Neil submitted this on 7th May but I’ve not been able to publish for a fortnight in view of  commitments, and posting on Telegram quick news with my background on this issue and prophetic vision of 6th January 1991 – I appreciate Neil’s hard work bringing a very important reminder, especially on the notion of a hidden imam or Mahdi, to all who are unfamiliar with the source of current events being a grave threat to sleepwalking Britain and blinkered, ignorant leaders. So, over to my friend:

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS!

INTRODUCTION

We are watching our Nation sleepwalk into Islamisation. The nature of our liberal society, and the laws and regulations related thereto, have rendered us powerless against an existential threat where the perpetrators use our laws to further their own ends (protect their intentions and actions from scrutiny and criticism).

Worse, people are jumping on the bandwagon of the “Palestinian cause” in the belief that what they see and hear is true and unbiased. In accepting the radical Muslim narrative without question (and that has been the case for much of our mainstream media) they condone genocide and encourage the likelihood of a dismal future under Sharia law.

It is a tragedy that so many university students are unwilling to: research the longer-term history of the Jewish homeland of Israel; examine the covenant and charter of Hamas, which describes its avowed genocidal intentions and objectives; study the well documented aims of fundamentalists in Iran, and in organisations like Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS etc.; and learn about the reality of Sharia Law, as applied by radical Islamists.

What we are witnessing is warfare by other means: an orchestrated infiltration that is undermining the fabric of our society, and an inertia that allows it to go unchallenged.

Background understanding is an essential prerequisite to our having any chance of reversing the trend. Ignorance is not bliss; it is very dangerous indeed.

RADICAL AND APOCALYPTIC ISLAM

I am convinced that we face an unprecedented and largely misunderstood and unacknowledged threat from both “Radical Islam” and “Apocalyptic Islam”. An Annex is attached, which provides background notes on the roots of the two main streams of Islam (Sunni and Shi’a).

Clearly, there are huge numbers of Muslims who are peace loving, law-abiding and blameless. In what follows, I am talking about radicalised jihadists and extreme fundamentalists. It is an uncomfortable fact, however, that jihadists and fundamentalists are still real Muslims, though to say so risks accusations of Islamophobia.

The fundamentalist Islamic creed involves a medieval religious fervour and commitment to follow the precepts of the 7^th century Prophet Mohammed. They believe that doing so will lead to a final confrontation that will precipitate the return of the Mahdi (the 12^th Imam – see annex).

The West has difficulty understanding the religious fervour which permeates the whole legal and political direction of radical and apocalyptic Islam.

IRAN

Most commentators agree that the Shia leaders of Iran are close to acquiring nuclear weapons, and Iran’s leaders make no secret of their ambition to destroy Israel. They, and other fundamentalists, believe that the return of the Mahdi is imminent. Not only do they intend to destroy Israel but they also seek the downfall of the United States, a country which they refer to as the “Great Satan.”

It is not difficult to see why the Israelis are convinced that they face enemies whose leaders are driven by an apocalyptic, genocidal, End Times eschatology that seeks to annihilate them. What is mystifying is that the West either won’t or can’t see it.

The danger for diplomats and negotiators, operating on behalf of democratic western nations, is that they cannot rely on there being any honest intent or integrity in any communications and pledges made by those who see lying as a legitimate ploy in their endeavours to further Muslim interests.

THE MAHDI

The Mahdi or 12^th Imam (see annex) is the anticipated saviour of Islam, destined to lead Muslims to world domination. Some Muslim leaders see it as their duty to precipitate the return of the Mahdi by creating world turmoil and a final confrontation.

The belief in the imminent return of the Mahdi is more prevalent amongst Middle Eastern Muslims than might be expected. According to a poll in 2012, a surprisingly large number of Muslims in Middle East countries believe they will live to see the return of the Mahdi. The figures for this belief by Muslims of the Mahdi’s imminent return were: Egyptians 40%; Jordanians 41%; Palestinians 46%; Iraqis 72%.

There is a Muslim teaching that causes confusion (may be misconstrued as a similarity with Christianity): Jesus is mentioned many times in the Quran, as a prophet who will return. However, the “Jesus” of Islam is not accepted as the Son of God and is foreseen as returning to assist the Mahdi by enforcing conversion to Islam. Figures for those Muslims who believe Jesus will return as a deputy to the Mahdi are: Egyptians 39%; Jordanians 29%; Palestinians 46% and Iraqis 64%.

CONCLUDING POINTS

As mentioned earlier, most Muslims in UK are law abiding, peaceable and do not have imperialistic views or intentions. However, the fundamentalists are imperialistic. They seek to infiltrate, radicalise, mobilise and, in due course, overthrow the state. Fundamentalists are dispersed throughout our society, in a way that makes them difficult to identify and quantify. They are proving very effective at disseminating misinformation to make it sound like convincing facts from reliable sources, particularly amongst the student population.

The fundamentalists’ ability to influence has been compounded by the liberal devaluation of such things as pride in the history of our Nation (patriotism); and in the deprecation of our Christian beliefs and heritage. The UK is being blindsided.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Christians have a divine mandate to preach the Gospel to all nations and, by extension, to pray against strongholds that hinder the delivery of the Gospel. We need to ask ourselves difficult questions: why are we losing ground to the enemy? How much of that ground has been stolen because we lack a dedicated commitment to an intentional (focused) ministry of intercession? And who will take responsibility and intercede for our Nation?

As Rees Howells pointed out, battles need to be won in the heavenlies, before action on Earth will be effective. He, and his Welsh Bible College team, saw sacrifice as the essence of intercession; and through Holy Spirit guidance, their prayers were instrumental in changing the direction of events during WW2. Prayer didn’t simply contribute to victory; it was essential that Christians should (did) participate spiritually in the hidden arena of conflict, and should (did) continue to pray until each issue was satisfactorily resolved, in accordance to God’s Will.

