Really great two paragraphs here from The Spirit of Islamic Law, a book which I have really enjoyed. Read carefully, and more than once, and then ask yourself how your system of law, and specifically law and rule in Christian Europe, differ from what is outlined here.
I also think it shows very clearly why democracy is not a viable form of government for Muslims.
Again, read carefully:
The authority of the ruler can only be, in the thinking of the jurists, absolute. Governing authority is indivisible; all officials of government derive their authority from the ruler, whose delegates they are. They hold office only in accordance with his wishes and may be dismissed at any time. They are extensions of his will. A wise ruler will of course choose capable administrators and benefit from their counsel, but original earthly authority is his alone to wield.
The absolute character of the ruler's authority stems from the absolute character of the rights he represents and defends. These are not his rights as an individual, nor are they the rights of government or the state. Muslim juristic thinking does not know the concept of the corporate person and therefore does not regard the state or the people as a legal entity. Only individuals may be bearers of rights and obligations. Among these individuals is God himself, who is a bearer of rights only and who, to some extent, replaces the state or body politic as a body of rights. The state qua state can never be party to a dispute or make a claim against a party. Thus, when one pays taxes or serves in the military, one is discharging an obligation toward God, not towards society. Accordingly, the ruler represents and defends nothing less than the rights of God.
The Spirit of the Islamic Law
p. 180, 181
Bernard G Weiss
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Pray for North Korea
From the IHT:
Nuclear deal reached with North Korea
North Korea, once it opens up, will become a major contributor to world missions, and the South Koreans will evangelize the country quickly and very well.
Nuclear deal reached with North Korea
North Korea, once it opens up, will become a major contributor to world missions, and the South Koreans will evangelize the country quickly and very well.
Islam as the source of human rights
From Dr. Hamza Dhib Mustafa, member of the Palestinian Authority Supreme Fatwa Council, Al Quds, Aug. 28, 2007. Hat tip to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW.org.il):
"To what does the publication of the declaration of human rights in the West testify in 1948? Didn’t Islam issue something much greater 14 centuries ago?
"Despite these rights, reserved for humans… we see chilling and embarrassing operations from the states who claim to be democratic, or is it possible that they classify themselves as one of the states of the First World, since… what did the United States do in South America? What did America do in Iraq and Afghanistan? And what does the Israeli occupation do to our Palestinian people, by occupying its land, the requisition of its property and its banishment to everywhere on the face of the earth?
"All this in the era of the declaration on human rights. Despite this declaration, humanity is still suffering much from the degradation of human respect, from racial discrimination and from social injustice, and by whom? By those that declared these rights!...
"Yet, these rights… Islam espoused them 14 centuries ago… Europe and the West in general, would never have reached these principles, had they not been influenced by the advanced Islamic culture and had they not borrowed much from it, including this declaration…
"Islamic societies are cultured, humane and righteous societies, since oppression had not found its way to them and the killing did not spread nor extend among them. They do not go beyond the punishment defined by Islamic law with all that pertains to human rights, regardless of their religion, race, color and their countries [of origin], since human beings are equal from the point of view of Islam… Everyone is equal under the law in terms of their rights and obligations…
"It says in the Quran… in the words [of Allah], praise him: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.” [Quran, 49,13]
"This and more, Islam promises various rights to the human. It promises him freedom of religion and citizenship, freedom of thought, the right to property, political freedom and his right to employment. The thing that has no doubt… is that Islam preceded Europe and the West, in general, with all that pertains to matters of human rights by no less than 13 centuries …
"The Muslims and their societies are more advanced and more sublime than the West and its societies. They are earlier in human civilization, and are more perfect in value system and humanity. The fact that there are those who believe that these are Western values – it is a delusion and false, since the Muslims are masters, leaders and teachers of the world, even if the West rejects this. It is no wonder that this is rejected by the West, the most eager rival of Islam, its followers and its culture. But shocking and amazing is that these are opinions of some Muslims, and this misdirects their compass from the path of truth, righteousness and wisdom.
