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A Voice in the Wilderness |
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October 13, 2001
Re: Islam There are some overlooked facts in the current Middle East situation. This is a little collection of things: Some of these were compiled by a Christian university professor, and forwarded to VW by a regular subscriber, and posted here as received. Some other things are from other sources.
CRASH COURSE ON the ARAB ISRAELI CONFLICT HERE'S THE BRIEF FACTS ON THE ISRAELI CONFLICT TODAY.... It makes sense and it's not slanted. Jew and non-Jew it doesn't matter. 1. Nationhood and Jerusalem. Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C.E., two thousand years before the rise of Islam. 2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel. 3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 B.C.E. the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years. 4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 C.E. lasted no more than 22 years. 5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit. 6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran. 7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem. 8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem. 9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: In 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier. 10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms. 11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same. 12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own peoples' lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey. 13. The Arab - Israeli Conflict: The Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won. 14. The P.L.O.'s Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them with weapons. 15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths. 16. The U.N. Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel. 17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 18. The U. N was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians. 19. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives 20. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. THE KORAN ON JEWS "3.112" : Abasement is made to cleave to them (the Jews) wherever they are found, except under a covenant with Allah and a covenant with men, and they have become deserving of wrath from Allah, and humiliation is made to cleave to them; this is because they disbelieved in the communications of Allah and slew the prophets unjustly; this is because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits. "5.51" : O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. "5.82" : Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists , and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly. "9.30" : And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! From the Hadith , a body of traditions relating to Mohammed and now supplemental to the Koran: He (Abu Hurayah ) reported the messenger of Allah as saying: The last hour will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them, so that Jews will hide behind stones and trees and the Stone and the tree will say, O Muslim, O servant of God! There is a Jew behind me; come and kill him. The only exception will be the box-thorn for it is one of the trees of the Jews. Sahih of Muslim , quoted by Israel and the Prophecies of Al Quran by Ali Akbar, Bismi Publishers 1992, p.44) (Palestinian Media Watch in Israel reported in July 2001 that at least four times in recent months Palestinian religious leaders had taught publicly that this Hadith (Islamic traditions attributed to Mohammed) is an authoritative directive of Islam today, expressing Allah¹s will that obedient Muslims kill Jews). (In the terminology of Islam, unbelievers are Jews and Christians) THE KORAN ON CHRISTIANS "4.156-158" : And for their unbelief and for their having uttered against Marium a grievous calumny. And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium , the apostle of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. Nay! +Z&- Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise. 4.171" : O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector. "5.14" : And with those who say, We are Christians, We made a covenant, but they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of, therefore We excited among them enmity and hatred to the day of resurrection; and Allah will inform them of what they did. "5.18" : And the Jews and the Christians say: We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones. Say: Why does He then chastise you for your faults? Nay, you are mortals from among those whom He has created, He forgives whom He pleases and chastises whom He pleases; and Allah's is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and to Him is the eventual coming. 5.51" : O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. "5.69" : Surely those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabians and the Christians whoever believes in Allah and the last day and does good they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve. "5.72" : Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah, He is the Messiah, son of Marium and the Messiah said: O Children of Israel! serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden to him the garden, and his abode is the fire; and there shall be no helpers for the unjust. "5.73" : Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah is the third (person) of the three; and there is no god but the one God, and if they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement shall befall those among them who disbelieve. "5.82" : Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists , and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly. "9.30" : And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! "17.111" : And say: (All) praise is due to Allah, Who has not taken a son and Who has not a partner in the kingdom, and Who has not a helper to save Him from disgrace; and proclaim His greatness magnifying (Him). 18.1-5" : (All) praise is due to Allah, Who revealed the Book to His servant and did not make in it any crookedness. Rightly directing, that he might give warning of severe punishment from Him and give good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a goodly reward, Staying in it for ever; And warn those who say: Allah has taken a son. They have no knowledge of it, nor had their fathers; a grievous word it is that comes out of their mouths;they speak nothing but a lie. .C*1 "19.88-92" : And they say: The Beneficent God has taken (to Himself) a son. Certainly you have made an abominable assertion. The heavens may almost be rent thereat, and the earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in pieces, that they ascribe a son to the Beneficent God. And it is not worthy of the Beneficent God that He should take (to Himself) a son. THE KORAN ON JIHAD "5.33" : The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement, "8.38" : Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past shall be forgiven to them; and if they return, then what happened to the ancients has already passed. "8.39" : And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do. "9.5" : So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush,then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them;surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. "9.29" : Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. "9.30" : And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! "9.36" : Surely the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah's ordinance since the day when He created the heavens and the earth, of these four being sacred; that is the right reckoning; therefore be not unjust to yourselves regarding them, and fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil). "9.73" : O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination. "9.123" : O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil). Quotations from the Koran are from M. H. Shakir 's translation of the Holy Qur'an , as published by Tahrike , P'/ Tarsile Qur'an , Inc., P.O. Box 1115, Elmhurst, New York 11373 @<2 (Internet electronic version). The references give chapter and verse. A good translation is also The Meaning of the Glorious Koran by Marmaduke Pickthall (Dorset Press, New York) ISBN 0-88029-209-1 @`2 ! Koran misc. quotes re: Violence/killing, Israel, Jesus/prophet, Keeping/breaking promises, etc
The Women section: [4.88] What is the matter with you, then, that you have become two parties about the hypocrites, while Allah has made them return (to unbelief) for what they have earned? Do you wish to guide him whom Allah has caused to err? And whomsoever Allah causes to err, you shall by no means find a way for him. [4.89] They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper. [4.91] You will find others who desire that they should be safe from you and secure from their own people; as often as they are sent back to the mischief they get thrown into it headlong; therefore if they do not withdraw from you, and (do not) offer you peace and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and against these We have given.you a clear authority. [4.101] And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will cause you distress, surely the unbelievers are your open enemy. surely Allah has prepared a disgraceful chastisement for the unbelievers. [4.103] Then when you have finished the prayer, remember Allah standing and sitting and reclining; but when you are secure (from danger) keep up prayer; surely prayer is a timed ordinance for the believers. [4.104] And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy; if you suffer pain, then surely they (too) suffer pain as you suffer pain, and you hope from Allah what they do not hope; and Allah is Knowing, Wise.
The Dinner Table section: [5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.
