Iranian Shi`i eschatology is finding fertile ground in, of all places, sub-Saharan Sunni West Africa:

Sierra Leone: Muslims Await Messiah

The Independent (Freetown)

30 August 2007

At the Iranian Cultural Consulate in Freetown which is a centre of Muslim activities, the Chief Imam of the Freetown Central mosque Sheik Ahmad Tejan Sillah said the Holy prophet Muhammad had prophesied on the coming of Imam Mahdi. He said the appearance of the Messiah requires Muslim s to prepare , to have faith and believe in the Messiahood. He elaborated on the concept of justice. "Do unto others what you want them to do unto you" he said, adding that with justice Muslims would be prepared to receive the Messiah when he appeared.

The Chancellor of the Iranian Cultural Consulate Mohamed Reza Gezel Sofla said Imam Mahdi, the Messiah was from prophet Muhammad's progeny. According to him, the appearance of the Messiah is not a matter of sect but has universality..

Mr. Sofla underscored that the Mahdi's appearance is contained in several verses of the Holy Quran. "Imam Mahdi will keep society alive" ,he said Sheikh Alimamy Manasaray of the International Islamic Institute in Freetown said, "The Messiah is a hope for mankind". He dilated on what he called "positive waiting" which he said should be accompanied with preparations for the coming and urged Muslims to show such manifestations. He said, "Preparation requires acquisition of knowledge" (on Islam and Messiahood)....
[http://allafrica.com/stories/200708310769.html]

Observations:
1) Heretofore I had thought that Iranian self-aggrandizement was limited within Africa to the Maghrib (the northwest of the continent); however, this demonstrates the ayatollahs have their agents south of the Sahara, as well.  Will AFRICOM work to counter this, once it's stood up?
2) The resonance that Twelver Shi`i eschatology seems to have in Sunni West Africa is probably due to the prevalence of Sufi orders there.  Sufis are the mystics of Islam and constitute a movement that has often been, throughout Islamic history, truly ecumenical and no respecter of the Sunni-Shi`i divide.  Also, Sufis--particularly in West and North Africa--have been, historically, quite receptive to esoteric ideas espoused by charismatic religious leaders.  Thus, those parts of Africa may very well prove fertile soil for Shi`i-style Mahdism.  (Sierra Leone is 60% Muslim.)
3) The last time I checked, "do unto others what you want them to do unto you" had been uttered by the founder of Christianity and was not a staple in Islamic thought.  But even there, Sufi and Shi`i Islam both tend to venerate Jesus much more than does the Sunni branch.  So perhaps we see an example of Muslim-Christian syncretism here.
4) The Iranian officials are yet again repeating the party line about belief in the Mahdi being universal, not simply a shibboleth of sectarian Shi`ism.  This is part and parcel of the policy of the Islamic Republic, going back to Khomeini's time, which aims at uniting the Islamic world under Tehran's (or perhaps we should say Qom's) leadership.
5) Despite the Iranian claims, the Mahdi is mentioned explicity nowhere in the Qur'an. Belief in, and doctrines about, him originate rather in the Hadiths (both Sunni and Shi`i), or "sayings" allegedly going back to Muhammad.

I'm not sure whether the Mahdi will still allow us to listen to John, Paul, George and Ringo when he comes, but maybe after 1138 years of solitude he'll find the Beatles refreshing.  What? You didn't know that the Hidden Imam's birthday was upon us? According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting agency (http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=243196&n=2) the time is ripe for him to come and get about Allah's business:
The Imam (AS) will appear at the Ka'aba in Mecca as "Mahdi", generate a global revolution as the "Qa'em", make Kufa in Iraq his seat of world government of justice, and march upon Beit ul Moqaddas to lead the prayers with the exalted messenger Jesus Christ (AS) as his deputy.
He will put an end to injustice and exploitation and humanity will know real peace and order.
al-Qa'im in Arabic means "upright, existing, steadfast."  "Beit ul Moqaddas" means "Holy Land" and refers to Palestine/Israel in general and to Jerusalem in particular.  Note that the Unhidden Imam, as Mahdi (a representation of whom can be found at the bottom of the first page of this site) will travel afar from Mecca in Saudi Arabia, to Kufa, Iraq--which will be the seat of his global caliphate, as I have pointed out several times--and then he'll conquer Jerusalem, where he'll pray in front of the returned Muslim prophet Jesus. 
And we'll all live happily ever after.  Or at least that's what Ahmadinezhad, the ayatollahs, Muqtada al-Sadr, Hassan Nasrallah and millions of other Shi`is--as well as a growing number of Sunnis--think.

