Allah this, Allah that. . . Shit, Ace-- either tell the man to get back to blogging on his own dime, or just out-and-out make him a co-blogger.

Hey, seriously, listen to my advice, pal. I have many leatherbound books, and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. . .

Cheers,
Dave at Garfield Ridge

P.S.

Dave, it's a new relationship. They're in that giggly crush stage where they can't stop talking about each other.

Just sit back and wait for it to calm into the comfortable silence stage.

What a great idea to have Allahpundit as a regular blogger at AoS. I wish I had thought of it.

Oh wait. I did. Yesterday.

Hey, seriously, listen to my advice, pal. I have many leatherbound books, and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. . .

You cut to the core of me, Dave. You're like a miniature Buddha with hair.

Gray hair. And a beer gut.

Karol says me, her, and Ace are on for Brokeback Mountain as soon as the transit strike ends. She's sitting in the fag seat.

If you guys could somehow live blog it, it would be the best Christmas ever.

Allah? Allah, is that you?? Bark twice if you're in Milwaukee!

BTW, "Gray hair. And a beer gut"? Wow, you read my blog a lot closer than I thought! Awwww, you're a peach. . .

Cheers,
Dave at Garfield Ridge

Just for fun, something to whet your appetite for all things gay.

Enjoy.

Funny shit, Slu.

But this presidential obsession with the Mahdaviat [belief in the second coming] yields a certitude that leaves little room for compromise.

For Muslims when was the first coming? And who is coming?

"Bush said: 'God said to me, attack Afghanistan and attack Iraq.' The mentality of Mr. Bush and Mr. Ahmadinejad is the same here - both think God tells them what to do," says Mr. Mohebian, noting that end-of-time beliefs have similar roots in Christian and Muslim theology.

God told Bush to attack Iraq and Afghanistan? That's one of the memes that DU is always talking about. Do you think this Iranian has been reading Noam Chomsky books?

"For Muslims when was the first coming? And who is coming?"

Without dusting off any of my books to make sure I'm getting the details right, the "hidden imam" doctrine is a Shi'ite teaching that the last of the 12 imams was taken up, or hidden, but that he will come back.

Mr. Ahmedinijad states: "Our revolution's main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi." The 12th Imam will be resurrected only after "one-third of the world population will die by being killed and one-third will die as a result of epidemics."

http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20051208-092511-8567r.htm

Shiite Muslims believe that the 12th Imam* is alive but hiding. The impression one may get is that he is hidden by God; some Shiites say he is simply in an inaccessible area. He became the Imam in 874 CE, was in seclusion from 873 to 939 CE, operating through representatives (wakiils). This was the Minor Occultation. Since 939, he is said to be completely inaccessible (no representatives/wakiils) and still in hiding. The Greater Occultation began in 939. It is said that he will reappear, and then he will lead his people (Shiites) in victory over misguided/apostate Muslims (Sunnis) and other disobedient peoples.

The quietist school in Shiism believes that without the Imam no endeavor by Muslims (Shiites) can be successful. Any time Shiites attempted to establish a polity according to God's commands, the Sunnis frustrated their plans, slaughtered their leaders, and persecuted the Shiites. It is claimed that every Imam was killed by the Sunnis, except the twelfth Imam (of course, since he's said to still be living). Thus, Shiites must patiently wait for the reappearance of the Hidden Imam before making any attempt to establish an Islamic state. Often, theologians in this school believe that Shiite clerics are forbidden from taking a direct part in politics: they cannot become politicians (in olden times, members of the government or advisors to the rulers). Aayatullaah al-Uzma Sayyid 'Ali Husseyni Sistani is part of this school. They reject Khomeyni and his Velaayat-e Faaqih (theocratic system of governance).

The other school is the activist one, which is inspired today by Khomeyni. They believe in taking action. In a way, they resemble Lubavitch Chabad Chassidic Jews. These Jews believe that with every mitzvah one brings the world closer to the Redemption. (However, they would not go so far as to include establishing a Jewish state or rebuilding the Temple as acts that would hasten the coming of the Messiah: these are acts that only the Messiah can/will properly do.) Similarly, activist Shiites believe that by establishing conditions conducive to the implementation of Islam (Shiite Islam, that is), they can hasten the reappearance of the Mahdi/Hidden Imam.

People tend to forget this. When the Revolution swept Iran, religious Shiites expected the suffering and successes to hasten the reappearance of the Hidden Imam. They pleaded in their prayers for the Hidden Imam to reappear. They declared their deeds were for the Hidden Imam, so he should hasten his reappearance. Such Messianism of Ahmadinezhaad is not unusual or out of place.