The Accessions: [8.29] O you who believe! If you are careful of (your duty to) Allah, He will grant you a distinction and do away with your evils and forgive you; and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace. [8.39] And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah; but if they desist, then surely Allah sees what they do. [8.55] Surely the vilest of animals in Allah's sight are those who disbelieve [8.59] And let not those who disbelieve think that they shall come in first; surely they will not escape. [8.60] And prepare against them what force you can and horses tied at the frontier, to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them, whom you do not know (but) Allah knows them; and whatever thing you will spend in Allah's way, it will be paid back to you fully and you shall not be dealt with unjustly. *(This next section is very interesting, since this was on papers that they found from at least one of the hijackers from 9-11.) [8.65] O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand. [8.66] For the present Allah has made light your burden, and He knows that there is weakness in you; so if there are a hundred patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a thousand they shall overcome two thousand by Allah's permission, and Allah is with the patient. [8.67] It is not fit for a prophet that he should take captives unless he has fought and triumphed in the land; you desire the frail goods of this world, while Allah desires (for you) the hereafter; and Allah is Mighty, Wise. [8.68] Were it not for an ordinance from Allah that had already gone forth, surely there would have befallen you a great chastisement for what you had taken to. [8.69] Eat then of the lawful and good (things) which you have acquired in war, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
The Immunity section: [9.20] Those who believed and fled (their homes), and strove hard in Allah's way with their property and their souls, are much higher in rank with Allah; and those are they who are the achievers (of their objects). [9.29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. {Islamic faith} [9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! [9.31] They have taken their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides Allah, and (also) the Messiah son of Marium and they were enjoined that they should serve one God only, there is no god but He; far from His glory be what they set up (with Him). [9.32] They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light, though the unbelievers are averse. [9.63] Do they not know that whoever acts in opposition to Allah and His Apostle, he shall surely have the fire of hell to abide in it? That is the grievous abasement. [9.73] O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination. [9.123] O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).
The Children of Israel section: [17.22] Do not associate with Allah any other god, lest you sit down despised, neglected. [17.33] And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause
About God not having a Son:
JEWS AND CHRISTIANS ON THE FRONT LINE As most will be aware, during August the BBC aired a number of programmes focussing on Islam both in its history and in contemporary scene. There is no doubt that these were superbly presented. The impression generally given was that Islam, both historically and today, was a peaceful religion which has given huge benefits to human history since its birth and which today promises to benefit British society. While it is true that there have been times when Christians and Jews have lived more or less harmoniously within a Moslem society, and while it is also true that there are today kind and thoughtful Muslims who do seek to live peaceably with their non-Muslim neighbours, this is not the basic fundamental nature of Islam. The fact is that intolerance with non-Muslims is one of the basic tenets of Islam, and that whenever Islam seeks to return to its foundational primitive framework, it returns at the same time to intolerance and, using its own word, Jihad. There are two aspects of contemporary Islam of which it will be good for Christians today to be reminded. THE DUTY OF JIHAD One of the important features of Islam is that of Jihad, that is the obligation to wage a holy war on 'unbelievers', mainly Jews and Christians. This is plainly stated in various place in the Koran, and is a statement of the militaristic aspect of Islam which was manifest in the years after Muhammad,. The five 'pillars' or duties of Islam, are faith, prayer, zakah (setting aside a proportion for those in need), fasting, and the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), Nevertheless, these pillars of Islam are not an end in themselves but are explained to be the means to prepare and equip the Muslim for Islam's ultimate purpose which is Jihad. "The ultimate objective of Islam is to abolish the lordship of man over man and bring him under the rule of the one God (Allah). To stake everything you have - including your lives - to achieve this purpose is called Jihad. Prayer, fasting, alms giving and pilgrimage, all prepare you for Jihad." (Let us be Muslims Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi, The Islamic Foundation (Leicester) 1985 page 285) "If you believe Islam to be true, you have no alternative but to exert your uttermost strength to make it prevail on earth: you either establish it or give your lives in this struggle." (ibid) One hundred years after the death of Muhammad the Islamic armies had pushed as far as Poitiers in France, but were there beaten and turned back across the Pyrenees. Despite this setback, within two centuries of Muhammad's death Islam dominated the great sweep of territory from southern Spain to northern India. The Muslims remained dominant in Spain for another seven centuries. In contrast to other world religions, Islam is not only a religious system, but also a social, political and legal system, and in its original form (a form re-emerging today) demands from its followers total conformity in all these areas. For the orthodox Muslim Arab, Islam's history came to an end in 1258 with the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols; in 1492 with the fall of Grenada and the end of Moslem Spain; and in 1517 when the Turks conquered Egypt. Islam went into a dark age in which it would stagnate for more than four centuries. Certainly during this period Islam appeared to be a moderate religious force, and indeed Jews, for example, enjoyed a reasonably secure existence in Islamic countries. The slumbering giant awoke in the early 1970s as a result of the 1973?74 oil?embargo, and has since resumed its inherent militant nature. One has only to look at the behaviour of Islam, not only in the Middle-East where it is manifesting an extreme fundamentalist nature through Hamas and other factions, but also in North Africa where the Christians of Egypt (the Copts) have been suffering extreme persecution, Sudan where countless thousands have been brutally murdered, and other countries where similar difficulties exist. Even in our own country we see a militant Islam on the move with the building of mosques and an aggressive political attitude - unless it is expedient to show an accommodating face. Thus, the Muslims are seeking to build a huge mosque in the East End of London to be the largest in Europe. The Islamic authorities have said that they want every house within a one mile radius to be occupied by Muslims so that they can bring the whole area under Islamic rule, despite th e fact that it includes some thriving churches and the homes of many Christians. (Reported in PWM News Letter, July 2001) According to Islam the world is divided into two, the House of Islam and the House of War. According to this scenario the Islamic world is committed to wage war against those outside it until it submits to Islam. Such warfare may be not only military but also political and religious. To Islam the word "peace" means not our Western/Judeo-Christian idea of peace, that is cooperative coexistence, but rather subjugation to Islam, and to lie and deceive is a legitimate means to that end - despite the 'official' explanation of Islam given for western consumption which says that "Islam is the religion of peace: its meaning is peace.... If non-Muslims are peaceful with the Muslims or even indifferent to Islam, there can be no justification to interfere in their affairs or declare war on them. There is no religion or constitution that guarantees peaceful freedom of religion and forbids compulsion in religion except Islam." (Introducing Islam) At a conference in 1968 at the influential al-Azhar University in Cairo, Sheikh Abdullah Ghoshah, Supreme Judge of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in presenting a paper on Jihad, made some significant revelations: "Jihad is legislated in order to be one of the means of propagating Islam. Consequently non-Muslims ought to embrace Islam either willingly or through wisdom and good advice, or unwillingly through fight and Jihad. Scholars lay the foundation of the foreign policy of the Islamic states on the following bases: 1. It is unlawful to give up Jihad and adopt peace and weakness, unless the purpose of giving up is for preparation, whenever there is something weak among Muslims and their opponents are strong. 