Saturday, April 12, 2008

Masonic Temple construction underway in Baghdad! No Joke!

I get the most interesting E-Mails! This one arrived today!


Hello mate,

Sorry for the late replay we're busy for the last 2 weeks up in north building new school.

We're 5 personals planning to build the temple here in Baghdad we're not starting yet the construction we found the land but we're waiting for the right time, there is an old temple here in Baghdad and there is another one down in Basrah but every body knows the situation out in the red zone so we moving carefully.

deleted ( Logistic and property manager fordeleted owner )
deleted ( deleted owner )
deleted ( deleted partner )
deleted ( Owner of deleted company )
deleted ( Attorney )
We trying to coordinate with the Iraqi government to get the property certificate for this 2 temples if we not ganna get any answer we will start our own one.

There is couple question please:
1. we need to be a free masons, how and where we can do that ?
2. who can help us to build a temple here in Baghdad and did we need to get a permission from a specific temple so our temple be a Certified.

Finally,
All of us we believe in free masonry and need some body to lead us there is lot of my friend they wanna convert but still waiting for the right time if you have answer for my question please replay if not let me know please so I can try a different way .

Regards

Cell: + deleted( Iraqna )

deleted

deleted

(Charles Martin's comments)

(Names, emails, and cell phone numbers have been deleted in this post. In some countries, people can be killed if it is known that they are involved in Masonry. I have the contact information for the men who are working to bring Masonry back to Iraq. If anyone has a legitimate need to contact the men, please send an email to me, and I will provide the information)




=============================

My comments:

I am bowled over, to find out that there are men in Baghdad, who are interested to become Masons, and build a temple here. There is not much I can do, I am out in the boondocks, and I am not permitted to travel to Baghdad.

I wish there were an international fund ,and "team", set up to assist individuals in getting Masonry into new countries. Sort of like "Habitat for Humanity" or "Constructors for Christ".

What do you guys think?

13 comments:

Radcliffe said...

Hello hermano, hope your travels are allowing you a comfortable bed and a little hot water. Very cool email you recieved, as I see it, without the ideas of universal brotherhood taking hold in Iraq, there will be little hope of freedom there. We should make sure that cell phone gets some calls, dont you think?

Peter Clatworthy said...

Would the enquirer please contact me as soon as possible to see if there is any basis for our assistance in Baghdad.

Peter Clatworthy
Grand Lodge of All England
grandsecretary@btinternet.com

M.M.M. from the North Eastern Corner said...

That is awesome. There has to be somebody somewhere who can help these men. If my family was not so young I'd hop on over to help. I wish them luck.
MMM

Prexy said...

Wow! If it isn't some kind of scam, that is some great news. Of course with the current political and social climate over there, they may be facing an uphill battle. I think Freemasonry is something that could have an enormous positive benefit for the people of Iraq. What better way to bring Sunnis and Shia together?

John Galt said...

Seriously, I have been waiting to hear something like this. It is about time. Perhaps the GL or Iran in exile could be of assistance? They currently sit in Washington D.C.
I believe that Prince Hall military lodges could perform the necessary rites to initiate, pass, and raise. Perhaps they can go this route and eventually obtain a charter from the Prince Hall Grand Lodge who has authorized the military lodge.
The Grand Lodge of Israel is also near but may be a bad idea politically.
I know a M:.M:. in Lebanon who would like to assist in something of this nature though I am not sure of the current travel issues he may face.
Contact me back channel if you would like to talk more about this.

On another note, one of which you are well aware, there are serious issues on the ground throughout the Middle East when it comes to Free-Masonry. The last thing these gentlemen need is to catch problems from some less informed citizens of Iraq. There have been Ayatollahs in the past that have not thought very fondly about Free-Masonry. Perhaps their names, emails, and contact number should be kept private.

Frat:.
Brandt

Regardless of how this turns out please keep us posted as I am very interested in the further development of this situation.

Peter Clatworthy said...

We cannot do anything until and unless we receive a formal petition directly from the gentlemen concerned. I have sent an Email and look forward to receiving a reply.

We are very well aware of the situation throughout the Middle East and can assure everybody that we are very well advised. That is why direct and discreet contact is the best way forward.

Anybody willing to assist in this endeavour should Email me: grandsecretary@btinternet.com

Offers of assistance, no matter how small, will also be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Please mark the subject of your Email: "St John's Lodge at Baghdad" and I will pick them up easily. As you may well imagine we are inundated with enquiries from all over the world.

Would anybody who is already in contact with these novices please ensure that they Email me direct and ASAP?

They can also get hold of me by telephone, or on Skype. Full details are on our website: www.grandlodgeofallengland.org

Chris said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Peter Clatworthy said...

We have now exchanged communications directly with those concerned and expect matters to take shape very soon.

We would be grateful if this matter may now be left to be handled, safely and sensitively, in a Muslim Country.

It cannot be dealt with on a public forum, although we will keep you informed as best we may without causing problems for those involved.

Peter Clatworthy said...

Brother Chris, from your later posting I can see that you are probably not aware of your Grand Lodge's position on Freemasonry in Iraq. I concur with you and recommend that the best option is for you to be guided by your Grand Chancellor, Alan Engelfield.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Im an Iraqi and I read the copy of the E-mail sent by those four gentlemen.

I have this to say

1- they sound like a bunch of guys who are intrigued by the propaganda or rumours that surround freemasonry without a complete understanding of it, many people in this part of the world see Masonry as a secret society that would open doors for them and they seek to gain personal benefits.

Freemasonry is about promoting mutual understanding and good will and its not and has nothing to do with the word of Christ etc....

Freemasonry derives its ideal from ancient practices and almost all faiths oppose Freemasonry due to its universal approach of an Architect of the Universe, rather than the fabled Abrahamic faiths.

A temple does exist in Iraq, it used to be a Synagogue at one point and then closed in 1958.

I have posted some articles on Freemasonry in the Middle East which can be found here.

Please spare me the juxtaposition that Islam is Anti-Freemasonry etc, what you will read will astonish you, many Arab capitals were built by Freemasons and Freemasonry played a prominentt role in shaping up a secular Middle East up until the dissolution of the Consttutional Monarchies in most Middle Eastern Arab states.


All Iraqi freemasons were prominent Elitist figures.

you may contact me on
nimrod@rome.com

http://www.thefreemason.com/forum/topic.asp?topic_id=7273

and

http://www.thefreemason.com/forum/topic.asp?topic_id=7270


further more, they cant just build a temple like they are building a mall and hope that they crown someone as their Grand Master, it doesnt work that way, since these rituals have been abolished, they need to reconnect with Iraqi Masons and then register with a neighbouring country's lodge E.G Turkey and start a subsidiary or look up Iraqi Masons in the diaspora and start there, then they can start a temple here, but honestly first we need a stable nation that has clearly defined its borders and purpose, I mean we can barely leave our neighbourhoods and are confined to certain areas let alone start a temple, it would be blown up before we could say "BOB IS YOUR UNCLE".

Cheers,

Nimrod

Peter Clatworthy said...

nimrod

The situation in Iraq is well understood, and these young men are being dealt with in a strictly private and proper manner. I will email you privately to help put your mind at rest.

Yas said...

Thank you for your comment does not struggle to Freemasonry specific person because I have many Masons friends and have more knowladge what is around me I ask you to work on the portable image faith and the best way to reach the goal that aspire.

Kind regards

Anonymous said...

Brethren does anyone know if there is a lodge in the green zone baghdad.

from a fellow freemason currently in the green zone