Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) web page entitled "The World Toward Illumination." A series of posts over the past two months discuss the return of the Twelfth Imam, or Mahdi. The Dec. 11 update said he may be returning soon, and he’ll be heading for Jerusalem:

A triumphal religious prophecy has appeared on an Iranian official state media website, heralding the return of the Shiite messiah.

According to the website, "Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) will appear all of a sudden on the world scene with a voice from the skies announcing his reappearance at the holy Ka’ba in Mecca."
…

"After his appearance the Imam would remain in Mecca for some time, and then go to Medina… a descendant of the Prophet’s archenemy Abu Sofyan will seize Syria and attack Iraq and the Hejaz with the ferocity of a beast… finally Imam Mahdi sends troops who kill the Sofyani in Beit ol-Moqaddas (Jerusalem), the Islamic holy city in Palestine that is currently under occupation of the Zionists," the IRIB added.
…

‘The World Towards Illumination’ series cites some Islamic sources as saying that the Mahdi’s return "may coincide with the Spring Equinox…

If you’ve ever wondered why many on the left seem oddly unconcerned about and even sympathetic toward the Islamists, read more of that IRIB page and you’ll begin to see. The latest (Dec. 25) update, for instance, sounds like a mixture of Marxism and National Socialism with mystical flourishes:

… The cold and calculating domineering powers impose on the weaker nations, the methods of production, consumption and technology that are to the benefit of capitalists. In the weird system of today’s powerful counties, moral and spiritual values have no place and are seen as undesirable liabilities that prevent these powers from reaching economic welfare and what they call true prosperity. However, the exploitation of the weak, the unjust system of distribution and denial of the rights of nations, will end with the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AS). In the government of the Imam man will witness real economic welfare throughout the world without any discrimination. The main issue in his global government is carrying out social justice and one of the main products of social justice is a highly developed economy that leads to the blossoming of moral and spiritual values as emphasized by the dynamic teachings of Islam. According to narrations, justice revives the dynamics of the shari’a or religious rulings. The Prophet’s 6th infallible successor, Imam Ja’far Sadeq (PBUH) says people will be needless when justice governs their life.

In the ideal society of Imam Mahdi (AS), justice will be materialized. Elements for production and economic prosperity will increase and people will witness the full development of the Islamic society. … Imam Mahdi’s educational system will mould man’s personality and morality toward sublimity and create conditions throughout the world that will lead man to abstain from any extravagance and overuse or waste of natural resources. Thus the environment and its resources will remain immune from destruction and pollution. In the economic field, people will have complete mutual trust and conclude deals without the exchange of economic documents, and no infraction will be committed in these deals.

Anti-capitalism, one world government, wealth redistribution, social justice, environmentalism — this Mahdi is the average leftist’s wet dream. Well, except for those bothersome quirks like stoning adulterers and homosexuals, forbidding everything remotely fun and pleasurable, and treating women as chattel. But the average post-modern enviro-socialist has more in common with Ahmadinejad and his pals than first meets the eye, and probably thinks (incorrectly) that their differences could be resolved by talking.

As for the Mahdi returning in a few months and heading for Jerusalem, I can’t help but wonder if he might be wearing one of these: