The Antichrist
Dajjal is an Arabic word with various meanings, such as "a liar and imposter, someone who lies, covers the earth with his followers, and covers the truth by disbelief."1 In many of the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which discuss the matter of end times, it is repeated as one of the most important signs of the doomsday. The present state of the world bears many similarities to that time as described by the Prophet. In the hadiths, that period appears as one in which fitnah (chaos and wickedness), anarchy and violence will spread far and wide, when there will be no peace in the world, when people will battle evils such as hunger, poverty and shortages, and when oppression will prevail. (for details, see The Signs of The Last Day, Harun Yahya, 2001). The Antichrist is the ideological infrastructure which causes that chaos and instability, that encourages people to immorality and evil, condemns whole communities to denial and rebellion, and is the ultimate root of terrorism and violence. The Antichrist spreads immorality by portraying good as evil, and evil as good. One of the hadiths on the subject reads:
When Al-Dajjal appears, he will have fire and water along with him. What the people will consider as cold water, will be fire that will burn (things). So, if anyone of you comes across this, he should fall in the thing which will appear to him as fire, for in reality, it will be fresh cold water.1
In the hadiths, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) states that the Antichrist will undoubtedly appear before doomsday, and describes the kind of conditions in which he will do so. The period when he appears will be one when people fail to live by the morality condoned by religion, when the existence of God is openly denied, when immorality, chaos, war and conflict are everywhere, and when terrorism, murder and violence become a part of normal, everyday life. Although there have been times all through history that have witnessed anarchy and chaos, the state of chaos and confusion that will be created by the Antichrist will be on an unprecedented scale.
There would be no creation (creating more trouble) than the Dajjal, from the creation of Adam to the Last Hour. 2
Darwinism is the religion of the antichrist
The characteristics described by many of the hadiths discussing the Antichrist become much clearer when considered as ideology. All ideas and systems of thought, therefore, that encourage people to deny the existence of God, turn them away from religious morality and encourage strife and chaos between them actually represent the Antichrist.
Today, materialism, and the various ideologies and movements that it gives birth to, are the primary components contributing to corruption in the world. All such movements, in effect, received their so-called scientific justification from the same source, and share the same fundamental foundation: Darwinism. Ever since Darwinism was first put forward, it has been the principle justification for materialist and anti-religious ideologies and movements, and even itself been elevated to the status of a religion by those who support such ideologies. The great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman Said Nursi stressed that Darwinism would become the religion of the Antichrist in the end of times:
A tyrannical current born of Naturalist and Materialist philosophy will gradually become strong and spread at the end of time by means of materialist philosophy, reaching such a degree that it denies God. 3
As Bediuzzaman made clear, with the words "a tyrannical current born of Naturalist and Materialist philosophy," Darwinism is a teaching that attributes an independent power to nature, claims that life was not created, but emerged as a result of chance, and tries to distance mankind from belief in God. In the book Teysir-al Wusul ila Jami-al Usul, which contains the collected hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), together with a commentary on them, the subject is dealt with in these terms:
The clearest and most important feature of the strife of the end times that the Antichrist gives rise to is the fact that it is opposed to religion. Various humanist views and values that will emerge at that time will attempt to replace religion. This new religion takes denial as its basis in order to do away with all forms of divine rule over man … It is an anti-religious religion whose basic deity is matter and man 4
The humanist views mentioned in the above quote have today actually taken on the aspects of a religion. Modern humanism is an atheistic religion in which the existence of God is denied, and man is regarded as a sacred being to be venerated. When one examines the publications of humanists, it is clear that their world view is entirely based on the theory of evolution. (For further details, see Global Freemasonry, by Harun Yahya, Istanbul, 2002)
Blind chance is the central premise employed in Darwinism for maintaining that life came about out of inanimate matter and developed by means of an evolutionary process. According to this deceptive ideology, all living species began from one single cell that came about by chance, in other words from one common ancestor, and then evolved from one another over time by means of minute changes, again by pure coincidence. The theory lacks any scientific or rational basis, is nothing but a fantasy, and was widely accepted in Darwin's day on account of the primitive level of science and the sociological conditions at the time. However, as science and technology progressed it was realized that the theory was actually complete nonsense. Yet, despite that, there are still people today who are unable to abandon the nonsensical theory, as we shall see later.
Ever since Darwinism was first advanced, it has been the primary theoretical justification for materialist and anti-religious ideologies and movements, and has been elevated to the near status of creed by their proponents.
When those who believe in this superstition are asked how life might have first come about, they reply "Living things came about by chance." In actual fact, however, chance is an uncontrolled, unreasoning and aimless force. God, however, creates everything according to a plan, in an ordered, intelligent and specific manner. When a person examines an object of creation, he realizes that it is part of a design and was brought into existence by an intelligent and conscious being. Moreover, it is not a conclusion that requires a great deal of thought to arrive at. It is immediately apparent. For instance, when someone enters a room he knows that when he sees a chair, table, clock and a television, that they were made by someone and placed in that room. He also knows that someone installed everything in that room according to a specific order. He would certainly never consider that the table, chair, clock and television had come into being by themselves, or had entered the room and placed themselves of their own doing. If anyone were to believe that such a thing were possible, his sanity would have to be questioned.
In the same way, someone who believes in such a senseless notion as Darwinism is in effect claiming that apples, oranges, strawberries, grapes, melons, watermelons, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, roses, lilacs, hyacinths, violets, magnolias, carnations, cats, antelopes, tigers, rabbits, squirrels, zebras, giraffes, and all the myriad other species in the world, and even engineers, doctors, professors, academics, artists and statesmen, in short everyone in the world, had come about of their own accord as the result of chance. To put it another way, such a person believes that everything he sees is the result of chance. That means that "chance" is that person's god. Yet on careful inspection, that so-called god is one with no power of reason at all, and thus the most unintelligent god imaginable. That "god" is unaware of even its own existence, as well of that of what it has brought into being.
In one hadith regarding the Antichrist, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said,"Ad-Dajjal is blind." Some Islamic scholars have interpreted that hadith to mean "The eye of the Antichrist's heart is blind." 5 That interpretation helps us to better understand the facts we just mentioned. In the same way, the eye of the heart of someone who makes a god out of blind chance is also blind, as is the eye of his reason. Such people immediately object when it is suggested that "God created the whole universe with superior intelligence, order and design." Yet when it is suggested that "Everything is the result of blind chance," they find that completely logical. Instead of an intelligent and conscious creator, they prefer the totally unreasonable idea that blind chance, lacking all intelligence and creative ability, created everything out of anarchy and chaos. Therefore, Darwinism is the most illogical and superstitious religion in the history of the world. Another surprising fact is the way in which a number of highly educated people adopt it as their religion, even though it is clearly false. Professors, politicians, teachers, lawyers and even doctors allow themselves to believe in this nonsense. This shows to what extent the ideas of the Antichrist entrance people like a magic spell.
So, just what is it that leads certain people to believe such an irrational and illogical claim, and to even fiercely defend it?
What we are dealing with here is an intensive propaganda campaign aimed at spreading the ideological system of the Antichrist in the time before the last days. In order to render this campaign as effective as possible, people are bombarded with indoctrination throughout their lives, and thus over time are coerced into adopting that twisted religion. This indoctrination, which people are exposed to even from childhood, consists of various phases, during each one of which people take a further step in the direction of the dark world of the Antichrist. The most effective way of protecting oneself from that bombardment is to listen to only the voice of one's conscience. Because, by the grace of God, our conscience is a guide that ensures our adherence to the true path. Darwinism, on the other hand, which has suffered a complete collapse scientifically, is today only defended as an ideological viewpoint, the senselessness of which can be demonstrated not only by the scientific evidence but also by listening to the voice of one's own conscience.
In order to be on one's guard against such constant indoctrination, and to understand the workings of it, we need to examine its various phases.
Stage 1: People are told the lie that "life is the work of chance."
A child perceives and evaluates that which goes on around him in a way different from adults. Children are constantly asking questions, and for the reason of things that happen around them, such as where they came from, how are they able to speak, how other things in nature came to exist, who created plants, how it is that the sun rises and sets, how the moon stays up in the sky, and many other such things. There is actually only one true answer that can be given to a child with respect of all these questions. Yet, people tend to offer two types of answers. The first, and correct, answer is that it was God that created everything, himself included, and that people are responsible to God, who created them from nothing and enables them to grow, eat, drink and breathe, and who protects them. God holds the entire universe under His control, is omnipresent, and sees and hears everything.
Some people, however, do not give their children the true answer to these questions. They may say that God created everything, but they do not go on to say that He is Lord and Ruler of all, and that everything happens by His will. Another group mislead their children in an even worse manner. They offer the mistaken claim that the entire universe is the result of unconscious and blind chance. That is because they in turn were instructed by their own parents or their teachers with the same answers. They had constantly been exposed to the indoctrination denying the existence of God, in schools, newspapers and on the television. That deception has over time become part of their basic outlook.
What is more, this indoctrination has led to such a mindset in people that, despite the myriad miracles in creation, they have become used to ignoring what they see with their own eyes and recognize with their conscience. In actual fact, the whole situation is itself another miracle of creation. The fact that people deny so many miracles that can clearly be seen with their own eyes is a miracle, revealed to us in the Qur'an. In the following verse, God reveals how some people will continue to deny all the various miracles they are made to witness:
The kind of ideas with which these people educate their children is in accordance with the religion of the Antichrist, as it is the one they themselves believe in. That is how a great many people are raised, even from an early age, in the belief that everything is the result of chance, never considering the existence of God and the art of His creation. Some families provide their children no information on the subject at all, and leave them totally vulnerable to atheistic indoctrination, which they are certain to encounter on the television and in films, newspapers and books.
Stage 2: People are taught the lie that life is a struggle founded on violence
Someone who thinks that life is the result of chance and coincidence, even if he is not fully conscious in the early stages of his believing in it, comes to believe that matter is the only absolute existence. Here he has completed the first stage of his indoctrination. As a consequence, in those cultures where people raised under such propaganda are in the majority, another important suggestion that roots itself in a child's mind is that he can "only survive so long as he is strong and selfish.
