Posted on 09/24/2001 9:07:47 AM PDT by LoneGreenEyeshade
In his role as president of the United States, George W. Bush publicly defended Muslim-Americans while visiting the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. last Monday. Bush strongly condemned the victimization of Arab-Americans that has followed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and underscored an Islamic group's reports of a widespread backlash.
At a press conference [last] Monday, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) claimed to have received reports of more than 350 attacks against Arab Americans around the country, ranging from verbal harassment to physical assaults. They also received reports of dozens of mosques firebombed or vandalized.
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft said the FBI had initiated 40 hate crimes investigations involving reported attacks on Arab American citizens and institutions. Among them is the case of a Pakistani Muslim store owner who was shot and killed in Dallas Saturday evening.
Imam Hassan Qazwini, religious leader of Islamic Center of America in Detroit, echoed these concerns, saying, "I know Arab-Americans are loyal citizens to this country, and they are saddened and shocked for what happened to their fellow Americans in New York and Washington. I don't want to see Arabs and Muslims in America being accused or viewed with suspicion."
In his remarks, Bush said, "Both Americans and Muslims ... were just appalled and could not believe what we saw on our TV screens. These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith. And it's important for my fellow Americans to understand that."
Bush added, "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war."
But one leader of a ministry that serves the persecuted church in the Islamic world disagrees. Speaking only under condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivities associated with his position, he explained: "Islam does not mean peace; Islam means submission." Many American Muslims "are in complete ignorance of what their faith really teaches," as some Christians are about theirs.
He pointed to a verse in the Koran that says, "When war becomes inevitable, it must be pursued with vigor, the fighting may take the form of a slaughter, or capture ... or ambush or other stratagems." That is not "peaceful."
Yet this minister also emphasized that Christians should pray God will show Muslims that Jesus is the lamb of God.
This, perhaps, is one of the most troubling aspects of the attack on America ... this undercurrent of "Holy War." Not to mention grappling with the seeming contradictions of Islam. And how do Christians reconcile righteous indignation over the attack with the command to love even their Muslim neighbors? Hate the sin but love the sinners? Certainly, there are no easy answers.
Understanding the Dichotomy
According to The Barnabas Fund, a ministry that serves the suffering church in the Muslim world, Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was a complex character whose attitudes and opinions changed and evolved during his lifetime in response to events around him. It is not surprising, then, to find that Islam is a complex faith, and cannot be pigeon-holed as peaceful or violent or under any simple heading.
"Islam" means "peace" we are often told by Muslim and non-Muslim alike, says The Barnabas Fund News. "Even before Tuesday, some newspapers and TV broadcasts tended to paint a glowing picture of Islam as a religion of peace, modesty, morality, self-discipline and family values, sadly tainted by the violence of a few fundamentalists. Muslim minorities nevertheless continued to complain of Islamophobia, and felt themselves unjustly portrayed in the media as terrorists."
The truth falls not so much in the middle between these two extremes of peace and violence, says The Barnabas Fund News, but manages to embrace both extremes at the same time.
"It is true that many individual Muslims are peace-loving and law-abiding," agrees The Barnabas Fund News. "But it is not true that peace is the main characteristic of Islam. It is not even true that the word 'Islam' means 'peace.' In fact it means 'submission.' Islam as a faith emphasizes submission of Muslims to God and, by a logical extension, the submission of non-Muslims to Muslims."
Joseph P. Gudel, writing in the Winter/Spring 1990 issue of the Christian Research Journal, said, "The Muslim world view does not compartmentalize and dichotomize the various areas of life. It is holistic: its beliefs are incorporated into every area of daily living.
"This is evidenced by the all-encompassing Islamic rules which regulate all aspects of daily life," Gudel continued, "including how one should dress, bathe, eat, and so on. The devout Muslim is called to prayer five times each day, an obligation assiduously obeyed. In sum, no part of the Muslim's daily life is separate from his Islamic beliefs. Even the word 'Muslim' means 'one who submits' (to Allah)."
And what about "Allah?" some may wonder. Isn't that simply another name for God? Lee Strobel interviewed Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias about such questions in his book, "A Case for Faith."
"Some people say that when you strip away everything," Strobel said to Zacharias, "all the world religions are essentially teaching the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of humankind. That would mean all the world's faith systems are equally valid."
According to Strobel, Zacharias shook his head, his face registering dismay. "Only someone who doesn't understand the world religions would claim they basically teach the same thing. Islam ... and Christianity are distinct and mutually exclusive doctrines."
In addressing the charge of "intolerance" when Christians assert that Jesus is the only way to heaven, Zacharias explained, "Muslims also radically claim exclusivity - not just theologically, but linguistically. Muslims believe that the sole, sufficient and consummate miracle of Islam is the Koran."
He added, "I know of no Christianized country where your life is in danger because you are from another faith. But today there are many countries in the world - such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran - where to become a follower of Christ is to put your life and your family at risk."
Christian commentator Cal Thomas noted: "While it is important not to condemn all Muslims because of [the] terrorist attack, it is also crucial to understand the mindset and intentions of those who hate us.
"America's enemies know us better than we know them," Thomas said. "They take their faith in a false god more seriously than we take our faith in the true one. Be careful with what you see and hear."