Paul wrote about the necessity of entering into a wrestling match, not as the world does against flesh and blood, but rather where we fight in heavenly realms with spiritual weapons. (see Ephesians 6 and 2 Corinthians 10)

The battle is the Lord’s, but He has chosen to use us in His purposes. God is inviting us to get serious!

Neil Mackereth, 14 May 2024

ANNEX: BACKGROUND NOTES ON MUSLIM DENOMINATIONS

The words Sunni and Shi’a appear regularly in the media but few non-Muslims know what they really mean. Religion affects all aspects of life in Muslim countries. The division between Sunnis and Shi’as dates back to a disagreement about who should lead the Muslim community, after the Prophet Muhammad died in 632 AD. However, the present nomenclature or designation as Sunni (one who follows the Sunnah (what the Prophet said, did, agreed to or condemned)), or Shi’a (a contraction of the phrase ‘Shiat Ali’, meaning followers or “partisans” of Ali) came much later.

Within the two groups; Sunni (overall majority of Muslims, approximately 85% of a total of about 2 billion) and Shi’a (majorities in Iran, Iraq and Bahrain, with significant communities in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other parts of the Gulf), there are various sects and factions.

They all agree on the fundamentals of Islam and share the Quran, and the conviction that Muhammad was the last prophet. There are, however, differences. Minor differences mostly relate to practice and procedure while the major differences relate to who inherited, and continues to have, rightful political and religious authority.

Sunnis and Shi’as each have strong claims to the right of succession. Sunnis argue that because Muhammad asked Abu Bakr, a close confidant and senior “Companion”, to lead prayers as Muhammad was dying, he was indicating that Abu Bakr should be the next leader.

The basis of the Shi’a claim is that Muhammad announced to the Companions, on the way back from his last Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), that Ali was to lead all believers. Shi’as say Muhammad specified that anyone who followed Muhammad should follow Ali. Ali was Muhammad’s son-in-law and cousin, so there was also a claim to succession through the family connection.

In simple terms, the Shi’a claim of inheritance was through a succession of “Imams” (divinely appointed descendants of Muhammad who have absolute spiritual authority). Unlike the Sunni Caliphs (heads of state, political leaders), the Shi’a Imams were religious leaders who were separate from the state. The most prominent group within Shi’a Islam are known as the Twelvers. They believe there have been twelve divinely appointed Imams (descended from Muhammad in the line of Ali and Hussein). They are: Ali, Hassan, Hussein, Ali Zayn al-Abidin, Muhammed al-Baqir, Ja’far al-Sadiq, Musa al-Kazim, Ali al-Rida, Muhammad al-Jawad, Ali al-Hadi, Hasan al-‘Askari, and Muhammad al-Muntazar al-Mahdi.

The Shi’a believe that the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Muntazar al-Mahdi, was hidden in a cave to avoid capture and persecution: he disappeared. The Twelvers conviction is that he has been hidden by God and will return as the ‘saviour’ (Mahdi) of Islam. His disappearance marked the end of the leadership of direct descendants of the Prophet.

In the early days, a few months after Muhammad’s death, Ali decided to recognise Abu Bakr as leader, in order to avoid a schism in the fledgling Islamic State.

Ali was eventually chosen as the fourth Caliph and was, therefor, both Caliph and Imam. He moved the capital of the Islamic state from Medina to Kufa in Iraq. However, his Caliphate was opposed by Aisha, a widow of Muhammad and daughter of Abu Bakr.

After various indecisive battles between the factions Ali was murdered, in 661 AD, and Mu’awiya, became Caliph of the Islamic state. He moved the capital to Damascus. On his death his son Yazid became Caliph.

Meanwhile, the people of Kufa asked Hussein, the son of Fatima (the daughter of Muhammad) and Ali, to be their leader. On his way to Kufa, Hussein was ambushed at Karbala by Yazid’s forces. Hussein and his followers were killed in the Battle of Karbala and became martyrs to the Shia cause.

Sunni Development

Sunni Islam Caliphs after Ali were temporal leaders who deferred to religious scholars on spiritual matters. There have been various Caliphate dynasties over the centuries including the Umayyad, the Abbasid, the Mughal and the Ottoman empires.

Shi’a Development

Since the twelfth Imam, the Shi’a communities have been led by religious scholars, usually referred to as Ayatollahs. Shi’a Muslims have always maintained that descendants of the Prophet are the rightful leaders of the Islamic world.

There are significant differences between scholars of Shi’a Islam on the role and power of these representatives. A minority believe the role of the representative is absolute. The majority of Shi’a scholars, however, believe their power is relative and confined to religious and spiritual matters.

The Shi’a have never ruled the majority of Muslims. However, they have had local power and authority from time to time, notably in Egypt, North Africa and Iran.

Conclusion

Most Sunni and Shi’a Muslims have not allowed theological differences to cause antagonism between them. However, polarisation has increased in in recent years.

One of the sects that emerged after the death of the Prophet, the Kharijites, took an uncompromising stance in its interpretation of the Quran. Their fundamentalist approach was that those who did not accept Islam should either be forced to believe or be eliminated. Their views have resurfaced in the militant jihadist groups of recent years: al-Qaeda (Sunni), Hezbollah (Shi’a), Hamas (Sunni), the Taliban (Sunni), Boko Haram (Sunni) and ISIS (aka the Islamic State) (Sunni).

This overview is intended as basic background information; it is definitely not an exhaustive analysis! There is much useful information on the internet, for those who wish to study the subject further.