Militant Muslims Cutting Out Tongues, ‘There Will Be Absolutely No More Toleration For Anyone Who Speaks Against Islam’

By Jack Smith

2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 (NASB) ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. ⁸ Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; ⁹ that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, ¹⁰ and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

It is stories like the current one that make moderate Muslims cringe. How do you explain Islam as a religion of peace when one of its learned ones, Dr. Abdullah Badr, professor of Islamic exegesis, proclaimed that

… there will be absolutely no more toleration for anyone who speaks against Islam…

Dr. Badr is a graduate of Al Anzar University, founded in 970 AD in Cairo, Egypt, and considered the “chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world, and the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt.  Dr Badr is “currently on trial for libel and defamation of female Egyptian artist Elham Shahin—whom, among many other derogatory statements, he called a “whore.”” Dr Badr is also a Salafi Islamist, a strict sect of Sunni Islam that happens to control the Egyptian parliament along with the majority party, the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the referenced article (read more), Dr Raymond Ibrahim provides the translated quote of Dr. Badr on Egyptian TV:

I have sworn to Allah, that any dog—for that is how Allah described them, for they are like dogs that are constantly panting—that any dog who mocks the Sharia, or mocks Islam, or blames it, we will cut his tongue out, I’m saying it here: We will cut his tongue out! That’s it. The time of transgressing against Islam, and speaking insolence, has passed—it’s over. Today, the People of Lies defend their falsehoods with great zeal; so shall we will defend Islam with all our might—no matter what it costs, no matter what it costs! I’m saying it here and now: Let the whole world burn, but Islam not be mocked.

It seems that modern technologies are able to bring us example after example of Islam’s real root — violence, not peace. Whether the issue is the burning of the Qur’an, the mocking of Muhammad, or the “mocking of the Sharia, Islam” or even if one, dare say it, “blames” Islam, he or she is worthy of either death or having their tongue cut out.

Why should this concern us since Egypt is on the other side of the world? Because the Bible prophesies that a false religion will one day have dominion over the entire world. Revelation 13:7-8 (NASB). This writer (and many others) interprets that false religion to be Islam.

Source – When The Pieces Fit

Will The United States Stand With The Antichrist Or Israel In The End-Times?

Sometimes in order to have the right answers, we need to be asking the right questions. Here is a good article by Jack Smith that tackles one of the questions that many students of prophecy have asked. Although we don’t always need to necessarily agree in every aspect, we should always feel the need to openly discuss pertinent questions such as this and how it fits in Biblical eschatology …

By Jack Smith

President Obama, back to camera, “bows” before King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, April 1, 2009 (AP Photo/John Stillwell/pool)

This post is partly in response to a post made by respected author and brother in Christ, Walid Shoebat. I came across his post as a subscriber to MidnightWatcher’s Blogspot. I posted replies there, but couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the question raised by Brother Shoebat: Where is America in Bible Prophecy?  Brother Shoebat’s question was in the context of Revelation 13:7 which prophesies of a “world” dominion by the beast from the sea (interpreted to be Allah and Islam), and whether or not America will come under this “world” dominion. This post addresses a related but different question. Will the United Stand stand with the antichrist or with Israel in the end-times?

The relationship between America and Israel is quite relevant to our modern times. Rarely a day goes by that the news is not filled with news of Israel or her neighbors. Also, with America in the throes of the election of a new president, the answer to this specific question can even give us a hint as to who the next president might be — Obama or Romney? Publicly, both Obama and Romney have the similar positions on Israel — that is, they fully support Israel (although Romney’s position grants Israel greater sovereignty in decisions regarding its borders). Nevertheless, in the “back-halls” of Obama’s White House, I really wonder what is said outside the public eye. Recently, Obama and French president Nicolas Sarkozy were caught in an unmuted mic conversation about Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu:  “the French leader told Barack Obama: ‘Netanyahu, I can’t stand him. He’s a liar.’ To make matters worse, the U.S. President replied: ‘You are sick of him, but I have to deal with him every day.’

The Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection – Is There Anything Else Islam Can Deny About Jesus?

By Jack Smith

I recently came across this website (www.ilovemuhammad.com) as I was doing a web search on the Muslim views of Jesus (see http://ilovemuhammed.com/questions/86-what-does-islam-say-about-jesus-pbuh).  The highlights of my entry page were intriguing:

What do Muslims believe about Jesus [pbuh]?

Answer: Muslims revere, respect, and love Jesus. … No Muslim can be a Muslim if he/she rejects Jesus, it is a fundamental of faith for the Muslim to believe in Jesus,…  The Quran tells us a lot about Jesus, who he was, his miracles, and his mission.

How can a site named “ilovemuhammad,” state, “No Muslim can be a Muslim if he/she rejects Jesus, it is a fundamental of faith for the Muslim to believe in Jesus”?  It is one thing for a Muslim to state that “Jesus is only a prophet [and not the Son of God],” and quite another to state, ”No Muslim can be a Muslim if he/she rejects Jesus…”

As I reflect on what I call the ”dressed-down” version of Jesus that Islam has concocted, the above statement seemed to make sense after all. In a future post, I will discuss Muslim eschatology regarding the return of Jesus. Islamic end-time prophecy includes the descent of Jesus from heaven, along with his declaration that Islam is the one, true, religion, and Christianity is a fabrication by Jesus’ left-behind, over-zealous disciples!  But that topic will have to await another post; for now, we will look at Islam’s “dressed down” version of the crucified, risen, Lord Jesus.

We begin with a summary of what the Bible says about Jesus Christ.  I will call them the “essentials” of Jesus; however, it is not my purpose to write a theological treatise on Jesus; most of those reading this post will be quite familiar with the essentials that I will summarize. I will provide Biblical support for my conclusions, but my primary point in this post is to address what Islam views about Jesus.  Nevertheless, how can you recognize the counterfeit unless you first know what the original looks like?

Palm Sunday – Why Wave the Palms?

By Jack Smith 

We handed them out as people left church thatPalm Sunday– the Branches, that is; long, narrow, Palm Branches.

I had just finished preaching from John 12:12-19, a text familiar to most Christians. The text paints the picture of an expectant and exuberant crowd, most of them waving Palm Branches, as Jesus enters Jerusalem seated upon a donkey; a glorious celebration, no doubt.  As my congregants left that Sunday morning, I remember crying out,  “Wave your branches high,” as if the higher they were held the more “real” Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was.  But my cry was to little avail.  As I reflect now, my congregants were more interested in waving good-by to one another than in waving Palm Branches. The Palms seemed like an after-thought, almost like a party-favor for attending church that day.  But that was then, and now is now. Since then, I have learned about the plight of “dhimmis,” and what it meant when the Palm Branches were taken out of the their hands so many years ago. It is my prayer that a little history will make this Palm Sunday one you will never forget.

Islam swarmed the Christian Middle East in the 7th century A.D. much like an infestation of locusts engorging the countryside.  The Christian Byzantine Empire was in control of most of the region at that time, having eventually become the religion of the land after Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 A.D.  Historian Ira Lapidus describes the Arabian conquest as follows (see Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies 2nd Edition, p. 32):

In the wake of the battle of Ajnadayn, the Arabs moved against the Byzantine province of Syria. They took Damascus in 636. Baalbek, Homs, and Hama soon surrendered. The rest of the province, however, continued to resist. Only in 638 was Jerusalem taken. Caesarea fell in 640. Finally, in 641, the Arabs took the northern Syrian and Mesopotamian towns of Harran, Edessa, and Nasibin. … The next Byzantine province to fall to the Arabs was Egypt [in 641].

The successful conquest of areas never before under the dominion of the Arabs could only be explained by Muslims in one way — Allah had willed it. Conveniently, Muhammad’s revelations that began in 610 A.D., and were recalled by him until

The Middle East: A Powder-Keg of Conflict

By Jack Smith

Jews Praying at the Temple Wailing Wall

Ever wonder why the Middle East is always such a powder-keg of conflict? What the roots of the conflict are between the Jews and all her “neighbors”? I got this question recently from a visitor to my book’s website, so I thought I would post my reply for all to read and comment.