2. War is the basis of the relationship between Muslims and their opponents unless there are justifiable reasons for peace such as adopting Islam or making an agreement with them to keep peaceful. 3. The abode of Islam is the homeland which is subject to the rules of Islam... The abode of war is the nation which is not subject to the rules of Islam... 4. Muslims are free to break their covenant with enemies if they are uneasy lest the enemies should betray them ... The Sheikh quoted two traditional authorities on Islam. From Al Tabarani: "Lies are sins except when they are told for the welfare of a Moslem or for saving him from disaster." From Ibn Al Arabi: Telling lies in war is permitted so as to comfort the Muslims when they are in need of it as in the time of fighting." Sheikh Ghoshah concluded his address with an observation on arrogance: "Allah, the Almighty, loves the Muslim to be arrogant when he is fighting as it manifests that he is indifferent to his enemy and that he determines to vanquish him." (Conference proceedings published by the Egyptian Government Printing Office in 1970, in Arabic and English; quoted by John Laffin in The Dagger of Islam, Sphere Books Ltd, London 1979, pp 54-55) Thus, a peaceful moderate Islam is an historical anomaly and its true nature is a militaristic conquering religion committed to the subjugation of all other faiths, most particularly that of Jews and Christians. 'FIRST THE JEW, AND THEN THE CHRISTIAN' It has become commonplace to equate Judaism Christianity and Islam by referring to them as the three great monotheistic religions. The implication then follows that all three are equally valid ways to God so that dialogue between two of the three, or sometimes all three together, will lead to a greater understanding of God's love for and way of life for men and women. However, one of the key tenets of Islam is its denial of Jesus as the Son of God, and indeed as God himself. The holiest site on earth is arguably the Temple Mount in Jerusalem where possibly Abraham offered up Isaac, which David purchased, and which ultimately became the site of the Second Temple, and in a geographical sense the place where Jesus was crucified and buried. Nevertheless inscribed on the Dome of the Rock, standing where it is believed Abraham offered up Isaac (Ishmael according to the Koran), are inscriptions seven hundred and thirty-four feet long in all, amongst the lengthiest inscriptions in the world, including passages from the Koran which all deny the sonship of Jesus. One of these says: "Do not say 'three' and it will be better for you. Allah is only one God. Far be it from His glory that he should have a son." This can almost be called the ultimate example of blasphemy, and a focal point for Islam's opposition to the God of Israel and His Messiah. Contrary to the way the secular media generally portrays the Arab/Israeli conflict, it is essentially a religious conflict which in fact has been preached long before the current violence began. This preaching is not a reaction to present violence but rather the motivating force behind it. The Palestinian authority's religious world-view sees agreements with Israel as inherently temporary, and war against Jews as an expression of Allah's will. "Regrettably, the Christian world has not yet come to grips with the fact that Israel is on the front line against a rapidly expanding wave of radical Islamic fundamentalism which is in danger of engulfing the world. Militant radical Islam views the Jewish state as a primal challenge to their religion and vaunted manhood. It has been suggested that Israel and the Jews are being used by Moslem leaders as the emotional short fuse to build up their fighting courage and war-making capabilities. Predictably, if they achieve their current goals of destroying Israel they will continue on against the bastion of Christianity - Europe and America. For radical Islamists, this will be their final battle but, in the interim, they invite Christian nations to join them in their war against the Jews. "Muslims have a saying: 'First the Saturday People; then the Sunday People'. This two tiered war is already in motion as Arabs under the banner of Islam have hurled themselves against Israel in six wars and continual terrorism, alongside their attacking Christians in almost all Arab and/or Muslim lands. * Coptic Christians in Egypt - the largest Christian community in the Middle East - are being systematically eliminated. * Sudanese Christians and animists are being annihilated. The policy of Khartoum against the mostly Christian seven million Southern Sudanese is increasing in violence and scope. * Christian Lebanese have been massacred in previous years by Arafat's PLO. This broadening of oppression, which started in the early 1990s, has reached an apex this past year with the resuming of abduction, torture and jailing of hundreds Lebanese Christians and non-Christians, accused of being either anti-Syrians or pro-Israeli. * In Iran, the Mullah regime, despite the leadership of pragmatic President Khatemi, still maintains a religious apartheid system against the non-Muslims, particularly the Christians and the Bahais. (MECHRIC: Escalation of Oppression against Christians in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq 3 July 2001) * Even Arab Christians in Bethlehem are being driven out or remain under siege. "Israel is the front line, defying Islam by thwarting their first goal of eliminating Jews and their religion. "The Christian world, in their own foremost interests, ought to be vigorously supportive of the Jewish State of Israel as their best outer defence barrier against an ongoing attack by the Muslims against themselves. Instead, the Western nations passively or otherwise support the Muslims against Israel by their defence of the Palestinian cause and their failure to properly convey the reality of Israel's position. "Perhaps there will be a great awakening across the entire Christian world that in fact the Jews stand as defenders at the gates of civilisation." (Radical Islam vs. Israel, Emanuel A.Winston, M.E Analyst & Commentator, Arutz 7, 16 June 2001; MECHRIC: Escalation of Oppression against Christians in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq 3 July 2001) Derek WhiteAll the above posted here as received from a regular VW subscriber
Christians in Islamic Countries Being Targeted & Persecuted ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weekend News Today Lead: faith Source: NewsMax.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wed Oct 17,2001 -- The situation of Christians has deteriorated rapidly in many Islamic countries since the terrorist attacks on the U.S. and the subsequent U.S.-British raids on Afghanistan, according to Paul Marshall, a senior fellow at the Center for Religious Freedom. A prominent U.S. imam Monday publicly assailed as un-Islamic the persecution of Christians in Muslim countries ranging from Indonesia to Nigeria. "The Koran enjoins Muslims to treat everybody with dignity and compassion," claimed Muzzamil Siddiqi, director of the Islamic Society of Orange County, Calif., when asked about the rapid rise in murder threats, violence, forced conversions, incarceration and discrimination some Christians are being subjected to. Diane Knippers, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, praised Siddiqi's remarks as a wonderful statement. "We need more of this. We need Muslim groups in the U.S. to raise their voices on behalf of Christians in predominantly Muslim areas." Knip pers pointed out that "U.S. churches were quick to speak up on behalf of Moslems in our society. They rightly encouraged all America to treat them with respect. But, at the same time the churches should speak up when Christians in Muslim areas are in jeopardy." The National Council of Churches' news service also condemned the persecution of Christians Monday. Marshall, an internationally recognized authority on religious rights, said Christians were in peril in a long belt of Muslim nations stretching from the eastern parts of Indonesia all the way to West Africa. In an interview with United Press International, Marshall drew a grim picture for Christians, country by country:
The Fraud of Islam; How the Conspiracy Thrives ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weekend News Today Lead: faith Source: Christian News Today ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tue May 28,2002 -- "We should have no illusions about the matter: no
part of the world will be excluded. Now that Islam has national,
military, and economic power, it will attempt to extend its religion
everywhere, including the British Commonwealth and the United
States..." - So wrote French Protestant theologian Jacques Ellul in his
1985 book, "The Dhimmi", a methodical study of the treatment of
non-Moslems by Islam, both throughout history as well as in our own
times. Since then, Ellul's foresight has been fulfilled in a striking
and dramatic manner that quite possibly even he did not envision.
