Israellycool

The Perils of Being a Messiah

Aussie Dave

If you live in the Hamas controlled territories, it’s probably not a wise idea to reveal yourself as the Muslim messiah.

The Palestinian police force in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, formerly Hamas’ Executive Force, on Tuesday opened fire at a local resident who claimed he was the prophesised redeemer of Islam ‘Mahdi’.

The self-professed Mahdi went to a Hamas-affiliated Imam in Rafah to state his claims, stressing that people follow his divine direction.

According to eyewitnesses, an enraged Imam contacted the police.

The man was arrested and ordered to revoke his claims. When he refused, the police shot at his feet, before releasing him.

Notice the absurdity of the situation: man claims he is the messiah and the police “open fire” at him. I wonder what Hamas fan Jimmy Carter - never shy to accuse Israel of disproportionate force - would say.

Update: Who else thought of this when they read the story?

An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.