I Sympathise With Peaceful Muslims

Lately, i've been feeling more and more that "black" christians are in a unique position to speak on certain topics due to what has happened to them in western society.

One of those topics is abortion.

A lot of the reasoning being used to murder children in the womb, are very similar or exactly the same as those used to kidnap, enslave, and treat horribly scores of africans and those of a darker complexion.

Recently, there was another islamic attack on british citizens.

I was in the middle of discussing it and encouraging people to read the quran, when it dawned on me that this is another unique position.

Although i'm not hostile to peaceful muslims, and i fully understand what is going on and why its happening, i started to feel a bit sympathetic to the peaceful muslims.

As one who is a christian and as one who's skin enjoys the sun, i can understand what they may be going through.

You see, from the christian side there are a number of instances where people who claimed to be christian, did some incredibly wicked things.

Slavery, for example.

Even though the majority of christians didnt engage in slavery, even though slavery was ended because of the major contribution of christians, and even though the bible doesnt teach it but declares the death penalty for those who wouldve engaged in it, a lot of people see christianity as pro slavery/slave trade.

Even though a minority did wicked things in the name of christianity, people paint the entire religion in the same color.

I also sympathise because of the color of my skin.

A minority of people with my shade of brown act a certain way. Others then assume that we all act and think the same way - even though its completely illogical to think that way.

The peaceful muslim believes that they're in the same predicament.

That there are violent people claiming to be muslims carrying out horrific acts in the name of their religion - islam.

And even though the majority don't behave that way, more and more poeple are treating the peaceful ones like the violent ones.

I can sympathise with that a bit because i have been through it, and will continue to go through it.

There is a difference though.

For the christian issue, i can point to the bible that proves it doesnt teach the kidnapping and enslaving of people in both the old and new testaments.

There are even copies of the bible that go back to before america existed to prove that the text hasnt changed as well.

For the color issue, we are not the borg.

Each person is an individual with their own mind. Its completely illogical to say people who share the same skin color will behave alike.

Only a complete idiot would believe that.

The peaceful muslim though, doesnt have that kind of an out.

Islam was given through muhammed.

Muhammed is the best example of a muslim since he was the first one, and the prophet of islam.

The quran gives information about his life. Not in complete detail, but its there nonetheless, and muslims are commanded to follow and obey him.

Muhammed lived two different lives once he became a prophet.

The first was indeed peaceful.

Thats where the peaceful verses come from.

Thats where the 'you have your religion and i have mine' comes from.

In the beginning, he did preach tolerance, and people tolerated him in return. People weren't afraid of him or anything.

They simply didnt believe he was a prophet.

Then he changed. He was no longer peaceful and tolerant to those who weren't muslims. And for the rest of his life, the peaceful and tolerant muhammed is gone.

It waa no longer 'religion is without compulsion'. Now, it's submit or die. And there are plenty of people he conquered in that manner.

Some people identify it as the muhammed of mecca vs the muhammed of medina.

its this period where the violent verses and commands come in.

The peaceful muslims, who truly do want to live in peace, look to the peaceful prophet.

The violent ones, look to the violent prophet.

The peaceful ones are taught that islam is about peace.

The violent ones are taught that peace extends only to believers in allah, muhammed, and the last day.

Its not easy to convince a peaceful muslim that offensive violence even exists in islam.

All sorts of excuses will be used, even changing the promised virgins into raisins.

But when they stop making excuses they either do one of 3 things.

1. They leave islam.

2. They stay in islam but try to reform it by pointing out the verses and denouncing them.

Th most recent islamic figure to do this is the muslim leader in australia

3. They submit to the quran and commit violence

The thing is... the violence is not simply for the purpose of being violent. It isn't purposeless.

The violence is for the purpose of converting non-believers.

Those who see the attacks are basically being given a warning. Convert to islam or this will happen to you.

So, my sympathy for peaceful muslims only goes so far.

Where as I can point to the source of christian and fundamental logic and prove my case, the peaceful muslims have a problem if they do that.

