ESKATOLOJİNİN JEOPOLİTİK BOYUTLARI: MİT VE DİN İKİLİSİYLE ABD, İSRAİL VE İRAN ÜÇLÜSÜ
THE GEOPOLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF ESCHATOLOGY: THE DUO OF MYTH AND RELIGION WITH THE TRIO OF THE U.S., ISRAEL, AND IRAN

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this study is to reveal that the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran is not based solely on political, strategic, and economic foundations, but is also fueled by beliefs related to eschatology (the end times), which holds a significant place within the "grand narratives" constructed through mythical and religious stories. The religious character of the states of Iran and Israel is well known to everyone. While the Israeli administration is mostly based on the phenomenon of the promised lands and the Messiah in the Torah, Iran highlights the phenomenon of the lost twelfth imam or the Mahdi. In the US, especially during Donald Trump’s second presidential term, the influence of White Evangelical Protestants, who are also described in the literature as "those who force God into the apocalypse," has increased even further. White Evangelical Protestants continue to be the most loyal and decisive support group of the current administration in the US. Eschatological myths are sacred narratives that describe the end of the world, the apocalypse, the resurrection, and the eternal life that follows. The origins of eschatological conceptions in Abrahamic religions go back to Zoroastrianism, the oldest known monotheistic religion. Reflecting a universal search for salvation, these myths are frequently observed in belief systems such as Judaism, Christianity (Antichrist, Messiah, apocalyptic scenarios), Islam (the End of Days, Dajjal, Mahdi), and Altai (Three Aygul/The Deluge). The following can be said about the main features of eschatological myths: Generally, the theme is that the world will come to an end as a result of moral corruption, and through a divine judgment, the good will be saved while the wicked are punished (Salvation and Punishment). The end of earthly life is seen as the beginning of a new and eternal life (The Second Life). As in the Altai Turks, the destruction of the universe in different periods by disasters such as fire, storm, and water (the deluge), followed by its reconstruction (The Deluge and disasters), is an eschatological cycle. Eschatological narratives (mythical and religious narratives), which are highly influential in the Judeo-Christian tradition as well as the Shia and Sunni Islamic traditions, symbolize people's hope to bring an end to the disorder in the world and their hope for a more just life; however, they also keep alive the expectation of an ultimate war believed to take place between "righteous" and "false" beliefs/nations. This leaves the world facing the risk of a global war between religions or civilizations. The findings and evaluations made throughout the article demonstrate that although all three sides of the war use religious and eschatological conceptions to motivate their own people and armies, these elements have not yet given the war the dimension of an interreligious struggle. The fact that Iran, during its propaganda process, tries to explain its war against the US and Israel with the rhetoric of "one revenge for everyone" actually shows that Iran does not want to present the war to the global public as a war based on religion and sect, and does not want to weaken the support of Russia and China behind it with a religion- and sect-focused discourse.

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