Free The Tehran Initiative by Joel C. Rosenberg Page B

had taught him that one day, Muhammad Ibn Hasan Ibn Ali—aka the Promised One, the Mahdi, the Lord of the Age, the Twelfth Imam—would return from hiding or “occultation,” bring Jesus as his deputy, force all Jews and Christians and other infidels to convert or perish, destroy the leaders of enemy nations, and then reestablish the Islamic Caliphate once and for all. Seven decades later, he could still remember word for word a passage from one of his grandfather’s books on Shia eschatology that his father had required him to memorize. The words were seared into his psyche forever, and as he watched a montage of video clips, they began to tumble involuntarily from his lips.
    “‘He will appear as a handsome young man, clad in neat clothes and exuding the fragrance of paradise. His face will glow with love and kindness for the human beings. He has a radiant forehead, piercing black eyes, and a broad chest. He very much resembles his ancestor, the prophet Muhammad. Heavenly light and justice accompany him. He will overcome enemies and oppressors with the help of God, and as per the promise of the Almighty, the Mahdi will eradicate all corruption and injustice from the face of the earth and establish the global government of peace, justice, and equity.’”
    How poor even the blessed Farsi language was at painting the portrait of the man who had come to save them, Hosseini thought.
    With an estimated fourteen million faithful breathlessly awaiting his first formal public appearance, the Twelfth Imam had emerged from the shadows and taken center stage. He appeared significantly younger and strikingly more good looking than Hosseini had imagined growing up. But there was no question it was him, and what a contrast to Hosseini’s old nemesis, Abdullah Mohammad Jeddawi. The Sunni Saudi king looked positively ancient as he bowed in his standard white robes before the Shia messiah. What’s more, the man looked ashen, his face gaunt, his hands trembling. Hosseini couldn’t remember a single word Jeddawi had uttered in his brief and pathetic introduction, but he hadn’t forgotten a single syllable of the Mahdi’s brief and powerful message—nor would he.
    “It is time,” the Twelfth Imam had said with a strong, booming voice that instantly seemed to command both reverence and respect. “The age of arrogance and corruption and greed is over. A new age of justice and peace and brotherhood has come. It is time for Islam to unite.”
    The crowd in Mecca had erupted with an intensity Hosseini had never witnessed in any public event, not even the Friday sermons delivered by his own mentor and guide when the Islamic Revolution had first begun in 1979.
    “No longer do Muslims have the luxury of petty infighting and division. Sunnis and Shias must come together,” the Mahdi had continued. “It is time to create one Islamic people, one Islamic nation, one Islamic government. It is time to show the world that Islam is ready to rule. We will not be confined to geographical borders, ethnic groups, and nations. Ours is a universal message that will lead the world to the unity and peace the nations have thus far found elusive.”
    Men were spellbound. Women wept. And Hosseini felt a pang of regret that he had not insisted upon being there to experience this historic, transformative event in person.
    “Cynics and skeptics abound. But to them I say, it is time. Time for you to open your eyes and open your ears and open your hearts. It is time for you to see and hear and understand the power of Islam, the glory of Islam. And today, let this process of education begin. I have come to usher in a new kingdom, and today I announce to you that the governments of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf States are joining together as one nation. This will form the core of the Caliphate. My agents are in peaceful, respectful discussions with all the other governments of the region, and in short order we will be announcing our expansion. To those