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Mahdi-Alert. Apparently some Shia groups in Iraq are operating under a doctrine that maintains if people engage in debauched behavior -- sowing corruption in the earth -- that would only speed up the return of the Mahdi. As with taqiyya, yet another example of how in Islam, the end often justifies the means, as in this hadith about niyya, or "intention": "Actions are what they are by virtue of intent." Timothy Furnish (author of Holiest Wars, which examines Mahdism) discusses this story here.
"Shiite cults seek to wreak havoc in Iraq," by Usama Redha for the Los Angeles Times, October 15:
A few fringe groups seek to sow chaos, convinced it will hasten the arrival of the Mahdi, the Shiites' 12th imam who they believe will bring peace.BAGHDAD — Falling into a depression after her husband was killed last year, Iman immersed herself in religious studies and became fixated on a Shiite Muslim saint.
Soon, a secretive group of worshipers tried to recruit the young widow, telling her that she could help bring the holy figureback to Earth. All she had to do was sleep with the group's male followers.
Horrified, Iman, now 20, refused.
Her experience shines a light on the rise in Iraq of fanatical cults devoted to Imam Mahdi, the Shiites' 12th imam. A descendant of the prophet Muhammad, he disappeared more than 1,000 years ago.
The Shiite faithful believe that in the world's darkest hour, Imam Mahdi will return and bring justice and calm. But where mainstream Shiite believers wait patiently for that day, groups such as the one that tried to enlist Iman are convinced that they can hasten his reappearance by spreading chaos.
Devout Sunnis also believe in the Mahdi's coming, but do not think it involves the Shiite imam.
Already, two Shiite cults have tried to stage violent uprisings in Iraq. In January 2007, as many as 250 followers of a group called Heaven's Army were killed when they massed to attack the Shiite shrine city of Najaf. A year later, as many as 80 people died in battles with the police and army during a revolt in Basra by another cult, Supporters of the Mahdi.
Some experts speak of the cults nervously, afraid of being tracked down by the groups for talking about their mysterious practices.
Dr. Hassan, a psychology professor at Baghdad's Mustansiriya University who declined to give his full name because of worries about his safety, explained that some Iraqis had embraced conservative Shiite traditions with zeal after the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein, who had oppressed the country's Shiite majority.
"Before the war, the situation was different. To talk about religious things was forbidden and one could be arrested," Hassan said. "All these feelings bottled up inside and started to appear after Saddam's fall."
Iman, who also declined to give her full name, discovered the world of cults as she sought solace in religion in the months after her husband's death. A friend suggested she do something positive while waiting for Imam Mahdi's return.
"Her talks charmed me and made me think about heaven," Iman said. She opened up to her friend in a way she couldn't with her family. She told her friend how she had been lonely since her husband's death.
"I liked to talk about my needs as a woman, and we were joking about many things. Unfortunately, sometimes I went too far talking about things I should never have talked about, but I was just joking," she said.
The woman suggested that Iman sleep with her husband if she wanted to help speed up the Mahdi's return.
"I looked at her and laughed. I thought she was joking. I told her, 'No, he is too old for me. I want someone younger,' " Iman said. "She said, 'I'm serious -- all you have to do is sleep with my husband.' "
Others shared similar stories about the group, called Mumahidoon, or "those who prepare the way."
Abu Jassem said the group preyed upon him when he was unemployed.
His recruiter was a good friend who knew of his religious fervor, and of his need for money. The friend sweetened the deal with the promise of a stipend for joining the cult. But then he told Abu Jassem of the one catch: He had to let his fellow believers sleep with his wife, daughter and sister.
"I was stunned but didn't show my astonishment. Later I told them I refused the idea because these things were against my traditions and religion."
Although Iraqi security officials dismiss the idea that such cults pose a genuine threat, Hassan is not convinced. "The cults in our society," he warned, "could pose a danger."
Times staff writer Ned Parker contributed to this report.
Posted by Raymond at October 18, 2008 11:08 AM
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"Devout Sunnis also believe in the Mahdi's coming, but do not think it involves the Shiite imam."
Thank God, at least the Sunnis are not crazy makers / sarc off.
Posted by: champ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 18, 2008 12:34 PM
"The cults in our society," he [the Baghdad University professor Hassan] warned, "could pose a danger."
