Source: Fox News
Summary
A Fox News Digital investigation has found that some hardline Shiite ideologues in the US are interpreting the war with Iran as a prophetic showdown that will usher in the arrival of the “Mahdi,” a messiah in Islamic eschatology. These ideologues view President Donald Trump as the “Dajjal,” or Antichrist, and see the conflict as part of a final battle of Armageddon. The investigation found that pro-regime mosques, K-12 schools, and local community organizations in the US are promoting Tehran’s messaging, including the end-times narrative, and that some clerics are framing tensions with Iran in explicitly apocalyptic terms.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
The investigation reveals a familiar pattern of rhetoric and ideology. The language of “destroying nonbelievers” and the invocation of the Mahdi are familiar refrains in the context of Iranian politics. The use of social media and messaging platforms to spread pro-regime propaganda is also a common tactic. The fact that some US-based organizations are promoting Tehran’s messaging is not surprising, given the long history of Iranian influence operations in the US.
What is notable is the way in which the end-times narrative is being used to frame the conflict with Iran. The idea of a final battle between good and evil is a powerful one, and it is being used to mobilize support for the Iranian regime and its allies. The fact that some US-based clerics are promoting this narrative is a concern, as it suggests that the conflict is being seen as a religious war rather than a political one.
The use of children in promoting the Mahdi narrative is also a notable aspect of this phenomenon. The video of children coloring paper masks and staging mock attacks is a disturbing example of how the end-times narrative is being used to indoctrinate young people.
The fact that the Alavi Foundation, a US-based organization with ties to the Iranian regime, is promoting this narrative is also a concern. The foundation’s IRS filings show that it has significant assets and is actively promoting pro-regime propaganda in the US.
The overall picture that emerges from this investigation is one of a coordinated effort to promote a particular ideology and narrative in the US. The use of social media, messaging platforms, and other tactics is designed to mobilize support for the Iranian regime and its allies, and to frame the conflict with Iran in apocalyptic terms.