Shiite Islam is different from Sunni Islam in that it is probably fifty times more emotional. Anyone who studies Shiism will immediately notice this difference. While Sunnis might get together and sing praises of Muhammad (and if they become emotion, they silently shed tears), Shiites will assemble and recount the tales of the suffering on Ashura, when Hussein, the third Imam, was slayed by Yazid. They weep, they mourn, they wail, they shriek, they cry, they go into hysterics, they tear their clothes, they beat their chests, they slash themselves with knives. Shiism has a very different environment and ethos compared to Sunnism. (These tazias also entrench anti-Sunni sentiment. Yazid, whom they curse whenever he is mentioned, was, after all, the Sunni caliph, set against the rightful Shia Imam. These displays of emotion fuel anti-Shiite sentiment amongst Sunnis, who believe such activities are un-Islamic if not full of lies.)

*The Shiite concept of "Imaam" is utterly different from the Sunni concept thereof. "Imaam" literally means "guide." In Sunnism, "imaam" refers to whoever is leading the prayers. In Shiism, "Imaam" refers to the person who is divinely-ordained (and pre-ordained) to be the spiritual, military, and political leader of all Muslims. (This is partly visible in some of the titles of Ali bin Abii Taalib, the first Imaam: he was called imaam, amiiru-lmu'miniin (commander of the faithful), and eventually khaliifatu-rrasuul-illaah (successor to the Prophet of God; caliph).) The Imaam is infallible, sinless, and incapable of making a mistake or doing wrong. Whether by being taught or through direct communication with God, the Imaam has esoteric knowledge of Islaam and is the final authority in interpreting Islaam and establishing its laws. Obedience to the Imaam is mandatory on all Muslims: those who obey him, obey God; those who oppose him, oppose God. The Imaamate is passed down from father to (usually) son:
1. 'Alii bin Abii Taalib (son-in-law of Muhammad, the prophet of Islaam)
2. Hassan bin 'Alii (son of Imaam 1)
3. Husseyn bin 'Alii (son of Imaam 1, brother of Imaam 2)
4. 'Alii bin Husseyn (aka Zayn al-'Aabidiin) (son of Imam 3)
5. Muhammad al-Baaqir (son of Imam 4)
6. Ja'far as-Sadiiq (son of Imam 5)
7. Muusa al-Kaazim (son of Imam 6)
8. 'Alii ar-Rizaa (Reza in Persian) (son of Imam 7)
9. Muhammad at-Taqii (son of Imam 8)
10. 'Alii al-Haadii (son of Imam 9)
11. Hassan al-Askarii (son of Imam 10)
12. Muhammad al-Mahdii (son of Imam 11; the Hidden Imam)

An aside: The Hidden Imaam's full name can be rendered as:
Muhammad al-Mahdii bin Hassan al-Askarii bin 'Alii al-Haadii bin Muhammad at-Taqii bin 'Alii ar-Rizaa bin Muusaa al-Kazim bin Ja'far as-Sadiiq bin Muhammad al-Baaqir bin 'Alii Zayn al-'Aabidiin bin Husseyn bin 'Alii bin Abii Taalib
OR
Muhammad bin Hassan bin 'Alii bin Muhammad bin 'Alii bin Muusaa bin Ja'far bin Muhammad bin 'Alii bin Husseyn bin 'Alii. (Ain't this fun!)

Nitpick: The reappearance will not be in the manner of Jesus (from the sky). He will not be resurrected (he has not died yet - yep, alive since 868 CE!).

Here's a way to understand it: according to Shiites, the Hidden Imaam lives like you and me (he eats, sleeps, defecates) except no one knows where he lives. When the Hidden Imaam will reappear, it will be as if we suddenly find out where he lived/lives. His house is hidden. He is hidden. Hence, the Hidden Imaam.

To complicate things, Shiites believe that ever so often the Hidden Imaam will appear to someone. (Much like apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.) He may grant a prayer, give advice, make a command, assent to a policy, disagree with a policy, etc. In addition, there are some places where people believe the Imaam is accessible: one throws one's prayers into such places (wells, etc.), kind of how Jews will place prayers in the Western Wall or, indeed, visit an esteemed Rabbi's ohel, read their supplication, tear it up and scatter the pieces on his grave. Although the Hidden Imaam is not there physically, he somehow has access to petitions made there. Shiites also love making pilgrimages to the shrines of Imaams and their relatives, asking for their intercession. For Sunnis, "pilgrimage" means going to Medinah or Mekkah. For Shiites, it could be a variety of places. (This is reflected in terminology. Sunnis refer to Hajj (pilgrimage during the month of dhuu'lqadaa') or 'umraah (a shorter version of Hajj that can be done any time, except during Hajj, but that does not release one of the requirement to do Hajj; it is most popular during the month of ramaZaan). Shiites use ziaarah (or ziaarat) - using Hajj and 'umraah for the ritual pilgrimages; nevertheless ziaarah may include going to Mekkah or Medinah even if for ritual purposes.) Some Shiites--quietists, no doubt--believe prayer and pilgrimage are how they fight jihaad. Spiritual warfare, if you will. Najaf and Karbala, both in 'Iraaq, are primary locations for pilgrimage.