Let’s begin with Abraham, the patriarch of the world’s three major monotheistic religions. Abraham left his homeland (Haran) along with his wife, Sarah, to journey to the land God was to “show him” (Genesis 12:1). God’s promise to Abraham was to “make [him] a great nation,” and “bless all the families of the earth” through his obedience (12:2-3). Fast forward to the 16th chapter of Genesis. Sarah, Abraham’s wife was unable to have children (Genesis 16:1-2).  So, Sarah took things into her own hands, and gave Abraham her Egyptian slave, Hagar, to wed. Sarah’s plan was simple: any children born to Abraham and Hagar would be Sarah’s (16:2); after all, Hagar was her slave.  Abraham was “happy” to oblige. In fact, he never asked God for His thoughts on the matter, even though in the preceding chapter, God had told Abraham that he would have a son (15:5-6). Abraham and Hagar conceived a child, Ishmael (16:4), but Hagar became prideful and “despised her mistress” (16:4). Sarah demanded that Abraham send Hagar away. Once again, Abraham consents to his wife’s demands, but it is Sarah who drives Hagar away. She runs away by way of a desert road to her homeland in Egypt, only to be visited by the angel of the Lord when she is near death. The angel directs her to return to her mistress, Sarah, and to submit to her hand (16:9). Hagar does return, but before she begins her journey back home, the angel of the Lord gives a prophecy about the son, Ishmael:

Genesis 16:12 “He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone’s hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers.”

In Genesis 17, God appears, again, to Abraham and tells him that the very next year, Sarah, his wife will bear him a son.  Abraham does not believe God, and laughs to himself (17:17). Abraham is 99 and Sarah is 90 years old. God tells Abraham that the son is to be named “Isaac” (literally, “he laughs” in Hebrew); and God will establish his everlasting covenant with him, and his descendants. Abraham “suggests” that God accept Ishmael, instead, as the son of promise; but God rejects Abraham’s idea (17:19). God then makes this promise to

The Man of Lawlessness and the Burning of the Qur’an

By Jack Smith

Behind my desk is a newly framed picture that has special meaning to me. It is a picture of the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim religious shrine that memorializes Muhammad’s “night journey” and his heavenly rendezvous with Allah. Superimposed on the picture are the words, “…only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.  And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth…” 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8.

It was in my study of 2 Thessalonians 2 that God revealed the first “piece” of the “Islamic Paradigm” puzzle, that is, Islam is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy of an antichrist empire that will rise up in the last days to wage “holy war” against the world (Revelation 13:1-10). The spiritual meaning behind the Dome of the Rock was the first revelation of that Paradigm (see “Introduction, p XI, Islam the Cloak of Antichrist). The Dome of the Rock is not an Islamic worship center, i.e., a mosque. The Dome of the Rock is an octagonal, domed structure that “stands over” a massive rock (“Rock”) located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. There is nothing else located within the Dome of the Rock other than the Rock itself, and the marble, columned structure that foreshadows and encloses it.

Marble columns over the Rock

When I began my personal study of Islam in the Fall of 2001, one of the first books I purchased on Muslim Holy War (and, in fact, the only book I found on the specific topic) was entitled, “Jihad,” by Paul Fregosi, Prometheus Books, 1998. The opening Introduction (page 19) states:

The Jihad, the Islamic so-called Holy War, has been a fact of life in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Near and Middle East for more than 1300 years, but this is the first history of the Muslim wars of Europe ever published. Hundreds of books, however, have appeared on its Christian counterpart, the Crusades, …. The Jihad has been the most unrecorded and disregarded major event of history. It has, in fact, been largely ignored. … In the New South Wales State Library, where I did part of my research while in Australia, there were 108 entries listed in their catalogue cards for the Crusades, but only two for the Jihad! The Jihad has been largely bypassed by Western historians, and this book is an attempt to right the situation, …   (Emphasis in italics, mine).

