Conference held at Imam Khoei Islamic Centre: “Eschatology in the 21st century: interfaith and comparative perspectives”

SHAFAQNA – Global Vision 2000 the independent UK Islamic think tank held a special one day conference on, “ Eschatology in the 21st century: interfaith and

comparative perspectives” at the Imam Khoei Islamic centre in London.

In terms of its work on moving towards the Universal paradigm shift leading
British Shia, Sunni, Christian and secular scholars, theologians, academics and
political activists presented their research on various aspects of eschatology.

The event enabled perspectives from the disciplines of theology, history, political economy, geopolitics, peace, interfaith and future studies to be articulated publicly for the first time.

These included Dr.Yaqub Zaki, Shaikh Dr. Ramzy, Clive Menzies,Tony Gosling, Ayatollah Milani, Daud Pidcock, Reverend Nadim Nassar and Dr.Simon Mouatt.

In this conference Ayatollah Milani spoke about “The End of Time, Prosperity or Destruction?”

In his paper Ayatollah Milani differentiated between two stages: Before emergence of Al Mahdi a.s and after that significant event.

As for the period before the appearance of al Mahdi a.s. the following signs have been mentioned:

1. Wars/destruction/huge number of people will perish as a result of war. Some ahadith mention that two third will perish and one third will survive
2. White death and red death. The first one refers to contagious disease spreading rapidly, in the past it was mainly plague, now a days many other diseases are known. Red death refers to bloodshed
3. The approach of black flags from the East. In the past it was interpreted for Abbasid density and nowadays ISIS try to interpret it in their favor
4. Dissipation of established moral convictions.
5. Logic and wisdom being suppressed by whims and desires.

As for the period after the appearance of Imam Mahdi a.s. Ayatollah Milani mentioned the following:

1. World will witness justice in every aspect of life.
2. Whims and desires will be controlled by wisdom and divine guidance
3. Enhancement of intellectual abilities
4. No poverty seen anywhere
5. Disappearance of clash of interests. Harmony and peaceful co-existence will govern
6. Emergence of Imam Mahdi will coincide with the descent of Jesus.

The framework to explore eschatology in the 21st century was approached
from an interdisciplinary, interfaith and comparative basis which lays the foundations for further research, study, contemplation and action. 

Moeen Yaseen the Managing Director of Global Vision 2000 stated that “
eschatology is a science and we can only see the contemporary world from eschatological perspective”.