BEHOLD THE BEAST
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Islam Reviewed
17 - JIHAD & MODERN MUSLIMSModern civilization actually works against Islam. Jihad that was
enthusiastically employed as a means of propagating Islam during the
dark ages is now an embarrassment to many moderate Muslims. Some
try to explain away the high level of terrorism perpetrated by various
radical Islamic groups, but all recognize Jihad as part of today's reality.
While writing this book, I was deeply touched by a newspaper
account of a speech given by Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak. I
quote from that article:
"Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in his most open attack on
Muslim fundamentalism has denounced people who use
religious extremism and intellectual terrorism for 'cheap political
gains.' They are not even alarmed when their illicit trade tarnish
the image of Muslims and weakens the status of the Muslim
nations before the world. "This flagrant negativism is an illness
which must be confronted courageously," Mubarak said.
"A political analyst close to Mubarak commented: 'This is
the first time the president tackles the phenomena of fundamen-
talism with total courage.' Instead of denying and hiding,
Mubarak took the straight forward approach."
"Mubarak who saw his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, shot
dead by Muslim extremists as he sat next to him at a military
parade in 1981 declared: 'We must distance ourselves from
sectarian divisions, reject religious extremism, fight intellectual
terrorism and defend our nation from religious abuse.' He called
for religious tolerance including allowing non-Muslims to
practice their faith freely in Muslim states."
"Mubarak denounced the repeated use of violence by
extremists against police and innocent bystanders. Backing most
of the speech with verses of the Koran, Mubarak said Islam
stressed freedom of belief. 'Conviction is never achieved by
violence and (Islam) does not enter the mind or the heart by
the sword,' he declared."1
Less than two weeks after Mubarak's speech, on April 15th 1992, the
U.N. Security Council imposed an air travel and arms embargo on Libya.
This action was taken because Libya refused to hand over the two men
who were implicated in the blowing up of the Pan-Am passenger plane
over Lockerbie, Scotland, a 1988 terrorist act in which 270 innocent
people were killed.2 That month was certainly eventful. In it, the Islamic
Salvation Front of Algeria asked its members to take up arms against the
government and the radical Muslims in Afghanistan captured Kabul.
The Iranian sponsored Hizbollah (Party of Allah) continually
bombards northern Israel with all sorts of offensive weapons: rocket-
propelled grenades, artillery pieces and self-propelled howitzers, and sets
ambushes and booby traps for Israeli soldiers.
With inflammatory Jihad rhetoric flowing from the lips of the late
Ayatollah Khomeini, thousands of youths volunteered for the Iran/Iraq
war even when it was confirmed that the Iraqis were using highly toxic
chemical weapons and lethal napalm bombs.
On Tuesday 5th and Friday 8th May 1992, Radio France Interna-
tional reported the death of fifty people as Islamic fundamentalists
attacked Coptic Christians in Egypt, and attacks against them continue.
If the Koran is to be believed, and Muhammad is the model of
correct Islamic behavior, these so called "extremists" or "fundamental-
ists" are the true Muslims. The Muslims who are hungry for Christian
flesh and thirsty for their blood are really the ones who are obeying what
Allah says:
"Therefore when ye meet the unbelievers [in fight] smite at
their necks; at length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them,
bind a bond firmly [on them]." (Sura 47:4).
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1 The speech he made to mark Leilat Al-Kadr, as it appeared on Page 5 of Nigeria
Daily Times, April 2nd 1992.
2 Editor's Note: To date, Lybia has still refused to allow those men to be extradited
to stand trial. Here is why. Fundamental Muslims do not see those men as
murderers, but as warriors in Jihad. True Muslims are fighting an all-out war
against the West, a war that the West is too blinded by its dependance on Arab oil
to see.
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"True Muslims" will ever wish unbelievers (especially Jews and
Christians) dead as long as this kind of inciting Suras remain in the
Koran. Islam has divided the world into two distinct camps: Dar al-Islam,
i.e. the household of Islam, and Dar al-Harb, i.e. the household of war.
Everyone who is not a Muslim is in Dar al-Harb. They are regarded as
enemies of Allah whose heads must be chopped off.
There are verified reports that some Islamic countries are developing
nuclear weapons. All peace-loving people of the world should be on their
knees praying against this, because if the Muslim nations succeed, as
sure as night follows day they will use those weapons in Jihad. The same
is true of the biological and chemical weapons they are developing.
As previously discussed, many still argue that Allah is just the Arabic
name for the true God. They obviously don't know the origin of Islam.
Fine and convincing as their arguments may sound, Jesus warned sternly
that we should not be carried away by every wind of doctrine, but rather
that we should judge such men by their fruits. For He says:
By their fruits we shall know them. (Matthew 7:15, 16).
Paraphrasing the verse, Jesus is saying: what you claim or say does not
matter near as much as what your character is or how you behave.
What of the Wars in the Bible?
The wars the Israelites fought were purely national or political wars that
they are still fighting to this day. These were not religious wars initiated
to propagate their faith. The Bible God knows that forcing people to
embrace a religion amounts to making hypocrites of them.
What about the Crusades?
The Crusades cannot be said to be truly Christian since nowhere did
Jesus command his followers to fight for or take Jerusalem.1 Our Lord
Jesus Christ, being the Prince of Peace, was always going about doing
good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38).
- He heals multitude of people (Mark 1:32-34).
- He cleanses lepers of leprosy (Matthew 8:2-3).
- He restores paralyzed men (Matthew 9:6).
- He manufactures eyes for men born blind (John 9:1-7).
- He feeds thousands by a miracle (Matthew 14:16-21).
- He brings the dead back to life (John 11:37-44) etc.
Jesus is not just a physical healer, he is also a spiritual healer. His blood
is the only cure for our sin sicknesses.
How did Jesus treat His opponents?
Jesus not only taught that we should love our enemies but also practiced
it. In one of his preaching trips, the Samaritans refused him passage
through their territory (his miracles notwithstanding). His disciples got
so angry that they wanted to bring fire down from Heaven upon them,
but Jesus said:
Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of
Man [Jesus] is not come to destroy men's lives but to save
them. (Luke 9:51-56)
Jesus knew who was to betray Him, but He did not curse. When
Jesus was arrested and later crucified He dissuaded Peter from defending
Him with the sword, saying:
Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword. (Matthew 26:52)
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1 Editor's Note: With the new understanding of Revelation available to the Church
since 1967, it is now apparent that the first horn of the "beast with two horns,"
(Rev 13:11) was the Crusades. They "spake as a dragon," i.e., the Crusaders were
influenced by Satan. History documents the many terrible atrocities that were
committed by Crusaders against the local inhabitants in the Holy Land.
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Mr. murderer, do you hear that? They that take the sword shall perish by
the sword, says Jesus. He even prayed for those that nailed Him to the
cross saying:
Father forgive them for they know not what they do. (Luke 24:34)
Can you imagine a person using his last breath to pray for his killers?
Not only Jesus, but many Christian martyrs have done just that, ever
since Jesus died. Can any person in his right mind put Jesus and
Muhammad on the same pedestal? What concord hath Christ with
Belial?
. . . because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example,
that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was
guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not
again; when he suffered he threatened not. (1 Peter 2:21-23).
Even though our Muslim friends are commanded by Allah to kill us, we
must respond with Christ's command that we love our enemies and pray
for our persecutors (Matthew 5:44).
"For the love of Christ constraineth us. (2 Corinth. 5:14).
There are countless supernatural beings who claim to be God. But Allah
included, they all fall short of the kind, loving and forgiving nature of the
true God of the Bible. Listen to what He says:
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that
no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:15-16)