Saturated in billions of oil dollars, the world fundamentalist Moslem
movement is headed and financed primarily by Saudi Arabia, with the
support of other Arab countries.
The Saudi government, with its allies and offshoot organizations,
so-called "charities" and businesses, has been bankrolling the
worldwide terrorist coalition of terrorist organizations, religiously
bound to expand Fundamentalist Islam everywhere. Special targets are
the United States, Europe and almost every other developed country. All
this is done blatantly, under the tender cover of democratic law and
idealism. By now we all know about Osama Bin Laden, where he came from
and from where his support and financing were mostly obtained. What we
tend to forget is that Bin Laden is not alone, that many other "Bin
Ladens" are still out there, awaiting their "moment of glory". Not all
of them are directly involved in bombings and murder. Most of them
support the Islamic cause by lavish media presentations, interviews and
"presentations" of Arab "dignitaries" and so-called religious figures.
The pro- Islamic misinformation, to which we are now exposed, contains
a great number of blatantly deceiving statements. They come along with
a fascinating collection of barefaced falsifications and outright lies
about the real meaning and purposes of Islam.
WHAT IS THE REAL ISLAM? "Islam is not a new religion," - says the
Moslem misinformation purveyors - "but the same truth that God revealed
through all His prophets to every people". They omit to mention,
however, the fact that Moslems believe their religion came to TOTALLY
REPLACE the Bible, as well as both Judaism and Christianity, with
everything associated with them or born of them. And that is simply and
precisely what Islam teaches! According to the Koran (the Moslem holy
book), not all men are born equal. Moslems consider themselves the
master race of "the prophet" and look down at others as inferior.
Indeed, their religious texts vilify Christians and Jews (jointly
called "peoples of the Book") as "apes" and "pigs". Such passages,
however, are found only in the original Arabic. They are seldom found
in translations into other languages, especially not in Western
tongues.
As noted in this booklet, the term "Islam" is Arabic stands not for
"peace" but for for "submission". and includes a play-on- words to the
similarly-sounding Hebrew "Shalom", which does mean "peace". The
Islamic view of "peace" ("salem") with an adversary or "infidel"
(non-Moslem) does not signify coexistence or cooperation. The Islamic
definition of "peace" is the conquest, or "submission" of the enemy.
ISLAM VERSUS THE WORLD Moslems divide the world into two irreconcilable
camps, the first is "dar al-Islam", or "house of Islam", which includes
all countries where Islam currently prevails, and the second is "dar
al-harb", or "house of war", which includes everywhere else. The object
of Islam and its followers is to expand their faith (and power) until
the whole world is within their realm. It is a global vision, similar
to that used in the last century by Communism, but much more powerful,
being a religion as well as a political ideology.
THE HOLY WAR The vehicle for Islamic expansion is the concept of
"jihad" or "holy war". In translation, they misrepresent "jihad" as
"struggle" and sometimes "self defense". In reality, the Koran
instructs that "jihad" is a "sacred duty", incumbent on "every Moslem".
There is also a schedule of rewards for those who "dispose of" infidels
(which include any non-Moslem, Christians, Jews, Hindus and others).
The same rewards are bestowed also upon all those who die while
participating in holy-war campaigns. As the Yussuf Ali English
translation of the Koran states: "Allah hath conferred on those who
fight [for him] with their wealth and their lives a rank above those
who tarry."
In addition, "he who has not taken part, or at least considered taking
part, in a campaign of jihad until [he reaches] the end of his life,
meets his death holding a branch of hypocrisy." Millions of Moslems who
believe these writings to be divine have died due to their
participation in Islamic so-called holy wars. Many terrorist atrocities
are committed by groups that utilize the word "jihad", whether in their
names or in their goal. Contrary to affirmations which Moslem leaders
continuously feed Western listener, killing innocent civilian
"infidels" is far from disobeying Islamic precepts. Indeed such actions
are equel to killing soldiers or other religions' leaders.
A "STRANGE" FAITH !?! The Moslem apologists state that Islam seems
strange to Westerners because the West is highly secularized. "Moslems
have religion always uppermost in their minds," they say, implying that
others do not. The simple truth is that Islam seems strange because it
is the pure reverse to any other faith - that is, completely contrary
to the Western concept of what a religion should stand for - especially
to those Westerners who are heirs of the Biblical, Christian tradition.
It is a religion which considers war to be holy, has no concept of
peace at all, which is considered pointless and hollow. Nor does it
recognize the concept of co-existence or toleration.
Islam is a religion which teaches that the way to heaven and salvation
leads through murder. It also promotes slavery as a sacred practice and
considers the bondage and humiliation of all women, including their own
mothers, as a divine order. It is a faith which seeks the destruction
of all other religions (especially those based on the Bible, which is
regarded as a fake and a satanic book) and the subjugation of all
nations as its sanctified goal - indeed, such a creed may well seem
strange to the Western mind. This, however, is precisely what Islam is.
Today, in the modern Western societies, police power are never used for
religious ends, and the government does not favor one religious group
over another. This concept is entirely foreign to Islam. Islam makes no
distinction between religion and state. It enforces the Islamic code as
the sole law of the land, both religious and secular, thereby in fact
putting anyone who is not a Moslem outside the protection of the law.
In practical terms, Islam mandates a theocracy, which amounts to the
dictatorial rule of the Moslem nobility and clergy. That is why
democracies are unknown in the Islamic world and why Moslems show such
hostility to free societies. To a fundamentalist Moslem, the very idea
of democracy is heresy.
ORIGINS The Moslems claim that Judaism (and, by extension,
Christianity) share with Islam a common origin in the patriarch
Abraham. They believe it was Abraham who "established the settlement
which today is the city of Mekkah [or Mecca] and built the Ka'a'ba,
towards which all Moslems turn when they pray." However, the Biblical
records indicate that Abraham never visited the Arabian Peninsula.
Muhammad maintained that the Christians and the Jews - as agents of
Satan, of course - "forged" or "falsified" the Bible. He therefore
altered the Biblical story and cast Ishmael (Abraham first son and
traditional father of all Arabs) as the heir of God's promise, instead
of Isaac - as the Bible explicitly stated many centuries before the
writing of the Koran.