Jihad was published in 1998, three years before 9/11. Fregosi states, “this is the first history of the Muslim wars ever to be published… The Jihad has been the most unrecorded and disregarded major event of history.”  Why? Why have the Muslim holy wars not been reported in the same way that the Crusades have been reported? Why so meticulously report on the Crusades and use them as “fodder”  to malign Christianity, and report virtually nothing on Muslim holy war? Why have the pens of historians, both American, European, and Muslim omitted the murderous actions of the mujahideen of Islam for almost 1400 years?

In fact, it is embarrassing for me to admit it, but when I first began my study of Islam after 9/11, I was somehow either unaware of it, or had forgotten, that the Middle East at the time of the Quranic revelation to Muhammad (610 A.D.) was predominantly Christian. The land that Christ once walked, the lands that the Apostle Paul planted churches, the entire Middle East, north Africa, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, were predominantly Christian. Certainly, not a “unified” Christianity, but Christian all the same. In fact, the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 were all located in modern day Turkey.  Then, jihad occurred.  And, Christianity was

Iran, Israel, and Nuclear Weapons – The World’s First Step Into the Tribulation?

By Jack Smith

Is there Biblical evidence to support Iran obtaining nuclear weapons in the end-times? If so, who will be Iran’s target? Israel? Another nation? The answer will surprise you!

Iran and Israel have filled the news lately. With the threat of a nuclear Iran, the world’s questions have changed from whether Israel will take action to when Israel will take action.  Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barach  recently stated (February 3, 2012), “A nuclear Iran will be more complicated  to deal with, more dangerous and more costly in blood than if it were stopped  today,” he said. “In other words, he who says in English ‘later’ may find that ‘later is too late.’”

World leaders are concerned of the impact of Israeli action against Iran on the entire world, even to the launching of World War 3.  The recent veto by China and Russia of the United Nations Resolution urging President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to step down (initiated by the Arab League), reveals that “sides” are being drawn. Iran’s official news agency (FARSNews) reported on January 21, 2012, that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has “warned the US and Israel to stop threatening Iran, saying that military action against the Islamic Republic would cause an unpredictable chain reaction throughout the region.”  One international news source (NZHerald.co.nz, February 6, 2012) reported, “For the first time in nearly two decades of escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme, world leaders are genuinely concerned that an Israeli military attack on the Islamic Republic could be imminent – an action that many fear might trigger a wider war, terrorism and global economic havoc.”

In an NBC interview with President Barak Obama (February 5, 2012), the US President stated, “The US is working closely with Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.” The President added: “I’ve been very clear – we’re going to do everything we can to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and creating a nuclear arms race in a volatile region.” Nevertheless, it seems Israel is not very confident with the President’s “resolve.”  On February 3, 2012, the Jerusalem Post reported a statement by

Iran and the Strait of Hormuz – Where in Bible Prophecy?

By Jack Smith

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel of water (thirty-four miles wide at its narrowest point) that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, and from there to the oceans of the world.  The Strait is bordered by Iran to its north and the United Arab Emirates to its south. It is the only means of water tanker-shipping for Persian Gulf petroleum to the oil-thirsty nations of the world. On a typical day, 15.5 million barrels of oil are shipped through the Strait.

In recent days, Iran has threatened to close the Strait, by force, since the Obama administration has implemented expanded economic sanctions that will reduce Iran’s oil exports and oil revenues.  The United States Naval Fifth Fleet responded publicly by stating it will defend the Strait against any attempts by Iran to close it. On Thursday, 1/12/2012, the LA Times reported that the U.S. had recently increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf to include additional troops and warships (in Kuwait). The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, traveled to Israel on Saturday, 1/14/2012, to meet with Israel’s military leadership.  Further, Russia recently announced its opposition to additional economic sanctions against Iran, even if Tehran presses ahead with uranium enrichment. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitri Rogozin, stated that Iran is its neighbor; and, any military action against Iran would be considered a direct threat against Russia.  This post discusses whether Iran or the Strait of Hormuz, or both, have a significant role in end-times Bible prophecies.

