NBC NEWS asks Ahmadinejad
about 12th Imam, but fails to report the story
* Plus analysis of Netanyahu's powerful U.N.
speech
By Joel C.
Rosenberg
(WASHINGTON,
D.C., September 27, 2009) -- The story in the
epicenter is moving quickly. Defense Secretary
Bob Gates says there is now no question Iran is
pursuing nuclear weapons. U.S. military analysts
are looking carefully at how Israel might attack
Iran, if need be. Iraq's President Jalal
Talabani says Israel has not been given
permission to use Iraqi airspace for such an
attack. Talks between Iran and the Western
powers begins on Thursday. I don't expect much
from them, except more delays.
Much hinges on the thinking of the Iranian
regime. What do they want? What drives them? Are
they willing to give up their nuclear ambitions,
given their religious beliefs?
Since September 2006, I have been urging Western
journalists to ask Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad on the record about his beliefs in
the "Twelfth Imam" and about the implications of
his annual prayer at the U.N. asking for Allah
to hasten the arrival of the Islamic messiah,
also known as the Mahdi.
For years, no American or British journalist has
asked such questions, despite the importance
Ahmadinejad's eschatology plays in Iranian
foreign policy. This year, with a nuclear
showdown intensifying, journalists from Time,
Newsweek, AP, CNN and NPR all were given lengthy
sit-down interviews with the Iranian leader. But
for yet another year, none of them asked
questions about his religious beliefs.
However, after scouring the transcripts of all
these and many other Western news reports over
the past few days, I found a surprise at the end
of the full transcript of NBC's Ann Curry
exclusive sit-down interview in Tehran last
week. She actually did ask two important
questions about the 12th Imam, becoming the
first American reporter to do so. But NBC has
thus far failed to report the story. Neither NBC
Nightly News nor the Today Show included Curry's
questions or Ahmadinejad's answers in their
respective reports on Thursday night and Friday
morning. Nor have NBC publicists highlighted the
eschatology questions and answers for other
reporters or the public.
Did NBC's producers and editors not find the
exchange interesting? Why haven't they asked
experts to analyze Ahmadinejad's answers, and to
explore his religious beliefs more in-depth? I
commend Ann Curry for the asking these
questions. What's more, I encourage her to
follow the story. It's an important one, and she
is ahead of the pack on this.
I've posted the key excerpts from Curry's
interview on the weblog. There's also a link to
the full transcript, and a link so you can watch
the video online. [Note: On Sunday at 1pm
eastern, MSNBC aired the full interview.]
On the weblog, I've also posted the full
transcripts of Ahmadinejad's speech to the U.N.
-- he began the speech by praying for Allah to
hasten the coming of the Twelfth Imam -- and the
full transcript of Netanyahu's powerful address.
Analysis of these speeches are posted as well,
along with the latest information on Iran's just
long-secret 2nd uranium enrichment facility.
NBC’s Ann Curry: In your speeches, you pray for
God to hasten the arrival of the hidden Imam,
the Muslim messiah. Would you tell us, as I know
you will speak about this at the general
assembly, as well. What is your relationship
with the hidden Imam, and how soon do you think
before the second coming?
President Ahmadinejad: Yes, that’s
true. I prayed for the arrival of the 12th
Imam. The owner of the age, as we call him.
Because the owner of the age is the symbol of
the – justice and brotherly love prevailing
around the world. When the Imam arrives, all of
these problems will be resolved. And a prayer
for the owner of the age is nothing but a wish
for justice and brotherly love to prevail around
the world. And it’s an obligation a person takes
upon himself to always think about brotherly
love. And also to treating others as equals. All
people can establish such a connection with the
Imam of the age. It’s roughly the same as the
relationship which exists between Christians and
the Christ. They speak with Jesus Christ and
they are sure that Christ hears them. And
responds. Therefore, this is not limited to us
only. Any person can talk with the Imam.
Curry: You’ve said that you believe
that his arrival, the apocalypse, would happen
in your own lifetime. What do you believe that
you should do to hasten his arrival?
Ahmadinejad: I have never said such a
thing.
Curry: Ah, forgive me.
Ahmadinejad: I – I – I was talking
about peace.
Curry: Forgive me.
Ahmadinejad: What is being said about
an apocalyptic war and – global war, things of
that nature. This is what the Zionists are
claiming. Imam…will come with logic, with
culture, with science. He will come so that
there is no more war. No more enmity, hatred.
No more conflict. He will call on everyone to
enter a brotherly love. Of course, he will
return with Jesus Christ. The two will come
back together. And working together, they would
fill this world with love. The stories that
have been disseminated around the world about
extensive war, apocalyptic wars, so on and so
forth, these are false.
Also
noteworthy from Curry’s interview is that four
times she asks Ahmadinejad to rule out any
scenario by which Iran would develop nuclear
weapons, and four times he pointedly refuses.
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