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Ahmadinejad is said to have “forged a close public friendship” with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. On Chavez’s death in March 2013, Ahmadinejad posted a condolence message on his website stating, “I have no doubt that he will return alongside Jesus Christ and Mahdi to establish peace and justice in the world”.Ahmad Khatami a senior Iranian cleric said that Ahmadinejad went “too far” with his comments. Hossein Rouhaninejad of Homeland’s Islamic development organisation said the president’s remarks were against Shia Islam beliefs. Another senior cleric, Seyed Mahdi rebuke Ahmadinejad saying his comments were “legally and religiously wrong”.