The quran shows this transition from peaceful to violent.

It shows this transition from, the peole of the torah and gospel are on the same level as muslims and worship the same god, to the people of the torah and gospel are to be forced to convert to islam, made to pay the protection money, or killed.

I have had peaceful muslims laugh for me telling people to read the quran, which is odd in itself, and I've had peaceful muslims tell me there are absolutely no violent verses in the quran.

Which is absolute nonsense.

The bible, for example, is filled with violence.

Violence is described, done by God's people, and even done by God Himself in the bible.

The christian is not suppose to try to hide or deny this fact.

The muslim, however, tries to downplay the violence of their prophet.

This is where claims of taqiyya comes into play.

Taqiyya is an islamic teaching that it is ok to lie in order to further the cause of allah.

So there are a lot of people that will say that peaceful muslims aren't actually peaceful.

They are fully aware of the violence in their religion, and agree with it.

The only reason there is a peaceful muslims is to trick gullible and ignorant people into accepting islam as peaceful and thereby allowing islam to spread... not simply unhindered... but actually aided by sympathisers.

They point to not only muhammed's own actions, not only islamic history, but the present reality of the spread of islam in the west. Especially with islam alone receiving concessions and protections for their beliefs that no other religion receives.

The christian bakery court cases are prime examples of this.

So many people see all muslims in the same light. They all want sharia law to be implemented and will even lie to the public at large as to the real nature of islam so that islam can get big enough to dominate with little resistance.

Is that the truth though?

I don't think it is.

I do believe that there are muslims who do have that in mind, but i believe that there are a majority of muslims who truly believe that islam is actually peaceful.

I believe this because the vast majority of the muslims I've talked to are ignorant of what is actually in the quran.

So, just like there are numerous people who proclaim Christ who are ignorant about the scriptures as well as church history and come to all sorts of conclusions because of it... and just like there is a number of "black" people who also don't know their history and comes to all sorts of conclusions because of it... there are muslins who come to the conclusion that islam is peaceful because of what they don't know.

So, i can sympathise with muslims who are peaceful.

And i pray that God would open their eyes and draw them to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus

Christian Extremist?

So, the argument goes like this...

How can you demonise muslims when there are extremists in all religions.

Even christianity has extremists.

Where do we see christian extremists today?

Its not where but when.

Christian extremists use to rob and pillage and rape people all the time in previous centuries.

The african slave trade was started and perpetuated by christian extremists.

Christian extremists murdered many non-christians across europe and the americas.
- - -

Many ppl who hear this argument feel that the person who states it is correct.

Even christians give a hardy amen to the muslim apologist who gives this as a rebuke to people's concern with islam.

Is there a problem with this reasoning?

Why yes, there is.

Its a glaring problem as well.

So, is there such a thing as christian extremism?

Yes... and no.

Yes, because someone can go to the extreme in their christianity.

For example, Jesus says, 'if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. If your hand causes you to sin, chop it off'

People read this and understand the seriousness of sin.

However, most ppl who read this understand that Christ isny literally saying to pluck out an eye or chop off a hand.

Especially because its not ones eye or hand that causes one to sin, but their sinful man (flesh), that causes them to sin. They are also aware that we'll never be rid of this sin nature until the ressurection.

What would a christian extremist do with this though?

They would chop off their own hand and pluck out their own eye.

They will quickly find out that doing so didnt stop the sinful desires as well.

So when Jesus says we should pray in secret in our closet, the extremist might literally only pray in an actual closet.

Is this christianity taken to its extremity?

No, its not.

This is ideas taken from christianity and twisted so that it doesnt resemble what was originally intended.

It would be the same if someone took the command for christians to die to themselves to mean they should commit suicide.

A real christian extremist would take the words of Christ to the extreme.

The problem is that everybody knows what Christ taught.

Even those who never read the bible know that Christ taught christians to love.

Have an attitude with a non-believer and they'll be quick to throw that fact in your face.

