Iraq jails cult leader who claimed to be Angel Gabriel and followers
Iraq jails cult leader who claimed to be Angel Gabriel and followers
A cult leader and 52 of his followers who tried to attract followers through messianic claims propogated on social media have been sentenced in Iraq
2 min read
Najaf is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam [Getty]
An Iraqi court has sentenced a man who claimed to be the Angel Gabriel and promoted cult ideas online to two years in prison.
The Karkh court in Baghdad also sentenced 52 of his followers to one year each.
According to the judge who issued the ruling, the man had attracted young people to join his group by issuing statements, making speeches, and publishing books including one called "Lights on the Mahdi's Way."
The man created social media accounts to convince people of his beliefs, and reportedly attracted many followers by claiming he was the Angel Gabriel, tasked by God with announcing the coming of the Mahdi.
In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Gabriel is believed to be an archangel with the power to announce God’s will to men, and the Mahdi is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology, especially revered by Shia Muslims.
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The man – whose name and age were not given – travelled to the city of Najaf in Iraq, an important site for Shia Muslims, where he rented a hotel room to prepare to announce the coming of the Mahdi.
He reportedly took advantage of the large number of worshippers in Najaf for Laylat al-Qadr, considered to be the most important night in Ramadan, to make the announcement via a Facebook live broadcast.
Instead, Iraqi security forces showed up at his hotel and arrested him.
He was sentenced on charges of religious sedition and disturbing communal security and Iraqi police said they were pursuing other suspected group members in Dhi Qar governorate.
In Muslim-majority Iraq, a de facto blasphemy law criminalises "insults" to religious sects, their practices and their beliefs with up to three years in prison, and sometimes a fine.
Over the course of modern and medieval Islamic history, many people have claimed to be Gabriel or the Mahdi in several countries around the world.
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