-- from the article above
Yes, "the cults in our society" could "pose a danger" to other Muslims in Iraq. And the Great Big Cult that Iraqis share with so many outside of Iraq "could pose a danger" -- no, make that "do pose a danger" -- to the legal and political institutions, social understandings and arrangments, and physical well-being, of Infidels everywhere.
at October 18, 2008 12:37 PM
How much money are we spending over there?
It's kinda obvious that the inmates are running the asylum.
Posted by: tanstaafl at October 18, 2008 12:39 PM
Sleeping around causes chaos?
I mean, who knew?
Muslims are the laughing stock of humanity.
Posted by: Kim Hartveld at October 18, 2008 12:55 PM
Take my wife.... please.
Posted by: stickman at October 18, 2008 1:02 PM
"....telling her that she could help bring the holy figureback to Earth. All she had to do was sleep with the group's male followers."
What a line! I've heard of some whoopers during my life, but that one takes the cake; and spreading chaos isn't the first thing that comes to my mind - spreading STD's does though.
at October 18, 2008 1:03 PM
What a line. Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker, so what can a young Muslim male do when in a Muslim country there's very little candy, and liquor is haram, and besides, marriages are arranged, and you often can't see the girl you are about to marry, much less do anything else with her? You use whatever comes to hand, and what comes to hand to these randy rapists with their crazed stories is patter about hastening the Great Day. A
For in Muslim societies, everything -- political dissent, or the search for sexual solace -- must be put in Muslim terms, seen as part of the universe of Islam. Here the con-men in question tried both men and women: the widow-woman seeking comfort, and the unemployed man, also at his wit's end, seeking his own solace in a speeded-up messianism. She is supposed to offer herself; he is supposed to offer up his wife, his sister, his daughter, to the fine fellows in the Shi'ite group he wishes to join.
In the West, when conducting Da'wa in prisons, Muslim missionaries allow "New Muslims" (reverts converts) to believe that their sociopathic or at least criminal behavior can be seen as not robbery and rape, but rather as way to follow Islam, by helping themselves, even in a society still dominated by Infidels, to a kind of Jizyah-through-robbery, and to help themselves to the women of the Infidels too, but justifying it as a natural response -- sorry, can't be helped! -- to the way those non-Muslim women dress, which means they were asking for it, and deserved it, and got it.
And in the Muslim lands, Islam-based beliefs (as in Shia Islam, the belief in the appearance of the Mahdi) , we see from this piquant example, can be used to justify taking advantage, in some way, of fellow Muslims (such as those with near-moron I.Q.'s who are sometimes used as suicide bombers), as in this case, where what is really on offer is "rape" but rape "for religious reasons." That's the way to make it plausible, and while the article above mentions two cases in which the intended victims did not fall for the appeal, how many cases go unmentioned in which such an appeal was successful?
Posted by: Hugh
at October 18, 2008 1:07 PM
There is something definitely boccaccesco about this story, but the similarity in the use of religion by the monk Rustico, who seduces the innocent Alibech in Il Decamerone (Third Day, Tenth Story)-- it's the famous tale of Putting The Devil Back In Hell -- should not be exaggerated. This Islamic version is far more sinister.
Anyway, here's a bit of the tale for the comparative-literature delegation that is so strongly represented among visitors to this site:
"...she [the young and innnocent Alibech] came to the cell of a young hermit, a very pious and righteous man, whose name was Rustico. To him she repeated her mission. Willing to put his resolution to so great a test, he forebore to send her away, and took her into his cell. At nightfall he made her a bed of palm-leaves, and bade her lie down to rest.
Temptations did not long delay an assault on his constancy; and finding it much beyond his strength to withstand them, he soon gave up the battle, and confessed himself worsted. So putting away all saintly thoughts, prayers and mortifications, he let his mind dwell on the freshness and beauty of his companion. From this he passed to thinking of the best means of bringing her to his desires without giving her cause to suspect him of lewdness. Therefore, satisfying himself by a few questions that she had never had carnal knowledge of a man, and was indeed as innocent as she seemed, he thought of a plan to enjoy her under colour of serving God. He began expounding to her the Devil’s enmity to the Almighty, and went on to impress upon her that the most acceptable service she could render to God would be to put the Devil in Hell, whereto the Lord had condemned him.
The little maid asked him how this might be done. “Thou shalt soon learn,” replied Rustico, “only do as thou seest me do.” Thereupon he took off what few clothes he wore, and stood stark naked; and as soon as the girl had done likewise he fell on his knees as though to pray, and made her kneel face to face with him.
