God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible

by Walid Shoebat

  To understand how serious the takeover of the Turkish Government by an Islamist party is, consider some of the comments made by outgoing Turkish President, Ahmet Necdet Sezer in his farewell speech. Aside from Sezer’s very sober warnings, he stated the following:

  “Turkey’s political regime is under unprecedented threat…Political Islam is being imposed on Turkey as a model…A plot is being carried out, according to a well-defined timeline, against the Turkish Armed Forces. Foreign forces—and domestic ones, to serve their own interests—are, under the pretext of ‘democracy,’ trying to transform Turkey’s secular republic and to create a model of a ‘moderate Islamic republic’ to serve as an example for Islamic countries to follow. ‘Moderate Islam’ would mean that the state’s social, economic, political, and legal system would reflect, to some extent, the laws of the religion. By this definition, the ‘moderate Islam model’ might represent ‘progress’ for the Islamic countries—but for Turkey, it means ‘regression.’ This is a model of ‘fundamentalism’ [that Turkey rejects].”16

  Sezer also claimed that it was only matter of time before a “moderate” Islamic government would become radical. Likewise, Dr. Megalommatis, also a supporter of the secular government in Turkey, used even stronger language to describe the seriousness of the Islamist takeover: “In Turkey, the real enemy is the Islamist movement with the lewd and gawky prime minister and foreign minister, who attempt to devise their simulative scheme of Turkey’s Islamization, vulgarization, and barbarization. Playing with the divisions of Turkey’s civilized political establishment, utilizing the inconsistencies of the electoral law, and relying on the perfidious support of Turkey’s worst external enemies, Erdogan and Gul consist in national threat No. 1 for the entire country.”17

  If you are doubtful regarding Sezer’s and Megalommatis’s claims, then consider some of the comments that have been made by the architect of the recent takeover, Prime Minister Erdogan himself. Despite Erdogan’s endless public expressions of being pro-democracy, pro-European Union, pro-America, pro-Israel, pro-peace, and pro-Global-unity, Erdogan was caught making the infamous quote that, “Democracy is like a streetcar. You ride it until you arrive at your destination and then you get off.”18

  It was also reported that Erdogan’s undersecretary stated that it was necessary to replace secularism and republicanism with a more participatory, Islamic system.19 On another occasion, in a rare moment of transparency, Erdogan recited the following portion of a radical Islamic poem that he wrote: “[The] Mosques are our barracks, [the] domes our helmets, [the] minarets our bayonets, [the] believers our soldiers. This holy army guards my religion. Almighty, our journey is our destiny, the end is martyrdom.” If these comments had come from Osama Bin Laden or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, they would seem in place; however, they come from one of the most powerful Muslim leaders in the Middle East. Therefore, they should be deeply disturbing to world leaders everywhere. These comments are also contradictory. They sound as if they have come from the lips of a radical suicide bomber, yet they come from the man who America and Israel trust implicitly. These comments come from the man who has helped forge the UN “Alliance of Civilizations” and who is frequently heard quoting Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the famous peace-loving Sufi Muslim mystic. So who is the real Erdogan, the Muslim Ghandi or the reincarnation of Gygez? In light of the evidence that there may be more to Erdogan than we see on television, we should not be surprised to hear Professor Ruben Safrastyan refer to him as someone who is, “very skillful in political manipulations.”20

  Scripture warns, “A vile person…shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue” (Daniel 11:21).

  Yet another necessary requirement of the leader of the Antichrist Kingdom has found its fulfillment in Turkey. Latent or even more overt trends toward anti-Semitism and anti-Christian attitudes are clearly found in growing measure within modern Turkey. Far more significant, a potential sleeper cell, and a radical Islamist government in disguise has seized control of what has historically been the most moderate and secular Muslim nation in the world. If the nation of Turkey continues along the road that it is on, the implications for the West will be devastating. As British journalist John Hooper stated as far back as 1996, “the scope for conflict, were Turkey, like Iran, to ‘go Islamic’ would be immense.” Nevertheless, if Turkey actually joins forces with Iran and several other Islamist nations, as the Bible says, then “immense” will not even begin to describe the devastating impact for Israel and the United Sates.

