Islamic Caliphate Crescent Moon Vision over the known Wo
rld 0f 1299!
Each Passing Month Sees a Better Armed and Trained Crescent Moon around Israel from Gaza�
��s Hamas to Southern Lebanon’s Hizbullah to Damascus
to Baghdad to Tehran.
August 30, 2007
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
If you take the time to examine the origin of the crescent moon and star, which appear on flags and other emblems of Islamic origin, you will find as many traditional teachings on it as Carter has liver pills. After having looked at numerous ideas and opinions of how it actually began, I am inclined to take the following account as the most likely to be valid.
The Origins of the Islamic Crescent and Star from:
http://www.gabn.net/hassan/crescent.htm
Begin Quote
“In 1299, conquering what is now Turkey, Sultan Osman had a vision of a crescent moon stretching over the world; it thus became a symbol of the Ottoman dynasty, and when Constantinople fell to Muhammad II in 1453, the crescent came to represent both Islam and the Turkish empire.
The star was added by Sultan Selim III in 1793 (its five points being established in 1844).”
End Quote
While I don’t believe Sultan Osman actually had such a vision, I do not doubt he said he did. Please don’t bother to send me the many accounts of the crescent moon and/or star symbol going back to the moon god worshipped by
the ancient Middle East civilizations, and how this all ties into the current Islamic system of worship. There are as many different accounts of how it ties in to Islamic worship as the number of fleas on a wild dog. While I am in complete disagreement with the teachings of Islam, and believe them to be a monstrous lie, I do know Muhammad caused many of the Middle East civilizations to stop worshipping idols, and the things of the creation such as the sun, moon, and stars.
I do not doubt the star and moon symbols will appear in the flag of the Caliphate of the Antichrist, with one tip of the actual crescent moon it represents in Morocco, and the other tip in India, while the star is over conquered Cairo.
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 50
January 11, 2002
At this point in time the Antichrist has driven south out of Syria to push Israel into the Negev wilderness from Beersheba southward, where she will remain trapped for some three and one-half years.
Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
In this Update we will continue the drive of antichrist across the southern tip of Gaza toward Egypt and her Suez Canal.
Daniel 11:42 – He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
The political, geophysical, and military positioning of Syria, Iran, and Iraq, from a prospective of having world influence, literally stinks. But the position of Egypt’s Suez Canal, and Cairo, her capital, is outstanding.
The antichrist is supposed to be a man of genius in all areas. That being the case, he would be worse than a military academy dropout were he not to take the Suez Canal, and then make Cairo his empire’s capital.
Daniel 11:43 – But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
The three most “precious things” in Egypt are: the Suez Canal, the Nile River and its Delta, and Cairo, the capital. He will conquer the Suez Canal zone and all of Egypt. So just what is Egypt? Many are inclined to establish it as the land bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the west by Libya, on the south by Sudan, on the southeast by the Red Sea, and on the northeast by its Sinai border with Gaza and Israel’s Negev. And, geographically, that is quite correct. However, in reality, that is not Egypt. The real Egypt, where her people live, is much, much, smaller. Egypt is the land along her north and east coastlines up to about two miles inland, the Nile Delta, and the land along the Nile River extending about fifteen miles either side of its banks.
The antichrist will send messages to leaders of two of the original 10 nations confederated with him, namely Libya and Sudan, requesting them to mass their troops along the northern coastal border with Libya, and along the border where the Nile enters Egypt from Sudan. This will cause the diversion of some Egyptian troops away from Cairo and the Suez Canal in order to protect their western and southern borders. And this will allow the antichrist to rapidly push across the Suez Canal into Cairo and along her western and eastern coastlines, then to quickly progress southward down the Nile with little resistance. I believe he will control Egypt within two weeks after he reaches the Suez Canal.
Once he has conquered Egypt, he will make an assessment of his geopolitical position. After having done so, he would be a military fool to return to his home country. He will establish his capital at Cairo, and will remain there for more than three years. After three years he will receive news that causes him to quickly return to Jerusalem. If a military leader plans to put down his roots for a while, what would be one of his major concerns
? The relationship he has with the rulers of the nations that are on his immediate borders. That is, how sure he is they will not pull a surprise attack on him.
So, through the prestigious position he has gained in the eyes of the Islamic world by this time, it will allow him to use the terrorist groups, already in Sudan and Libya, to overthrow their leaders, and in their place to install two
of his stooges, where they will remain in control for some three years. He will already have plucked up the ruler of Lebanon, and replaced him with a stooge.
For more than three years, with the Suez Canal under his control, he will gain worldwide recognition and acclaim in his capital city of Cairo. Israel will be trapped in the Negev for more than three years, and stability will finally have come to the troubled Middle East. He will supposedly have done what all nations say they are seeking, that is, brought stability to the Middle East.
Then tidings from the north and the east of Cairo cause him to return to the holy temple mount in Jerusalem, as a call to the final battle of this age is issued to all nations.
Daniel 11:44,45 – But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. [45] And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
End Archive Prophecy Update Number 50
Begin Jerusalem Post Article
Analysis: How strong has Hamas becom
e?
NICK FRANCONA, THE JERUSALEM POST
August 28, 2007
Hamas’s June victory over Fatah in Gaza was more than a political achievement – it was a military bonanza.
From its capture of Fatah’s security headquarters, Hamas acquired stockpiles of American-made small arms and ammunition as well as a wide range of military equipment and vehicles originally transferred to bolster Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
In addition, increased smuggling since June has reportedly provided Hamas with additional Russian-made weapons, including antitank and antiaircraft missiles.
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) estimates that 40 tons of explosives entered Gaza in the two months following Hamas’s takeover, along with 150 rocket-propelled grenade launchers in August alone. According to Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, it would have taken Hamas approximately one year – through smuggling or other means – to obtain the amount of weaponry seized during the Gaza takeover.