ISLAM AND JESUS CHRIST As for Jesus Christ, Islam portrays him as a
minor prophet, certainly not as the Son of God, nor as the Messiah and
definitely not as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Moslems still offer animal sacrifices and at recent ceremonies in Mecca
slaughter a staggering 500,000 animals. Christianity centers on the
ideas of the incarnation and of salvation by faith, both of which are
rank heresy and blasphemy to a Moslem. In Islam, salvation is by works,
not by faith. Further, Islamic "good deeds" are not necessarily
charitable, humanitarian acts of kindness, but may also be the
assassination of "non-believers". Especially targeted are "the People
of the Bible", the Islamic euphemism for all Christians and Jews.
THE FOUNDER The minute, basic chronology of Muhammad in the Moslem
tradition and story is superficially accurate, but non- Moslem
historians are far from approving that he was "of a deeply religious
nature", known for "truthfulness, generosity, and sincerity", or "calm
and meditative". In fact, very little is known about Muhammad, but it
seems clear that he was the illiterate son of a nomadic "traveling
merchant" Arab tribe sub- chieftain. This is the Arab way of referring
to the traditional occupation of the Bedouin nomads of the Southern
Arabia Peninsula. The commodity in which they "traded" was mostly human
slaves. This would account for both his grotesque distortions of the
Biblical account - which he likely got from some tribesmen, which he
met on the trail - and for his sanctification of slavery as a way of
life. Since the stories told around the tribal campfire in the Arabian
Desert related only the biblical heroes and their stories -- and lacked
mention of any meaningful biblical teachings -- Muhammad had no concept
of the morality and ethics of the Bible. The teachings and values of
the Bible are therefore missing from Islam. The cruelty and rigidity of
Muhammad's ancient Arabian paganism is the core of Islam's creed.
ISLAM -- REVERSAL OF CHRISTIANITY When Muhammad and his followers
returned to Mecca from Medina, he did not, as the Moslems state to
westerners, "forgive his enemies". In Islamic tradition the very
concept of "forgiveness" is unknown and unrecognized. Instead, the rule
of "blood revenge" is mandatory. While in exile, Muhammad had gathered
a band of marauding warriors and given them a religious sanction for
their activities. They were called "The Mystic Fighters" and scored
stunning victories, to the point that the superstitious, pagan populace
believed them to be divinely inspired. Those who did not join were
promptly executed.
In theological terms, Muhammad was less of a religious figure than a
war-chieftain, a soldier and a tyrant. In contradiction to Biblical
prophets, and as a total contrast to Jesus Christ, his kingdom was
purely of this earth and largely political-military in nature. In sum,
Islam dogmatized the spiritual and secular realms in a rigid theocracy,
which admits no deviation. It was for this reason that 19th-century
scholar Ernest Renan called Islam "the heaviest chains which have ever
shackled humanity".
ISLAMIC "EVANGELISM" - THE "SWORD OF ISLAM" Perhaps the boldest
falsehood in the representation of Islam and the Moslems is the
contention that the spread of the new faith was "rapid and peaceful".
It was indeed rapid, but far from peaceful. Its most prominent symbol
is the "Seif-el-Islam" - The Sword of Islam". Indeed, the most
important symbol of Islam is, appropriately enough, the sword (or the
saber) and the sword was the primary instrument of Islamic
expansionism. In most cases the conquered were given only two choices -
an immediate conversion or speedy cut throat.
Since in Islam the concepts of "peace" and "submission" are synonymous,
"peace" can be achieved only by total submission to Islam. No other
form of peace is conceivable to a Moslem. Therefore, when Muhammad's
"mystic fighters" subdued a nation, they believed that "peace" had
prevailed. Likewise today, "peace" to a Moslem means only one thing --
a total capitulation of all humanity to Islam. Violence and militarism
did not end with Moslem conquests. Islamic factions, each claiming to
represent the "one true faith", have been at each other's throats for
centuries. As the scholar David Pryce-Jones masterfully demonstrated in
"The Closed Circle": An Interpretation of the Arabs, conspiracy,
intrigue, and assassination have been the rule rather than the
exception in the Islamic world."
ISLAMIC "TOLERATION" "It is one function of Islamic law," says Moslem
proponents "to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is
why non-Moslem places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic
world." Here we leave the realm of exaggeration and distortion and
enter the realm of outright pristine lies. For the most part, churches
and synagogues have been destroyed, vandalized, or completely outlawed.
In Saudi Arabia, it is illegal to open or maintain a church. In
"moderate" countries such as Egypt, Christians have not been able to
get permission to repair their churches or build new ones for decades.
Saudi Arabia is not the only Moslem country which has obliterated every
trace of Judaism and Christianity and outlawed all non-Moslem religious
practices, even among foreigners who live there and bring that country
their wealth. In particular, however, Saudi Arabia has done all this
with little or no outcry from the West. Moreover, there exists not a
single case in the entire Islamic world in which non-Moslems have been
given equal civil rights and/or freedom of worship. While the Moslems
freely evangelize in America and enjoy the Western tradition of civil
rights, such activities are forbidden under Islam, which considers
apostasy a capital crime.
In Islam, Christians and Jews are Dhimmi - second-class citizens - are
subject to discriminatory laws, double standards, repressive taxation,
and humiliating public ceremonies of submission. Impressive and
conclusive documentation for these realities exist aplenty and are
available to all who cares to find them. To the Moslems claim that
"many examples of Moslem tolerance toward other faiths" there is only
one example given: Omar's conquest of Jerusalem in 634, not an event
that is fresh in the minds of many. The claim is that Omar declared
freedom of worship to all, a statement which must be accepted on faith
alone, since there is no proof of it in writing and anyway it was at no
time been followed in practice by Omar or any of his successors.
WOMEN IN ISLAM The Islamic spokesmen claim that a Moslem woman is "an
individual in her own right", hardly a great concession. In any case,
the Moslem's claim is certainly not confirmed in the writings of the
Koran, Islamic law (the Sha'ri'ia) or the treatment of women in Moslem
countries. Moslems generally avoids discussing the topic of women with
"infidels", with good reason. In Islamic societies, women are regarded
and treated as beasts of burden, or merely childbearing machines, with
no rights whatsoever. Saudi Arabia and the late unlamented Taliban's
Afghanistan, both good examples for Moslem regimes, forbid women to
drive and restrict them to certain menial occupations. Further, women
must be veiled in public. The claim that "no Moslem girl can be forced
to marry against her will" is simply false. In patriarchal Islamic
society, the father - not the bride - chooses the husband; no one ever
considers that the bride's opinion has any merit. As noted in the
British documentary, Death of a Princess, the Moslems have executed
women who marry against the will of their fathers.
