The Contemporary History of Iran - Part 30: “The Curious Case of Ahmadinejad”

“The Curious Case of Ahmadinejad” - Part 30 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. Is there are more mercurial figure in the modern history of Iran than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - the man who served as the president of the Islamic Republic from 2005 to 2013? The conservative politician is either seen as a supervillain, or a superstar, depending on your perspective, ideology, and maybe even your place in the world. But his tenure was undeniably controversial and chaotic. So, how do we explain Ahmadinejad, and how will he be treated in history books? Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St. Andrews, Dr. Ali Ansari, author of the book, “Iran under Ahmadinejad: The Politics of Confrontation,” joins Jian Ghomeshi from Fife, Scotland, to try to untangle the ascendance and legacy of the one of the more colourful and odd figures in Iranian politics.