This done, Rustico’s desire was more than ever inflamed at the sight of her beauty, and the resurrection of the flesh came to pass. Seeing this, and not knowing what it meant, Alibech asked: “Rustico, what is it thou hast that thrusts itself out in front, and that I have not?” “My daughter,” quoth Rustico, “it is that same Devil of whom I have been telling thee. Dost thou mark him? Behold, he gives me such sore trouble that I can hardly bear it.”
“The Lord be praised!” said she; “for now I see that I am more blessed than thou in that I have not this Devil.”
Rustico retorted: “Thou sayest truly; but thou hast another thing that I have not, and hast it in place of this.”
“What is that?” says Alibech.
To this Rustico replied: “Thou hast Hell; and will tell thee my belief that God gave it thee for the health of my soul. For, if thou wilt take pity on me for the troubling of this Devil, and suffer me to put him in Hell, thou wilt comfort me extremely, and at the same time please and serve God in the highest measure; to which end, as thou sayest, thou art come hither.”
All unsuspecting, the girl answered. him: “My father, since I have this Hell, let the thing be done when thou desirest it.”
Then Rustico said: “Bless thee, my dear daughter; let us go at once and put him in his place, that I may be at peace.”
So saying, he laid her on one of their rough beds, and set about showing her how to shut the accursed one in his prison. The girl, who until then had no experience of putting devils in Hell, felt some pain at this first trial of it; which made her say to Rustico: “Father, this Devil must indeed be wicked, and in very sooth an enemy of God, for he hurts Hell itself, let alone other things, when he is put back in it.”
“My daughter,” said Rustico, “it will not always be so.” And to make sure of it, before either of them moved from the bed they put him in six times, after which the Devil hung his head and was glad to let them be.
But in the succeeding days he rose up many times; and the girl, always disposing herself to subdue him, began to take pleasure in the exercise, and to say such things as: “I see now the truth of what the good folk in Capsa told me, that serving God is a delight; for I never remember doing anything that gave me as much joy and pleasure as this putting the Devil in Hell. So I think the people who spend their time otherwise than in serving God must be very foolish.”
Often she would come to Rustico and say: “Father, I came hither to serve God, not to stand idle. Let us go put the Devil in Hell.” And once, when it had been done, she asked: “Rustico, why does he want to get out of Hell? If only he would stay there as willingly as Hell takes him in and holds him, he would never want to come out at all.” By thus constantly egging him on and exhorting him to God’s service the girl so preyed upon Rustico that he shivered with cold when another man would have sweated. He had perforce to tell her that it was not just to punish the Devil by putting him in Hell save when he had lifted his head in pride; and that by God’s mercy they had so chastened him that he only implored Heaven to be left in peace. Thus for a time he silenced her.
But she, finding that Rustico did not call on her to put the Devil in Hell, said one day: “Even though your Devil is punished and no longer troubles you, my Hell gives me no peace. You will do a charity if with your Devil you will quiet the raging of my Hell, as with my Hell I tamed the pride of your Devil To these demands Rustico on a diet of herbs and water could ill respond; and he told her that to appease Hell would need too many devils, none the less he would do all that in him lay. At times he could satisfy her, but so seldom that it was like feeding an elephant with peas. Therefore the girl thought she was not serving God as well as she would like, and she grumbled most of the time.
Whilst things stood thus amiss between Rustico’s Devil and Alibech’s Hell, for overmuch eagerness of the one part and too little performance of the other, a fire broke out in Capsa and burned the father of Alibech with his children and every one of his kin, so that Alibech became the sole heiress to his goods. Whereupon a certain Neerbale, a young man who had wasted his patrimony in high living, sought for Alibech in the belief that she was alive, and succeeded in finding her before the Court had declared her father’s goods forfeit as being without an owner. Much to the relief of Rustico and against the girl’s will, Neerbale brought her back to Capsa and married her, so becoming entitled in her right to a large fortune.
One day, when as yet Neerbale had not lain with her, some of her women asked how she had served God in the desert. She replied that she had served Him by putting the Devil in Hell, and that Neerbale had committed a grievous sin in taking her from such pious work. Then they asked: “How is the Devil put in Hell?” To which the girl answered with words and gestures showing how it had been done. The women laughed so heartily that they have not done laughing yet, and said to her: “Grieve not, my child; that is done as well here. Neerbale will serve God right well with thee in this way.”
