Good Example Of Essay On How The Islamic End Of The World Myth Could Be Seen As An Example Of Propaganda

A lot of myths describe judgment, and the good and evil. These apocalyptic tales harbor on morality tales as one sees them describing how one is right and good and will deservingly go to paradise, while those who are not righteous will suffer or be punished in hell. The Myths described in Parallel Myths by J.F. Bierlein border on morality in a big way and in doing so, present some extremely frightening possibilities. Maybe not violent in the sense like widespread bloodshed, but definitely something that is disastrous. Myths perhaps have a purpose in that they shape a person’s understanding of the world they live in, and more importantly, play a key role in how societies shaped themselves and interacted with their fellow man. “These universal mythic patterns were the ‘molds’ from which myth came, and the specific cultures 'poured' their own elements into these molds” was how Bierlein (277) commented in the book.
The myth tries to persuade the reader to go back to believing in the almighty and refrain from making the mistake of ignoring him for personal gains. This will only bring harm and cause widespread catastrophe which could wipe out the whole of mankind. There is hope for the righteous and condemnation for the wicked. Those who share both these qualities should ask for forgiveness so that their souls go to heaven.
The myth is quite frightening to say the least as certain events that are mentioned in the myth did occur in places like Iraq; Iraq will be the domain of murderous bandits. The growth of factional groups within Iraq and the alarming spread of the Al-Qaeda, a terrorist group slowly expanding their operations in Iraq after the liberation of Iraq by the U.N-backed invasion, cast serious concerns about the future of mankind. However, there is a feeling that the myth of the Islamic end of the world Myth can be seen as an example of propaganda; “At the end of his reign, Jesus will go to Jerusalem and pray at the Mosque of the Dome of the Rock,” (244) seems to suggest that Islam is the way to heaven, and that Jesus too, would have to seek the help of the Muslims to go to heaven.
The images that come to mind when the Islamic end of the world Myth is read is one of extreme violence. Statements like, “There will be earthquakes like none ever seen before, lethal thunderstorms that will strike Turkey and Iran, and the peoples of Far East will be wiped out through a succession of floods,” (243) can be extremely uneasy even for the most strong-hearted.
The book has quite a few statements that reveal elements that seem to persuade the reader. Each religion is represented in such a way that it creates impressions of their own as the true religion of the world. Christianity obviously has the lion’s share of the representation, but the chapter that talks about Islam and The Hadith in particular, does have its share of representations that make the book look like a propaganda written to influence the reader. By covering the regions of West and East Asia, the focus is definitely on Islamic nations and Muslims in particular. Expressions like, “God will send Jesus from heaven on a white horse, and the remnants of faithful believers will form a powerful army of God (Allah?) to assist Jesus in the defeat of Dajjal,” clearly shows the propaganda of Muslims to show their religious faith as the ultimate. The statement explicitly says that Jesus himself, would not be able to kill Dajjal, and it is only with the help of the faithful believers (of Islam), that Jesus would be able to overcome Dajjal.