"To what does the publication of the declaration of human rights in the West testify in 1948? Didn’t Islam issue something much greater 14 centuries ago?
"Despite these rights, reserved for humans… we see chilling and embarrassing operations from the states who claim to be democratic, or is it possible that they classify themselves as one of the states of the First World, since… what did the United States do in South America? What did America do in Iraq and Afghanistan? And what does the Israeli occupation do to our Palestinian people, by occupying its land, the requisition of its property and its banishment to everywhere on the face of the earth?
"All this in the era of the declaration on human rights. Despite this declaration, humanity is still suffering much from the degradation of human respect, from racial discrimination and from social injustice, and by whom? By those that declared these rights!...
"Yet, these rights… Islam espoused them 14 centuries ago… Europe and the West in general, would never have reached these principles, had they not been influenced by the advanced Islamic culture and had they not borrowed much from it, including this declaration…
"Islamic societies are cultured, humane and righteous societies, since oppression had not found its way to them and the killing did not spread nor extend among them. They do not go beyond the punishment defined by Islamic law with all that pertains to human rights, regardless of their religion, race, color and their countries [of origin], since human beings are equal from the point of view of Islam… Everyone is equal under the law in terms of their rights and obligations…
"It says in the Quran… in the words [of Allah], praise him: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.” [Quran, 49,13]
"This and more, Islam promises various rights to the human. It promises him freedom of religion and citizenship, freedom of thought, the right to property, political freedom and his right to employment. The thing that has no doubt… is that Islam preceded Europe and the West, in general, with all that pertains to matters of human rights by no less than 13 centuries …
"The Muslims and their societies are more advanced and more sublime than the West and its societies. They are earlier in human civilization, and are more perfect in value system and humanity. The fact that there are those who believe that these are Western values – it is a delusion and false, since the Muslims are masters, leaders and teachers of the world, even if the West rejects this. It is no wonder that this is rejected by the West, the most eager rival of Islam, its followers and its culture. But shocking and amazing is that these are opinions of some Muslims, and this misdirects their compass from the path of truth, righteousness and wisdom.
"Islam is Peace": A Rebuttal
By Fitzgerald, from Jihadwatch.org:
...Now let's all imagine that we are Muslims, Believers living in the West. Muslims are not "monolithic," we are told. No. You may come from Pakistan and I from Somalia, and someone is here from Algeria, and someone else from Yemen, and so on. But we all share the same faith, a faith that is a religion, a politics, an economics, a system of artistic censorship, a guide to personal hygiene, a manual of etiquette, a guide to Dealing With Non-Muslims, a clothing manual, a guide to what are the permissible limits of thought and especially of thought about Islam and Muhammad, and so on. It's a Total System. It is unrecognized as such by most Infidels because what they know of as religion, what they think of as religion, is not a Total System.
And while Christianity is the other faith that makes universalist claims, it has not always, and certainly does not now, push those claims incessantly everywhere there are Christians. It does not think it right and proper to use violence against all those who resist the complete domination of Christianity or who choose to leave the faith. It does not regulate every area of life. It does not contain a politics ("it renders unto Caeser what is Caesar's") or a geopolitics. As for other faiths, while in Hinduism and Judaism informed converts are welcome, there is no campaign equivalent to Da'wa, nor is there anything like the Total System or violence of Islam. Islam seeks the uninformed convert, the person who really doesn't know the full story of Islam, but who is inveigled into reciting the Shahada, told he is now a Muslim, and then by slow degrees is taken carefully in hand and made much of by Muslims who watch his every move and guide his every step.
So there you are, a Muslim living in New Jersey or Michigan. What kind of campaign would you offer? Well, you'd carry on such a campaign in your own way, wouldn't you? If Infidels at work, or the parents of your children's schoolmates, are bold enough to ask you about Islam, you would first tell them all about Ramadan, and then about prayers. The very word "prayers" implies, to Christians, that the same kind of prayers to the same kind of deity are being invoked. But the prostrations to a whimsical Allah who interferes with life at every turn are not the same. Everything depends, inshallah, on Allah. The effects of that attitude are many on, for example, Muslim economic performance, or on the ability within Islam to foster the free and skeptical inquiry required not for mere technology, but for the enterprise of pure science, and also for the development of human thought. [...]