  95

  Turkey In Islamic Prophecy

  MUSLIM PROPHECY PREDICTED THE FALL OF TURKEY TO THE ISLAMISTS

  I once partook in an Irish National Television debate with Anjum Choudry, a leader of the defunct Al-Muhajirun terror organization in England. Choudry began spouting hatred for Kamal Attaturk, calling him a stooge who abolished the Caliphate. He claimed Islam must be re-established where it was wounded. Today, Choudry’s dream is coming true—the fall of the Turkish government to an Islamist political party bears heavy prophetic significance among apocalyptically minded Muslims.

  Satan, who understands the Bible, had set up his own prophecies about the first and second rise of the Turkish Empire. Among the numerous Islamic traditions, there exists a series of prophecies that speak of the fall of Constantinople to Islam. When Mehmet II, leader of the Muslim armies conquered Constantinople in 1453, he played up these prophecies to his troops, empowering them with a euphoric sense of divine purpose. “Allah will conquer Constantinople (Istanbul) for the people of His most loved friends,” he said. “Verily you shall conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful leader will her leader be, and what a wonderful army will that army be!”21

  Yet the second conquering of Constantinople by Islam is looming on the horizon. This one is said to be accomplished through peaceful means just prior the ends of days. The Great War, as it is called in Islam, will occur just after the conquest of Constantinople. “The flourishing state of Jerusalem will be when Yathrib (Medina) is in ruins, the ruined state of Yathrib will be when the Great War comes, and the outbreak of the Great War will be at the conquest of Constantinople and the conquest of Constantinople when the Dajjal (Antichrist) comes forth. He (the Prophet) struck his thigh or his shoulder with his hand and said: This is as true as you are here or as you are sitting.”22

  Just as Israel’s re-taking of Jerusalem in 1967 boosted Christian moral worldwide, the re-conquering of Constantinople for Islam will empower Muslims. Several years before the fall of Turkey to the Islamist party, Muslim apocalyptic writer Sidheeque Veliankode commented that, “the first conquering of Constantinople by Mehmet II was merely a preparatory war before the actual conquest of it at the last hour. However, the Hadith commentators suggest that the overthrow of Constantinople State Government after the downfall of the Islamic Caliphate era confirms the return of the same state—God willing—to the hands of the Muslims.”23

  When searching for the Antichrist, one must never look to the Ahmadinejads or Usamas of the world, but instead to someone with a moderate mask—at least in the beginning. His sinister, rabid hatred for Jews and Christians will not be revealed until he lures the sheep into his den. Everyone in the Middle East knows Abduallah Gul, whose name literally means “the Servant of Allah the Demon.”

  The Islamic paradigm, as it seems from our study, is one of the most significant keys to unlock the Bible’s ancient prophecies. Satan knows the Bible inside out, and thus attempts to sway the gullible by taking true prophecies and shifting the outcome. Israel won against all odds never to be pulled up again (Amos 9:15)—all I needed to do when I was Muslim was tune out the wrong channel. This is why Christ Himself warned, Be wise as a serpent, and innocent as doves.

  96

  The Reality

  THE RISE OF MAHDISM AND THE CALIPHATE MOVEMENT

  THE CRY FOR MAHDI—ITS NOW A REALITY

  Even if you don’t believe the Bible, world circumstances are now bearing out exactly what it predicts wil
l happen. Either the prophets are prophets, or they are perfect guessers. The call for a unified Islamic coalition ruled by an Islamic dictator is now quickly becoming a reality. On September 17, 2005, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations National Assembly in New York City. He concluded his speech with the following declaration and prayer: “From the beginning of time, humanity has longed for the day when justice, peace, equality, and compassion envelop the world. All of us can contribute to the establishment of such a world. When that day comes, the ultimate promise of all Divine religions will be fulfilled with the emergence of a perfect human being who is heir to all prophets and pious men. He will lead the world to justice and absolute peace. O mighty Lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace.”