The Moslems concedes the obvious, that Islam permits men to have more
than one wife. Moslem women, however, are not permitted to have more
than one husband, and any sexual deviation on their part is severely
punished, often by public flogging or death, in a ceremony held every
Friday in every public square. Many Islamic countries also feature
mut'a, or "the law of desire". This system of "temporary marriage" is
akin to legalized prostitution. Under this law, a Moslem man may hire a
"temporary wife" for a fixed amount of money. All the benefits in this
system belong to the man, who may hire as many temporary wives as he
please. All children from a "temporary wife" belong to the man. Of
course, a Moslem woman cannot hire a temporary husband. Islamic clergy
support the practice of "temporary wives" and hail its "Koranic roots".
This symbolizes the larger truth that, in Islam, the entire system of
the suppression and brutalization of women is seen as of divine origin
and bearing divine approval.
HUMAN RIGHTS The Moslems maintain that Islam "guarantee human rights?"
The real question is whether Islam allows, or even recognize the
concept of any human right whatsoever. The evidence confirms that Islam
is decidedly hostile to the very concept of human rights. A Moslem Arab
delegate to the United Nations once asserted on record: "the concept of
human rights is a degenerate Western imperialist notion". An Amnesty
International report specifies massive and systematic violations of
human rights in virtually all-Islamic countries. They include: torture,
arrest and detention without charge, cruel and unusual punishment,
amputation of body parts, capital punishment for political and
religious dissent, sexual abuse and mass violence against minorities
Nowhere in the Islamic world is there freedom of speech, freedom of
worship, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and association, or
even true freedom of enterprise. Without these precious freedoms, any
concept of human rights is meaningless.
SLAVERY AND RACISM The defenders of Islam avoid the fact that the
Koran, and the Moslem religious law called the "Sha'ri'ia," not only
permits but in fact perpetuates and sanctifies slavery. In fact, they
command that children of slave women remain slaves from birth to death.
No Islamic country can accept Islam as the state religion and the Koran
and the "Sha'ri'ia" as the law-of-the-land, as does Saudi Arabia, and
abolish slavery at the same time. The institution of slavery is too
ingrained in Islamic law. This is why slavery is common in almost all
Moslem countries, although officially the fact is vehemently denied.
Saudi Arabia announced its intention to abolish slavery in the
mid-1960s, a full century after the rest of the world. There is
overwhelming evidence, however, that this announcement was only a
public relations gesture, and Saudi slavery continues unabated.
As professor Murray Gordon convincingly shows in his book "Slavery in
the Islamic World", the Arabs were the chief slave masters and traders
for centuries, concentrating their efforts in black Africa. They still
are. In fact, in spoken Arabic, the words "black" and "slave" are the
same. Women were also prime targets and enslaved for use as sexual
objects, and not only in the harems of wealthy Arabs and Islamic
royalty. In all cases, non-Moslems were prime candidates for slavery
because Islam considers them inferior. It should be stressed that this
is not only a matter of history but of ongoing practice today. Recent
reports show how the Islamic dictatorship of Sudan - as part of its
brutal campaigns against the Christians Sudanese in the south - were
enslaving the children of the Dinka tribe and other Christian
communities. Unfortunately, the world press has showed little interest
in the story.
ISLAMIC LAW According to the Moslems public relation campaign, Islam
"believes that the Divine Law, the "Sha'ri'ia", should be taken very
seriously". This is true and constitutes a primary reason why Islam
clashes so strongly with Western society. When they are dealing with a
Western audience, the Moslems purposely neglect to mention what this
supposedly divine law mandates. The "Sha'ri'ia" is a belch from the
Dark Ages, a rigid, barbaric code that calls for beheadings,
dismemberments, and public flogging for a number of crimes, some rather
petty. The "Sha'ri'ia" contains no presumption of innocence, allows no
right for counsel or appeal and permits no trial by a jury of one's
peers. In practical terms, the accused is at the mercy of Islamic
clerics. In this system, Moslem and non- Moslem alike can expect no
justice. Hence, it should come as no surprise that under Islam public
executions constitute a kind of spectator sport, especially in Saudi
Arabia. Sometimes the executioner cuts the prisoner to draw blood
before performing the sentence, an act of needless cruelty. An
assistant then pokes the victim in the ribs with a stick so that he
jerks his head upward to meet the falling sword or ax. The blood flows
and the crowds of spectators cheer. The Moslems claim that in Islamic
societies minorities have the right to their own courts. This is an
outright lie. The "Sha'ri'ia" is imposed on non-Moslem minorities in
places such as the Sudan and Egypt.
PRIMORDIAL EVIL RELIGION? In modern times Moslems became attuned to the
kind of thing Westerners want to hear. For example, they write that
Islam considers itself the "primordial religion," which "seeks to
return man to his original, true nature, in which he is in harmony with
creation, inspired to do good, and confirming the Oneness of God". They
even includes a tale in which a man's sins were forgiven because he
gave water to a dog. This sort of spiritual pabulum is much more
palatable to trendy Westerners than the stark reality of the legalized
bloodshed of the "Sha'ri'ia" or the religious hatred of the jihad. In
practice, Islam's respect for God's creation is very much in doubt.
They say that Islam's rules of warfare supposedly include "prohibitions
against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees, and
livestock". This is another barefaced lie. No such prohibition has ever
existed in Islam.
The fact is that Islamic terrorism against America, Israel and other
nations has integrated all of these in abundance. Moslem terrorists
have murdered thousands of helpless, unarmed civilians, with the Twin
Towers in New York not the only - although it is (as of now) the
largest and most spectacular case. Islamic Iraq has killed thousands of
defenseless Kurds with poison gas, which did not spare women, children
and even the victims' livestock. It is also hard to understand how the
sacrificial slaughter of a half million animals in Saudi Arabia squares
with respect for life. Islam never had any respect for life, any form
of life, including the life of its own believers (see article "suicide
bombers"...
SUMMARY In the final analysis, our vision of Islam - armed with slick,
effective propaganda - is very nearly the reverse of the truth.
Contrary to the claims of Moslem propagandists, Islam is a relatively
new religion, adapted largely from longstanding custom and neo-pagan
practices on the Arabian Peninsula. It is not inclusive but exclusive
and sectarian. It is not peaceful but glorifies war and conquest. It is
not tolerant but considers all other religions inferior and ultimately
aims to eliminate them. It is not liberating but enslaving, in both the
spiritual and the physical senses. Islam does not respect human rights
but is hostile to the very concept. Islam is inherently repressive and
theocratic and cannot accommodate democratic thought or action.
Islamic imperialism is on the rise. Hence, there is indeed a great need
for Christians and Jews to understand Islam and the Moslems. For that
one must avoid the devious advertising of billionaire sheikhs. Instead,
Christians must avidly seek the truth about today's most dangerous
threat to Western, Judeo- Christian civilization.