Read it all!
...Now let's all imagine that we are Muslims, Believers living in the West. Muslims are not "monolithic," we are told. No. You may come from Pakistan and I from Somalia, and someone is here from Algeria, and someone else from Yemen, and so on. But we all share the same faith, a faith that is a religion, a politics, an economics, a system of artistic censorship, a guide to personal hygiene, a manual of etiquette, a guide to Dealing With Non-Muslims, a clothing manual, a guide to what are the permissible limits of thought and especially of thought about Islam and Muhammad, and so on. It's a Total System. It is unrecognized as such by most Infidels because what they know of as religion, what they think of as religion, is not a Total System.
And while Christianity is the other faith that makes universalist claims, it has not always, and certainly does not now, push those claims incessantly everywhere there are Christians. It does not think it right and proper to use violence against all those who resist the complete domination of Christianity or who choose to leave the faith. It does not regulate every area of life. It does not contain a politics ("it renders unto Caeser what is Caesar's") or a geopolitics. As for other faiths, while in Hinduism and Judaism informed converts are welcome, there is no campaign equivalent to Da'wa, nor is there anything like the Total System or violence of Islam. Islam seeks the uninformed convert, the person who really doesn't know the full story of Islam, but who is inveigled into reciting the Shahada, told he is now a Muslim, and then by slow degrees is taken carefully in hand and made much of by Muslims who watch his every move and guide his every step.
So there you are, a Muslim living in New Jersey or Michigan. What kind of campaign would you offer? Well, you'd carry on such a campaign in your own way, wouldn't you? If Infidels at work, or the parents of your children's schoolmates, are bold enough to ask you about Islam, you would first tell them all about Ramadan, and then about prayers. The very word "prayers" implies, to Christians, that the same kind of prayers to the same kind of deity are being invoked. But the prostrations to a whimsical Allah who interferes with life at every turn are not the same. Everything depends, inshallah, on Allah. The effects of that attitude are many on, for example, Muslim economic performance, or on the ability within Islam to foster the free and skeptical inquiry required not for mere technology, but for the enterprise of pure science, and also for the development of human thought. [...]
Read it all!
Saudi Cleric: Don't Leave KSA for Jihad
Surprising and positive. I like that it reaches merely beyond empty words (Islam does not support the murder of innocent civilians) to something much more concrete: Don't leave KSA for Jihad. Hat tip to Counterterrorism Blog:
Earlier this week, Sheikh Abdel-Aziz Al-Asheikh – the most senior Wahhabi cleric in Saudi Arabia -- released a rather surprising religious edict. In this fatwa, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia instructed Saudis not to leave the Kingdom to participate in jihad – a statement directed primarily at those considering going to Iraq. Al-Asheikh said that he decided to speak up, “after it was clear that over several years Saudis have been leaving for jihad” and that “our youth…became tools carrying out heinous acts.” Perhaps even most significantly, Al-Asheikh also addressed potential donors, urging them to “be careful about where [their money is] spent so it does not damage young Muslims.”
Al-Asheikh’s fatwa stands out for several reasons. First, it helps corroborate a number of statements made recently by US government officials about terrorists and terrorist financing emanating from the Kingdom.
• In a September 11, 2007 ABC News broadcast, Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levey remarked that “If I could somehow snap my fingers and cut off the funding from one country [for terrorism], it would be Saudi Arabia.” Levey also criticized the Saudis for failing to prosecute terrorist financiers, calling on the Saudis to treat the financing of terrorism as “real terrorism because it is.”
