August 22 Does Iran have something in store?

Opinion Journal of Wall Street Journal ^ | August 8, 2006 | Bernard Lewis

[BunnySlippers]

August 22

By BERNARD LEWIS

***

The phrase "Allah will know his own" is usually used to explain such apparently callous unconcern; it means that while infidel, i.e., non-Muslim, victims will go to a well-deserved punishment in hell, Muslims will be sent straight to heaven. According to this view, the bombers are in fact doing their Muslim victims a favor by giving them a quick pass to heaven and its delights -- the rewards without the struggles of martyrdom. School textbooks tell young Iranians to be ready for a final global struggle against an evil enemy, named as the U.S., and to prepare themselves for the privileges of martyrdom.

***

A passage from the Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11th-grade Iranian schoolbook, is revealing. "I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another's hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours."

***

[dennisw]

correct

[aculeus]

Thanks for the link.

[AliVeritas]

check Lucianne.com

[BunnySlippers]

I subscribe to the print version and the online version both.

[Berlin_Freeper]

"for Shiite Muslims, the long awaited return of the Hidden Imam, ending in the final victory of the forces of good over evil, however these may be defined."


The Hollywood idiots stopped imagining the possibility of a nut in control of nukes when they made Dr. Strangelove.

Typically, the real danger of a real nut, from a part of the world that is filled with nuts, would ever get their hands on a nuke never even entered their imagination.

Too bad we don't have any creative intelligent people waking the masses up to the real threats and dangers in the world. Instead we got Al Gore.

[FreedomNeocon]

From Apocalyptic signals from Iran worry U.S. intelligence

The U.S. intelligence community has been trying to figure out why Ahmadinejad chose that date. Sources said the community was stumped until some Islam experts translated the Gregorian date to that of the Muslim calendar.

Then came the surprise that has the intelligence community worried.

Aug. 22 corresponds to Rajab 27 on the Muslim calendar. The date is called Lailat Al Israa, when Mohammed ascended to heaven from the Al Aqsa mosque to receive the five daily prayers. Later, Al Aqsa came to represent Jerusalem.

The Muslim commemoration is meant to be a night of struggle, accompanied by thunder and lightening, resembling the story of Moses ascending Mount Sinai to receive the Old Testament.

Ahmadinejad could be hinting to the West that he is preparing a major attack on Israel. Or, the Iranian president could be warning that unless the West caves in, he would escalate tension in the region. The lightening in Mohammed's story could represent Iranian missiles.

What is clear is that Ahmadinejad does not see himself as an Iranian leader, but a Muslim prophet, using imagery to portray himself as a messiah for both Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.

[FreedomNeocon]

Nah I don't think so.

Worse case is Israel nuked, but I doubt that.

Much more likely IMO are Iran announcing they
A) Withdraw from NPT and officially announce their intent to build a nuke
B) Announce they already have a nuke (or several) and tell the rest of the world 'too late'
C) Do a live underground test of a working Nuke to demonstrate they have at least 1 bomb and the capability to do more.

I doubt it would go farther than that, and would be surprised if they test. But it wouldn't be unexpected at all to me.

[ELS]

bttt

[catbertz]

I think the west continue to delude themselves over these nuts.

[Veto!]

The Hollywood idiots stopped imagining the possibility of a nut in control of nukes when they made Dr. Strangelove...Typically, the real danger of a real nut, from a part of the world that is filled with nuts, would ever get their hands on a nuke never even entered their imagination.

Profound observation, Berlin Freeper. I was just corresponding with a friend about creative imagination. A topic not fully understood.

Ironically, the best analysis of creative imagination I've ever read was a book called Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn "Arabi by Henry Corbin, published by Princeton U Press/Bollingen Series, in 1969. Originally published in 1955-56 byRhein-Verlag, Zurich. Ibn al-'Arabi was a 12th century Islamic scholar (not Islamist), who imo truly understood the imaginal world. He was anything but a bloodthirsty monster.

[BunnySlippers]

Thanks for that link!

[Steel Wolf]

Nothing as dramatic as a nuclear attack. 8/22 is simply another milestone in Iran's stalling game. They may make another announcement about their nuclear program, or use it as a springboard to put it off until Ramadan. One way or another, it's using religious themes to lay cover for political shenanigans. Iran's not looking to blow the world up quite yet, but they're certainly trying to use apocalyptic imagery to keep the people inflamed.

[silentknight]

All bets are off. This guy WANTS to bring about the end of the world. I believe he may already have nukes. Would not surprise me at all.

Something big is coming...

[A_perfect_lady]

Oh great. Something else to look forward to. August 22nd. (sigh) But thanks for the info!

[TennTuxedo]

Iran , Syria, and Hezbollah have been working in cahoots and made sure that they had everything in place before starting this war. They want to bring about the end of the world. They believe it is what their deity wants and what their prophecies state. I would not doubt that they do something on this date.

[Admin Moderator]

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[dmartin]

The U.S. intelligence community has been trying to figure out why Ahmadinejad chose that date. Sources said the community was stumped until some Islam experts translated the Gregorian date to that of the Muslim calendar.

I am surprised that people in our 'intelligence community' can walk and chew gum at the same time if they were stumped for more than an hour on this.

[Grzegorz 246]

And the oil prices would make look current ones like very low.

[Allan]

August 18 update:

Total Information Blackout: Iranian Police Destroying Satellite Dishes in Tehran