True believers dial messiah hotline in Iran

Exploration of Conspiracy Theories from Perspective of Esoteric Traditions

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True believers dial messiah hotline in Iran

Postby Captain_Solo » Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:13 pm

True believers dial messiah hotline in Iran

Energized by president's beliefs, end-of-timers redouble their outreach.


By Scott Peterson | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

QOM, IRAN – Have a quick question about when the Mahdi is coming to save mankind, according to Shiite Muslim adherents? Need to know the signs?

Just call the new messiah "hotline." Or log on to Bright Future News Agency to get the latest religious readout - all part of the effort by freshly rejuvenated true believers in Iran to spread their message of the imminent return of the Mahdi, the 12th Imam who is expected to return to impose justice and spread peace.

"People are anxious to know when and how will He rise; what they must do to receive this worldwide salvation," says Ali Lari, a cleric at the Bright Future Institute in Iran's religious center of Qom.

"The timing is not clear, but the conditions are more specific," he adds. "There is a saying: 'When the students are ready, the teacher will come.' "

Paving the way is a renewed commitment to "Mahdaviat" beliefs by the ultraconservative government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who lives so modestly that declared assets include only a 30-year-old car, an even older house, and an empty bank account.

These ideologues see the creation of the Islamic Republic in 1979 and efforts to rekindle its revolutionary ideals, as critical to paving the way for the Mahdi's return.

They say that return - which they believe will happen soon - will prompt a global battle between good and evil (not unlike biblical "Armageddon" interpretations), and herald an era of justice, peace, and the ultimate triumph of Shiite Islam.

The Bright Future Institute is preparing the ground, a leaflet explains, by developing the "true culture" of waiting for the Mahdi, "reject[ing] wrong ideas and preparing scientific answers to respond [to] superstitions," while working to "accomplish an ideal society which Imam Mahdi wants."

While he waits, Morteza Rabaninejad sits at a new computer with a new telephone and a new headset, answering five calls and 10 letters a day.

"Would you please explain all the signs of rising?" writes one correspondent. "What are the things we must do to make the Mahdi rise earlier than he is supposed to?"

Started in 2004, the institute is the eighth of its kind in Iran to study and even speed the Mahdi's return. But it is the largest and most influential, with 160 staff, a growing reach in local schools, children's and teen magazines, and unlimited ambition to spread the word.

The blend of modern technology and ancient prophecy echoes efforts of US evangelicals who use 45 categories - from liberalism to natural disasters - to predict the "end time," when holy people will experience "rapture" and go to heaven. For them, the "Rapture Index" (www.raptureready.com) is at 151; anything higher than 145 means "Fasten your seatbelts," because of what they deem a high level of prophetic activity.

In Iran, theologians say end-of-times beliefs appeal to one-fifth of Iranians. And Jamkaran mosque east of Qom, 60 miles south of Tehran, is where the link between devotees and the Mahdi is closest.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's cabinet has given $17 million to Jamkaran. Staff at the Bright Future Institute downplay his interest, arguing the amount is just $2-3 million, and that their effort is privately funded. They claim that former President Mohammad Khatami also spent "a lot" on Jamkaran.

But the new political impetus in Tehran has invigorated efforts here. "Mahdaviat is a code for the revolution, and is the spirit of the revolution," says cleric Masoud Poursayed-Aghaie, head of the institute. "It's the code of our identity, [and] I think this belief has been increasing."

"The Imam is the connection between the people and God," says Mr. Poursayed-Aghaie. "When a person is waiting for a pure and proper person, then he himself should be pure and proper, [so] he will be positive toward the future and will be released from the disappointments of life."

Critics in Iran and outside dismiss end-of-timers as unscientific, traditional followers of myths. To counter those critics, the institute's news agency, online at www.bfnews.ir, began churning out reports three months ago.

"There is a gap between us and the popular media," says editor-in-chief Sayed Ali Pourtabatabaie. "We started the idea of a messiah news agency of the Mahdi [because] we thought we needed a news agency to publish His news."

"We think the world is a place for peace, not war," says Mr. Pourtabatabaie, who says he campaigned for Khatami in 2001 and did graduate work in human rights. "We visited [Ahmadinejad], and I asked him about nuclear weapons. He laughed, and said: 'Does our religion allow it?' Imam Mahdi does not like nuclear weapons."

Still, Shiite writings describe events surrounding the return in apocalyptic terms, similar to those used in Revelations, which some Christian evangelicals believe predicts a final world war during which Jesus returns to win and reign for 1,000 years.

In one script, forces of evil would come from Syria and Iraq and clash with forces of good from Iran. The battle would commence at Kufa - the Iraqi town near the holy city of Najaf (and home to the anti-US Iraqi cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr).

The evil commander named Sofiani and the anti-Mahdi known as Dajol (comparable to the Christian antichrist), would both be killed. The forces of good would be led by a "man from Khorasan" - a province in northeast Iran.