Last week, on three consecutive nights, CNN ran the Christiane Amanpour-hosted "God's Warriors," purporting to analyze the intolerant and violent strains within the three monotheistic faiths. As with much of what CNN produces and airs, it was a frustrating mix of good and bad.  My critique of the final two nights is on the History News Network under the title "Was CNN's 'God's Warriors' Fair?": http://hnn.us/articles/42197.html

The summary version of the latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq was made available last week.  Here are what I consider to be its most important points:
"Iraq's sectarian groups remain unreconciled; AQI [al-Qa`idah in Iraq] retains the ability to conduct high-profile attacks; and to date, Iraqi political leaders remain unable to govern effectively." Although "Iraq's security will continue to improve modestly during the next six to 12 months...levels of insurgent and sectarian violence will remain high...." The main problems are as follows: "Shia insecurity about retaining political dominance, widespread Sunni unwillingness to accept a diminished political status, factional rivalries within the sectarian communities...and the actions of extremists such as AQI and...the Sadrist Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) militia...." "Tehran...will continue to provide funding, weaponry, and training to Iraqi Shia militants....particularly the JAM."
And this: "[I]ntra-Shia violence in southern Iraq is very different from patterns of violence elsewhere."
This report has two enormous gaps:
1) On the tactical level, it says nothing about the numerous reports of Lebanese Shi`i Hizb Allah (Hizbullah) training members of Jaysh al-Mahdi how to kill Americans and Iraqis.  This is a separate issue from what Iran is doing in Iraq, despite the close relations between the Islamic Republic and its co-religionist Arab allies. 
2) Even more importantly, on the strategic level it totally fails to take note of the eschatological irredentist claims on southern Iraq that Iran has been making recently; a number of influential ayatollahs, as well as--of course--Ahmadinezhad, are convinced that when the Hidden Imam emerges as the Mahdi, he will eventually need Kufa and environs as the seat of his regional (and eventually global) caliphate.  You would think this strong, and openly expressed, belief might be worth factoring into the geopolitical equation--for it portends that Iran is no respecter of recognized international boundaries, especially where the Mahdi might be concerned.

FINALLY the Bush Administration is taking Mahdism seriously!   According to the the Iranian Farda News Agency, by way of the blogger Kamangir, President Bush has formed a study group, consisting of senior American Muslim clerics, to advise him on this important Islamic belief. 
Here is Kamangir's post:
“Bush in the Pursuit of the Islamic Messiah”

Posted by Kamangir on August 15th, 2007

In previous posts and articles I've commented on the expansion of Iranian influence into North Africa--to date, most notably, into Libya and Morocco.  Algeria can now be added to the list:

IRI, Algeria after global peace
8/8/07
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said...that the two nations of Iran and Algeria are after expansion of
peace and security based on justice worldwide.  Ahmadinejad told reporters that Iran and Algeria share
common stances on regional and international issues, and are set to expand their political relations [emphasis added].  He made the remarks after signing four memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in Algiers.... (http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=242053&n=35)

Algeria is less than 1% Shi`i but, like its neighbors Morocco and Tunisia has, historically, been home to powerful Shi`i-tinged Islamic movements, some of which have even tipped over into Mahdist ones.  My suspicion is that the ayatollahs, who know their Islamic history quite well, are fully aware of this and have factored that into their clear geopolitical decision to make inroads into the Maghrib.  

Having a website on the Mahdi means (among other things) getting emails from folks of all religious (and political) persuasions--including Muslims.  Recently I received one from a Muslim, who told me the following regarding the Mahdi:

"Based on the signs and the research thru books and the net ... it is not that we are waiting for him, but rather he is waiting for us.
 Also...Ahmedi Najat is trying to create or accelerate the events so that he appears, but in the end it will be God's decision.... 
My personal belief is it will be between Ramadan 2008 - Ramadan 2012 in Makkah, but...we heard that a man did appear in Haj of 2006 called for the coming of the Imam and was beaten by the Saudi forces...[and] ran away to Medinah, followed by the death of hundreds in Mena at the Jamarat. 
I feel sad that the only people to support the Imam will be ONLY over 300 out of over 2 million in Ramadan, but with the will of God to increase to 10,000.... 
The Imam will only appear once it is clear to many that our true enemy is not USA or Israel but our corrupt governments as was Quraish.... 
I urge the true believers of the Imam to...go to Makkah during the last 10 days of Ramadan between 2008 -2012 to be among the 300 or 10,000."
 