How the Vatican Created Islam VW Disclaimer: Posting of this section is not to suggest that VW's editor assumes everything in it is true. I don't know, and have no way of verifying. It was forwarded by a subscriber, and it is offered here for your interest and discernment, while little details may vary slightly, from source to source, its basic thrust seems to be corroborated by other sources such as tuppersaussy.com, and others I have read from time to time. It is offered because its claims are so out-of-the-mainstream understanding of history. And yet, when a person reads it, and observes current events, it begins to make sense; much in the same way a person might wonder about a life-time of a relative's aberrant behavior, and then one day to be told some little bit of information about some event that happened in that person's life that seems initially to be so outlandish as to be unbelievable...but when a person considers with a calm/rational mind, that little bit of information becomes the "key" to understanding that person's entire life. Consider how Islam is so (supposedly) "anti-christian" as to persecute and martyr Christians around the world, and yet, terrorist Arafat has made pilgrimages to the Vatican, and when the pope visited the Holy Land a few years ago, his primary message was in support of the plight of the downtrodden so-called "palestinians". For being such a staunch "muslim" and fighing "Jihad" (Islamic holy war), Arafat has been seen attending (catholic) masses; and has made public statements about how their Jihad has not sought to destroy catholicism's icons and shrines, that he would "never" do such a thing...even proclaiming a certain veneration for the "virgin Mary" and her statues. As we have been seeing this seemingly "strange bed-fellow" relationship between the vatican and Islam, and we see -two- interrelated "beasts" in Revelation ch13, it would do us good to read the following, and keep its data in our minds as we continue observing world events unfold. So...here it is... From "The Prophet": http://www.choosinglife.net/Islam.htm (click the "Islam" link)
The Prophet, Muhammad
Since its publication, after several unsuccessful attempts on his life, he died suddenly from food poisoning. His testimony should not be silenced. Dr. Rivera speaks to us still... What I'm going to tell you is what I learned in secret briefings in the Vatican when I was a Jesuit priest, under oath and induction. A Jesuit cardinal named Augustine Bea showed us how desperately the Roman Catholics wanted Jerusalem at the end of the third century. Because of its religious history and its strategic location, the Holy City was considered a priceless treasure. A scheme had to be developed to make Jerusalem a Roman Catholic city. The great untapped source of manpower that could do this job was the children of Ishmael. The poor Arabs fell victim to one of the most clever plans ever devised by the powers of darkness. Early Christians went everywhere with the gospel setting up small churches, but they met heavy opposition. Both the Jews and the Roman government persecuted the believers in Christ to stop their spread. But the Jews rebelled against Rome, and in 70 AD, Roman armies under General Titus smashed Jerusalem and destroyed the great Jewish temple which was the heart of Jewish worship_in fulfillment of Christ's prophecy in Matthew 24:2. On this holy placed today where the temple once stood, the Dome of the Rock Mosque stands as Islam's second most holy place. Sweeping changes were in the wind. Corruption, apathy, greed, cruelty, perversion and rebellion were eating at the Roman Empire, and it was ready to collapse. The persecution against Christians was useless as they continued to lay down their lives for the gospel of Christ. The only way Satan could stop this thrust was to create a counterfeit "Christian" religion to destroy the work of God. The solution was in Rome. Their religion had come from ancient Babylon and all it needed was a face-lift. This didn't happen overnight, but began in the writings of the "early church fathers." It was through their writings that a new religion would take shape. The statue of Jupiter in Rome was eventually called St. Peter, and the statue of Venus was changed to the Virgin Mary. The site chosen for its headquarters was on one of the seven hills called "Vaticanus," the place of diving serpent where the Satanic temple of Janus stood. The great counterfeit religion was Roman Catholicism, called "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." Revelation 17:5. She was raised up to block the gospel, slaughter the believers in Christ, establish religions, create wars and make the nations drunk with the wine of her fornication as we will see. Three major religions have one thing in common - each has a holy place where they look for guidance. Roman Catholicism looks to the Vatican as the Holy City. The Jews look to the wailing wall in Jerusalem, and the Muslims look to Mecca as their Holy City. Each group believes that they receive certain types of blessings for the rest of their lives for visiting their holy place. In the beginning, Arab visitors would bring gifts to the "House of God," and the keepers of the Kaaba were gracious to all who came. Some brought their idols and, not wanting to offend these people, their idols were placed inside the sanctuary. It is said that the Jews looked upon the Kaaba as an outlying tabernacle of the Lord with veneration until it became polluted with idols. In a tribal contention over a well (Zamzam) the treasure of the Kaaba and the offerings that pilgrims had given were dumped down the well and it was filled with sand - it disappeared. Many years later Adb Al-Muttalib was given visions telling him where to find the well and its treasure. He became the hero of Mecca, and he was destined to become the grandfather of Muhammad. Before this time, Augustine became the bishop of North Africa and was effective in winning Arabs to Roman Catholicism, including whole tribes. It was among these Arab converts to Catholicism that the concept of looking for an Arab prophet developed. Muhammad's father died from illness and sons born to great Arab families in places like Mecca were sent into the desert to be suckled and weaned and spend some of their childhood with Bedouin tribes for training and to avoid the plagues in the cities. After his mother and grandfather also died, Muhammad was with his uncle when a Roman Catholic monk learned of his identity and said, "Take your brother's son back to his country and guard him against the Jews, for by god, if they see him and know of him that which I know, they will construe evil against him. Great things are in store for this brother's son of yours." The Roman Catholic monk had fanned the flames for future Jewish persecutions at the hands of the followers of Muhammad. The Vatican desperately wanted Jerusalem because of its religious significance, but was blocked by the Jews. Another problem was the true Christians in North Africa who preached the gospel. Roman Catholicism was growing in power, but would not tolerate opposition. Somehow the Vatican had to create a weapon to eliminate both the Jews and the true Christian believers who refused to accept Roman Catholicism. Lookng to North Africa, they saw the multitudes of Arabs as a source of manpower to do their dirty work. Some Arabs had become Roman Catholic, and could be used in reporting information to leaders in Rome. Others were used in an underground spy network to carry out Rome's master plan to control the great multitudes of Arabs who rejected Catholicism. When "St Augustine" appeared on the scene, he knew what was going on. His monasteries served as bases to seek out and destroy Bible manuscripts owned by the true Christians. The Vatican wanted to create a messiah for the Arabs, someone they could raise up as a great leader, a man with charisma whom they could train, and eventually unite all the non-Catholic Arabs behind him, creating a mighty army that would ultimately capture Jerusalem for the pope. In the Vatican briefing, Cardinal Bea told us this story: A wealthy Arabian lady who was a faithful follower of the pope played a tremendous part in this drama. She was a widow named Khadijah. She gave her wealth to the church