Thursday, August 23, 2012
 
Iran, Hudaybiyyah, and the drums of war

There is a lot of talk recently about Israel launching a preemptive attack on Iran before the US elections. Iran continues its rhetoric that Israel should be destroyed. This is the result of over a decade of the United Nations, the United States, China and Russia playing cat and mouse games over the development of nuclear weapons by Iran. Russia and China, of course, have stalled any real action against Iran from their position on the UN Security Council. They both have tremendous financial interest in Iran's nuclear and missile program, although they continuously tell the news media that Iran having nuclear weapons is not in their interests. But there is a specific end time eschatology being played out.

Islam's eschatology centers on the Mahdi--the Islamic messiah who bears a striking resemblance to the Christian antichrist/beast of the end times. The Mahdi is said to return to earth and establish the "peace of Islam" for seven years. During that time Christians and Jews will either be converted to Islam or put to death. The Muslims even believe that Jesus Christ will return with the Mahdi and denounce Christianity and Judaism, saying that Islam is the one true religion. Sounds a lot like the antichrist and the false prophet of Revelation. The Shiite sect of Islam believes that it can hasten the Mahdi's return by creating an Islamic Caliphate and destroying Israel. That is the mantra of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

He has very craftily stalled any meaningful action against his country's nuclear ambitions--using Russia and China as shields and a method modeled after the ancient Muslim treaty. The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was executed between Mohammed and the Quraish tribe of Mecca in 628 AD. It was a ten year peace treaty resulting from the Quraish stopping Mohammed's pilgrimage to Mecca. It prevented Mohammed from entering Mecca for a year. During the year, Mohammed's ranks grew from about 1,400 to over 10,000 as he raided other Arab areas. He then claimed that a Quraish ally attacked one of his allies, nullifying the treaty. Thereafter, Mohammed marched on Mecca, leading to the Conquest of Mecca.

Mohammed set the stage for how Islam deals with its enemies. The pattern was evidenced in the Iran hostage situation in the Carter years, the entire time that Yassir Arafat was dealing with Israel through the so-called "Palestinian Peace Process," and it continues with Iran's nuclear ambitions. The Islamists give just enough hope for peace that diplomacy continues, all the while they are working around the clock toward their goals. To date, there has been  just enough diplomatic deception in the name of peace to prevent military action by Israel while Iran puts the finishing touches on its atomic bomb. Just as Jeremiah 8:11 says, "For they have dressed the wound of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Perfect peace; when there is no peace."

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!  
Bill Wilson