That idea is first instilled by the family, and then becomes stronger and more broadly based when the child starts school. The indoctrination the child receives from his family and his surroundings is reinforced by entirely unscientific theories, which are nevertheless portrayed as sanctioned by science, along the lines of "the ancestors of man were animals, for which reason the relationships between animals also apply to those between people." In this way, the child begins to learn the lie that there is a constant state of conflict between individuals and in society, that the weak ought to be eliminated, and that he needs to behave in that manner in order to survive. According to this principle, the most essential lesson, and the one that must never be forgotten, is that force, violence and deception can be employed, if necessary, in order to survive.
Such indoctrination is not restricted to the educational system. The child continues to receive intensive Social Darwinist indoctrination in the lyrics of the songs he listens to, the films he watches, in advertisements, videos, and even the computer games he plays, in short, in every sphere of his life. As a result of this intensive indoctrination, he builds his relationships with others on a materialistic foundation. That, in turn, means that ruthlessness, selfishness, self-interest and deceit come to dominate every moment of his life. As an inevitable consequence of this mentality, he is pushed away from true moral values and into a world of darkness.
However, the morality of the Qur'an offers a life at total variance with this model. In the Qur'an, people are called to peace and security. Societies where the morality of the Qur'an prevails are characterized by love, compassion, tolerance, honesty, self-sacrifice and humanitarianism. The proper morality that God commands people to abide by is revealed in these terms:
Stage 3: People are taught they are not responsible to anyone else
A child who is given a materialist and Darwinist answer to every question he asks will inevitably come to share those views. Even if he is still unable to openly explain them, he will begin to regard himself and all those around him as merely a highly evolved species of animal.
Yet, there remains another important phase in his education. That is the teaching of the falsehood that he is responsible to nobody but himself. According to this superstition, if matter has always existed and will always continue to do so, if life is solely the product of chance, and furthermore, if death is total extinction, then the only thing that matters is material gain. In a world made up only of matter, spiritual values can have no place. That being the case, the only thing people ought to think about is satisfying their own desires and passions, by whatever means necessary. According to the following verse in the Qur'an, "Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us?"(Qur'an, 23: 115), God clearly reveals the distorted outlook of these ignorant people.
People who genuinely believe that they can live unfettered lives, and that they will in the end merely cease to exist, are committing a serious mistake. We are responsible to our Lord, who created us from nothing. It is God who created man to accord with a particular destiny, who knows each person's past, present and future, who at death will call him to account for his past deeds, and reward or punish him accordingly. Unlike animals, God has created man with a soul, a mind, free-will and conscience. In other words, even if someone feels a certain temptation during a specific situation, he has been created with the necessary qualities to prevent him committing evil.
Someone who is unaware of or who ignores this truth will obviously pose a danger to the society of which he is a part. For instance, someone who is angered by something that has happened can behave quite ruthlessly, and harm the person responsible without thinking. It makes no difference if that person were defenseless. All that matters is venting his anger. Yet, someone who knows that he possesses a soul given him by God, who exercises his reason and his conscience, is capable of controlling his anger. He always remains in self-control and conscientious. Such a person would not dare to do the slightest thing that could earn him punishment from God. If he does happen to commit a sin, he repents and puts things right.
This is how God reminds those who imagine that they are free from restraint that they have been created and will be resurrected after death:
Another verse states that human beings are inspired to commit evil and mischief, as well as to guard themselves against every inclination to evil. (Qur'an, 91: 7-10) The fundamental reason, therefore, for peoples' degeneracy, and the crimes they commit, is that they do not believe in God, do not think that they will have to account for their deeds to Him, and thus have no fear of Him. However, the fact is that there is a purpose behind creation, and in a verse this is revealed as being the responsibility to worship God, "... I only created … man to worship Me" (Qur'an, 51: 56) Human beings are tested in this life, and if they fail to fulfill their responsibilities, they will be held to account for it. Some of these responsibilities are set out in the following verse:
They were only ordered to worship only God, making their religion sincerely His as people of pure natural belief, and to attend their prayers (salat) and give alms (zakat)—surely the correct religion.(Qur'an, 98: 5)
The true religion is the religion of God, yet, as a result of the indoctrination that people are subjected to, many people are turned away from it. Someone who has gone through the various phases of the Social Darwinist education is presented with very few alternatives. His view of life and mankind is shaped in the light of materialist-Darwinist thought. He will then struggle for only himself and to defend his own interests, will usually see violence, oppression and deception as the only means of doing so, and will be driven from transgression to transgression, lost in the nightmare of atheism. What is more, there will be nothing to prevent him from doing so. The number of people who are constantly "looking for trouble", behave aggressively towards the defenseless, oppress the weak and trample on their rights, take pleasure in violence, regard the suffering of others as the means to their own happiness, and, in short, have lost touch with all finer human feelings, is increasing daily. The most important reason for this is that the terrifying truth taught by the religion of the Antichrist is portrayed as if it were a mere fact of life.
Sects of the Religion of the Antichrist
It is revealed in the hadiths how the Antichrist will sow discord throughout the world. One indication of this is the way that people from all religions, nations and beliefs abide by that system. Since that discord will be very great and wide-ranging, many people, either knowingly or unknowingly, will fall into the trap, adopting the lifestyle promoted by the Antichrist. To put it another way, no matter what their world-view may be, all those who create and support anarchy, who commit and defend the use of violence, or carry out actions harmful to peace are actually adherents of the religion of the Antichrist.
That religion may also be sub-divided into a number of "sects." When we look at the century we have just passed, we can see the terribly destructive effects of the two main ideologies that sprung from Darwinism: communism and fascism.
These two ideologies can be regarded as the two main sects of the religion of the Antichrist. The founders and major leaders of both ideologies were all devoted to Darwinism, which lies at the root of the philosophy of the Antichrist, and both movements were heavily influenced by Darwinism. These two sects brought untold misery to the world, turning it into one huge battleground. And, when we examine these two ideologies closely, an interesting picture begins to emerge. No matter how much they might appear diametrically opposed to each other, they actually have a greater number of points in common than is otherwise recognized, and it becomes quite obvious how they were both inspired from the same source: Darwinism. (For details, see, The Disasters Darwinism Brought to Humanity, , Harun Yahya, 2000). The main ideas of Darwinism, the root of these similarities, are as follows:
Darwinism
- Darwinism's starting point is total denial of a Creator. Its principle aim is the formation of a society in which people are completely dissociated from religion. Darwinism, in effect, has become a religion, whose gods are chance and coincidence.
- It maintains that there is a "struggle for survival" in nature, for which reason ruthlessness must prevail. According to this claim, the merciless struggle that takes places among other living things must also apply to man. In an environment where everyone sees everyone else as a rival, the most frequently encountered feelings are anger, greed and hatred.
- There is no room for tolerance, compassion or dialogue in the survival of the fittest. If only the strongest can survive, then tolerance, compassion and dialogue will be among the very last things anyone is dependent upon.
- Essentially, Darwinism is one enormous deception. All of its claims have been disproved by modern science.
Communism
- Communism describes religion as the opiate of the masses. Its first struggle in all the societies where it has come to power has been against religious beliefs.
- As Lenin put it, with the words "development is the 'struggle' of opposites,"8 communism maintains that progress can only come about by means of conflict. It believes that there can be no progress and development without bloodshed.
- Armed uprisings and revolution are essential elements of communism. At the base of these lies the anger felt towards other classes of society, and a ruthless desire for revenge.
- Communism resolutely opposes all opposition and differences. Differences mean only one thing: conflict. There can only be one kind of everything in communist regimes, including human beings. Everything that seeks to oppose this uniformity is seen as an enemy of the regime, and harsh measures are taken against it. In such a climate there can be no tolerance, and no chance of establishing dialogue.
- In practice, the implementation of communism has been a clear indication of just how deceptive can be those concepts such as equality, social justice and freedom that communism upholds in order to attract adherents. These concepts are nothing but the propaganda tools of communism, a despotic and totalitarian system.
Fascism
- Fascism, and all its methods, is diametrically opposed to religious morality. One of the distinguishing characteristics of fascism is its tendency to kill thousands of innocent people in the name of its own so-called "sacred" values, and of actually regarding that slaughter as virtuous. That is why war and conflict are "inseparable" components of fascism.
- The anger and hatred directed towards people of different races is another fundamental element of fascism. This racist tendency has inspired numerous wars, conflicts, death and ethnic cleansings.
- Strict discipline is an inherent part of a fascist regime. All ideas that conflict with it are eliminated. The burning of thousands of books during Hitler's Reich, simply because they contained "non-German ideas," is just one example of this.
- FIn order to win people over, fascism instills in people the notion that their race is superior to all others. The real aim is the construction of a system built upon the concept of race. It is clear, however, that in an environment in which every race thinks it is superior there will never be an end to war and conflict. The disasters that fascist dictators, such as Hitler and Mussolini, have inflicted on their people are some of the most striking proofs of the fact that the ideas espoused by fascism are nothing but falsehoods.
The above-mentioned characteristics are just a few examples to give you a general idea of these ideologies. When one considers the way these ideologies are implemented, it becomes still more obvious to what extent they are inherently violent and brutal. Yet, the truly important thing to note is the way of the Antichrist, and the ideologies linked to it, can be adopted by whole segments of society, despite all the terrible destruction they inflict. For that reason, it is most important to examine the way in which the system of the Antichrist brings society under its control. To reveal how that is done will be the first round shot in the war of ideas to be waged against that system. That is to say, that people do not suddenly become selfish, aggressive, ruthless individuals filled with hatred and a thirst for revenge overnight. As we have already seen, they can only be accustomed to the system of the Antichrist over time, in stages. The process begins when people first become conscious of their surroundings beginning the learning process, and it continues throughout their lives. That indoctrination starts with turning people away from faith in God.
The primary sects we have been considering themselves consist of different groups and adherents. Subsequent chapters of this book will examine the links between the Antichrist and terrorism and these sub-groups. However, it will first be useful to have a look at how the Antichrist is treated in the Qur'an.
