Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time [Sunni vs Shi'ite]

Reuters ^ | 4/1/14 | By Mariam Karouny

[Fitzy_888]

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Conflict in Syria kills hundreds of thousands of people and spreads unrest across the Middle East. Iranian forces battle anti-Shi'ite fighters in Damascus, and the region braces for an ultimate showdown.

If the scenario sounds familiar to an anxious world watching Syria's devastating civil war, it resonates even more with Sunni and Shi'ite fighters on the frontlines - who believe it was all foretold in 7th Century prophecies.

From the first outbreak of the crisis in the southern city of Deraa to apocalyptic forecasts of a Middle East soaked in blood, many combatants on both sides of the conflict say its path was set 1,400 years ago in the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad and his followers.

Among those many thousands of sayings, or hadith, are accounts which refer to the confrontation of two huge Islamic armies in Syria, a great battle near Damascus, and intervention from the north and west of the country.

(...)

"As Imam Sadeq has stated, when the (forces) with yellow flags fight anti-Shi'ites in Damascus and Iranian forces join them, this is a prelude and a sign of the coming of his holiness," Hosseinian was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

MEDIEVAL BATTLEFIELDS

Islam split into its Sunni and Shi'ite branches during a war over the succession to the leadership of the faith in the generation that followed the Prophet Mohammad's death in 632.

(...)

[Fitzy_888]

I'm surprised Reuters went this far, but what they didn't say...

Mohammed had a young cousin named Ali Abu Talib and he would later marry Mohammed's daughter. He was young (often said to be timid) and passed over for leadership after Mohammed's death, he would however be the fourth leader or fourth Caliph.

Long story story, he signed a pact with the tribe (future Sunni's) from present day Syria. They broke the pact, he went to confront them and he was killed. And, they cut off his head and brought it as a trophy to Damascus. Shi'ites fervently believe the breaking this blood line of the prophet is the gravest sin.

[Fitzy_888]

(Should read “Long story short” above.)

All english captioned and at some points extremely violent, this is a Sunni perspective on Shia zealotry against Sunnis.

SYRIA - Shiism is killing us! [Documentary] 18+
http://youtu.be/E5dY3dRNLy0

[clintonh8r]

Muzzie factions killing each other by the thousands doesn’t sound all that distressing to me. But then I’m an unapologetic kafir....

[evets]

Damascus will become a heap of ruins. Isaiah 17

[DariusBane]

Those people are idiots. We can only hope they keep it up for the next decade. Will save us billions of dollars. We just need to prop up all sides just enough to prevent anybody from winning.

[Organic Panic]

Just step back and let them. The tragedy is they are killing the people who want no part in the carnage. The Christians are being slaughtered on an industrial scale. As for the Syrian army and the “rebels” keep sending grenades and bullets.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

It’s coming...bank on it!

[Vince Ferrer]

Let allah sort it out.

[RightGeek]

[AllAmericanGirl44]

bkmk

[AdmSmith]

This sectarian war will go on as long as there are Sunnis and Shi’ias around. They are waiting for the arrival of Al-Masih ad-Dajjal that will appear somewhere between Iran and Syria and start the end of it all.

This is not really back to the stone age, as they never left it; they worship a stone!