and retired to a convent, but was given an assignment. She was to find a brilliant young man who could be used by the Vatican to create a new religion and become the messiah for the children of Ishmael. Khadijah had a cousin named Waraquah,, who was also a very faithful Roman Catholic and the Vatican placed him in a critical role as Muhammad's advisor. He had tremendous influence on Muhammad. Teachers were sent to young Muhammad and he had intensive training. Muhammad studied the works of St. Augustine which prepared him for his "great calling." The Vatican had Catholic Arabs across North Africa spread the story of a great one who was about to rise up among the people and be the chosen one of their God. While Muhammad was being prepared, he was told that his enemies were the Jews and that the only true Christians were Roman Catholic. He was taught that others calling themselves Christians were actually wicked impostors and should be destroyed. Many Muslims believe this. Muhammad began receiving "divine revelations" and his wife's Catholic cousin Waraquah helped interpret them. From this came the Koran. In the fifth year of Muhammad's mission, persecution came against his followers because they refused to worship the idols in the Kaaba. Muhammad instructed some of them to flee to Abysinnia where Negus, the Roman Catholic king accepted them because Muhammad's views on the virgin Mary were so close to Roman Catholic doctrine. These Muslims received protection from Catholic kings because of Muhammad's revelations. Muhammad later conquered Mecca and the Kaaba was cleared of idols. History proves that before Islam came into existence, the Sabeans in Arabia worshiped the moon-god who was married to the sun-god. They gave birth to three goddesses who were worshipped throughout the Arab world as "Daughters of Allah" An idol excavated at Hazor in Palestine in 1950's shows Allah sitting on a throne with the crescent moon on his chest. Muhammad claimed he had a vision from Allah and was told, "You are the messenger of Allah." This began his career as a prophet and he received many messages. By the time Muhammad died, the religion of Islam was exploding. The nomadic Arab tribes were joining forces in the name of Allah and his prophet, Muhammad. Some of Muhammad's writings were placed in the Koran, others were never published. They are now in the hands of high ranking holy men (Ayatollahs) in the Islamic faith. When Cardinal Bea shared with us in the Vatican, he said, These writings are guarded because they contain information that links the Vatican to the creation of Islam. Both sides have so much information on each other, that if exposed, it could create such a scandal that it would be a disaster for both religions. In their "holy" book, the Koran, Christ is regarded as only a prophet. If the pope was His representative on earth, then he also must be a prophet of God. This caused the followers of Muhammad to fear and respect the pope as another "holy man." The pope moved quickly and issued bulls granting the Arab generals permission to invade and conquer the nations of North Africa. The Vatican helped to finance the building of these massive Islamic armies in exchange for three favors:
Under Waraquah's direction, Muhammad wrote that Abraham offered Ishmael as a sacrifice. The Bible says that Isaac was the sacrifice, but Muhammad removed Isaac's name and inserted Ishmael's name. As a result of this and Muhammad's vision, the faithful Muslims built a mosque, the Dome of the Rock, in Ishmael's honor on the site of the Jewish temple that was destroyed in 70 AD. This made Jerusalem the 2nd most holy place in the Islam faith. How could they give such a sacred shrine to the pope without causing a revolt? The pope realized what they had created was out of control when he heard they were calling "His Holiness" an infidel. The Muslim generals were determined to conquer the world for Allah and now they turned toward Europe. Islamic ambassadors approached the pope and asked for papal bulls to give them permission to invade European countries. The Vatican was outraged; war was inevitable. Temporal power and control of the world was considered the basic right of the pope. He wouldn't think of sharing it with those whom he considered heathens. The pope raised up his armies and called them crusades to hold back the children of Ishmael from grabbing Catholic Europe. The crusades lasted centuries and Jerusalem slipped out of the pope's hands. Turkey fell and Spain and Portugal were invaded by Islamic forces. In Portugal, they called a mountain village "Fatima" in honor of Muhammad's daughter, never dreaming it would become world famous. Years later when the Muslim armies were poised on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, to invade Italy, there was a serious problem. The Islamic generals realized they were too far extended. It was time for peace talks. One of the negotiators was Francis of Assisi. As a result, the Muslims were allowed to occupy Turkey in a "Christian" world, and the Catholics were allowed to occupy Lebanon in the Arab world. It was also agreed that the Muslims could build mosques in Catholic countries without interference as long as Roman Catholicism could flourish Arab countries. Cardinal Bea told us in Vatican briefings that both the Muslims and Roman Catholics agreed to block and destroy the efforts of their common enemy, Bible-believing Christian missionaries. Through these concordats, Satan blocked the children of Ishmael from a knowledge of Scripture and the truth. A light control was kept on Muslims from the Ayatollah down through the Islamic priests, nuns and monks. The Vatican also engineers a campaign of hatred between the Muslim Arabs and the Jews. Before this, they had co-existed peacefully. The Islamic community looks on the Bible-believing missionary as a devil who brings poison to the children of Allah. This explains years of ministry in those countries with little results. The next plan was to control Islam. In 1910, Portugal was going Socialistic. Red flags were appearing and the Catholic Church was facing a major problem. Increasing numbers were against the church. The Jesuits wanted Russia involved, and the location of this vision at Fatima could play a key part in pulling Islam to the Mother Church. In 1917, the Virgin appeared in Fatima. "The Mother of God" was a smashing success, playing to overflow crowds. As a result, the Socialists of Portugal suffered a major defeat. Roman Catholics world-wide began praying for the conversion of Russia and the Jesuits invented the Novenas to Fatima which they could perform throughout North Africa, spreading good public relations to the Muslim world. The Arabs thought they were honoring the daughter of Muhammad, which is what the Jesuits wanted them to believe. As a result of the vision of Fatima, Pope Pius XII ordered his Nazi army to crush Russia and the Orthodox religion and make Russia Roman Catholic." A few years after he lost World war II, Pope Pius XII startled the world with his phoney dancing sun vision to keep Fatima in the news. It was great religious show biz and the world swallowed it. Not surprisingly, Pope Pius was the only one to see this vision. As a result, a group of followers has grown into a Blue Army world-wide, totaling millions of faithful Roman Catholics ready to die for the blessed virgin. But we haven't seen anything yet. The Jesuits have their Virgin Mary scheduled to appear four or five times in China, Russia, and major appearance in the U.S. What has this got to do with Islam? Note Bishop Sheen's statement: "Our Lady's appearances at Fatima marked the turning point in the history of the world's 350 million Muslims. After the death of his daughter, Muhammad wrote that she "is the most holy of all women in Paradise, next to Mary." He believed that the Virgin Mary chose to be known as Our Lady of Fatima as a sign and a pledge that the Muslims who believe in Christ's virgin birth, will come to believe in His divinity. Bishop Sheen pointed out that the pilgrim virgin statues of Our Lady of Fatima were enthusiastically received by Muslims in Africa, India, and elsewhere, and that many Muslims are now coming into the Roman Catholic Church."
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