The Nature of The Antichrist as Described in The Qur'an
The Prophet Muhammad's descriptions of the Antichrist in the hadiths strongly resemble the criminal-sinner character that appears in the Qur'an. The examples of immorality described in the Qur'an, such as lying, injustice, ruthlessness, cruelty, encouraging wickedness amongst people, as well as what the disbelievers attempt to pass off as morality in order to turn people away from religion, are also the principle characteristics of those ideologies disbelievers by Darwinism.
The people that God refers to as "evildoers" in the Qur'an are those who spread chaos and terror in the world, who scheme various plans towards that end, and side with evil. Such people refuse to recognize the limits set by God, refuse to live by the morality of religion, and have a tendency to sin and wickedness. . As God says, The evildoers are indeed misguided and insane.(Qur'an, 54: 47), the road taken by those who adopt that version of morality is a deviant one. Various features of the evildoers are set out in the Qur'an, and we are warned to be on our guard against them:
Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents lies against God or denies His Signs? Evildoers are certainly not successful.(Qur'an, 10: 17)
We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong. Their Messengers brought them the Clear Signs, but they were never going to believe. That is how We repay evildoers.(Qur'an, 10: 13)
If we bear in mind the fact that one of the distinguishing features of materialist ideologies, such as communism and fascism, which are founded on Darwinism, is destroying the social order and fomenting chaos, then it becomes clear that those who live by and seek to further these systems are the evildoers defined in the Qur'an. In one verse, God says:
And likewise in every city We set up its greatest wrongdoers to plot in it. They plot against themselves alone, but they are not aware of it.(Qur'an, 6: 123)
As the verse states, these people will lay plans in order to spread and consolidate their own power. This being the case, a war of ideas against people of that type, and those who seek to further such systems, is of the utmost importance. Peace can only come to replace wickedness, and stability to take the place of conflict and chaos, if the activities of those who engage in evil are prevented. That, in turn, can only come about if the rottenness of these peoples' ideological foundations is established and then brought down. Only believers can assume this responsibility, since the strife caused by the system of the Antichrist can never influence true believers. The faithful are those who fiercely refuse to adopt the mentality of the evildoer, nor to allow themselves to be tainted by even the slightest trace of it. This is how God reveals the responsibility of preventing wickedness that falls on the shoulders of the believers:
Would that there had been more people with a vestige of good among the generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the earth, other than the few among them whom We saved. Those who did wrong gladly pursued the life of luxury that they were given and were evildoers.(Qur'an, 11: 116)
The Method of the Antichrist is Built Upon Indulgence
One of the most important traits of evildoers is the way they are misled by -their own passions and individual desires-, instead of by the morality of the Qur'an. However, being dominated by one's ego (an-nafs) loses one in a terrible nightmare. When someone begins to act in conformity to his lower self, it leads to internal mental chaos and a complete lack of restraint. Instead of the peace of mind and tranquility that come from listening to the voice of one's conscience, comes insecurity, restlessness, worry and discontent. As God informs us in a verse of the Qur'an,... The self indeed commands to evil acts—except for those my Lord has mercy on...(Qur'an, 12: 53), the lower self continually encourages one to wickedness. It constantly encourages jealousy, envy, anger, hatred, insensitivity, ruthlessness, disrespect, irresponsibility, and other examples of poor morality. A believer, however, listens to the voice of his conscience, not his lower soul, employs his free-will and adopts a decent and pleasing morality. That is because, in the Qur'an, God commands man to eschew the evils of his lower soul, a commandment which must be obeyed by making us of one's conscience. In other words, since we know what is right and wrong, we also know how to avoid it. This fact is expressed in the following terms in the Qur'an:
And the self and what proportioned it and inspired it with depravity and a fear of God, he who purifies it has succeeded, he who covers it up has failed.(Qur'an, 91: 7-10)
Nevertheless, a great number of people suppress and ignore the voice of their conscience, and allow themselves to be ruled by their egos. There are enormous differences between a man who is ruled by his ego and the man who is governed by his conscience. Someone who listens to the voice of his conscience behaves with moderation and controls his anger when faced with a trying situation. He who obeys his ego, however, is swept away by his anger and acts out feelings of hatred and vengeance. In the same way, when someone who has experienced an injustice listens to the voice of his conscience, he knows that he must answer that injustice with fairness and even-handedness, not with a further injustice. The person who follows only his selfish desires, on the other hand, will want to retaliate against the person who committed the injustice against him. The man who listens to his conscience is compassionate, tolerant, patient and willing to make personal sacrifices. The man who listens to his ego is ruthless, cruel, impatient and selfish. That is why it is impossible to speak of peace in any society where those who listen only to their own egos are the majority. In fact, God has revealed that there will be no stability in the world as long as people hearken to their selfish desires:
If the truth were to follow their whims and desires, the heavens and the earth and everyone in them would have been brought to ruin. No indeed! We have given them their Reminder, but they have turned away from it.(Qur'an, 23: 71)
That is one of the reasons why the Antichrist targets religious and spiritual values. The morality of religion requires people to listen to the voice of their conscience and avoid the wickedness their desires might provoke. The ideology of the Antichrist seeks just the opposite, which is why it harms those very elements that bind people together and ensure social cohesion (the most important of these elements are religious morality and the spiritual values that arise from it), and encourages people towards discord and conflict. In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) described what the world would be like in a system based on that of the Antichrist, when people are dominated by their desires:
The dissension of the end of time will be so terrible that no one will be able to restrain themselves. 6
Commenting upon this hadith, Islamic scholars have explained that the Antichrist will call on people to follow their passions and desires, which will be portrayed as a good thing. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, for instance, said:The men, ...defeated by their instinctual souls, and with drunken joy, fall into the fire and are burnt.... (The dissension of the end of time and the dissension of the Antichrist) will draw the pleasure-seekers around them like moths, intoxicating them.
The Antichrist Spreads Corruption Throughout the World
The most harmful aspect of the system of the Antichrist is that it is built on spreading corruption and damaging peace and order. The defining characteristic of the Antichrist is to encourage terror and anarchy in order to spread corruption. The latter of course has wide-ranging ramifications, and can include frightening people and making them uneasy, and wreaking peace and security. Unjustified wars between nations, internal conflict sparked off by artificial causes, terrorist attacks aimed at innocent civilians, and acts of violence in daily life can all be regarded as instances of corruption. In the present day, the ever-increasing examples of wars and conflicts are important from the point of view of revealing the dimension of the corruption of the Antichrist.
Corruption is described in the Qur'an as one of the dangers to be avoided by people. God has forbidden them to cause corruption, and has revealed that He has no love for those who do. The following verse reveals how it is that those who deny God constantly try to spread corruption, conflict, chaos and war:
...We have incited enmity and hatred between them until the Day of Rising. Each time they kindle the fire of war, God extinguishes it. They rush about the earth corrupting it. God does not love corrupters.(Qur'an, 5: 64)
As we have seen, this verse emphasizes how these people are constantly trying to bring about war. Grave acts of brutality such as war, conflict and terror, are the methods most frequently resorted to by the Antichrist. Another verse discusses the mentality of the Antichrist in these terms:
Those who break God's contract after it has been agreed, and sever what God has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption on the earth, it is they who are the lost.(Qur'an, 2: 27)
The morality of the Qur'an, on the other hand, contributes to peace and security. The aim, as revealed in the Qur'an, is the development of an environment in which people of all beliefs and nations can live together in safety. The problems of the world can only be alleviated by living by the morality of religion, and by people listening to the voice of their conscience. The command in the Qur'an reads:
Do not corrupt the earth after it has been put right. Call on Him fearfully and eagerly. God's mercy is close to the good-doers.(Qur'an, 7: 56)
Corruption Leads to the Spread of Violence
In the hearts of those who cause corruption, tolerance and patience are replaced by feelings of hatred and vengeance. Those who foment strife, conflict and acts of terrorism, are people who lack any concept of restraint, or of the need to rule justly, but prefer to settle disputes through violence instead of negotiation. Similarly, adherents of the religion of the Antichrist are disposed to conflict instead of compromise. This tendency encourages feelings of hatred, anger and enmity, and leads to a culture that turns people against each other. It is revealed in the hadiths that the Antichrist will come at a time when hatred, anger and violence are widespread, a condition which he will take advantage of. Some of these hadiths are as follows:
The Antichrist will appear at a time when religion is weakened and knowledge is insufficient.7
Those are the days when minds are confused. When people kill one another. To such an extent that people can murder their neighbours, cousins and relatives. The killer knows not why he kills, nor the victim why he was killed. 8
Actually, these characteristics are also some of the basic features of the Devil. He is also rebellious, opposed to compromise, and full of hatred and anger, and his aim is to encourage others to act along those lines. That is why the Devil always tries to come between people and cause friction between them. God warns of this danger in the Qur'an:
Say to My servants that they should only say the best. The Devil wants to stir up trouble between them. The Devil is an outright enemy to man.(Qur'an, 17: 53)
Those who fall under the Devil's influence greatly overreact to incidents that could otherwise be better dealt with a little tolerance. They react angrily to everything that they do not like or which does not agree with their views. Swept away by their anger, they are unable to think clearly, nor to consider matters fairly and objectively. The Devil exploits those who had merely started out being unable to think clearly, and eventually turns them into such with criminal tendencies. He indoctrinates them with the idea that they will never find peace as long as they are unable to satisfy their anger.
The story in the Qur'an, which relates the incident that took place between the sons of the Prophet Adam (pbuh), is an important example of how someone who acts under the influence of the Devil can be unrestrained and aggressive in character:
Recite to them the true report of Adam's two sons when they offered a sacrifice and it was accepted from one of them but not accepted from the other. The one said, "I shall kill you." The other said, "God only accepts from the righteous (who fear Him). Even if you do raise your hand against me to kill me, I am not going to raise my hand against you to kill you. Truly I fear God, the Lord of all the worlds. I want you to take on both my wrongdoing and your wrongdoing and so become one of the Companions of the Fire. That is the repayment of the wrongdoers." So his lower self persuaded him to kill his brother, and he killed him and became one of the lost.(Qur'an, 5: 27-30)
As can be seen from these verses, the brother who followed his lower self, and the suggestion of the Devil, acted out of anger and jealousy, even leading him to committing murder. The other brother, on the other hand, who exhibited the morality of a believer, did not lose his composure in spite of the aggressive attitude and unfair behavior of the other, but behaved in a proper moral manner.
