Bring on Armageddon, George!
The sabre rattling about Iran is unnerving enough, and just the thought that the Bush junta could usher us into another war adventure whilst getting battered in Afghanistan and Iraq every day is mind-boggling. But Syria is an altogether different story.
Both Islam and Christianity share the end-time predictions of Armageddon (the Palestinian town of Al Megido), and both know this to be the final battle between those who believe and those who don’t. Their definitions of who is a believer differ, of course.
Secularists, too, are warning of the coming of the end, although they prefer to blame global warming. You don’t have to be a Muslim to relate to the prophetic description of those times: “the wide earth will shrink before them and the earth will become full of oppression and injustice, and the believer will find no shelter from harm.”
So back to Syria: Syria is the place, according to prophecy, where the tide will turn - it is the people of Syria and a group of the people of Iraq who will be the first to pledge allegiance to the Mahdi, the awaited saviour of the Muslims who will re-unite them after their defeat. With the help of the arch-angels Gabriel and Michael he will move towards Syria where he will decisively beat the allied armies of the disbelievers and establish Muslim rule until Jesus, the Messiah, returns for his second coming, also in Damascus.
The coming rounds of neo-conservative, neo-imperialist wars, therefore, are not just proxy wars for Israel. They are the beginning of the end. Commentators have pointed out with a measure of derision that George Bush sees himself inspired by God to do the needful. Indeed he is driven to act out the inevitable. His right-wing pro-Zionist fundamentalist Christian constituencies are Biblical fatalists. They believe that after Armageddon they will be the winners. They might be in for a big surprise!
There is no escaping history. What is inevitable must come to pass. The world is set on a grand collision course. America, the waning empire, is playing the end game. The result will not be to their liking. Bring it on George!
posted by Mustaqim @ 19:06
3 comments
3 Comments:
Dr. Mustaqim
Enjoyed reading your article. I am a Christian and it is very interesting to see both sides of this considering the place and the ending seem to be tied together. History does repeat itself. But with Iran making statements as they did a week ago, remember this. It's no longer just the United States involved in this. The middle east, no matter Muslim or Christian, cannot defeat a united Europe/American military battle. The difference between the Christian radicals and the muslim radicals is that Christians keep their anger and opinions more to themselves. Muslims extremists only add to their problems by threatening annilation on Jewish and "Zionist" states. What the rest of the world needs to realize is that this war is a holy war to only those who want it to be. The United States and it's allies open their borders to all religions. How can they then be called crusaders. As far as I know, middle eastern Islamic states are some of the only countries who close their society to only Muslims. So you tell me who is waging the war!!!!
Dear Mr Anon
I am surprised to know that you consider neither the Christians nor Muslims can defeat the ‘united’ European/Americans in a military battle. There is no unity amongst them just an uncomfortable compliance to the America will for financial gains. This statement of yours portrays little faith in ones religion and undermines the power of god. These armies which seem unbeatable are no match to the will of God. After all he has wiped of much larger armies than the ones already getting a beating under the orders of Bush.
I also consider it inaccurate to say as you did Christians keep their opinions and views to themselves where as Muslims threaten and become extremist. I consider these invasions as an act of Christian extremist terrorism. Are you not aware of any Christian extremists I am sure you are but you probably wouldn’t have considered them as extremist because the media has not told you they are.
There are two forms of terrorism. The first is individual terrorism carried out by people out of despair or just ignorance. The second is state controlled terrorism and employs fast armies, tanks, bombers, nuclear and chemical weapons, stealth fighters. Now you tell me which form of terrorism is more destructive and evil and which one is being fought by Bush and Blair in the name of Christianity?
Finally, Dr Mustaqim was correct to liken these invasions into the Middle East to a crusade. Lets not forget it was the leader of the free world GW Bush who himself called these actions a Crusade before he was ticked of for being so blatant. He then relabelled it them as THE WAR ON TERROR.
Athar
First of all, as a United States Marine, we are not taking a beating. That I can guarantee. I understand all about the crusades. I am a history nutt myself. And I, as a Christian, am not proud of those times. But how you can consider a nation who has come to try and give people, no matter what religion, their basic civil rights of life and the right to worship as they please, a crusade is beyond me. And I would suggest you ask yourself this. Why would I want to worship a God who allows indiscriminant killing of innocent civilians, not to mention themselves, all out of the name of "love". Just look at Amman Jordan. To be brainwashing kids to believe that everything they desire here on earth is forbidden, but will be given to them if they kill in the name of their God is so paradoxial to love. If this were true, what would be the point in life. Imagine God saying, "thank you my child for blowing yourself up and taking down 100 innocent people with you. Now you are worthy of my love." How rediculous is that. But you see, that's extremism. I believe that most Muslims are good honest people. Just like I believe most Christians are good and honest people. I totally know there are Christian extremists. Look at Ireland for crying outloud. But don't be fooled into believing that our invasion of Iraq is a Crusade or an extremist Christian invasion. If that were true we would have no problem using the brunt of our force, which no one has seen, not even close. This is about trying to open up a closed society where tyranny and extremism have ruled. And about Bush and his "Crusade" comment. Crusade can be taken totally out of text. If you have known Bush for very long, you should know that he isn't very good with words. Crusade can mean many things. I can assure you that he wasn't referring to a religious crusade as in Christian vs. Muslim. It is a crusade against tyranny and extremism. I've seen these so called "jihadists" at their best. Just go to Fallujah. You'll find all of their torture chambers, pornography and alcohol. But remember, it's all in the name of love!!
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