MAHDI

Mahdi: translation

   In messianic or folk Islam, the Mahdi is a divinely guided, messiah-like leader expected to appear sometime before the end of the world to restore true Islamic order. Although the entire concept of a Mahdi is rather vague, such a figure would usually be associated with a revolutionary movement. During the past century a number of revolts in Kurdistan have occurred around some figure considered by his followers to be the Mahdi. Sheikh Abdul Salam I of Barzan and Muhammad Barzani in the 19th century were proclaimed Mahdi by some of their followers. More recently Sheikh Ahmad Barzani was considered by some of his followers as semi-divine. The rebellion of Sheikh Said of Palu in 1925 in Turkey had some aspects of Mahdism. Some conservative religious leaders in Turkey saw Mustafa Kemal Ataturk as the Daijal, or Fiend whose coming was to precede that of the Mahdi.