In the same way, the brothers of the Prophet Joseph (pbuh) planned to kill him, out of jealousy and anger at the blessings that God had (pbuh) bestowed on him. When the Prophet Joseph again met his brothers at a later time, he was tolerant and forgiving towards them. This is a requirement of the superior morality that God has commanded the faithful to adopt. The proper morality of Muslims is described in a verse in the following way:
Those who give in times of both ease and hardship, those who control their rage and pardon other people—God loves the good-doers. (Qur'an, 3: 134)
The Antichrist Encourages People Towards Extremism
Another method employed by the Antichrist to cause corruption and confusion in the world is to encourage people towards extremism, or fanaticism. In this way, people are led to believe that they are justified in behaving in a fanatical manner for the sake of their beliefs or ideals. They are led astray by the idea that results that could otherwise be obtained by compromise and dialogue can only be reached by resorting to violence. Through this state of mind, simple envy or unjustified anger can result in savage brutality. Because extremism often represents the very opposite of moderation, common sense, and rational behavior. Such people follow only their emotions. Their reactions and general comportment are governed by violence and rage. That is what leads to the emergence of groups and individuals who too easily resort to all forms of violence without ever questioning why, nor feeling any pang of conscience.
The Qur'an, however, warns people against turning to extremism and going beyond the normal bounds. In one verse, God warns people not to follow those who turn towards fanaticism and let themselves to be ruled by their emotions, or against the trap set for them by the Antichrist:
...And do not obey someone whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance and who follows his own whims and desires and whose life has transgressed all bounds.(Qur'an, 18: 28)
Extremism turns man away from the Qur'an. One of the most important characteristics of believers is that, no matter what the circumstances, they are always moderate and well balanced, and never abandon their modesty, restraint and tolerance. The responsibility believers recognize upon themselves commands them to behave well towards others and to avoid evil. This is a responsibility that is to be fulfilled by explaining the morality of religion to people and waging a war of ideas against atheistic philosophies. As the believer fulfils that responsibility, he knows that his only duty is to tell the truth and show people the true path. He is not to oblige people to believe. As God has commanded by the words There is no compulsion where religion is concerned.(Qur'an, 2: 256), people must not be brought under any compulsion. It is God who turns people to the right way, in other words, who grants them faith. Believers merely strive to be a means whereby this can come about:
You are not responsible for their guidance, but God guides whoever He wills… (Qur'an, 2: 272)
The Common Characteristic of All Those Who Are Duped By The Antichrist: Acting By the Devil's Logic
He (Antichrist) will have two flowing rivers: one will appear to be pure water, and the other will appear to be flaming fire. Whosoever lives to see that, let him choose the river which seems to be fire, …for it will be cold water. 9
The Antichrist…will bring with him what will resemble Hell and Paradise, and what he will call Paradise will be actually Hell. 10
The Antichrist…will bring with him what will resemble Hell and Paradise, and what he will call Paradise will be actually Hell. 10
The above hadiths are two accounts revealing that the Antichrist will portray good as bad, and bad as good. In the same way that the Antichrist encourages people towards anarchy and terror, the Devil claims that people can only be saved by turning to him, and that he is the true way. While encouraging people to atheism and a morality that denies God, he also tells the lie that he wants only what is good:
Say: "Are we to call on something besides God which can neither help nor harm us, and to turn on our heels after God has guided us, like someone the satans have lured away in the earth, leaving him confused and stupefied, despite the fact that he has companions calling him to guidance, saying, 'Come with us!'?" Say: "God's guidance, that is true guidance. We are commanded to submit as Muslims to the Lord of all the worlds.(Qur'an, 6: 71)
Likewise, the way that those who follow the Devil claim that they too want only what is good has been revealed in the Qur'an:
How will it be when a disaster strikes them because of what they have done, and then they come to you swearing by God: "We desired nothing but good and reconciliation"?(Qur'an, 4: 62)
One of the most striking examples of the way in which the Antichrist makes people think that what is evil is actually good is the way they begin to regard violence, fighting and conflict as normal; or, as we have seen earlier, those who have convinced themselves and others that the most efficacious way of obtaining what they want is the use of violence. They kill innocent people, imagining themselves to be engaged in a just struggle, as they harm others who have committed no crime at all. When members of terrorist organizations, or people who have been responsible for wars and conflicts in various regions of the world, are interviewed, they all declare how justified they were to resort to violence. Yet, they are entirely wrong, and merely despotic. No struggle that employs violence against innocent and defenseless people can ever be justified.
At the root of this error lies the fact that such people have followed the way of the Devil and the Antichrist, who is an extension of the Devil. In other words, they act according to the Devil's logic. God, however, the Creator of all, has commanded people never to follow in the way of the Devil. This is how that commandment is expressed in the verses of the Qu'ran:
Mankind! eat what is good and lawful on the earth. And do not follow in the footsteps of the Devil. He truly is an outright enemy to you. (Qur'an, 2: 168)
The Devil is your enemy so treat him as an enemy. He summons his party so they will be among the people of the Searing Blaze.(Qur'an, 35: 6)
People who act in line with the Devil's logic, despite all of our Lord's commandments to the contrary, seal off their hearts and minds. That narrow-mindedness is a common characteristic of those who deny God and refuse to live by the morality of religion. God has sealed the hearts of such people:
As for those who disbelieve, it makes no difference to them whether you warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe. God has sealed up their hearts and hearing and over their eyes is a blindfold. They will have a terrible punishment.(Qur'an, 2: 6- 7)
We have made all kinds of examples for people in this Qur'an. If you bring them a Sign those who disbelieve will say, "You are just purveyors of falsehood!" In that way God seals up the hearts of those who do not know.(Qur'an, 30: 58-59)
As another verse of the Qur'an, (Qur'an, 7: 179), says:"…They have hearts they do not understand with. They have eyes they do not see with. They have ears they do not hear with. Such people are like cattle. No, they are even further astray! They are the unaware." That kind of diminution of their state of awareness shows that those who follow the system of the Antichrist are cruel, having completely abandoned their conscience, and therefore lost the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. That kind of person attaches no importance to the possible harm his reactions to a given situation might cause, and has no qualms in acting tyrannically. He is thoroughly taken in by the lies of the Antichrist, and begins to think that black is white, and white black. The condition of such people is described in these terms in the Qur'an:
Those who deny Our Signs are deaf and dumb in utter darkness. God misguides whoever He wills, and puts whoever He wills on a straight path. (Qur'an, 6: 39)
God has also revealed that these cruel persons, who collaborate with the Devil, and try to perpetuate the Devil's logic in the world, will be suitably repaid in the hereafter:
He makes promises to them and fills them with false hopes. But what the Devil promises them is nothing but delusion. The shelter of such people will be Hell. They will find no way to escape from it.(Qur'an, 4: 120-121)
The Plots of The Antichrist Are Within The Control of God
In the hadiths, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) warned of the deceptiveness of the plots devised by the Antichrist so that we might avoid them. Truly, the corruption sown by the Antichrist is set on such a degree of deviousness that most, apart from those who have sincere faith, will easily fall into its influence. We need merely to consider the state of moral decline and general havoc in the world today, to recognize the scale of it. Most are familiar with this degeneration and chaos, no matter what country, nation or race they come from.
There is here another matter which is very important to keep in mind. It has been revealed in numerous verses of the Qur'an that the true lord over all the plots devised by the disbelievers, is God. In order to test people, and to make know and to educate the righteous, as well as to demonstrate the disbelief of the unbelievers, and for many other reasons, God has allowed the works of the Devil in this world, and therefore the Antichrist, as set within His preordained plan. For that reason, the plots devised by those who deny God, can never, by His will, achieve their objectives. This is confirmed in a verse:
They concocted their plots, but their plots were with God, even if they were such as to make the mountains vanish (Qur'an, 14: 46)
All through history, those who have denied God, and sought to encourage others to do the same, have devised all kinds of plots to ensnare others. Yet, according to God's command, all such ploys have ultimately failed, and only rebounded against themselves. This is an immutable law from God, as revealed in the following verse:
…But then when a warner did come to them, it only increased their aversion, shown by their arrogance in the land and evil plotting. But evil plotting envelops only those who do it. Do they expect anything but the pattern of previous peoples? You will not find any changing in the pattern of God. You will not find any alteration in the pattern of God (Qur'an, 35: 42-43)
The same fate is destined for the plots devised by the Antichrist and his ideological system. That entire system itself is a method of deception specifically designed to keep people from the way of God. No matter how complex the plots, and how wide-ranging and effective the plan, everything is under the control of God. The Antichrist and his plots exist only by virtue of the will of God. As stated in another verse, "But you will not will unless God wills." (Qur'an, 76: 30), none has the power to desire anything, neither to devise a plot, nor to put it into action, unless God so ordains.
Terrorism: The Rite of The Antichrist
We have so far looked at the kind of movement the Antichrist, the greatest purveyor of discord in the days leading up to doomsday, represents, and what kind of people are ensnared by it. In this chapter, we shall consider terrorism, one of the gravest contributors to this strife.
Although it is one of the most commonly heard terms in the world today, there is still no definition of it that all can agree on. One of the main reasons for this is that people who are regarded as terrorists by some, are regarded by others as those engaged in a just struggle. Whatever the aim may be, it is never possible to regard any group that resorts to violence and targets innocent people as just. Individuals or societies may desire different things, and these aspirations may be entirely valid. Yet, violence is not the way to bring them about. Force should only be used in self-defense. For that reason, any act of violence aimed at innocent people may be regarded as an act of terrorism.
The fundamental strategy of terrorism is the spreading of fear, and by it to gain influence. Instead of working for their aspirations through more peaceable and reasonable means, terrorist groups turn to violence, which they regard is far more effective. According to them, the more ruthless and destructive an act of terrorism is, the more terrifying it is, in other words the nearer it will have come to achieving its aim.
One of the most dreadful aspects of terrorism is the fact that it is devoid of all moral values and recognizes no rules. People who turn to terrorism lack all love, affection, compassion and tolerance, and are solely governed by feelings of hatred, anger and revenge. Unconsciously, such people's intention is to relieve their anger and take revenge, without considering the result of their actions. The idea of the damage that their actions might result in causes not the slightest stirrings of their conscience. Because, conscience of the kind of person who regards terrorism as any kind of solution is obstructed, as, therefore, are his reason, foresight and understanding.
