The tradition of violence in Islam, which started with Muhammad, continues to this day. There is worldwide evidence that radicalized Muslims kill or otherwise persecute and kill people solely for being non-Muslims. This is well documented in Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan (where modern slavery is practiced), Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Malaysia. ISIS has cast its specter across the middle east and looks to be expanding to Africa.
According to the organization the Voice of the Martyrs (website www.persecution.com or search for Voice of the Martyrs) 160,000 Christians are killed annually because of their faith—the vast majority being killed by Muslims. If Islam claims to be a religion of peace, why is there so much oppression in every Muslim country?
Islam is anti-semitic. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education approved school textbooks contained, as of the year 2000, a most disturbing teaching. The teaching, which is from the hadiths (Bukhari 4:176-177) as taught by Muhammad himself, is required instruction for all middle school children in Saudi Arabia. The teaching which is entitled "The Victory of Muslims Over Jews," says:
"The last hour won't come before the Muslims would fight the Jews, and the Muslims will kill them. So Jews would hide behind rocks and trees. Then the rocks and trees would call, 'Oh, Muslim. Oh, Servant of God. There is a Jew behind me. Come and kill him.' "
Included with the text is a list of principles, including the following:
"Jews and Christians are the enemies of believers. They will never approve of the Muslims. Beware of them."
Yes, the Bible has its share of violence as well, particularly in the Old Testament. For example, God instructs the Israelites coming out of Egypt to take over the land of Canaan and kill all of the inhabitants. However, there is a clear difference from Quranic violence.
The Bible makes it clear that the Canaanite society deserved it as it was thoroughly polluted by their wretchedly evil practices, including the horror of child sacrifice. (Deuteronomy 9:1-6, 12:29-31, 18:9-14; 1 Kings 14:24; 2 Chronicles 33:1-9; Ezra 9:11) Thus God used the Israelites to administer specific justice, just as he later used other societies to administer justice against the Israelites for their unrepentant sin (book of Jeremiah).
Instances of violence recorded in the Bible are of a particular limited circumstance-situation in specific period of time, for a particular purpose established exclusively by Almighty God. But the Quran issues a general command to kill and destroy the enemies of Islam and such commands are applicable for all times and places and applicable to all people groups. Wanton slaughter of innocent peoples who often have no idea why they are hated, targeted and killed.
While there is indeed violence in the Bible, one thing is certain—Jesus had a non-violent message. While some people have betrayed the peaceful message of Jesus in history, the teachings of Jesus have a consistent tone of peace, service, love, and humility. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He never told us to kill anyone, and he disdained violence (exceptions being the unavoidable need of self-defense and just conflict).
His followers echoed this command for peace. Just a few of the numerous New Testament passages that can be cited are: Matthew 5:1-12, 5:43-44, 9:36, 19:30, 26:50-52; Mark 9:35; Luke 6:27-36, 9:54-55, 10:30-37, 22:49-51, 23:32-34; John 10:7-18, 13:1-17; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 2:6-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:15, and 1 Peter 3:8-9. I encourage you to read these moving passages, and then consider what the world would be like if everyone practiced the teachings of Jesus.
With the coming of Christ to bear God's judgment, the warfare of God's people as described in the Old Testament was converted to spiritual warfare in the New Testament (Ephesians 6:10-18). In their present warfare, Christians are commanded not to curse, but to bless their personal enemies, overcoming all evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).
Jesus warned, "The time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God" (John 16:2-4). While these words were spoken to his disciples, they have a powerful ring today.
There is nothing like the Christian concept of "love your enemies" or "turn your other cheek" (Luke 6:27-37) found in Islam. While Christianity says to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 19:19), the Quran instructs its followers not to even take Christians or Jews as friends (Suras 3:118, 5:51, 64, 60:1-3)!
Another interesting point is that the Islamic concept of charity is different from the Christian concept. Muslims are required to give alms to the poor, but only to the Muslim poor. In this way, the Muslim's wealth is purified. The biblical concept of charity is not limited to any ethnic group. In fact, Jesus used illustrations that encouraged helping those outside the faith (Luke 10:30-37).
Islam is a religion of power and glory. Muslims find it hard to believe that Christians could worship Jesus, given his lack of political power and apparent defeat by the authorities. They fail to acknowledge that Jesus was the ultimate victor as he conquered even death.
Islam is more than a religion; it is an ideology with a clear sociopolitical agenda. There is no such thing as separation of church and state in orthodox Islam. Western notions of democracy and freedom are in opposition to orthodox Islam. Mankind must be controlled by Islamic law in total, and not be allowed to stray from the authority of Allah. Islam is thus a totalitarian utopian worldview. The fact that freedom of religion does not exist in Muslim countries is evidence supporting the view that Islam wants nothing short of global domination achieved through violent conflict leading to political control.
Islam must declare war on unbelief. Dr. Samuel Schlorff, an expert on Islam with Arab World Ministries explains that, "Muslims believe that Islam's destiny is to extend its control until the whole Dar al-Harb [which means 'House of War'—that is, the whole non-Muslim world] is subject to Islamic law in an Islamic state, and this includes the use of force." But since there is no pure Islamic state, Islam is considered to be at war against the whole world. See Sura 8:39.
Further, as explained by former radical Islamist, Hassan Butt, many Muslim preachers teach that since Islam is in a state of war against the globe, any Muslim is allowed to destroy the sanctity of the five rights that every human is otherwise granted under Islam: life, wealth, land, mind, and belief. In Dar al-Harb, anything goes, including the treachery and cowardice of attacking innocent people.
An interesting conclusion emerges regarding the Quran and the history of the lands where its teachings are applied... the more a society has used the Quran as a source of law, the more oppressive the state becomes. Look across the middle eastern countries when Islam is dominate, and you see oppressive cultures and restrictive societies with harsh laws. Contrary to the oppression of the Quran, the more a society has used the Bible as a foundation of law, the more freedom the society and its peoples experience.
One commonly hears in the press that Islam is a religion of peace. This is true only in one sense... peace will come when all competing religions have been brought into submission to Islam (Sura 9:29). Muslims who say Islam is a religion of peace, can only say so by ignoring or rationalizing away its violent commands. In doing that, any Muslim is failing to hold the tenants of the Islamic faith and is subject to death.
These issues explain why Muslim leaders around the world were so subdued in their condemnation of the 9/11/01 attack on America. Even in America, the common response was, "Yes, the attack was wrong, but....." It is what follows the "but" that is important in understanding their real views.
Muslims are taught that the Old Testament is like grade school; the New Testament is like high school; and the Quran is like college. Islam claims to be the final, most perfect religion. If so, why does it seem to revert back to unjustified violence even worse than the Old Testament?
Muslims who commit aggressive acts of violence are acting consistently with fundamentalist Islam. Christians who might commit aggressive acts of violence are acting contrarily to fundamentalist Christianity.
Do not be mislead... Islam has a dark side.
More to come in the Next Installment on Comparing Christianity and Islam...
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