The Ark of Apocalypse

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Trouble from Asia

During the year that Philip stayed in Austria uniting Europe and bringing peace there was action in Asia that he was not aware of but expected. Because of their own instigation of civil wars in Europe most Moslems in Europe were dead or left Europe for Asia.

President Ahmadinejad of Iran learned late that his attempt on the life of Philip failed and that all his assassins were killed. Through Moslems living in Europe he learned that Philip’s army was not so small and unequipped as he had thought. His advisors said that only an all out invasion of Europe could take down this self-proclaimed King. The only way that was possible was to unite the Arabian countries and all Moslem people.

“I am not the man to unite the Moslem world.” said Ahmadinejad. “It is time to bring the final prophet forward and introduce him to the Moslem world. Let us bring him to Tehran and then make plans to unite the Moslem world and then take over the entire world.”

Mahdi was now 16 years of age. He was living over a rug shop on a street called “Strait” in the city of Damascus, Syria. He was short and thin with long black hair and a very short never shaved beard and mustache. In appearance there was nothing unusual about him except piercing large black eyes. He already had received a large following for being able to read minds and to heal the sick. He, himself, claimed at the age of 10 to be the prophet, Mahdi, even though that was not his real name. No one knew his mother or father and he would not reveal any of his past before the age of 10. He just arrived one day at Aleppo proclaiming himself to be the prophet, Mahdi, and healing the sick and reading minds. No one doubted him.

President Ahmadinejad learned of him and then began to secretly finance all his living expenses including a place in Damascus and body guards. Iran was now ready to bring Mahdi to Tehran. They prepared a great palace for him with a throne of honor to sell him to the Moslem world. Their plan was to make him publicly known and then to bring him to Mecca on the feast day to preach to the millions of pilgrims and televise the entire thing.

This would not be easy because only the Shiites had the tradition of waiting for the Mahdi, the last prophet chosen by God to take over the world, and Shiites only accounted for 10% of all Moslems.

The majority of the Shiites live in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan. Others are Zaydis (in Yemen), and the Ismailis in India, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen. The central belief of Twelve-Imam Shiites is the disappearance from view of the 12th Imam. The 12th Imam is considered to be the only legitimate and just ruler, and therefore no political action taken in his absence can be fruitful.

However, the king of Saudi Arabia was not cooperative. He feared a takeover of his kingdom by the Mahdi and Iran. Saudi Arabia was backed by the United States, and even though the oil revenues were over they still were protected by America and supplied some oil to Europe. He also feared his own Shiites, who wanted to overthrow him and line up with Iran.

Not until Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran in 1978 did the Shiites believe that they had once again begun to live under the authority of a legitimate religious figure.

The Shiite outlook is far different from the Sunni's, for Sunni Muslims, approximately 90 percent of the Muslim world, the loss of the caliphate after World War I was devastating in light of the hitherto continuous historic presence of the caliph, the guardian of Islamic law and the Islamic state.

Sunni fundamentalist leaders struggled after 1924 to provide a viable alternative to the caliphate. Osama bin Laden was a Sunni Muslim and therefore was never considered as the Mahdi by Sunni or Shiites.

Khomeini became the constant companion of Mahdi and his advisor after he returned to Iran. Khomeini wrote his speeches for him. The 90 year old man became the servant and secretary of the 16 year old boy.

Khomeini and Ahmadinejad talked about the fact that Saudi Arabia had the most modern army in the Moslem world furnished to them by America, but they had no real Saudi people to operate these great armaments including a great air force. With the help of Mahdi, they had to overthrow the King and monarchy of Saudi Arabia.

Khomeini advised Mahdi that a plan was made for Iran to invade Saudi Arabia. At the same time that Libya and Sudan Shiites would invade Egypt. Syria would invade Lebanon. This would unify the Moslem world under the Mahdi and after a grand victory in Mecca, they would invade Israel and then march on Europe.

Mahdi agreed but asked what America would do. America was still viable country with the strongest army in the history of the world and almost weaned away from oil. Even the army had converted away from oil. “If you are the true Mahdi,” said Khomeini, “then not even America can stop us.”

What happened next was a sign to the little boy, Mahdi, that it was time to invade and to take over the world for Allah. This sign was a comet.