Observations:
1) This interlocutor is most likely Shi`i but nonetheless expects Imam Mahdi to appear in Saudi Arabia (Makkah=Mecca), not in Karbala or Qom--thus contradicting official pronouncements by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
2) He agrees with the oft-repeated analysis that Ahmadinezhad is trying to hasten the Mahdi's arrival by not only talking him up but possibly taking action to force the Mahdi's hand, as it were--most notably acquiring nuclear weapons and perhaps using them, most likely against Israel. Reuven Paz calls this "hot-wiring the apocalypse" and, while I am not convinced by it, it is a viable view.
3) This is the first account I've seen of any Mahdist invocations at the Hajj last year, but it would be expected that the Saudis would keep such a potentially-disruptive  claim quiet (as well as that they would beat the chap), for remember that in 1979 Juhayman al-Utaybi attempted to overthrow the KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] government in the name of the Mahdi.
4) My interlocutor believes that the danger of the "near enemy"--corrupt Muslim governments--outweighs that of the "far enemy"--the U.S.--and, it seems, even the "intermediate enemy"--Israel.  Of course, once Imam Mahdi arrives, after he consolidates his power throughout the Muslim Middle East he will eventually move on to conquering the entire planet in the name of Islam.
5) This fellow calls for action, urging believers in the Mahdi to go on Hajj between 2008 and 2012.  Although this call is nonviolent, it is definitely not quietist. 
6) The Mayan calendar calls for the end of the world in 2012.  Coincidence?

Yet another Mahdi claim has surfaced, this time among the predominantly-Sunni Kurds, according to "Newsmax":

An Iranian Kurdish group whose fighters have clashed frequently with government forces in Iran has sent its top leader to Washington, D.C., to seek assistance from the United States government.

Rahman Haj Ahmadi, president of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told NewsMax in an exclusive interview that he hoped to meet with senior administration officials to discuss the situation inside Iran and how the U.S. could help the opposition....

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he is waiting for the badieh zaman," the legendary 12th imam of Shia Islam whose return brings justice to the world.

"We also believe in the badieh zaman," he chuckled. "For us, he is George W. Bush"
(http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/8/2/205735.shtml?s=lh).
This should make the recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton Commission--the Iraq Study Group, that is--rather easy to implement, since President Bush in his newly-minted Muslim messianic role should be able to issue commands to Ahmadinezhad and the ayatollahs in Allah's name now. 
It's an open question whether Mr. Bush will be  able to retain his membership in the Methodist Church, however. 

Two overt Mahdist claims have been made this year: the violent one in southern Iraq in January, and the pacific one in India more recently (both of which I've dealt with in previous posts).  Now, according to the Dhaka "Daily Star," just this week in Bangladesh a man claiming to be the Mahdi's top military commander was arrested:

So-called military chief of Imam Mahdi held
Staff Correspondent

Police detained a man, who claimed himself as the military chief of Imam Mahdi, raiding his rented house at Ganderia in the capital's Sutrapur after midnight last night.

His nine followers were also arrested during the raid.

Sutrapur police said they recovered a huge quantity of books written on Imam Mahdi, the spiritual leader who, according to Muslims, will be sent by Allah to bring back justice and fairness,

The so-called military chief of Imam Mahdi was identified as Luthfor Rahman Faruq, 55. Identity of the other detainees could not be known immediately.

"We have detained Faruq and his associates as they were giving anti Islamic statements for the last two years" Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Sutrapur Police Station, told The Daily Star.

The OC said Faruq admitted that he has more than 300 disciples (http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/08/04/d70804012316.htm).


Observations:
1) Bangladesh is overwhemingly Sunni, yet it is home to a nascent Mahdist movement--one looking for someone to follow as Mahdi (paging Usama....).  Once again, the conventional wisdom that Islamic messianism is only operative in Shi`i areas is proved wrong.
2) Books on Mahdism are popular and dangerous and having an effect (no doubt the same is also true of Mahdist websites) on the popular imagination.  (And I should add that despite the huge quantity of such books in my study, I've managed to avoid their siren call--so far, at any rate.)
3) History indicates that previous Mahdist movements have tended to erupt in two parts of the Muslim world: the Maghrib (North Africa) and the Indian subcontinent.  This near-Mahdist movement fits the pattern of the latter.
4) Note that the government authorities are delegitimizing this group by accusing them of making "anti Islamic statements"--as if the Mahdi were not an orthodox belief in Sunni Islam! More interestingly, this fits the historical pattern of previous counter-Mahdist agendas established by the likes of the Saudis (v. the 1979 al-Utaybi uprising), the Ottomans (v. the 1881 Muhammad Ahmad rebellion), and others (outlined in my book).
Strategically, this is yet more ammunition for my argument that a substantial--yet vociferous--minority in the Islamic world, Sunni as well as Shi`i, yearns for someone to proclaim himself Mahdi.