The End is Near . . . Apparently

Interesting Times

Folk in the West are not that familiar with Islam in general. Far less are they familiar with Shi'ite theology. Even less is their familiarity with the particular brand of Shia believed in Iran. Montefiore provides a neat summary:

An imam is the leader of a mosque or community but in Shia, imams can be spiritual leaders, chosen by God and blessed with infallibility. The Twelver Shiites of Iran believe in the first twelve imams descended from Muhammad's son-in-law Ali and his daughter Fatima and that the Twelfth Imam was "occulted"--hidden by God--and will return as the Mahdi, the Chosen messianic redeemer of Judgement Day. The Islamic Republic of Iran was founded by Ayatollah Khomeini on this millenarian expectation: the clergy rule only until the Imam's return. (Simon Montefiore, Jerusalem, the Biography, p.187

We need to get this straight. Modern revolutionary Iran was founded and is controlled by Twelver Shi'ites who believe in the Second Coming of the Twelfth Imam (the twelfth descendant of Muhammad's son-in-law) who disappeared as a five year old. Allah is said to be "hiding" him, and will bring him forth to establish Islam over the entire world (by forced submission). As Joel Rosenberg summarizes:

The Twelfth Imam was a real, flesh-and-blood person who lived during the ninth century AD. Like the eleven Shia religious leaders who went before him, he was an Arab male who, as a direct descendent of the founder of Islam, was thought to have been divinely chosen to be the spiritual guide and ultimate human authority of the Muslim people. His name was Muhammad Ibn Hasan Ibn Ali. It is generally believed by Shias that he was born in Samarra, Iraq, in AD 868, though few details of his brief life are certain or free from controversy. Sunnis, for example, believe he was born later. Before he could reach an age of maturity, when he could teach and counsel the Muslim world as was believed to be his destiny, Ali vanished from human society. Some say he was four years old, while others say five and some say six. Some believe he fell into a well in Samarra but his body was never recovered. Others believe the Mahdi’s mother placed him in the well to prevent the evil rulers of the time from finding him, capturing him, and killing him—and that little Ali subsequently became supernaturally invisible. This is where the term “Hidden Imam” is derived, as Shias believe that Ali is not dead but has simply been hidden from the sight of mankind—Shias refer to this as “occultation”—until the End of Days, when Allah will reveal him once again.

President Ahmadinejad and the ruling elite in Iran not only believe in the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam, but that it will occur soon and that Iran must be ready and must actively be preparing for his coming. The current unrest in the Middle East is seen as a sign that he is about to appear. This according to CBN News:

Iranian Video Says Mahdi is 'Near'

New evidence has emerged that the Iranian government sees the current unrest in the Middle East as a signal that the Mahdi--or Islamic messiah--is about to appear.

CBN News has obtained a never-before-seen video produced by the Iranian regime that says all the signs are moving into place -- and that Iran will soon help usher in the end times.

While the revolutionary movements gripping the Middle East have created uncertainty throughout the region, the video shows that the Iranian regime believes the chaos is divine proof that their ultimate victory is at hand.

The propaganda footage has reportedly been approved at the highest levels of the Iranian government.

It's called The Coming is Near and it describes current events in the Middle East as a prelude to the arrival of the mythical tweflth Imam or Mahdi -- the messiah figure who Islamic scriptures say will lead the armies of Islam to victory over all non-Muslims in the last days. . . .

The ongoing upheavals in other Middle Eastern countries like Yemen and Egypt--including the rise of the Muslim Brotherood -- are also analyzed as prophetic signs that the Mahdi is near -- so is the current poor health of the king of Saudi Arabia, an Iranian rival. "Isn't the presence of Abdullah, his illness, and his uncertain condition, great news for those anxious for the coming?" asks the narrator.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khameini, and Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Iran's terrorist proxy Hezbollah, are hailed as pivotal end times players, whose rise was predicted in Islamic scriptures. The same goes for Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, who the video says will conquer Jerusalem prior to the Mahdi's coming.

The ongoing upheavals in other Middle Eastern countries like Yemen and Egypt--including the rise of the Muslim Brotherood -- are also analyzed as prophetic signs that the Mahdi is near -- so is the current poor health of the king of Saudi Arabia, an Iranian rival.

"Isn't the presence of Abdullah, his illness, and his uncertain condition, great news for those anxious for the coming?" asks the narrator.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khameini, and Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Iran's terrorist proxy Hezbollah, are hailed as pivotal end times players, whose rise was predicted in Islamic scriptures. The same goes for Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, who the video says will conquer Jerusalem prior to the Mahdi's coming.

Now of course all of this is just nonsense but it is not thus regarded by the Iranian leadership. Their belief apepars to be genuinely held. They can be expected to act authentically according to their apocalyptic ideas. It explains why the Iranian rulers will not tolerate dissent in any form: a nation not in submission would hardly earn itself the position of being the Twelfth Imam's right arm when he appears.

Political authorities in the West dismiss such theology and ideology as irrelevant. After all, only fools and horses would believe in such things. One must not treat Iran's leaders as if they were foolish or horse-like. That would be offensive. They must be treated as we ourselves want to be treated, as modern rational secular men who believe in freedom, human rights, and justice.

In the meantime, it remains an open question as to how much mayhem the Iranian leadership will foment in order to facilitate "his" coming. This will be as a self-fulfilling prophecy. The longer "he" delays appearing, the more mayhem must be required.

We will indeed be living in interesting times--but not as the Iran leadership expects them to be.  In the meantime, we ought never to under-estimate the devastation that a false eschatology can wreak.  Recall a moustachioed gentleman who proclaimed a Thousand Year Reich, and another who called for Workers of the World to unite.