According to the morality of the Qur'an, however, there is no room for anger. God has revealed that so long as people act in the light of individual emotions, such as anger, there will be corruption and chaos in the world. He has therefore commanded us for all time to behave with a tolerant, peaceful and brotherly spirit. When people abide by that morality, however, the system of the Antichrist, based as it is in violence, will completely collapse, terror and anarchy will disappear, and the climate of chaos that currently prevails in the world will come to an end. This is how God recommends that morality in one verse;
Those who Engage in Terrorism in the Name of Religion
The morality of religion forbids all kinds of terrorist acts, and yet, a number of terrorist groups still claim that they are acting in its name. Yet, when one has a close look at the world-views of those who carry out massacres or employ violence as a method, it is quite clear that such people are deviant. They have no idea of truth of religion, and are unable to live by or comprehend its morality. Anyone who genuinely believes in the existence of God, who truly fears Him and abides by the book revealed by Him would never be able to take any kind of action that might harm innocent and defenseless people. Those who carry out acts of terrorism and violence in the name of Islam, therefore, cannot possibly be called religious groups.
The true message of a religion or other system of ideas may sometimes be twisted by its so-called supporters, or interpreted incorrectly. That applies to Judaism as well as Christianity. The Crusaders, for instance, were European Christians who set out from Europe at the end of the 11th century with the aim of liberating the Holy Land. They may have set out with an alleged religious agenda, but they spread fear and barbarity wherever they went.
The savagery of these barbarians who misinterpreted Christianity, which is a religion of love and certainly has no room for violence, clearly had nothing to do with genuine religion at all.
Most of those who resort to terror in the name of religion are fanatical groups linked to pagan beliefs or newly developed mystical teachings, not the divine religions at all. These groups, and especially those in America and Japan, carry out terrible acts of violence against their own members as well as other people. These include the groups that burned themselves to death on a farm, or committed mass suicide in their beds, or the people who harmed others by releasing poison gas in the Japanese underground system. Other groups that have come to notice, due to their acts of terrorism, include fanatical racists such as the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups. Over the last 20 years in particular, there has been a visible increase in racist and fascist ideas among young people, and that has led to an increase in the number of acts of violence. The attacks perpetrated against Turks in Germany a few years ago, the abuse and assaults aimed at people of Asian and African origin in other European countries, and the acts of violence against Blacks and Arabs that still take place in the United States even today, can all be included among the range of methods employed by such groups.
It must not be forgotten that, at the basis of all deviant movements, both those considered in this book and others that we have not dealt with, lies the fact that people have turned their backs on the morality of religion, and have been raised without true knowledge of the religion The common religious morality of Islam, Christianity and Judaism is diametrically opposed to the system of the Antichrist, built as it is on violence and savagery. At the root of religion lies love, affection and compassion. God has commanded us to treat one another with justice, tolerance, understanding, compassion and respect. Furthermore, people are charged with effecting that kind of behavior no matter what the religion, language, race or gender of the person they are dealing with. For that reason, it is impossible for there to be violence in a society where the morality of religion prevails. The morality of religion is the only system that can lead people to peace and security. God reveals in one verse:
The following pages contain some information about groups and organizations that regard violence as normal and essential. The aim behind the preparation of this section is not to provide information about these terrorist organizations. It is to reveal the ideological system of the Antichrist, which deceives these groups that regard violence as a solution, no matter what their respective ideologies may be. The information here is of the utmost importance from the point of view of demonstrating the complexity of the system of the Antichrist, one which is currently so prevalent in the world.
Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.(Qur’an, 7:199)
Ward off evil with what is better. We know very well what they express.(Qur’an, 23:96)
Racist Terror
World War II was madness sparked off by a racist and fascist ideology. Violence and conflict, the so-called sacred values of these ideologies, briskly infected the entire world, leading to 55 million people falling victim to fascist savagery. Though the fact that victory fell upon the Allies meant that fascism was defeated, it did not disappear. It merely went underground. As a whole, there has been a discernable rise in the number of racist and fascist organizations and acts of violence in the world over the last 10 years. While Europe battles with acts of violence perpetrated by neo-Nazis, the United States has had to deal with a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan and similar "white supremacy" organizations. Today, both the neo-Nazis and the members of the Ku Klux Klan are carrying out attacks and encouraging their members to commits acts of terror and violence.
Many people may imagine that the Ku Klux Klan had carried out most of its attacks on and oppression of Blacks merely in the 1920s and 1930s, but that in modern times it had been consigned to the waste bin of history. The Klan is still alive, however. Today, in the United States as a whole, there are a great many Ku Klux Klan churches, even if they happen to go by other names, and many racist organizations linked to that church's teachings. That church and the organizations linked to it are not just against Blacks, but oppose all non-European races, especially the Muslims living in America, believing that a concerted struggle needs to be waged against them. That "struggle" includes the formation of armed units.
It is no secret that the basis of the Klan's teachings is that European whites are superior to all other races, and that the white race should never be polluted by those others. In order to prevent such contamination, other races must not be permitted to live in areas inhabited by the white race. The idea is that the other races have no right to the kinds of opportunities enjoyed by the whites. These races are regarded as parasites trying to contaminate the purity and superiority of the whites, and it is believed that all kinds of measures need to be taken to oppose them. These views of the Klan are the basis for the attacks carried out against other races in America. At the root of these ideas, lies hatred and aggression instead of love, tolerance and dialogue.
The so-called scientific justification for the concept of the superiority of the white race is Darwin's theory of evolution. Darwin had suggested that certain races, the European race for instance, had progressed further than other races during the evolutionary process. Those outside these advanced races were in his view primitive creatures little better than apes. To put it another way, while some races had made enormous evolutionary progress, others were still at a level not far removed from man's primitive ancestor, the ape. Darwin indulged in racist speculation about the future, and wrote:
At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous (manlike) apes, …will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider. 11
These racist views of Darwin's became an important justification used in the service of the colonialist powers of the time to disguise their own brutality. The claim that Darwin put forward to demonstrate his theory is extremely interesting in the point of view of revealing his ignorance and prejudice. In a letter to a scientist named W. Graham in 1881, Darwin cited the Turkish nation as a proof of his theory. According to this nonsense of Darwin's, the Turkish nation was one of those backward peoples that would soon disappear:
I could show fight on natural selection having done and doing more for the progress of civilization than you seem inclined to admit. Remember what risk the nations of Europe ran, not so many centuries ago of being overwhelmed by the, Turks and how ridiculous such an idea now is! The more civilised so-called Caucasian races have beaten the Turkish hollow in the struggle for existence. Looking to the world at no very distant date, what an endless number of the lower races will have been eliminated by the higher civilized races throughout the world.12
Even today we still hear of churches belonging to Blacks in various states in America being burned, of attacks on mosques and synagogues, and assaults of members of other races. Following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, in particular, certain circles influenced by this and similar organizations stepped up their attacks. Businesses, mosques and associations belonging to Muslims in a number of states were attacked. Muslim students were not allowed into school, and Muslim children were assaulted in the streets. Everyone not totally devoid of reason and logic knows that the Islamic world, and innocent Muslim civilian and children in particular, cannot be held responsible for those ruthless attacks. (In fact, following September 11, there emerged a significant reaction, on the part of those with intelligence and common sense, which instead began to look into Islam. There was also an increase in the number of people turning to Islam). On the other hand, the situation was merely one indication of what a menace the encouragement of hatred based on race or belief could pose.
Members of the Klan do not agree, however. They are busily preparing for a great war between the races, which they believe will take place in the 21st century.
The Dimensions of Racism in America
The Ku Klux Klan was established in the 1870s, and became very powerful in America in the wake of the First World War. By the 1920s, it had some 3-4 million members. 13
Like those of all other racist ideologies, the ideological roots of the teachings of the Klan, which start from the premise that "We will slaughter our enemies when the war to protect the white race begins," is the view that the white race is at the top of the evolutionary scale, while other races are to be located further down, for which reason they merit all kinds of inhuman treatment. A great number of people in America still hold to this view. It is fair to say that these groups, organized under different names, such as the National Alliance, the World Church of the Creator and Arian Nation, actually operate under the umbrella of the Ku Klux Klan.
The most important common factor between the views of these organizations, some of which we shall be looking at below, is that they have no qualms about using violence to achieve their aims, but rather often regard violence and aggression as necessary.
World Church of the Creator (WCOTC)
The WCOTC is one of those active racist organizations in America that is growing stronger by the day. This deviant organization denies the existence of God, the day of judgment, heaven and hell, and also has a large number of followers outside the United States. The idea of the superiority of the white race constitutes the basis of the organization's ideology. On its web site, Ben Klassen, the founder of this racist group, has this to say about their ideology:
[The] objective [of our religion] would be: The Survival, Expansion and Advancement of the White Race. It [our religion] is based on love--love for the White Race…. We, therefore, reject …angels and devils and gods…. Our Golden Rule briefly can be summarized as follows: That which is good for the White Race is the highest virtue; that which is bad for the White Race is the ultimate sin… Nature tells us to take care of our own kind and only our own kind. We do not regard any of the mud races to be our own kind… The niggers, undoubtedly, are at the very bottom of the ladder, not far above monkeys and chimpanzees… We have no intention of helping the mud races prosper, multiply, and crowd us off the limited space of this planet. 14
This perverse idea, as we have seen, is treated as a religion by its followers, its members subscribing to it wholly. However, it is totally unfounded, of course, to call this perversity a religion. We would be more correct in calling it a brand of Social Darwinism, the fundamental teaching of which is the future struggle against other races. That notion is actually referred to by the slogan "Rahowa," (Racial Holy War), and is regarded by the group as one of its core values. In another address, Ben Klassen informed his followers what Rahowa actually means, and felt no scruples about calling them to take up arms:
RAHOWA! In this one word we sum up the total goal and program of not only the Church of the Creator, but of the total White Race, and it is this: We take up the challenge. We gird for total war against the Jews and the rest of the goddamned mud races of the world—politically, militantly, financially, morally and religiously. In fact we regard it as the heart of our religious creed, and as the most sacred credo of all. We regard it as a holy war to the finish—a racial holy war. 15
The expected war between the races is one of the major aims of Klan organizations. The subject is stressed at just about every meeting. During speeches, Klan members are filled with enthusiasm for the war, and many references to it are made in their writings. Incitement towards this war, which has now assumed mythical status among them, is frequently to be seen in Klan publications. For instance, the journal Knight-Ridder ,which covered a national rally held in Columbia, included the following lines:
King is the leader of the Christian Knights, who dreams of a resurgent Ku Klux Klan... He points down the street where both he and a neighbor decorate their front yards with robed Klansmen yard statues. He says: "A race war is coming. The Klan is the only hope for the white race."16
As is the case with many racist organizations, Rahowa is founded fundamentally on the belief in evolution. Such a degree of hostility towards other races, and the lack of any compunction over the using of violence as a means, are all the result of the belief in the theory of evolution. Nothing can prevent anyone who regards somebody else as an animal from abusing, attacking and, if necessary, killing that individual.