• In a July 2007 CNN interview, US ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad expanded on an earlier op-ed he had written in The New York Times, by accusing the Saudis (and others) of “not only not helping” the situation in Iraq, but of “doing things that undermine the efforts to make progress.”
• In a June 2007 speech, Treasury Secretary Paulson cautioned that although the Saudis are "very effective at dealing with terrorists within the kingdom," the Saudis "need to do a better job holding people accountable who finance terrorism around the world."
The Grand Mufti’s statements were also notable for another reason. The Saudis are generally reluctant to concede either that Saudi Arabia is a source of terrorism or that Saudi counterterrorism efforts are inadequate. [...]
Earlier this week, Sheikh Abdel-Aziz Al-Asheikh – the most senior Wahhabi cleric in Saudi Arabia -- released a rather surprising religious edict. In this fatwa, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia instructed Saudis not to leave the Kingdom to participate in jihad – a statement directed primarily at those considering going to Iraq. Al-Asheikh said that he decided to speak up, “after it was clear that over several years Saudis have been leaving for jihad” and that “our youth…became tools carrying out heinous acts.” Perhaps even most significantly, Al-Asheikh also addressed potential donors, urging them to “be careful about where [their money is] spent so it does not damage young Muslims.”
Al-Asheikh’s fatwa stands out for several reasons. First, it helps corroborate a number of statements made recently by US government officials about terrorists and terrorist financing emanating from the Kingdom.
• In a September 11, 2007 ABC News broadcast, Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levey remarked that “If I could somehow snap my fingers and cut off the funding from one country [for terrorism], it would be Saudi Arabia.” Levey also criticized the Saudis for failing to prosecute terrorist financiers, calling on the Saudis to treat the financing of terrorism as “real terrorism because it is.”
• In a July 2007 CNN interview, US ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad expanded on an earlier op-ed he had written in The New York Times, by accusing the Saudis (and others) of “not only not helping” the situation in Iraq, but of “doing things that undermine the efforts to make progress.”
• In a June 2007 speech, Treasury Secretary Paulson cautioned that although the Saudis are "very effective at dealing with terrorists within the kingdom," the Saudis "need to do a better job holding people accountable who finance terrorism around the world."
The Grand Mufti’s statements were also notable for another reason. The Saudis are generally reluctant to concede either that Saudi Arabia is a source of terrorism or that Saudi counterterrorism efforts are inadequate. [...]
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Seven years old with a full veil
The education council of the regional government of Catalonia has forced a state school in Girona to admit [Shaima, a seven-year-old Moroccan girl] to participate in lessons. The girl, who refused to remove her veil, had been missing school for over a week. The mother, Noama, affirms that the decision to wear the hidjab, the scarf which leaves the face uncovered, is not due to family pressures. “Shaima did everything alone,” she says in one of many interviews, “the child has grown up until last year in Morocco with the paternal grandmother, from whom she took her religious habits.” […]
But the public opinion does not seem to agree: according to the on-line survey launched by El Pais on the case of little Shaima, 76% of the Spanish believe that the use of religious symbols in class should be forbidden, while 24% are in favour.
(From Here, hat tip to Brussels Journal.)
But the public opinion does not seem to agree: according to the on-line survey launched by El Pais on the case of little Shaima, 76% of the Spanish believe that the use of religious symbols in class should be forbidden, while 24% are in favour.
(From Here, hat tip to Brussels Journal.)
Enjoying the Sojourn
Am enjoying my sojourn in the US before heading back to Sharq al Awsat (the Middle East). Got to see the Smashing Pumpkins in concert, which was wonderful because they are one of my favorite groups of all times. Also managed to go to the Rockies game last night.
Since I'm here I'm glad to chat on the phone, Skype, or IM with anyone who is interested in the missions field, or who wants some ideas about how to make their congregation more missions-minded. Let me know by e-mail if you want to talk: winterlightning [a+] safe-mail [d0t] net
Plans for today: shaving, among other things. Am still working on the article about the Sword of the Religion. Should be good.
