On the occasion of the celebration in Iran of the birthday of Imam Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam of Shi’a Islam, senior cleric Hojatoleslam Ali-Reza Panahian stated that voting in this year’s election could usher in the coming of the Imam by creating a more just world. Twelver Shi’a Muslims believe that Imam Mahdi exists on earth in a state of occultation, and will become visible to people once again at the end of time. Panahian comments have been labelled “odd” by the Iranian media, but they were in keeping with the theme of encouraging participation in the election, a central point in the Supreme Leader’s Nowruz address.