Hamas’s upgraded military capabilities will affect the durability of its control over Gaza, as well as Fatah’s prospects for challenging that control, Israel’s policy toward the territory, and future US security assistance to the PA.
A survey of its arsenal supports the Israeli assessment that Hamas has undergone a “generational change” over the past two years.
Small arms and antitank weapons
Hamas displayed captured American arms on various affiliated Web sites and on its own Al-Aksa television network. It claimed to have captured thousands of M-16 and Kalashnikov assault rifles, along with large supplies of ammunition and stockpiles of RPGs, some equipped with dual warheads designed to penetrate armor. The group also possesses at least one Russian-made Dushka heavy machine gun that fires large-caliber rounds and can be mounted on vehicles.
Although it is unclear whether Hamas acquired more advanced antitank missiles from Fatah or through smuggling, the group now reportedly has Sagger missiles that are more accurate and sophisticated than standard or upgraded rocket-propelled grenades.
The group also reportedly possesses Russian-made Konkors antitank weapons capable of piercing armor.
Antiaircraft missiles and rockets
Numerous sources, including Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, believe Hamas has acquired antiaircraft munitions, including Strela (SA-7) missiles. Although IAF jets are equipped with systems to counter missiles, they may pose a threat to IDF helicopters and older aircraft. At the same time, however, these more advanced weapons will require a more sophisticated level of training on Hamas’s part if they are to be effective.
Hamas has also significantly increased its rocket capability. Following Israel’s disengagement from Gaza two years ago, the group began to improve its Kassam rocket manufacturing capabilities.
Since the weapons’ introduction in 2001, their range has been expanded considerably from the original 2-3 kilometers. Hamas’s newest Kassam rocket has an estimated range of 17 kilometers, capable of hitting Ashkelon. With wider tubes, these rockets can also carry a greater payload of explosives.
In addition, Hamas has reportedly smuggled Katyusha rockets into Gaza. Both the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center and the Web site of Hamas’s Izzadin Kassam Brigades acknowledged – but did not specifically confirm – Israeli reports that Hamas has acquired at least 50 long-range Katyushas.
These rockets are more advanced than the homemade Kassams and are capable of striking targets up to 20 kilometers away. Hamas does not possess nearly as many of these rockets as Hizbullah, which launched up to 200 per day during its war with Israel last summer.
Since June, Hamas has largely refrained from rocket fire against Israel while it concentrates on governing Gaza. Islamic Jihad, however, continues to actively plan and execute attacks against Israel. According to Jane’s Defence Weekly, Islamic Jihad has surpassed Izzadin Kassam in rocket manufacturing and technology.
The al-Quds Brigades – Islamic Jihad’s military wing – recently unveiled its latest rocket, dubbed the Quds-4, with a reported range of 18-22 kilometers. Overall, Israel has reported 121 rocket attacks in the two months since Hamas’s takeover.
Captured Intelligence
Hamas claims to have obtained thousands of hard-copy files as well as computer records, photographs, and audiovisual recordings from the Fatah-run PA intelligence headquarters. Although most US intelligence officials doubt that any highly sensitive material was compromised during the Gaza takeover, one former official with experience in the Strip told The Wall Street Journal in July: “People are worried, and reasonably so, about what kind of intelligence losses we may have suffered.”
In the same article, Bruce Riedel, an intelligence veteran and former National Security Council aide to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, speculated that there would be “quite a treasure trove of materials that would document the relationship with the CIA.”
In Gaza, Hamas’s former foreign minister Mahmoud Zahar told Newsweek the seized documents revealed global collaboration between Palestinian and US intelligence operatives.
Zahar and other Hamas leaders are using the papers as part of an ongoing public relations effort portraying their Fatah rivals as collaborators with Israel and the West.
Dichter and other Israeli officials believe Hamas has obtained eavesdropping equipment and other signals intelligence technology. This is a concern because Hamas could use such equipment to counter future efforts to monitor the group.
Hamas’s military organization
Hamas is in the process of reorganizing its fighters into a more cohesive force. IDF officials say the group has approximately 13,000 armed members divided into four brigades. Hamas was apparently inspired by Hizbullah’s war with Israel last summer and appears to be modeling its forces after the Lebanese Shi’ite militia. Israeli sources suggest that these changes are designed to help Hamas wage guerrilla warfare in the event of an Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, with a focus on maximizing casualties among IDF forces and nearby Israeli population centers.
Hamas’s Executive Force, the security unit established after group members were barred from integrating into the PA security apparatus, now numbers 6,000. Although its principal mission is to police Gaza, the force is also suspected of bolstering the Murabitun, Hamas’s large popular army. Overall, Hamas is developing a diversified force capable of controlling domestic challenges and enhancing its capabilities against Israel.
Since Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza – and especially since Hamas’s more recent victory over Fatah – Hamas has significantly enhanced its military capabilities across a range of areas. This is likely to protect the group from domestic challenges for the foreseeable future as well as provide it with more options, both offensive and defensive, in the event of a confrontation with Israel.
However effective the economic and financial blockade against Hamas may be, there is no sign that such efforts have dented the group’s control over Gaza or slowed the pace of its military development.
For now, Israel has opted not to initiate large-scale military operations in Gaza, wary of the casualties that would result. With last summer’s war fresh in the public’s mind, however, pressure could mount for Israel to act against Hamas before the group grows strong enough to replicate Hizbullah’s performance. Under current conditions, a high-casualty incident – for example, a successful rocket strike on an Israeli target beyond Sderot – would likely provoke a harsh response.
Nick Francona is a research intern at The Washington Institute.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.
You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.