Since I'm here I'm glad to chat on the phone, Skype, or IM with anyone who is interested in the missions field, or who wants some ideas about how to make their congregation more missions-minded. Let me know by e-mail if you want to talk: winterlightning [a+] safe-mail [d0t] net
Plans for today: shaving, among other things. Am still working on the article about the Sword of the Religion. Should be good.
Ramadan Prayer Guide
During this lunar month of Ramadan Muslims believe that the power of Allah and his grace are especially present, and that their good deeds achieve are all the more effective in accomplishing their salvation and earning God's mercy. Moreover there is a tradition that the devil is chained during Ramadan, limiting his pernicious power.
Please join with Christians around the world who use this time of heightened spiritual inquiry and religious devotion to intercede for a genuine encounter with the power and mercy of God: Jesus Christ.
Here is the link to a prayer calendar:
http://www.30daysprayer.com/muslim/2007/default.htm
30 Days of Prayer
Please join with Christians around the world who use this time of heightened spiritual inquiry and religious devotion to intercede for a genuine encounter with the power and mercy of God: Jesus Christ.
Here is the link to a prayer calendar:
http://www.30daysprayer.com/muslim/2007/default.htm
30 Days of Prayer
Monday, October 01, 2007
The Ramadan Slow Down Effect
From the Black Iris of Jordan:
Why does every thing seem to slow down during Ramadan?
Lunatic drivers seem to be the only people going fast these days, both before and after breakfast. Banks, who with their typical 9 to 3 hours already make it hard for customers to bank, seem to close shop before they even open, with their 9 to 1 Ramadan schedule. Four hours!? Heck, I should have been a banker!
Ministries, government departments and boards, forget about it. Everyone is half asleep. Everyone comes in late and starts to disappear around the duhr prayer time. Some will even advise you to come back after Ramadan is over when they can “think straight”. As if Ramadan was a mental blockade over the weekend.
People move slow before ftoor, because they’re hungry and tired and lazy and drowsy and craving for a nicotine fix. And then people move slowly after ftoor because they’re stuffed and can’t move and are just plain sleepy.
A few years back I remember economist Fahed Al-Fanek attempting to figure out the economic loses during Ramadan. He took GDP, divided it by 365 and removed the 30 days of Ramadan. Suffice to say there are more holes in that formula than there are on a sinking boat.
It may be near impossible to actually figure out how much we lose economically during this month. People don’t seem to work, or are too busy trying to avoid work. Businesses cut their 9 to 5 working hours in half. And I can only imagine what Ramadan will be like in the summer months!
Yes! The Ramadan summers! Can you imagine what it will be like for the next couple of decades while Ramadan travels back in time, into the summer months. Where everyone is hot and thirsty and sweating? How will people behave then? What will economic loses look like then?
But wait, money isn’t the only thing we lose…
People also seem to lose small fractions of their mind or sanity. Everyone seems to get a little stupider than usual, a little meaner, and a little more unforgiving, and Ramadan becomes their scapegoat.
[...]
Why does every thing seem to slow down during Ramadan?
Lunatic drivers seem to be the only people going fast these days, both before and after breakfast. Banks, who with their typical 9 to 3 hours already make it hard for customers to bank, seem to close shop before they even open, with their 9 to 1 Ramadan schedule. Four hours!? Heck, I should have been a banker!
Ministries, government departments and boards, forget about it. Everyone is half asleep. Everyone comes in late and starts to disappear around the duhr prayer time. Some will even advise you to come back after Ramadan is over when they can “think straight”. As if Ramadan was a mental blockade over the weekend.
People move slow before ftoor, because they’re hungry and tired and lazy and drowsy and craving for a nicotine fix. And then people move slowly after ftoor because they’re stuffed and can’t move and are just plain sleepy.
A few years back I remember economist Fahed Al-Fanek attempting to figure out the economic loses during Ramadan. He took GDP, divided it by 365 and removed the 30 days of Ramadan. Suffice to say there are more holes in that formula than there are on a sinking boat.