  Think about this: Before the United Nations National Assembly, in the heart of New York City, The President of Iran called out to his god to hasten the emergence of the Mahdi—the one who would ultimately cause the religion of Islam to rule over the earth and destroy all those who refuse to submit. When has this ever happened?

  Western reporters scrambled to identify this mysterious Al-Mahdi and found him in the ancient sources of both Shi’a and Sunni holy writ. The West finally had their first introduction to Islam’s awaited Messiah. On November 16, 2005, Ahmadinejad, like a Muslim John the Baptist, exhorted crowds in Tehran to pave the way, proclaiming that his main mission as the President of Iran is to “pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi—may Allah hasten his reappearance.”24 As if that is not astonishing enough, according to Ahmadinejad, this Mahdi will arrive in the next two years (Jackson Diehl, Washington Post).25 The personal relationship with this Muslim-Messiah goes beyond announcing his soon coming—Ahmadinejad even claims to converse with this Mahdi-Messiah.26

  If one thinks this is an anomaly, think again. Iranian leaders set up an institute in 2004 for the study and dissemination of information about the Mahdi. It is fully staffed, and even produces children’s magazines to influence the younger generation—a Hitler style youth brainwashing of masses who await the Grand Imam and Islam’s supreme ruler and Messiah.27

  With weapons of mass destruction and a few nuclear bombs, he might even cause lightening to come down from heaven as the predicted Mahdi will do—with one slight adjustment; however, the carrier of his nuclear-tipped Shahab will be a transit flight lobbed from an ocean-liner right over New York city. The Shahab, the choice name picked for Iran’s missile, literally means lightening. Everything except the completion of his nuclear program is in place, including the reception site of Mahdi—over $20 million dollars was spent refurbishing the Mosque in Jamkaran just outside the “holy city” of Qom. It is ready for the grand finale; the countdown has begun.

  HOJJATIEH—THE LUNATICS ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM

  From the birth pangs of the Holocaust, Israel was born. Why is it every time I speak to a secular audience about Israel, Muslims tell me the birth of Israel was a self-fulfilled prophecy? Did the Jews drag six million to their death in order to accomplish such a thing? What does one think about Iran’s Hojjatieh Society, considered by mainstream Shi’a Muslims to be the lunatic fringe? The Hojjatieh Society is governed by the conviction that the 12th Imam’s return can be hastened by the creation of a period of chaos on earth which they must fulfill. The group is so extreme that even the late hardliner Ayatollah Khomeini banned them in 1983. This is the same Khomeini who, when asked by a companion how he wanted the Ministry of Justice restructured, replied, “Anyone who is against me is against Allah and must be killed where they stand. No other justice system is required.” It is easy to understand why so many claim that Ahmadinejad is a member of Hojjitieh. Ahmadinejad’s mentor and spiritual advisor, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, is considered by many to presently be the highest-ranking member of the Hojjatieh Society. But it is the defining element of the Hojjatieh Society that has so many concerned—as stated, Hojjatieh believes that the Mahdi’s return will be preceded by world chaos, war, and bloodshed throughout the earth. After this cataclysmic confrontation between the forces of good and evil, the Mahdi will lead the world to an era of universal peace. The danger present with this volatile combination of beliefs has not been articulated any better than by former Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, who described Hojjatieh this way: “I was looking for an analogy to try to explain to Americans what it is that is so dangerous about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. You remember those crazy people in Waco, Texas? Imagine David Koresh with nuclear weapons. Imagine David Koresh, not with hundreds of followers, but millions of followers, with nuclear weapons, wanting to obliterate America, wanting to obliterate America’s allies, wanting to take over the world’s oil supply. If the lunatics escape from the asylum, that is one thing; however, if they can can get their hands on a nuclear weapon, that is another. This is that kind of cult. It’s the cult of the Mahdi.”29

  In truth, no one should view Ahmadinejad as a John the Baptist paving the way for Messiah. A more fitting parallel is Judas Iscariot; the zealot who many speculate attempted to force Jesus to take his throne as King of Israel by betraying him. The Hojjatieh are to the Muslim world what some Jewish Zealots were to first century Jews. They believe they can manipulate Allah and force the Mahdi to appear. Or perhaps Allah will find a better candidate with more manipulating charisma to be his right arm.