The Mahdi would return at Mecca, and fight. His victory would bring a government of God for a period of "seven," according to one reading. Seven months, years, or millennia is not clear.

Another text details a conversation, in which the Muslim prophet Mohammad describes the Mahdi as "God's ultimate thing," and that God "will conquer the Easts and the Wests of the earth through Him, and He will be absent from his followers [as he is now, known as the "hidden" 12th imam] to such an extent, no one can confirm his existence except the believer whose heart has been tested for faith by the Almighty."

Even while absent, the prophet is to have said, the Mahdi would benefit his followers, "just as people still benefit from the sun on a cloudy day."

"The Imam of the Age will have victory, and all the world will support him, except some regimes and governments that are racist, like Zionists," says Poursayed-Aghaie. The result will be global dominance of Shiite Muslims.

"Believing in the Mahdi and the Savior ... is superior to nuclear energy in the hands of the Shia," he adds. "The power of the Shia is bound to this - not a nuclear weapon."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0104/p07s02-wome.html
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Postby yorick » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:57 am

Yeah but where's the link to the actual hotline? Otherwise this all sounds like CSM trumpeting its own agenda.

C'mon Solo, I know you to be scholar on Mideast Abrahamics from the Mohammed/Vatican Popes thread........ Now who is this "Mahdi" character and how does he compare with Jesus landing again; better yet - can we tie Jewish mysticism into this?

Meanwhile whats the latest on adventures of the Anti-christ? Am hoping we can all agree the place is poised for both the best of times and worst of times as has been prophesied throughout the ages.

Hell yeah, I'd like to see global hotline for end-times set in stone.

And how come UN General Assembly doesnt adress this issue? It would be outstanding if priests from every nation replaced tedious and troublesome diplomats at representing diverse national interests working in cooperation to help speed things up, you understand.


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Postby Captain_Solo » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:21 am

The Mahdi is a sort of Messianic figure in Islamic eschatology. He varies though between a Sunni version and the Shi'ite version. According to the both versions he is a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad and will appear in the last days and will fight the forces of disbelief to establish a reign of peace and justice, after his reign the Dajjal (anti-Christ) will arise to do his thing. Then Jesus will descend in Damascus and will slay the Dajjal. The Shi'ites have some added stuff in their version. They say he is the last of 12 Imams. He was born in 868, but went into hiding (occultation) and will appear at the end of times, etc. Many Sunnis believe that the Shi'ite "Mahdi" will be the Dajjal.
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Postby yorick » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:01 am

Thank you sir, this sounds extremely workable to me. Reminiscent of Ghost Dance Movement which amounted to native american spiritual atomic bomb being launched back in the 19th Century. Even today many skins are shaking in their boots at meditating on the aftermath of that one.

And gotta love the part where Mahdi attacks internal (Islamic) forces of disbelief to establish peace and justice too. This sounds tailor made for serious shamanic workings if we had balls enough to launch a few probes in the region. Nothing flat-footed, you understand, and the more prone to psychotic episode the better as few can pentrate such a shield as the genuine lunatic is capable of presenting.

Meanwhile am sincerely hoping that Brits in Basra cafes have done as little damage as possible in their reconnoitrings at this situation, hopefully developing a more operative approach instead. For sure it's the Zoroastrian undertow that provides glue to the entire scenario, you understand, being formula for establishing safe passage where good'n evil meet.



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Postby Captain_Solo » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:21 pm

And gotta love the part where Mahdi attacks internal (Islamic) forces of disbelief to establish peace and justice too.


Not internal, but external (i.e. the Jews and Christians).
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Postby yorick » Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:37 am

>>>> Not internal, but external (i.e. the Jews and Christians).

<-- sounds like flawed interpretation there that deserves to be cleaned up

Somebody should mention to them that in comparison Christ's 2nd coming is all about house cleaning of the Christian faith where radical right wing Xtian fundies, as shunned in the Book of Mallachi, will find their asses burning in hell but sincere adherents of *any* faith will inherit the spoils of the earth.

And then ask them if their Mahdi character in similar fashion will not equally judge Muslims as he judges others.


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Postby Captain_Solo » Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:44 am

The Mahdi doesn't come to "judge." He simply comes to rid the Muslims of Jewish and Christian armies.
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Postby yorick » Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:47 am

Yet Islam knows no borders.

Now I'd ask them what sort of time frame they think Mahdi is working with, being that his purpose is the absolute destruction of 2/3 troublesome Abrahamic Faiths' presence on this planet.

And then I'd want to know if Islam expects complete stasis with kindred Christrian and Judaic "armies" destroyed.

The obvious conclusion of this discussion can only lead towards planned and plotted absolute destruction of the planet as we know it today, creating an immaculate pristine yet sterile environment alot like Mars. This is where *all* revelations/Armegedon/Judgment Day discussions lead, you understand.


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Postby angel of death » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:19 pm

I called it.
They said I am the bringer of the Apocalypse
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