Compassion Without Compromise
Jerry Rose, president of Total Living Network, and author of "Deep Faith for Dark Valleys," tries to strike a balance without compromising: "Yes, we need to bring these people to justice, but we do not need to marginalize the rest of the Muslim world," he told Religion Today.
He pointed out that both the terrorist attack and the immediate backlash against Muslim Americans are "unscriptural, illegal and immoral."
Our anger needs to be directed toward those responsible, says Rose, not the people in our neighborhoods who often moved to the United States to get away from the more radical countries.
Regarding Islamic theology, Rose says it is wrong. "But Christ sees Muslims as lost and it is our responsibility as His followers to reach out sensitively without compromising our own faith. We need to remember the church is an organization that exists primarily to take care of nonmembers."
Rose cautions that, above all, Christians should not blame God for this horrendous act of terrorism. "There is sin in the world and sin destroys. We are told in Romans that 'The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.' If mankind chooses sin, then death will inevitably follow. If we choose His gift, then salvation follows, along with the blessing that comes with following His plan for us."
Brother Andrew of Open Doors said in his book, "For the Love of My Brothers" - "I cannot stress strongly enough my sense of urgency that we reach out to as many Muslim and Arab groups as possible while they are still reachable, because anyone who is reachable is also winnable. We've seen that there is a startling openness to the gospel among some of these people. But unless we go to them now in love and influence them in a Christian direction, the ongoing cycle of violence and revenge will force them to take hard-line, extremist positions. Then they will come to us - the Christian West - in judgment."
AMEN. See #19.
By which I mean, let's only use "ALLAH" when referring to the Islamic Faith, and "Christ" when referring to the Christian Fatih.
This will distinquish between confusions, don't you think?
To call both the Chrisitan Faith and Islamic Faith deity "GOD", confuses the issue, heh?
"Islam" means "peace" we are often told by Muslim and non-Muslim alike, says The Barnabas Fund News. "Even before Tuesday, some newspapers and TV broadcasts tended to paint a glowing picture of Islam as a religion of peace, modesty, morality, self-discipline and family values, sadly tainted by the violence of a few fundamentalists. Muslim minorities nevertheless continued to complain of Islamophobia, and felt themselves unjustly portrayed in the media as terrorists." The truth falls not so much in the middle between these two extremes of peace and violence, says The Barnabas Fund News, but manages to embrace both extremes at the same time. "It is true that many individual Muslims are peace-loving and law-abiding," agrees The Barnabas Fund News"But it is not true that peace is the main characteristic of Islam. It is not even true that the word 'Islam' means 'peace.' In fact it means 'submission.' Islam as a faith emphasizes submission of Muslims to God and, by a logical extension, the submission of non-Muslims to Muslims."
This is an important thing for all the nominal Christians to understand..they want to pretend that we worship the same God and that we can all just melt into a nice One world get along religion
Fellow Christians we do not worship the god of Mohammad....we need to understand that our words mean different things when we speak
Trust but verify...
Is this statement based on what God has said, or how you and others have applied it?
Christ said: "I came not to condemn the world but to save it....I am the Way, the Truth and the Light....no one comes to the Father except by Me."
Not my words, His. If you have an issue with it, take it up with Him.
Thanks for highlighting this part of the quote. It's THE point for Christian awareness.
LOL,LGE
Excellent point.
Or "Jehovah," the "I AM."
(I like to use Jehovah because it includes the Chosen People of Jewish faith, to which we "Christians" were grafted into through faith in Christ.)
There is a time for peace and a time for war, we are at war, yet we put a deadly asp in our shirt, for the sake of tolerating asps, while we fight. Not very smart. There are claims that 80% of mosques in the USofA preach some elements of radical fundamentalism. There are entire lists of charities that collect the wealth of America to send to terrorists organizations, yet we mutter on about diversity and sensitivity, with no common sense in sight.
I suppose in the purist sense we should kiss the hand holding the knife to our childs throat as it slashes and then smile sweetly while we die. But if we are not up to doing that, right here and right now, in our immediate future, this week, next week, then we need to start thinking smarter. Think I am over reacting? New York was an over reaction, the Pentagon was an over reaction, the immediate future, laid out before us by media and government, will be an over reaction on the part of our enemies, and both media and government trumpet that it is not a matter of if, but when, and in the immediate future. If we are to believe what they say, being an adult, I have no problem with what needs to be done to insure our survival.
Like God told Abraham, send Ismael away, let me worry about him.
The theological tower of babble does not specify which God you wish us to understand!
Then, refer to ALLAH when discussing the Islamic deity, and CHRIST when discussing the Christian deity.
All you have to do is go to the Muslim world, to Sudan and buy them.
But your point is well taken - too many Christians are willing to participate in the charade that we and the Muslims worship the same God.
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
And my favorite:
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... and without Him was not anything made that was made... and the Word was made flesh...full of .... TRUTH.
Christianity is much more tolerant than that now, but it's been around 500 or so years longer than Islam. Christianity grew up. Islam needs to follow suit or face the consequences.
Knitebane
The Trinitarians still exist today.
Glory to the Christian Trinity!
"And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethen."
(Genesis 17:12)
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