What about murdering, raping & robbing people?

Well, how can Jesus teach love and tell people to do these things.

These arent things taught by Christ so how can they be called 'christian'?

Its obvious that they cant.

However, that doesnt mean that people who claimed to be christian didnt do these things in times past.

Some even claimed that they were doing these things in the name of Christ.

Take the famous witch trials in Salem.

This phenomenon exists today.

If you talk to people on the street, you will encounter a number of people who claim to be christian and not only dont have a clue what christianity teaches, but will even describe a completely different God than the one shown in the bible.

Are these people christian?

Of course not.

And here is where the muslim apologist wants to get you to.

You see, the musim  apologust knows fully well that Christ sidnt teach to rob, rape, and murder. But they are also aware that people claiming to be christians did.

And so, they want to put islam in the sane position.

They want you to have in your mind, that just like christianity, evil people took the name of islam, and committed evil acts that their religion doesnt teach.

And their proof is that they follow islam and dont do those wicked things, nor do they teach them.

Here is where they depend on the ignorance of islam within the hearer.

The reason this is the case is because the glaring problem with the argument is found in each religions book.

In christianity, each and every one of those evil acts are condemned by the christian God.

Even in the old testament, that has a lot of violence, these acts are even condemned there as well.

Jesus even spoke directly about this. That people were using the name of God to commit evil acts. He even said that people would murder christians in the name of God as well.

All the evil acts throughout history that were committed by people who claimed to be christian could not have happened if the people were actually following the bible.

As a matter of fact, when the roman catholic church was the ruling religious power, they murdered many christians who attenpted to translate the bible into common language so that the everyday person would know what it said and what it didn't say.

If these people were actually obeying the bible, there wouldn't have been any salem witch trials, african slave trade or many other despicable acts.

It's not that the bible doesn't teach it. No. The bible teaches directly against it.

The bible doesn't just say, love your neighbor, and because of that, we know not to enter into the african slave trade.

No. The bible says to love, and anybody who steals a man, that person is to be put the death.

The rapist is supposed to be put to death.

The bible even says that the death penalty cant be done just on an accusation either. There had to be two or three lines of evidence or witnesses to prove that these things happened.

Even if people joined together and framed someone and got them put to death.

If the truth was found out, those people who lied would get the death penalty themselves for purposefully sending an innocent person to their death.

The bible is consistent with its message of justice, love, and mercy.

Not just to our own either. In both the old and new testaments, people are commanded to love their people, their neighbours, and their enemies.

We're even told to go out of our way to even show love to our enemies.

On top of all that, conversion is not something that can be forced.

This isnt something that I'm just saying as though it's a modern concept.

You dont see forcrd conversions anywhere in the bible.

Old testament wars weren't fought with a 'convert or die', mentality. And christians weren't commanded to do it either.

Now, i say all of that to say this... it's not the same within the holy book of islam.

In the quran, the vast majority of the rhetoric is 'convert or die'.

It didnt start out that way either.

In the beginning, muhammed was actually peaceful.

The problem was that he was rejected by majority of those whom he brought his message.

Its when he realised that he wouldnt be accepted be being peaceful and started to murder, rob, and rape.

The quran shows muhammed doing a lot of the same acts that the ISISs of todays world are doing, and commanding all muslims to do likewise.

The quran, has the islamic god telling muhammed to do some of these things, and even giving him permission when he's not sure.

This is why the islamic "extremists" constantly point to a number of verses in the quran, as well as islamic history.

Since the inception if islam, muslims have literally been at war with everyone who isn't a believer and at times would war with each other.

Even the first crusade that was started by one of the roman catholic popes, actually began as a defensive military response against islam, as muslim had taken over country after country, by the sword.

Anybody who didnt convert to islam was either murdered or forced to pay a high tax for protection, in order to not be killed.

This is the same actions the muhammed practiced, and its clearly seen in the quran.

What makes it even worse, is that the muslims also kept a collection of sayings of muhammed. These are called hadiths.

