Has the Islamic State set its sights on the Vatican?

Storm crowds looming for Rome. Photo The Vatican: Nathan O'Nions/Foter/CC BY-NC

Storm clouds looming for Rome. Photo The Vatican: Nathan O’Nions/Foter/CC BY-NC

[by Dean Smith] For now I will call it a coincidence, but this past Wednesday, Israel announced the finding of a huge cache of gold coins by amateur divers off the coast of Caesarea.

At first they thought the coins were fake because they were in such good condition. But the divers turned them over to a specialist for examination who discovered these were actually gold coins dated to the 10th and 11th century.

But here is where it gets interesting, the coins were part of a Muslim caliphate that ruled North Africa during the tenth century. A caliphate is an Islamic state ruled by a political/religious leader called a caliph with either spiritual or hereditary connections to the prophet Muhammad. A Caliph’s power is absolute and the state is under Sharia law.

It’s coincidental as the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) is today attempting to set up a Caliphate in basically the same area. It controls parts of Syria and Iraq and the recent beheading of 21 Christians in Libya reveals IS is now making inroads in that country as well.

In the video of the beheadings, that took place on the shore of the Mediterranean, one of the IS rebels using a bloodied finger pointed across the sea towards Italy, only 495 kms away, stating “We will conquer Rome.”

Why the interest in Italy?

Similar to Christianity, Muslims have a messiah, an imam they call Mahdi. His arrival will mark the setting up of an Islamic state on earth.

However, some believe his return will only occur once Muslims control Istanbul, Turkey, Jerusalem and Rome. Turkey is under Muslim control and Jerusalem though part of Israel is 55% Muslim. Rome of course is headquarters of the Roman Catholic church.

It is becoming apparent from recent rhetoric that IS have their eyes on Rome as a possible target.

This past fall on the cover of an Islamic propaganda magazine, the Dabiq, there was a picture of the Vatican with a Black IS flag photo shopped on top of an Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter’s square.

In the article titled “The Failed Crusade,” Muslim spokesman Mohammed al-Adnani said:

“We will conquer your Rome, break your crosses, and enslave your women, by the permission of Allah, the Exalted. If we do not reach that time, then our children and grandchildren will reach it, and they will sell your sons as slaves at the slave market. Every Muslim should get out of his house, find a crusader and kill him .. And the Islamic state will remain until its banner flies over Rome.”

Attacks to be launched from Libya

Now the Daily Telegraph is reporting an Islamic State writer and recruiter say IS will use Libya as a base for its attack on Rome. The documents, reported by an anti-terrorist group Quilliam, were written by a man who goes by the alias Abu Arhim al-Libim. He says IS will launch its attack through boats being used by refugees fleeing the turmoil in Libya, Syria and Iraq.

Last year, Italy reported 170,000 refugees landed on its coast and expects another 200,000 this year. There are concerns what is today boat loads of refugees will very soon become boats filled with terrorists. Libim also says IS will use these boats to attack ships sailing the Mediterranean.

According to reports, IS has captured huge supplies of weapons and ammunition previously supplied to Libya’s former Gadhafi regime by Britain.

Though experts are uncertain of the legitimacy of Libim’s claims, his Twitter account from which he broadcasts his propaganda has been shut down many times. But he quickly pops up with a new name and thousands of instantaneous supporters suggesting deep extremist connections.

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