The following words of Matt Hale, who became leader of the organization after Ben Klassen, are just one example of the close connection between the idea which they treat as a religion and belief in evolution:
But we are animals. That's the thing. We don't accept this idea that just because we can think and speak and walk on two legs that we are not bound by nature's laws. We are. 17
These words are an indication of the organization's peculiar, unique view of religion. Naturally, that religion has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity, which promotes humility, love and tolerance. And, the leaders of the organization do not hesitate to admit the fact. The following extract from an interview with Matt Hale nicely sums up their view of religion:
... Rather than a religion such as Christianity, which tells them to love their enemies, love the meek and the inferior. We need a religion, which exalts our own people and our own people alone... So we need to recognize this and do away with the idea that all men are created equal and idiotic notions of that kind… what we believe in doing is ending all aid to all non-white races. We believe that without this aid the non-white races would very quickly shrink their own numbers. They could not feed themselves… We believe that a perfect world is much more possible by having only white people, white racial comrades around the world. And we believe that once the non-white races are gone, and the white race is united with a pro living, a pro-life creed such as Creativity, there will be peace and prosperity for our white people." 18
Yet those who maintain the superiority of one race, and believe that their characteristics make them superior to others, are ignoring one very important truth. None of these values are permanent. Every human being, be he a believer or an unbeliever, will sooner or later die, leaving behind everything that he possessed in this world, and render account for himself to our Lord. On that day, nobody will be able to help anyone else, nobody's race, color or ancestry will be of the slightest importance, nothing he possessed in this world will be of the slightest advantage to him, and nobody will be able to put forward any excuses to justify his actions. God describes this in a verse:
Klan Teachings
The following articles were taken from a speech by Matt Hale at a Klan rally on January 14, 2001:
- Saying the races are equal is an insult to our race.
- We despise and abhor integration, interracial marriage and the flooding of this country with non-White hoards.
- Interracial marriage is a sin against our people.
- The Civil Rights movement was wrong for us. It was wrong for our interests.
- The white race is intellectually superior to all other races.
- When we have our day, when we are in power in this world as we wish to be, as we will be, certainly we will subsidize the best of our race, the most intelligent of our race to have the most children.
- The future is going to be one in which we have a land that is White and we will repatriate the other races.
- They would be pushed on the boats by force—within the law! That's going to be the law.
- Non-Whites are absolutely irrelevant. If they were lying in a pool of blood, it would be absolutely irrelevant. It simply means nothing to me. What I care about is my own racial family.
- The brain makes the races different. The races have different shapes and sizes of brains.
- On why most serial killers have been White … White people plan what they do. White people actually think. Most of the crimes that Blacks commit are impulsive. White people think about the crime they are going to commit. White people are involved in this type of crime because it takes a lot of planning.
These words strikingly reveal the thinking of a Klan member. This mentality is of such a kind that even the acts of a serial murder can become the cause for boasting, and savagery justified in the name of racial superiority.
The National Alliance
One of the fascist organizations enjoying increasing support from young people in America is the National Alliance. The organization was first founded in 1970 by Dr. William Pierce, a young professor of physics at Oregon State University, as the National Youth Alliance. Its outstanding characteristic was the way it targeted colleges and universities. Age of membership was restricted to 30 and under. Later, however, that age barrier was lifted and a new organization was created called the National Alliance. One of the principle objectives of this organization attaches great importance to the rearing up of young people with racist ideas. That, it is believed, will enable future generations to emerge in the awareness of racial superiority. Like all other racist groups, the National Alliance aims to defend the superiority of the white race under all circumstances. Dr. Pierce summed up this objective during an interview he gave in 1997:
Ultimately, we must separate ourselves from the Blacks and other non-Whites and keep ourselves separate, no matter what it takes to accomplish this… Eventually we must hunt them down and get rid of them. 20
That, of course, is not the only similarity between the National Alliance and other fascist organizations. As with others who believe in the theory of evolution, it is also prominent in the National Alliance. No matter how much organization members may claim to be religious, their statements reveal their beliefs to be totally opposed to religion. In general, they will state the following:
We see ourselves as integral with a unitary world around us, which evolves according to natural law. There is only one reality, which we call Nature: …We are part of Nature and subject to Nature's laws. Within the scope of these laws we are able to determine our own destiny… In other words, we ourselves are responsible for everything over which we have the power of choice: in particular, for the state of our environment and for the destiny of our race. This view may be contrasted with the Semitic view. 21As we have seen, the use of religious principles in speeches by fascist and racist groups, and their efforts to portray themselves as people who live by the morality of religion, are nothing more than a sham tactic. Studies and researches by sociologists and academics have emphasized this fact. One of these academics is Jack Levin, director for the study of Violence and Social Conflict at Boston's Northeastern University. Levin states that the reason the groups use biblical references is to "lend an air of religious credibility" to their message of hate. 22
Neo-Nazism: An Ideology Based On Violence And Terror
While racist groups that represent racism and xenophobia come together under the umbrella of the Ku Klux Klan in America, the neo-Nazis perform the same role in Europe. European racism began with the skinheads in Great Britain, and turned into a neo-Nazi movement in the 1990s. The main characteristics of these groups which define themselves as neo-Nazis are the way that, just like the Ku Klux Klan, they maintain the superiority of the white race and attack foreigners and those living in poorer areas.
Neo-Nazi movements have grown increasingly powerful over the last 10 years, and their sphere of influence has widened considerably. Their members now number around 70,000. The neo-Nazis have set themselves various targets in different countries. According to one study, Turks in Germany, Gypsies in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Asians in Great Britain, North Africans in France and Northeasterners in Brazil, are among their slated victims. The neo-Nazis' distinguishing characteristics are violence, hatred, intimidation, the use of threat and destruction.
According to official German figures, in 1997 alone there were 10,037 incidents linked to racism and xenophobia. The figure for 2000 was more than 10,000. In Britain, there were 10,982 racism-linked incidents between April and September alone. More than half of these crimes consisted of threats, menaces and intimidation. The rest were made up of murders, assaults, vandalism of homes and businesses, etc.
Louis Beam and William Pierce, extreme right-wing American ideologues, share a very important place in the neo-Nazi movement that developed during the 1990s. The concepts of "leaderless resistance" and "white revolution" put forward by these men have now come to dominate the thought of the neo-Nazi movement. At the root of various acts of terror, such as bombings, looting, and the destruction of workplaces in numerous countries of the world, can continually be found their concept of "leaderless resistance." According to their idea, neo-Nazi actions aught to be carried out on either an individual basis or else by very small gangs.
The books Hunter and The Turner Diaries by William Pierce are regarded as the principle inspiration behind neo-Nazi terror. The pamphlet A Practical Guide to Aryan Revolutionby the French Nationalist Socialist Movement, which took those books as its theoretical basis, contains all the information a neo-Nazi would require. The pamphlet is a detailed, practical terrorist handbook, divided into such chapter headings as Methods of Covert Direct Action, Escape and Evasion, Assasination, Terror Bombing, Sabotage, Racial War, How To Create A Revolutionary Situation, and Rules of Engagement – Regulations Concerning the Conduct of Soldiers of the Aryan Liberation Army. 23
Even if they do not play an active role within these groups, many people nevertheless support fascism and are influenced by these books.The Turner Diaries, for instance, describe how one underground group organized against the state and what kind of activities it engaged in. In his defense, a man by the name of John William King, who killed a Black man named James Byrd Jr. in 1998 by tying him and dragging him behind his pick-up truck, was reported to having said, "We're going to start The Turner Diaries early."
Following the 1993 Oklahoma bombing by Timothy McVeigh, attention turned to William Pierce's book Hunter in which Pierce described the actions of a bomber who acted alone. çevrildi. The hero of the book was not supported by any group or organization, but consciously carried out a terrorist attack single-handedly, just as Timothy McVeigh did 24
Satanism; The Terror of The Devil
Satanism is a perverted ideology that makes violence and savagery a ritual in its creed. Satanists, who describe themselves as such, make deeds of inhumanity and brutality into acts of worship.
When the word Satanism is mentioned most people think merely of its widespread psychological influence on young people, and regard it as a kind of insignificant mystical movement. Also, due to the influence of the media, they may think of Satanists as performing strange rituals, much unlike what ordinary and well-balanced people would otherwise do. It is true that Satanists are part of a culture of violence and perform strange and horrible rites, yet, what most people fail to see is that Satanism is a materialist and atheist ideology that supports violence and which dates back to the 1800s. Furthermore, the ideology has a large number of followers throughout the world.
The fundamental principle of Satanism is that it rejects all religious values, takes the Devil as its deity, and claims that hell is a kind of salvation. According to the belief of Satanism, people have no responsibilities, apart from that of following their own desires. If his desires lead a person to anger, hatred, revenge, deceit, theft, the harming others or even murder, then that is acceptable. The basic logic that Satanism relies on, in support of that belief, is the claim that the avoidance of evil is a kind of insincerity. In other words, this perverted belief maintains that if his desires impel someone to kill another, and if he acts according to that impulse, then he has behaved sincerely.