These are supposed to be read along side the quran, as it explains much of what was going on when a verse was "revealed" to muhammed.

It details questions that people asked him, his responses to their questions, what othet groups thought of him, and many other interedting information that would help someone to understand islam and muhammed better.

Of course, each group of muslims trust some hadiths over others, but regardless if which ones you go to, they all present the muslim with problems to their religions.

This is the information that the islamic apologist is hoping you do not have.

Many people have not even read the quran, much less any of the hadith.

Being ignorant in this area then, allows the islamic apologist to place christianity and islam side by side, and say they are the same.

Both are religions that teach peace that people have hijacked and done evil in its name.

But the reality is, that that description is only actually true for christianity, not islam.

So, is there actually christian extremists in the true sense of the word?

Yes. But these "extremists" wouldnt be harming people at all because Christ doesnt teach that, but the opposite.

A christian extremist may be seen preaching the gospel to a captive audience on a bus or train - annoying the masses in the process, but thats about it.

Christ's commands to the church was not one that could be used to do evil things in the slightest. So the answer to the question is also no.

However, that is not the case with islam.

As a matter of fact, i dont even think "extremism" can be used to define the muslims who go around murdering people in the name of allah.

Why? Because muhammed commands them to do it.

So they arent actually going to extremes but are rather simply doing what they are told to do.

That is the glaring problem in this argument.

Misguided Evangelism

Once Upon A Time...

I was at work evangelising to a muslim.

He was a work colleague and we were in the same team. As such, we often talked about our religious beliefs.

Of course, he was a moderate muslims.

Moderate muslims are strange. They mostly live in non-islamic countries, don't believe everything that the koran says and yet still call themselves muslim.

Of course, if they were in an islamic country they would probably be put to death for disrespectic mohammed, the koran, or allah.

There are also "moderate christians", but they aren't under threat for losing their lives at the hand of other believers.

But I digress...

Having read the koran, I would ask my teammate whether he believed certain things to be true. He would say no, then I would tell him what the koran says.

I even told him where the koran has Jesus saying He will sacrifice is life, when the koran at a later point says it never happened... making Jesus a liar.

In all our discussions in me telling him what the koran says.... even quoting the surah address, he didn't believe that is what it actually said.

So, one time, a became so frustrated at the fact he not only didn't believe me, but wouldn't even go look up the verses himself at home, I asked him what would cause him to believe that what I was saying was true.

He said he'd have to read it in the koran himself. I told him that at lunch i'd go a buy a koran and show him. He agreed.

During lunch, I went to the book store, picked up an english koran, and was just about to head to the cashier, when something told me not to buy it.

I took this as God speaking.

I was conflicted. I even asked why not, but I didn't get a reply. I was thinking that I should buy it anyway so I can show it to my muslim colleague, but then I thought... clearly God doesn't want me to buy it... but why?

I left the book store feeling frustrated and a bit annoyed. Why wouldn't God want me to buy it?

Here I am, evangelising a muslim. I'm at the point where all I have to do is show him where the koran has all these inconsistancies and with islam knocked down it should be easy for him to accept the gospel (this was my thinking pattern at the time, and my level of theology).

When I got back to the office, I didn't say anything. I was actually embarrassed. Here I was boasting at the problems that the koran has. And even though my team mate didn't believe those verses were there, he said he would agree with me if he read them himself. He knew the book store was there. He knew they sold korans.

But now, i'm sitting here with no koran, looking very embarrassed.

Him: "so where's the koran?"
Me: "i wasn't able to get it"
Him: "how come?"
Me: "God told me not to"
Him: stifling a laugh... "why did he do that?"
Me: very sheepishly... "i don't know"

In my head, I could just hear him thinking that I didn't buy the koran
because I was lying about everything.

After awhile of working, he broke the silence by asking if i'd ever read the koran. I told him that I had, I have a copy of it on my pc, why else would I be willing to buy one to show him the verses.