It may be near impossible to actually figure out how much we lose economically during this month. People don’t seem to work, or are too busy trying to avoid work. Businesses cut their 9 to 5 working hours in half. And I can only imagine what Ramadan will be like in the summer months!
Yes! The Ramadan summers! Can you imagine what it will be like for the next couple of decades while Ramadan travels back in time, into the summer months. Where everyone is hot and thirsty and sweating? How will people behave then? What will economic loses look like then?
But wait, money isn’t the only thing we lose…
People also seem to lose small fractions of their mind or sanity. Everyone seems to get a little stupider than usual, a little meaner, and a little more unforgiving, and Ramadan becomes their scapegoat.
[...]
Heroic Witness in Iraq
[Abu Daoud says: I got this all from Intentional Disciples over at blog.siena.org.]
This month's Lausanne World Pulse contains a luminous first person account of costly discipleship in Baghdad by an Anglican, the Rev’d Cannon Andrew White. Do read it in its entirety. Here are some snippets.
As I sit and write this article, I can hear automatic weapons firing. I cannot imagine the tragedy going on outside our compound at this very moment. Constantly, I have people asking me to help them escape to another nation. It is not pleasant to live in one of the most dangerous places on earth. Yet I know this is where my work is; this is where God has sent me and this is where I love to be, here in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Today is Sunday, so we had church this morning. As I led worship, I saw my congregation place their body armour, rifles and helmets aside and start to praise the living God.
Snip.
In the midst of this war and trauma, we have a gospel to proclaim, the good news of Jesus. The whole notion of evangelism must be treated totally and utterly different in this context. There is no preaching on the streets or encouraging your congregation to convert the masses. Such activity would result in certain death.
Despite these restrictions, there is ample opportunity to show and share the good news of Jesus. The prime way is through love and prayer. I have seen people come to faith in Jesus. I have baptised people and then sought to find protection for them as the death threats grew. One little girl whose mother became a Christian started telling friends that every night her mother talked to Jesus. It was not long before they also were forced to flee. I have wept when people I have loved had come to faith and then been killed. Here it is a matter of life and death.
Snip.
Despite the difficulties of serving Jesus in Baghdad, there are several things we, as God’s Church, must and can do.
1. Love
Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Although it is not easy to love bad people, God can give us the grace to do it. Throughout my life I have listened to countless sermons, telling us we do not have to like our enemies—we just have to love them. Love is reduced to not pursuing the negative of hate.
To this attitude I say nonsense! Love is real. It is difficult, it is costly and it changes lives because it enables people to see Jesus. In our context, it is not some liberal concept of evangelism without risks—even loving these people is taking great risks. Love does and has completely changed people.
Snip.
We also need to seriously pray. I have a small group of intercessors who pray and intercede for us in our work. Although I cannot always tell them what is really happening, they often know because God tells them. There have been countless times when our intercessors have told me they have been praying about actual things that happened which I have not told them about. We should expect our Lord to work in supernatural ways when we are dealing with supernatural things.
Snip.
The Christians here in Iraq are wonderful and have an amazing history. At Christmas their evangelistic activity is to have a party for the locals where they show them love and give them food. Before the event, the Christians seriously pray for the event. If we really support and love the people here, we will provide them with food, water and money so they can continue to show love so that the gospel will be made known.
5. Expect Miracles
In such trauma, we must rely on the miraculous more and more. When people are sick, ill and dying, we often have no doctors to take them to. They have either left or been killed. Jesus often comes and heals our sick people. Because of this, people of other faiths see we have a God of miracles and it is not long before they want to come to the Great Physician as well. They want something back in their loss and Jesus alone can give it to them. Even in the midst of this crisis, God is still real and full of love. When people see him, they are drawn to him. And as we continue to serve him, we love, pray, seek to understand our context and the local church and expect miracles.
This month's Lausanne World Pulse contains a luminous first person account of costly discipleship in Baghdad by an Anglican, the Rev’d Cannon Andrew White. Do read it in its entirety. Here are some snippets.