Virtues such as love, tolerance, patience and forgiveness, which are highly esteemed by most people, and are elements of the true morality, are loathed by Satanists. This deviant ideology maintains that there should be no restrictions on evil and such feelings as hatred, anger and vengeance. Article 5 of Satanic Bible , widely regarded as the fundamental textbook of Satanism, states, instead of the biblical principle that says "To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also." that "Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek." Elsewhere in that same book appears the commandment: Hate your enemies with a whole heart, and if a man smite you on one cheek, SMASH him on the other! 26
It is obvious that according to such thinking it will be impossible to prevent any kind wickedness. Such an atmosphere will inevitably lead to chaos and strife. It is impossible to speak of order, peace, stability, security, forgiveness or tolerance in any society in which people do not listen to the voice of their consciences, and are thus unable to distinguish between good and bad, and to use their will and judgment to act for good. In an environment of that sort, anyone who feels anger towards somebody else will be unable to restrain that anger and behave with moderation, and will inevitably seek his revenge. Alternatively, instead of being patient in times of need and poverty, and attempting to address those needs in a sensible manner, these people will resort to theft and other sorts of crime. Satanism is their justification for doing so.
The kind of society proposed by the ideology of Satanism recognizes no rules and no bounds. Its aim is the free expression of selfish desires and evil. In his book Satanic Bible Anton LaVey, regarded as the founder of modern Satanism, recommends to his followers that they live by and promote wickedness as they so please. In an interview, LaVey even said: ""I feel laws are, obviously, made to be broken ... I see nothing wrong with robbing somebody on the street." 27
Satanism's refusal to recognize any bounds does not stop there, of course. People would not only harm themselves and those around them, but would direct their hostility and anger at all. That refusal to recognize any limits, moreover, leads to the regard of violence as an intrinsic part of life. According to Satanism, violence is a fact of nature, and thus inescapable. Therefore, this distorted view maintains that it is perfectly permissible for people to resort to violence. Since any attempt to prevent or minimize violence is a violation of what is natural, any attempt to do so is futile, and it is therefore illogical to do so.
As we have seen, Satanism holds utterly perverse beliefs, which encourage people to be aggressive, to commit murder, and even mass slaughter. In America in particular, academics have established that Satanism lies at the root of national terror, and that serious steps need to be taken in order to deal with it. One of these academics is Carl Roschke, a professor at Denver University, who has stressed the importance of the subject in the words, "We're really dealing with the way satanic ideology has become a basis for domestic terrorism."28 Roschke says that the most important step in the war to be waged against Satanism is to make it clear that its followers are not just "harmless wackoes",but that when their crimes are examined, one can understand just how harmful someone claiming to be a Satanist can be.29
There is no doubt that the most important fight against a movement of this sort must be ideological. That being the case, we must establish which ideologies Satanism is founded on.
Darwinism is the Ideological Basis of Satanism
One of the most common ways Satanists use to describe themselves, in their books, magazines and publications, as well as their websites, is to regard man as a "kind of developed animal," and to maintain that "only the fittest can survive." This is the most important piece of evidence to corroborate that Darwinism lies at the very root of the Satanists' beliefs. In fact, many Satanists do not hesitate to admit the fact. In A Description of Satanism, a Satanist writer describes the ideology in these terms:
...First of all, Humans are social animals... all people and animals share a common source in mere biology. Satanism is the belief that Humans are nothing more than higher animals—we have no special place in creation other than being lucky to have evolved and survived… 30
Another Satanist publication,"The Church of Satan", describes how they believe that human beings are a kind of developed animal:
Since Satanism stands for acceptance of Man as an animal, there have often been creators in many past cultures who embraced this insight and explored it in the context of their society, thus we seek out these artistic philosophical expressions and see them to be the roots of our current awareness.31
It is clear from the preceding that Satanism regards Darwin's theory, that human beings evolved from animals, as the source of its own ideological 'awareness.' kökeni olarak görmektedir. The introduction to an interview with Anton LaVey, carried in the music journal MF Magazine, describes the relationship between Satanism and Darwinism:
n the late 1960s, Anton LaVey brought forth an easily understandable doctrine of social Darwinism, and strong positive thinking (magic) to the growing mass of individuals sick of both hippieism and the stagnant morals of Christianity. 32
Magister Peter H. Gilmore, a priest of the Church of Satan, describes this perverted religion in the following terms:
... Let us instead look at contemporary Satanism for what it really is: a brutal religion of elitism and social Darwinism that seeks to re-establish the reign of the able over the idiotic, of swift justice over injustice, and for a wholesale rejection of egalitarianism as a myth that has crippled the advancement of the human species for the last two thousand years. 33
of course, the idea of justice, as set out above, has absolutely no resemblance to the notion of justice as we know it should be, that is, established on the principle of equality. The above version is a Satanist idea of justice, and as will be seen from what follows, it is a version that endows anyone who regards himself as superior to others to usurp all such powers and rights.
The way Satanism shares so many parallels with Social Darwinism, which regards Western society as superior to others, has led to cooperation between it and a number of other racist and chauvinistic movements, especially fascism. One can find many individuals who believed in Satanism among the ranks of Hitler's National Socialists and Mussolini's Blackshirts. Anton LaVey makes this reference to that collaboration:
It's an unholy alliance. Many different types of such people have made contact with us in the past.The anti-Christian strength of National Socialist Germany is part of the appeal to Satanists—the drama, the lighting, the choreography with which they moved millions of people. 34
Darwinism is the primary ground shared between these tendencies and Satanism. Social Darwinism, which lies at the heart of all these deviant ideologies, is defended by Satanists as follows:
The principle of the survival of the strong is advocated on all levels of society, from allowing an individual to stand or fall, to even letting those nations that cannot handle themselves take the consequences of this inability... There would be a concomitant reduction in the world's population as the weak are allowed to experience the consequences of social Darwinism. Thus has nature always acted to cleanse and strengthen her children... We embrace reality and do not try to transform it into some utopia that is contrary to the very fabric of existence.35
Another expression of the Satanists' attachment to Social Darwinism is their fierce support for the theory of eugenics, itself the product of fascism. The theory of eugenics maintained that the sick and the crippled ought to be eliminated from society, and the number of healthy individuals increased through breeding. The theory was most prominently implemented in Nazi Germany. According to the theory of eugenics, in the same way that healthy animal stock is bred by mating healthy species, by this way a race of humans also be improved. Those elements obstructing such improvement (the sick, crippled, mentally handicapped etc.) need to be eradicated. When this line of thinking was adopted in Nazi Germany, tens of thousands of people with genetic and mental diseases were slaughtered ruthlessly.
Satanism is also in favor of the same terrible mercilessness. Their own publications reveal their view on eugenics:
Satanists also seek to enhance the laws of nature by concentrating on fostering the practice of eugenics… It is the practice of encouraging people of talent and ability to reproduce, to enrich the gene pool from which our species can grow. This was commonly practiced throughout the world… Until the genetic code is cracked and we can choose the character of our offspring at will, Satanists seek to mate the best with the best.36
The Perverse Rites of Satanism
SBlack masses, and the terrible things that are conducted during them, is what most often comes to peoples' minds whenever Satanism is mentioned. Yet, many people believe that it is make-believe only portrayed in films, and that nothing of the sort actually takes place in real life. However, the terrible scenes we are used to watching in films are really parts and aspects of Satanist masses and rituals.
The real purpose behind these rituals is to make contact with the Devil and learn his so-called teachings. In order to see just how important these devilish rites are in Satanism, a brief look at their own books and websites is more than sufficient. The common feature of these publications is the way they devote considerable space to gloomy subjects and insist on the importance of the black mass. In a well-known Satanist website, which carries various Satanist messages for the under-18s, these so-called masses are emphasized as being one of the fundamental elements of Satanism, and that young people who cannot attend group ceremonies should nevertheless hold such services on their own. The details of the services these young people are instructed to hold are then given:
Don't be disturbed or frightened or think you're crazy when you feel contacted by the Dark Ones… Approach the Dark Masters with the proper degree of respect and decorum—that's what rituals are for, to establish a relationship… You don't need everything mentioned in Dr. LaVey's books to do an effective ritual. Maybe you don't have the money to obtain, or the private space to store, items such as swords, chalices, black robes, gongs and elaborate altars. Here is a powerful ritual you can perform… Light the candle and set it before you… As you gaze at the flame, say in your mind or out loud, "I am ready, oh, Dark Lord. I feel your strength within me and wish to honor you in my life. I am one of the Devil's Own. Hail Satan!"… This is a simple way of conjuring Satan into your life. 37
One can recognize such perversion, immorality and savagery in any society that takes Satan as its guide. For Satanists, these things are inspired by the Devil himself, and must be adhered to. Satanists, who do adhere to them, fall into forms of sexual perversions, torture humans as well as animals, and even perform such disgusting things as the drinking of the blood of the creatures or people they kill. In many countries of the world, young people who describe themselves as Satanists hold drug-parties at which all kinds of immorality and perversion take place, and which frequently end in the killing of one of their number in the Devil's name.
The way Satanists attach such importance to the shedding of blood at their rituals is a small-scale example of the plan Satan has for mankind. Satan hates mankind, and wants to inflict as much suffering on it as possible. It is therefore his aim to fill the world with bloodshed. The ideologies of the Antichrist we discussed earlier, such as fascism, racism and communism, all serve his purpose. All the wars, massacres, killings, and acts of terrorism, linked to these and similar atheistic ideologies, are all "Satanic masses" aimed at satisfying the Devil's lust for blood.
Those who openly describe themselves as Satanists carry out the shedding of blood as an act of worship. Those who incite terror and anarchy in the world are actually performing the same rite, in a more secret but with far wider ramifications. In short, the Devil, and the system of the Antichrist established by him for the world are using those they have managed to take in and are trying to turn the world into a brutal battleground.
Satanism is an Ideology That Has Already Been Defeated
We need to bear in mind the Satanists' own views when considering the threat posed by it. When Satanists are asked how many of them there are, they claim to have large numbers of followers, because there are many people who actually live by the tenets of Satanism without being aware of the fact. In a way, that is actually the case. Many people, consciously or unconsciously, share the views of the Satanists. That is because, refusing to listen to the voice of one's conscience, or to live by proper morality, therefore following one's own desires, is the same as obeying the commands of the Devil. When one considers all the destruction caused by Satanists up to the present day, it is quite clear in what a terrible state a society consisting of such people is going to end up to be.