Jesus – Savior or Prophet? It Matters!

By Jack Smith

Buried treasure.

Suppose you knew where it was, but you knew you would never have it; and, suppose you knew that others would. Would you help them along? Would you tell them about it, or would you keep it to yourself? Would you hide it from them, or even lie about the treasure itself? After all, if you can’t have it, why should they?

The Treasure is Jesus Christ. The one who will never know Him is the Prince of Darkness; and, he has decided to keep as many people away from the Treasure as he possibly can. Islam is one of his methods of doing so.

1 John 2:1-2 states, “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  The word “propitiation” is translated from the Greek word, “hilasmos,” meaning, “. . . the ‘propitiation’ affected by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, whose atoning work eradicated the sin of human beings and appeased the wrath of God.” (Quoting, Stephen D. Renn, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Pub., 2005), s.v. “PROPITIATION,” WORDsearch CROSS e-book.). Thus, the death of Jesus Christ, the sinless, perfect, eternal, Lamb of God, provides the platform whereby forgiveness is offered to every human being on the face of the earth.  His death ”propitiates” or satisfies the requirements of a holy and just God who cannot ignore sin, but provides the Lamb of sacrifice, Himself, and thereby satisfies the standards of righteousness He has placed upon Himself.  Forgiveness is guaranteed by God, not because God is merciful, compassionate, and loving (although He is all of these things), but because Jesus has “purchased” salvation for the entire world (Galatians 3:13, 1 Peter 1:18).  Salvation is a gift that must be “claimed”; one that must be 

Atonement: Muslim vs Christian Understanding

By Jack Smith 

This article will compare the concept of “atonement” in Christianity with that of Islam.

The Bible teaches that sin is universal (Isaiah 53:6); that is, everyone sins, and everyone falls short of God’s standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23). Mankind’s sinfulness acts as a separator between man and God (Isaiah 59:2), a barrier that removes humanity from God, and renders relationship with holy God, impossible.  Hence, humanity is ”out-of-relationship” with God, and in need of being reconciled.  Atonement is the doctrine whereby God and mankind are made ”at-one-ment,” that is, God and mankind are reconciled, and the nature of this new reconciled relationship is eternal and without end.

Since all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard of righteousness, humanity cannot make amends for acts of sinfulness, nor can humanity’s righteous acts “offset” unrighteous acts.  Isaiah 64:6 puts it this way: “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy garments.”  Man’s best efforts at righteousness are likened to filthy rags.  How then can humanity ever make amends for unrighteous acts if our righteous acts are likened to filthy rags?  Likewise, how then can “filthy rags” offset unrighteous acts?  Quite the opposite occurs.  Mankind is dismally separated from God and can do nothing to make things right.  It is as if humankind has an incurable illness; an illness that will eventually render him eternally separated from a holy God.

Because of man’s condition, God acts to reconcile mankind to Himself.  He does so by providing the means whereby mankind’s unrighteousness is made righteous.  God provides a savior who is held accountable for the sins of humankind. The savior cannot be another sinner because a sinner cannot make atonement for even his own sins (sinners fall short of God’s standard, Romans 3:23), much less those of another sinner. The savior must be perfect, without sin, or the savior, himself, will fall short of God’s standard.

The Christmas message reminds us that

Sectarian Violence in Iraq – Does it Fulfill Prophecy?