As I sit and write this article, I can hear automatic weapons firing. I cannot imagine the tragedy going on outside our compound at this very moment. Constantly, I have people asking me to help them escape to another nation. It is not pleasant to live in one of the most dangerous places on earth. Yet I know this is where my work is; this is where God has sent me and this is where I love to be, here in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Today is Sunday, so we had church this morning. As I led worship, I saw my congregation place their body armour, rifles and helmets aside and start to praise the living God.
Snip.
In the midst of this war and trauma, we have a gospel to proclaim, the good news of Jesus. The whole notion of evangelism must be treated totally and utterly different in this context. There is no preaching on the streets or encouraging your congregation to convert the masses. Such activity would result in certain death.
Despite these restrictions, there is ample opportunity to show and share the good news of Jesus. The prime way is through love and prayer. I have seen people come to faith in Jesus. I have baptised people and then sought to find protection for them as the death threats grew. One little girl whose mother became a Christian started telling friends that every night her mother talked to Jesus. It was not long before they also were forced to flee. I have wept when people I have loved had come to faith and then been killed. Here it is a matter of life and death.
Snip.
Despite the difficulties of serving Jesus in Baghdad, there are several things we, as God’s Church, must and can do.
1. Love
Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Although it is not easy to love bad people, God can give us the grace to do it. Throughout my life I have listened to countless sermons, telling us we do not have to like our enemies—we just have to love them. Love is reduced to not pursuing the negative of hate.
To this attitude I say nonsense! Love is real. It is difficult, it is costly and it changes lives because it enables people to see Jesus. In our context, it is not some liberal concept of evangelism without risks—even loving these people is taking great risks. Love does and has completely changed people.
Snip.
We also need to seriously pray. I have a small group of intercessors who pray and intercede for us in our work. Although I cannot always tell them what is really happening, they often know because God tells them. There have been countless times when our intercessors have told me they have been praying about actual things that happened which I have not told them about. We should expect our Lord to work in supernatural ways when we are dealing with supernatural things.
Snip.
The Christians here in Iraq are wonderful and have an amazing history. At Christmas their evangelistic activity is to have a party for the locals where they show them love and give them food. Before the event, the Christians seriously pray for the event. If we really support and love the people here, we will provide them with food, water and money so they can continue to show love so that the gospel will be made known.
5. Expect Miracles
In such trauma, we must rely on the miraculous more and more. When people are sick, ill and dying, we often have no doctors to take them to. They have either left or been killed. Jesus often comes and heals our sick people. Because of this, people of other faiths see we have a God of miracles and it is not long before they want to come to the Great Physician as well. They want something back in their loss and Jesus alone can give it to them. Even in the midst of this crisis, God is still real and full of love. When people see him, they are drawn to him. And as we continue to serve him, we love, pray, seek to understand our context and the local church and expect miracles.
"Islam is Peace"
From the BBC, hat tip to Jihadwatch.org:
An advertising campaign promoting British Muslims as integrated citizens who reject extremism has been launched.
Islam is Peace - formed after the bombings in London in July 2005 - has initially placed adverts on the capital's buses and Underground trains.
They show a range of Muslims - including a policewoman, a Scout group and the chef Michael Barry - with the slogan "Proud to be a British Muslim".
Organisers say research shows many Britons associate Islam with terrorism.
Nationwide tour
The group insists that the religion demands that its followers live in peace with their neighbours within non-Muslim societies.
But it says it recognises that Muslims have a duty to show that the vast majority of them wish to do so.
[...]
Sadiq Khan MP said: "This is a fantastic initiative. Islam is a faith whose primary focus is peace and submission to one God.
"This campaign will help to bust some of the myths about Islam and allow the true face of Islam to reach all parts of our country."
Secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain Muhammad Abdul Bari said: "The silent majority of Muslims are coming forward and now challenging the islamophobia in sections of our media - it is a brave undertaking."