As one repeated the words to another throughout the town, it became a familiar saying that the most acceptable of all services to God is to put the Devil in Hell. The saying has crossed the sea and become current among us, as it still is.
Wherefore, young ladies, I beseech you if you would deserve Heaven’s grace, lend yourselves to the putting of the Devil in Hell; for it is a thing beloved of God, pleasing to the participants, and one from which much good comes and ensues.
A thousand times and more were the chaste ladies moved to laughter by Dioneus’s novel, so much were his phrases to their liking. And the Queen perceiving that as his tale was ended, her office had expired, took the crown of laurel from her head and graciously placed it on the head of Philostratus, saying: “Now we shall see whether the wolf will rule the sheep better than the sheep ruled the wolves.” At this Philostratus laughed, and retorted: “If I had my way, the wolves would have taught the sheep to put the Devil in Hell, no less well than Rustico taught Alibech. Since we did not, call us not wolves, for ye were no sheep. Howbeit, I will reign as best I may, seeing ye have laid the trust on me.”
Posted by: Hugh at October 18, 2008 1:19 PM
they can hasten his reappearance by spreading chaos.
The religion of peace again?
Although Iraqi security officials dismiss the idea that such cults pose a genuine threat, Hassan is not convinced. "The cults in our society," he warned, "could pose a danger."
What's with the plural? You have but one cult in your country: ISLAM.
Posted by: PMK at October 18, 2008 1:42 PM
"You use whatever comes to hand, and what comes to hand to these randy rapists with their crazed stories is patter about hastening the Great Day."
Well - these cockamanie stories worked for Muhammad
Posted by: champ at October 18, 2008 2:30 PM
Hugh,
Very good analogy in that both stories so aptly point out the naivete that pervades deeply religious societies. On a good note, the Iraqi society cannot be so far removed from the West that "swingers" are allowed.
at October 18, 2008 2:45 PM
The fact is, that Mahdi will never return.
Because there was nothing extraordinary about his disappearance.
The whole story reeks of neglect, criminality and cover-up. Just imagine: a boy disappears down the well not to be found. What would a modern day cop think? First, that the parents have beaten up the boy till hi died and buried him in the sand. Second, that his sister left to babysit missed his fall and was too ashamed to admit that. Third, that the parents simply sold the boy into slavery. Finally the parents have concocted a cover-up story in order to escape condemnation or punishment.
Like I always said and keep saying, there is nothing magic or extraordinary to an educated mind in islam. Entire doctrine is built on sand and glued with Allah's greatness. Puke!
Posted by: Charles Martel at October 18, 2008 3:03 PM
This is the sickest perversion of a 'religion' that I have ever seen.
Posted by: Mo at October 18, 2008 4:45 PM
A quick review of Cults:
Characteristics of a Cult: A Checklist
Really, you can just never have enough fun picking apart the "Religion of Peace."
at October 18, 2008 5:02 PM
As old texts confirm, from the Rosetta Stone to Rosetta Tharpe, there are strange things happening every day. Perhaps the excerpt posted above (”Mettere il diavolo in Inferno”) from Il Decamerone will lead to revival-readings of Boccaccio, complete with shout-outs from De mulieribus claris, all over this land. The Decameron,after all, surely has had a similar effect on readers as did that celebrated book Dante calls the “galeotto,” the one that Paolo and his belle-soeur Francesca read together, as described in Inferno, Canto V, before they decided, that day, that they would read, fatally, no further. In deliberate allusion to Dante’s inspirational “galeotto,” Boccaccio even had another title ready for his Decameron: “Prince Gallehault.”
But now I've wandered a bit, if not exactly into a wild wood, at least into an academic grove, franco-fideian or carlo-ginsburgian, insufficiently familiar to me, and I'd better find the straight path, and get out fast, while the getting is good.
at October 18, 2008 5:23 PM
This sounds like Sufis who eat pork and drink alchohol to 'test their steadfastness' and bring themselves closer to Allah.
Thank you for the tale from the Decameron, Hugh. I had never read that one before. I've always meant to read them all but I never read any of the fiction I intend to.
