Mulling over LEE LOFASO to STEVE ASHER 27 Feb 2006

G'day Lee,

SA>Muslim Preacher on Temple Mount: Restore Worldwide Islamic Rule
SA>11:59 Feb 26, '06 / 28 Shevat 5766
SA>By Hillel Fendel

SA>Sheikh Ismail Nawahda, preaching to Moslem masses on the Temple Mount
SA>in Jerusalem on Friday, has brought it out into the open: the call to
SA>restore the Moslem Khalifate, or, "Genuine Islamic Rule."

SA>A plan for the "Return of the Khalifate" was published secretly in
SA>2002 by a group called "The Guiding Helper Foundation." The group
SA>explained that it wished to "give direction to the educated Muslim
SA>populace in its increasing interest in the establishment of Islam
SA>as a practical system of rule."

SA>This past Friday, Feb. 24, however, the plan went public. Sheikh
SA>Nawahda called publicly for the renewal of the Islamic Khalifate,
SA>which would "unite all the Moslems in the world against the
infidels."

SA>The Khalifate system features a leader, known as a Khalif, who heads
SA>worldwide Islam. Assisted by a ten-man council, his decisions are
SA>totally binding on all Moslems.

 LL> Sunni Muslims yearn for a Caliphate, that would rule the world.
 LL> Shiite Muslims yearn for the Mahdi, who would rule the world. 

 LL> Of course, the Mahdi must first make his appearance, and battle the
 LL> Dajjal, in order to be worshipped.

This leads to the questions of how Muslims might identify the Mahdi,
the Dajjal, and further, the "Jesus" they believe will join the Mahdi.

 LL> The president of Iran said this event will occur within the next
 LL> two years.  Other Muslim leaders have also hinted that some world
 LL> changing event will occur within the next two years.

One doesn't need to be a Muslim leader to sense that some world
changing event will occur [soonish]. Whatever it is, it will make
"9/11" pale into insignificance as an event to change the world.

 LL> IOW, both Sunni and Shi'a are in agreement, that some
 LL> world-changing event will occur sometime within the next two years,
 LL> that would somehow unite all of the Muslim world as one.

We can speculate on what it might be - eg the Rapture; the Ezekiel 38
invasion of Israel; the collapse of Western capitalism; the Indo-Pak
war, which some Muslims believe must precede the appearance of the
Mahdi; (this will almost certainly be nuclear, if it takes place) etc.

The West and Iran/Islam seem to be on a mutual collision-course, so
Ezekiel 38 seems to be the likely event, possibly later this month,
if wars & rumours of wars are anything to go by. Whatever happens,
March 2006 looks like an interesting month - hmmm... when are the
Ides? :)

Cheers, Steve..

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