The campaign is launched as a new law banning incitement to religious hatred comes into force.
An advertising campaign promoting British Muslims as integrated citizens who reject extremism has been launched.
Islam is Peace - formed after the bombings in London in July 2005 - has initially placed adverts on the capital's buses and Underground trains.
They show a range of Muslims - including a policewoman, a Scout group and the chef Michael Barry - with the slogan "Proud to be a British Muslim".
Organisers say research shows many Britons associate Islam with terrorism.
Nationwide tour
The group insists that the religion demands that its followers live in peace with their neighbours within non-Muslim societies.
But it says it recognises that Muslims have a duty to show that the vast majority of them wish to do so.
[...]
Sadiq Khan MP said: "This is a fantastic initiative. Islam is a faith whose primary focus is peace and submission to one God.
"This campaign will help to bust some of the myths about Islam and allow the true face of Islam to reach all parts of our country."
Secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain Muhammad Abdul Bari said: "The silent majority of Muslims are coming forward and now challenging the islamophobia in sections of our media - it is a brave undertaking."
The campaign is launched as a new law banning incitement to religious hatred comes into force.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Leaving Britain
Cal Thomas:
Britons give many reasons for leaving, but their stories share one commonality: life in Britain has become unbearable. They fear lawlessness and the threat of more terrorism from a growing Muslim population and the loss of a sense of Britishness, exacerbated by the growing refusal of public schools to teach the history and culture of the nation. What it means to be British has been watered down in a plague of political correctness. […]
Abraham Lincoln said no nation can exist half slave and half free. Neither can a nation be sustained if it allows conditions that result in mass emigration, while importing huge numbers of foreigners who come from backgrounds that do not practice assimilation or tolerance of other beliefs. When one factors in the high number of abortions (one in five pregnancies are aborted in England and Wales), the high birth rates of immigrants (15 times those of white Britons), it doesn't take an expert to predict that the days of the England we have known may be numbered.
The problem for Britain and the United States isn't just the change in demographics. It is the reluctance of both countries to inculcate the beliefs, history and, yes, religious ideals, which made our nations so successful that others wanted to come and be a part of them.
Britons give many reasons for leaving, but their stories share one commonality: life in Britain has become unbearable. They fear lawlessness and the threat of more terrorism from a growing Muslim population and the loss of a sense of Britishness, exacerbated by the growing refusal of public schools to teach the history and culture of the nation. What it means to be British has been watered down in a plague of political correctness. […]
Abraham Lincoln said no nation can exist half slave and half free. Neither can a nation be sustained if it allows conditions that result in mass emigration, while importing huge numbers of foreigners who come from backgrounds that do not practice assimilation or tolerance of other beliefs. When one factors in the high number of abortions (one in five pregnancies are aborted in England and Wales), the high birth rates of immigrants (15 times those of white Britons), it doesn't take an expert to predict that the days of the England we have known may be numbered.
The problem for Britain and the United States isn't just the change in demographics. It is the reluctance of both countries to inculcate the beliefs, history and, yes, religious ideals, which made our nations so successful that others wanted to come and be a part of them.
Prime Minister Badawi of Malaysia on Islam
From HERE:
New York - Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called Friday for increasing dialogue to repair misunderstandings by the West about Islam.
'The main cause is the misperception in the West that Islam promotes exclusively and encourages extremism,' Badawi said in an address to the UN General Assembly.
He said action should be taken to generate 'greater understanding' between civilizations and cultures and dialogue to establish 'the truth that Islam is a religion which espouses universalism, not exclusivity, and tolerance, not bigotry.'
New York - Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called Friday for increasing dialogue to repair misunderstandings by the West about Islam.
'The main cause is the misperception in the West that Islam promotes exclusively and encourages extremism,' Badawi said in an address to the UN General Assembly.
He said action should be taken to generate 'greater understanding' between civilizations and cultures and dialogue to establish 'the truth that Islam is a religion which espouses universalism, not exclusivity, and tolerance, not bigotry.'
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