Posted by: jdamn at October 18, 2008 5:37 PM
Shi'ites can't do anyting right: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_guinness_sandwich
Posted by: jdamn at October 18, 2008 5:57 PM
To be fair, such aberrant practices have been known, often for precisely similar reasons, in many other areas, including Christian heretical cults. The most recent is the Children of God, now known as The Family, a cult whose founder went one better on Mo by having sex with several of his own daughters and spreading the practice of anything-goes sex across his movement. Hindu Tantric teachings also involve similar kinds of reverse-morality, although the Hindus, for choice, prefer to dwell in charnel-grounds (the areas where bodies are burned in Hindu funerals) and eat pieces of the flesh of the dead. These cults are always deviant and small, and there is no evidence whatever that any of them ever managed more than to make its own members rather crazy and often very unhappy. Unlike, of course, mainstream Islam, which is a threat well beyond its own bounds.
Posted by: Paolo at October 18, 2008 6:00 PM
Put that little Devil away. I have a headache!
If the Dude wasn't so old She might have thought differently? And her "Friend " suffers migraine's?
Something doesn't track right. They want to help bring the Mahdi along by doing things he will damn them to Hell for?
Was anyone aware that Islam allows so much freelancing?
When are these Iman's going to get everyone on the same page?
With so many questions, it just keeps getting tougher every day.
Posted by: flowerknife_us at October 18, 2008 6:17 PM
They want to help bring the Mahdi along by doing things he will damn them to Hell for?"
-- from a posting above
Many messianic movements don't mind pulling down the temple, if it will force the hand of the Mahdi or Messiah, or History itself, to come along, and make things right, make things perfect, Heaven On Earth.
In Soviet times, in fact, there was a variant on this belief, captured in the saying: "eto dazhe horosho, chto poka nam plokho" ("it's even good, that right now things are bad"). The intelligent meliorist feels out of place among such cultists; some of those voting for Obama include some of those meliorists, and one assumes they are made uncomfortable by the New-Day-Is-Dawning True Believers in Obama, whose devotion grading into fanaticism -- Obamism -- and concomitant unshakeable assumption that anyone who might harbor doubts of any kind about Obama must simply be mad, reflect in their attitudes a worrisome sign of political decadence, economic collapse, and mental disarray.
Posted by: Hugh at October 18, 2008 6:41 PM
"A descendant of the prophet Muhammad, he disappeared more than 1,000 years ago.
Muhammed had descendants?
at October 18, 2008 7:01 PM
Everyone with the last name 'Sharif' claims to be a descendant of Muhammad, including one of the founders of Al Qaeda, who now goes by El Fadl.
Posted by: jdamn at October 18, 2008 7:18 PM
Abscedere
Mohammed's first wife, Khadija, had a daughter, Fatima. That's why so many Muslims call their daughters, 'Fatima' (those, that is, who don't call their daughters 'Aisha'...).
It is from Fatima that all legit. descendants of Mohammed are - at least putatively - derived.
None of his other wives and concubines produced any offspring that survived to adulthood.
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at October 18, 2008 10:59 PM
Wow, what could I have been thinking to have watched football much of the day when I could have been here at JW following Hugh's crooked path into an academic grove? Kinda' hope the next route does take Hugh into the wild woods. This really is becoming my favorite web site.
Posted by: Wellington at October 19, 2008 12:16 AM
From article: A few fringe groups seek to sow chaos...
I suppose chaos is different from corruption in their book. Corruption is punishable under the same section as 'mischief' in the Islamic book of
punishments, The Quran, Section 5 #33.
However every form of jihad is permissible in the advancement of Allah's many causes.
So chaotic sex jihad, that is, unprotected, indiscriminate, manipulative and abusive, is perfectly fine because Allah wills it...he has been willing that one for a long time...
I wonder if these people are aware of or, even care about, spreading dangerous sexually transmitted diseases around. I wonder how big the infectious disease population is in the MI...
Posted by: duh_swami at October 19, 2008 7:45 AM
Sometime, can we know more about the Sunni version of the Mahdi? Since they are after all > 80% of the ummah worldwide!
Posted by: Infidel Pride at October 19, 2008 2:01 PM
Sometime, can we know more about the Sunni version of the Mahdi? Since they are after all > 80% of the ummah worldwide!
Posted by: Infidel Pride at October 19, 2008 2:04 PM
"Soon, a secretive group of worshipers tried to recruit the young widow, telling her that she could help bring the holy figureback to Earth. All she had to do was sleep with the group's male followers."
You've got to give these guys an A+ for creativity. "If you sleep with me the Mahdi will return." that beats a favorite American teenaged boy line, "If you sleep with me, my face will clear up." LOL!
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at October 19, 2008 10:01 PM
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