Perhaps no person more embodies the tyrannical nature of this regime more than "President" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Even though the Supreme Leader might have more power than him, he is perhaps the most hated man in Iran because he represents all that is wrong with the hardliners in power. However to his constituent of supporters, he is a defender of Islam against the negative affects of Western imperialism.
Ahmadinejad comes from humble origins with his father famously being a blacksmith, and he was a student during the turbulent period of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. His activities during the Iran-Iraq are not entirely clear, but reports suggest that he was part of the Basij militia and other parts of Iran's intelligence service. In 1993, he was appointed as the governor general of Ardabil Province, but he was removed from that post in 1997 by reformist President Khatami. In 2003 among low turnout, Ahmadinejad was elected mayor of Tehran and his term included an stepping up of enforcement of religious regulations. Finally in 2005 he was elected President of Iran in an election that saw wide spread voter apathy and a boycott by many reformists because the government barred many progressive candidates from running. He defeated former President Rafsanjani by running on an anti-corruption (Rafsanjani is one of the wealthiest men in Iran) and anti-Western platform.
Ahmadinejad's presidency was marked by hostility towards the West and defiance regarding Iran's nuclear program. At home, volatility in the price of oil along with the current recession has caused the Iran economy to go to shambles hurting Ahmadinejad's credibility among the poor. The governments tendency towards human rights violations have also alienated Ahmadinejad with those who want greater freedom in Iran. Yet his supporters claim that Ahmadinejad is a hero of the Iranian nation who is standing up to Western imperialism and is spreading Iranian power throughout the world.
It is clear that Ahmadinejad's support has fallen to the point that a highly mobilized opposition movement almost certainly beat him in his recent bid for re-election. Of course, we all know about the rigged results and Ahmadinejad's arrogance in defending his "victory". Ahmadinejad is a man of extremes and this is true about supporters and detractors: people either hate him or love him. Safe to say with all the unrest in Iran, the majority of Iranians probably hate him now. Yet he still remains in power and will be a critical part of the unfolding story in Iran.
p.s. His name is so difficult to pronounce because it is a combination of the words Ahmad and Nejad. Ahmad is an Arabic word that is the root for the name of the prophet Muhammad. Nejad means the follower of something. Thus his name indicates that he is a follower of Muhammad.
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