By Jack Smith

We are all aware of the recent “lowering of the flag” by the United States military, symbolically ending almost nine years of conflict in Iraq. Not surprisingly, almost before American troops had landed on United States’ soil, sectarian violence erupted in Baghdad, resulting in 72 deaths.  The two predominant sects of Islam, the Sunnis  (approximately 85%-90% of the world’s Muslims) and the Shi’ites (approximately 10%-15% of the world’s Muslims), populate Iraq, along with the Kurds. In Iraq, however, Shi’ites, are the majority sect (60%) and Sunnis are the minority sect (40%); but it’s not like the two sects populate Iraq living side-by-side much like Baptists and Methodists do in the Bible belt.  The Sunnis populate most of Baghdad and northern Iraq, while the Shi’ites populate the eastern and southern Iraq (Kurds, the extreme north of Iraq, both Sunni and Shi’ite) (see map).  Under Saddam Hussein’s leadership, Sunnis controlled the country and Shi’ites were severely persecuted.  With the invasion of Iraq by the United States and other coalition forces, the Shi’ites replaced the Sunnis in leadership (Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is Shi’ite), and a fragile “democracy” was attempted in Iraq shared by Shi’ites and Sunnis (and Kurds).  With the exit of the United States military, the security vacuum in Iraq has occurred and violence has returned; and, the pre-existing divide within Islam so severe that the nine years of “relative” peace might more accurately be viewed as nothing more than Muslim sects “holding their breath,” while coalition forces were on Iraqi soil.  The question this post addresses is this: Does the sectarian violence in Iraq (and Islam) find its fulfillment in the Bible’s prophecies of the last days?

Daniel 2 is one of the most important chapters in Bible prophecy. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Babylon was the ancient capital city of Iraq) has a dream (Daniel 2:31f). A giant statue appears in the dream composed of a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet, partly of iron and partly of clay. The prophet Daniel saves the day and interprets the King’s dream. Each part of the statue represents a country that will have dominion over the prior kingdoms (the head of gold representing Babylon, the silver chest representing Media-Persia (defeated Babylon in 539 B.C.), the belly and thighs representing Greece (defeated Media-Persia in 331 B.C.), and the legs of iron representing Rome (defeated Greece in 146 B.C.). The last kingdom is represented by the feet, composed partly of iron and partly of clay; and, it is the identity of this kingdom that prophecy experts have divided on

Ayatollah Khamenei Calls for an International Islamic Power-Bloc — The First Step in the Fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39?

By Jack Smith

I direct you to a very interesting article that came through one of the blogs that I subscribe to. The article reports on a sermon given by Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, to 2.5 million people on pilgrimage in Mecca (see also, http://www.kashmirtimes.com/news.aspx?ndid=20635). On this past Sunday, the Ayatollah called for the formation of an “international Islamic power-bloc” of all Muslims uniting against the non-Muslim world (specifically, “the West, the United States, and Zionism, which are weaker than ever before”). According to the Ayatollah, such a power-bloc “can change the destiny of the Islamic Ummah (nation),” and herald “a bright future accompanied with dignity and progress.”

It really doesn’t matter whether we label the Ayatollah’s call a “Revived Caliphate” or an “international Islamic power-bloc,” the point is that a Shia leader is calling for the uniting of all Muslims against the Infidels. This particular Shia leader is also the Ayatollah of Iran, the supreme spiritual leader, who “trumps” all other leaders in Iran, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president. Iran is the one country in the world where we continually read of its nuclear aspirations as well as its intentions to destroy Israel. To Sunnis, the majority sect of Islam, to unite under the banner of Islam at the call of a Shia leader is highly improbable. Shias are considered “unbelievers” by most Sunni Muslims. The Iranian Ayatollah’s call to the Arab world (and all Muslims) is uniquely timed to take advantage of the confusion, chaos, and vacuum of leadership commonly referred to as the “Arab Spring.” The Ayatollah describes this time as critical, and one in which Muslims must “make the most of this opportunity. . . .” He states that Islamic countries that are now able to hold free elections (previously led by dictators) will inevitably follow the lead of Tunisia, and elect Islamist leaders, and new constitutions based on Sharia law.

The tenuous political climate now present in the Middle East beckons Muslims to follow the call of the strongest voice. This is the underlying reason for the Ayatollah’s call for the Islamic power-bloc at this specific time in human history while 2.5 million Muslims listened while on religious pilgrimage. The West is perceived to be at its weakest point, and so the prospects of success seem greater than any time in the last four centuries.