The claim that man is a species of animal, on which Satanism is founded, is utter nonsense. Mankind did not come into being as the result of blind chance. The Creator of mankind, and of the order and splendor of the entire universe, is the infinitely powerful, superior and All-Wise God, who has no weaknesses of any kind. He created man with the ability to think and reason, to distinguish between right and wrong, and also with a responsibility towards his Creator. Just as each individual's ego direct him towards evil, so his conscience protects him from it, and commands him to turn away from it. It is man's duty to listen to the voice of his conscience, not to his ego and adopt the kind of morality that is pleasing to God. That morality will not only allow the individual concerned, and the society in which he lives, to enjoy a peaceful and secure existence, but will also, by the will of God, lead to the sublimest reward in the hereafter.
One important fact that must not be lost sight of is that the life Satan offers, which he dresses up to appear so very attractive, is mere deception. Satan may make all kinds of promises about the possibilities of the life of this world, and may try to turn people away form the true path, yet, it must not be forgotten that the road he beckons man to follow will only lead to ultimate destruction for those who take it. That is because Satan and his followers have already been defeated. As God explains in a verse:
Deviant Sects Offer Other Forms of Violence
We have already discussed in earlier chapters the existence in a number of countries of the world, and especially the United States, of superstitious cults that adhere to deviant belief-systems, and how such groups engage in acts of terror. These mystical groups destroy the order of society, encourage nations towards violence, and lead to killings and even suicides. Some of the best-known of these are: David Koresh and his followers who committed mass suicide, the Heaven's Gate cult who did the same, and the Aum Shinrikyo cult who harmed hundreds of people by releasing poison gas into the Japanese underground transit system.
In addition to these, however, every day in America are attacks perpetrated by unknown groups as well as mass suicide. The worst mass suicide so far was that of "The People's Temple" cult.
Established at the end of the 1970s, under the leadership of Jim Jones, this cult lived isolated from the rest of the world in a forest area in Southern America. Following a number of complaints, in 1978, US Congressman Leo Ryan visited the Jonestown area on a fact-finding mission. As Ryan was leaving Jonestown, 18 temple members who wanted to leave the cult tried to accompany him, at which point violence erupted. Cult members opened fire on those who attempted to leave it. Congressman Ryan, three journalists, and one of the departing members were killed. Eleven people were injured. A few hours after that incident, the leader of the cult ordered their members to commit mass suicide by drinking potassium cyanide. Children died first; babies were killed by poison squirted into their mouths with a syringe. Then more than 900 people, children included, poisoned themselves.38
By the 1990s, however, the group that attracted the most attention through mass death was the cult of David Koresh. When security units wished to inspect a farm in Texas on February 28, 1993, cult members opened fire on them. A siege that would last 51 days then ensued. When one member of the security forces tried to get into the farm on the 51st day, smoke suddenly began rising. The security forces announced that David Koresh had set fire to the farm, and that booby traps installed in various parts of it had turned the place into an inferno, in which some 90 people burned to death.
Deviant cults again hit the headlines in 1997, when some 40 people wearing black T-shirts and sports-shoes committed mass suicide in the north of San Diego. Aged between 26 and 72, they had killed themselves out of a belief that the Hale-Bopp comet, which was then passing by the earth, would carry them to a higher level of evolution. This is how their ideas were expressed on their website:
The joy is that our Older Member in the Evolutionary Level above human has made it clear to us that Hale-Bopp's approach is the "marker" we've been waiting for. … Our 22 years of classroom here on planet Earth is finally coming to conclusion "graduation" from the Human Evolutionary Level. We are happily prepared to leave "this world" and go with Ti's crew. (Ti refers to Bonnie Lu Trusdale a cofounder of the cult who died of cancer in 1985) 39
These accounts may seem to have very little to do with the lives of most people who are reading this book. Yet, nobody should be deceived by that fact as we have only considered three examples in detail. A large number of deviant cults and organizations are influencing young people in many countries of the world. The fact that some people regard these movements as being far removed from themselves does not mean that they are not causing terrible harm to individuals and to society as a whole. On the contrary, they reveal the different forms the strife of the Antichrist can take and how widespread it actually is.
The Japanese Cult's Underground Attack
SThe harm that such cults cause for the lives and property of their members is by no means the only threat they pose. The deviant ideas and lifestyles promoted by these cults also damage the very fabric of society. From time to time, some of them organize attacks directly aimed at the civilian population. One recent example of this was the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, and its release of poison gas into a Tokyo metro station. The cult was also held responsible for a similar gas attack in Matsumoto near Tokyo, in which seven people died and 144 were injured.
According to the teachings of the leader of the cult, Shoko Asahara, a person can only cleanse his soul by killing. World domination is only possible by implementing the violence that he teaches his followers. Acts that normal people would regard as cold-blooded, are for the members of the cult true examples of morality.
The first target of the attacks, which began in 1994, were the judges who had filed charges against the cult and lived in accommodations provided by the Ministry of Justice . The first attack resulted in seven deaths. At the same time, the cult had begun the construction of a 70-ton capacity sarin gas production facility, on the orders of Asahara, who also instructed that 1,000 automatic rifles and a million bullets be manufactured. With the help of Russian experts hired by the cult, there were also efforts being made to construct a kind of nuclear weapon. Also within Asahara's sphere of activities were kidnappings and murder, especially of lawyers and public prosecutors opposed to the cult's activities.
The attack on the underground system resulted in a much more severe reaction against the cult. Thousands of commuters on their way to work were affected. Twelve people died and more than 5,000 received treatment in hospital, and the attack became a terrifying example of the threat such groups now pose to the public.
As we have seen from the above examples, any kind of immorality is to be expected from groups that develop their own beliefs far removed from the morality of religion. The members of such organizations are wholly capable of any kind of deviance, from drug abuse to theft, and from kidnapping to torture, though they often only end up in bringing an end to their own lives.
One must never forget that it should come as no surprise that people who do not believe in God, have no fear of Him, and refuse to recognize true morality, engage in such acts of violence. That is because, they do not believe they will have to account for their deeds, nor that they will receive their just due in the Hereafter. In addition, they would probably adopt entirely inappropriate or false beliefs on the subject of life after death, all in accordance with their desires. The only true path however, is that revealed by God to His servants. Anyone who knows of the religion of God, and lives by it, is moderate and well-balanced. Furthermore, in the Qur'an, God has commanded man to think and use his reason. It is thus impossible for true believers to get caught-up in any belief system without listening to their consciences and employing their powers of reasoning. The faithful act in accordance with the dictates of their conscience at every moment in their lives, and behave reasonably. That, in turn, protects them from all forms of immorality and perversion. True believers are those who stay firmly rooted on the path revealed by God. It is clear, however, that such cults and organizations have long since turned away from that path.
There is no question that the acts of violence and terror we have been considering are not the only manifestations of terror in the world today. Very many terrorist organizations in a great many countries have for many years been spreading fear, terror, as well as leading to the deaths of many innocent people. These include the IRA, which for many years has been a major thorn in the side of the government of Great Britain; ETA in the Basque region of Spain, ASALA, the Armenian terrorist organization which for many years attacked Turkish diplomats serving abroad, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Although they all have different ideological motives, all terrorist groups and people who support the use of violence, whether listed here or not, and whether they are aware of the fact or not, agree on one thing. That is, the rejection of religion. Whatever their ideology and world-view may be, the true reason why anyone turns to anarchy and violence is that they lack any beliefs and conscience to prevent them from doing so.
Conclusion
As we have stressed right through this book, it is peoples' refusal to listen to the voice of their consciences that turns them in the direction of violence and savagery. They totally ignore the fact that they are responsible to God and that they will have to account for all their actions in the hereafter. The most effective means of turning such people away from violence and terrorism, therefore, is in addressing the ignorance that directs them down that road in the first place. While most nations turn to law-enforcement agencies, and political and economic strategies when dealing with terrorism, none of these are sufficient to resolve the problem on their own. What really needs to be done is to destroy the ideological foundation of terrorism. That requires a war on the level of ideas against all ideologies that promote hatred and anger, and their replacement with the moral virtues taught by religion.
As we have seen throughout the course of this book, Darwinism is the principle foundation of such ideologies. The only reason why that theory, which has today lost all scientific credibility, and has been shown to be devoid of all reason and logic, is still being artificially kept alive, is an ideological attachment to it. When that foundation is eventually done away with, therefore, the ideologies built on it will necessarily collapse. For that reason, the war of ideas against Darwinism is essential for bringing peace and security to mankind.
One important strategy of that war consists of revealing the true source of the ideologies in question, together with all their errors and deceptions. Another important stage is explaining the morality of religion, which will bring with it true peace and security. Since most people today have little idea of what the true religion is, they fall under the influence of atheism. That is why explaining the true religion, and the presentation of the morality commanded by God to the entire world, is the duty of every person who knows and lives by it.
Today, in the world as a whole, the system of the Antichrist prevails, in other words, anarchy, strife and chaos are rife. Throughout history, God has destroyed a great many evil and corrupt communities. All societies and movements founded on cruelty and ruthlessness, which resort to violence and terrorism and oppress others, face the same inevitable end. All anarchists and terrorist are doomed to destruction. All nations that support anarchy and terror will be eliminated. Cruelty can never endure. This is how the end of a wrongdoing society is described in the Qur'an,
The Antichrist will also come to the same end. of that there is no doubt. Those who resort to violence and terrorism must therefore turn away from them for fear of suffering the same fate. God reveals that He will forgive those who repent for their sins and turn towards that which is good. God will not hold them responsible for actions they committed out of ignorance or because they did not know the morality of religion. God is merciful and compassionate. So those who promote anarchy and harm other people must not think that it is "too late to turn back." It is never too late to turn away from anarchy and terror. All they need do is to repent to God, with a sincere heart, and stop what they are doing. The following verse reveals how God promises to forgive those who commit evil out of ignorance and then seek forgiveness:
