For false Christs and false prophets will appear...
Mark 13:22
Watch out for false prophets.
They come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Matthew 7:15
Recently, I came upon a Syrian video that truly surprised me. Over the past few decades we have all watched news footage in which Muslims proclaim, "There is no God but Allah." For 23 million Syrians, however, there may be another god muscling in on Allah's turf. It appears that Bashar al Assad, Syria's President, now claims that title.
The video begins with a variety of Syrian men praising and adoring their new deity. Viewers might laugh at such a ridiculous display of "brown-nosing" the boss, but then the video turns more ominous.
A soldier has been caught, apparently after trying to desert. (This video is from last September.) His arms are tied and he is roughed up by repeated slaps to the face. Then an officer repeatedly demands that the man say, "There is not god but Bashar al Assad ... There is no god but Maher al Assad..." (Bashar's brother and the Commander of the Republican Guard).
Syria's population is 74% Sunni Muslim and 16% other Muslim groups. Surely, this video must disgust many of them as well as other devout Muslims, around the world, who are sincere when they profess that "there is no God but Allah."
Iran protects Syria. Watching this video, I suspect that many Iranians are beginning to wonder why.
CAUTION: The video is mildly violent but, worse still, the man reportedly was murdered off camera after the video stopped.
2/28/12 UPDATE: Syrian Christians request prayers. Amazingly, according to this report, they are requesting prayers that Assad NOT be overthrown. They fear that their plight will "dramatically worsen" if he loses power. Is this another bogus media report planted by a dictator? Hard to tell.
