Ma’an News

Rafah – Ma’an – 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.

Mahdi is mentioned in the Qu’ran and heralds the Day of Resurrection.

When I worked on an inpatient psychiatric unit we had Jesus’ pretty regularly. One time we had a black Jesus, a white Jesus, John the Baptist and a guy who claimed he was the reincarnation of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the unit all at the same time. We wondered about what would happen if they all discovered the identities of the others. That never happened, of course. They were all in their own worlds. Even if they had got to talking, they would have all been sure that the others were delusional.

They tended to get better with Haldol. That was back when Haldol cured a lot of things. I saw it take a frog out of a man’s leg one time - that’s a story all by itself. It has to do with witchdoctors and voodoo. I’ll tell you sometime if you are interested. I’m sure there are newer medication that take delusions away these days, but that’s what was used back then.

I wonder if Hamas shooting this guy cured his paranoid delusions better than a few doses of Haldol would have ….

The Religion of Peace!

tiara tip to MVRWC