Rajab 27
Saturday, August 12th, 2006On 24th July this year, the President of the Reform Party of Syria, Farid Ghadry, responded (The Media Line: “Understand the Importance of Laylat al-Sira’a wa al-Miira’aj“) to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s last pronouncement on the subject of anti-nuclear incentives offered by the US.
Ahmadinejad had set the date of his response to the incentives as 22nd August (Rajab 27 in the Mulsim calendar). Knowing Ahmadinejad’s personal history of vitriolic anti-Israel rhetoric (Guardian), knowing his probable involvement with Hojjatieh (Asia Times) (a group that believes the return of the “Twelfth Imam” can be encouraged by actively bringing about the phophesized “chaos” that will precede his return), knowing that he may view himself as the Imam’s “deputy” (Ashbrook Center), and knowing the meaning of Rajab 27, Farid Ghadry argued that setting the date of reply as 22nd August amounted to a threat of the nuclear annihilation of Israel. This is because Rajab 27 is the traditional date for when Mohammed took his infamous and disputed supernatural night flight to Heaven via the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, “while a great light lit-up the night sky”.