  MAHDIST RUMBLINGS IN IRAQ

  But among those monitoring Iran’s Mahdi obsession, few point out the spread of this infestation in neighboring Iraq, in not only the Shi’a strain, but also the Sunni. In January of 2007, American troops in Iraq, like pest control, fighting from one area to another, killed Ahmed Hasani al-Yemeni, a man who had claimed to be the Mahdi. Hasani was the leader of a group known as the Jaish al-Janna (Army of Heaven), and had gathered between six and seven hundred followers, including many Sunni Muslims recruited from the ranks of al-Qaeda.30

  But Jaish al-Janna is not the only Mahdist group that has recently emerged in Iraq. In fact, according to Zeyad Kesim, a monitor of key Arabic websites in Iraq, Jaish al-Janna is only the tip of the iceberg. According to Zeyad, there are now at least seven different Mahdist sects in Iraq, each one believing that the return of the Mahdi is imminent.

  FALSE MAHDIS AND FALSE MESSIAHS

  In the 19th century in Algeria, several individuals claimed to be the forerunner to the Mahdi. We should not be at all surprised if the Middle East soon provides us with another popular claimant to this office. This time, however, his gathering of followers will not be so localized or limited. As we witness, heads of state and numerous Muslim groups gather to proclaim his coming like a perfect storm. Timothy Furnish, American scholar of Mahdist movements, recently commented: “The historical situation in Iraq right now, with all these Mahdist and near-Mahdist claimants, reminds me very much of that in Algeria under French occupation in the mid-19th century. There, too, a myriad of Mahdist ‘forerunners’ emerged to challenge the French in the name of the coming Mahdi before, finally, in 1879 one Muhammad Amzian actually, publicly proclaimed himself the Mahdi… No military or political solution is going to work in Iraq until this enormously powerful eschatological element in the region (both Sunni and Shi`i) is addressed.”31

  I might add it is also very similar to two other key time periods. The first being first century Israel, where, just prior to the ministry of Jesus, many false claimants to the office of Messiah had emerged. The Bible says: “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). When Christ was born in Israel in the first century, the time was ripe socially, politically, religiously and prophetically for a messiah to emerge. Indeed, the Messiah arrived. However, many other false messiahs also emerged during this period. Like then, we are presently seeing yet another set of circumstances that will most assuredly lead to the emergence of a false messiah figure somewhere in the Muslim worl
d.

  This leads to the other key time period that will provide us with numerous false messiahs. This, of course, is the End-Times. What will be the sign of Messiah’s coming and of the end of the age? Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, and will deceive many…At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, ‘There He is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it” (Matthew 24:3-5, 23-26).

  Jesus made it clear that in the Last-Days, many deceivers would emerge claiming to be the Messiah or a prophet, and leading many people astray. As we look at the present explosion throughout the Muslim world of Islamic Messianism, all believers should realize that this is a clear sign that we are now approaching the End-Times.

  THE TIME IS RIPE FOR A REVIVED MUSLIM CALIPHATE

  It’s not only a call for Mahdi, but a revival of the Caliphate as well. Muslims regard themselves as members of one Ummah, or community of Muslim believers. This concept dominates the Muslim world. This sense of community and loyalty to Mohammed and Allah even trumps family and other societal ties giving reason as to why many Muslims do not hesitate to kill even family members who give up the Islamic faith. Add to this the simple fact that the Islamic sacred traditions are filled with prophecies foretelling the triumph of Islam over the whole world. The eventual conquest and complete Islamization of the earth is as natural an expectation for most Muslims as the rising of the sun.