Then he asked if I speak arabic. I told him that I didn't. I asked if he did, as i'd never heard him before. He said he couldn't read or speak arabic.

That struck me as a bit weird.

I then asked him how he reads the koran, and he said that its read to him by people who can read and speak arabic.

He then says that the koran should only be read in arabic and that if it was in english then it wouldn't be the koran.

That's when it dawned on me. The reason God didn't allow, me to buy the koran wad because he wouldn'y have accepted it anyway as it was english.

I couldn't have bought an arabic one either as neither one of us could read it.

I brought this to my colleagues' attention and it made him think for a good while.

... The End

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Muslim patrols... in London

'Muslim patrol' investigation leads to double arrest

Homophobic attack filmed and uploaded to YouTube among a series of incidents by east London vigilante group

Two men have been arrested after a series of incidents in London saw members of the public harassed by self-styled vigilantes who posted footage of their activities online. One included a clip showing a man being subjected to homophobic abuse.



The incidents are believed to be linked to a group claiming to be behind "Muslim patrols" of Whitechapel. In the latest video in which a group of men described themselves as "vigilantes implementing Islam upon your own necks", a man is followed and told: "Get out of here you fag … Don't stay around here any more."

His pursuers tell him that he is "walking through a Muslim area dressed like a fag".

The East London Mosque has condemned the actions. It said in a statement last week that individuals claiming to be 'Muslim patrols' have been harassing members of the public on the streets of east London late at night, including outside the mosque after it has closed, and that it had contacted the police to alert them to the presence of the individuals and video.

"These actions are utterly unacceptable and clearly designed to stoke tensions and sow discord," it said.

"We wholly condemn them. The East London Mosque is committed to building co-operation and harmony between all communities in this borough. The actions of this tiny minority have no place in our faith nor on our streets.

The gay rights group, Stonewall, said: "This incident is yet another reminder of the homophobic abuse that gay people face all too often. We urge victims of all homophobic crimes and incidents to report them to the police and for the police to take action to protect gay people from these disturbing crimes."

The Metropolitan Police said that two men were arrested in connection with a series of incidents that took place over the course of 12-13 January in east London. Videos of the incidents were later uploaded onto YouTube.

A 22-year-old man was arrested in Acton on Sunday while a 19-year-old man voluntarily attended an east London police station on Monday.

A Met spokesperson said: "The pair were arrested on suspicion of GBH and Public Order offences and have been bailed to return to an east London police station on a dates in February and March pending further enquiries.

"The Metropolitan Police Service takes these incidents very seriously and is pursuing various lines of enquiry with a view to identifying and prosecuting the individuals concerned.

Beheadings in Nigeria

Nigerian militants suspected of Maiduguri beheadings

original article

Suspected militant Islamists have beheaded five people in Nigeria's north-eastern city of Maiduguri, a resident has told the BBC.

The men were attacked during raids on three homes overnight, he said in an account confirmed by a local reporter.

However, the military told the BBC only three people had been killed.



At least 23 others have been killed in separate attacks in the north this week blamed on militants wanting to impose Islamic law on Nigeria.

The insurgency was launched by Boko Haram in Maiduguri in 2009, but a second militant group, Ansaru, emerged last year.

Last month, suspected militants slit the throats of at least 15 Christians near Maiduguri.

In the latest attack, the assailants first beheaded a father and son at their home, before beheading two other men at their residence and a fifth person at another house in Maiduguri, said a resident, who spoke to the BBC Hausa service on condition of anonymity.

It is unclear who carried out the attacks or what their motives were, but there are strong suspicions that Boko Haram was involved, the resident said.

Hunters killed

A Maiduguri-based journalist confirmed the resident's account to the BBC.

But army spokesman Lt-Col Sagir Musa said suspected gunmen killed three people during the attack.

The joint task force - made up of soldiers and policemen - rushed to the scene when it was alerted, he said.

"It cordoned off the area, arrested three suspects and recovered one assault rifle with ten rounds of ammunition," Lt-Col Musa said.

"Two gunmen lost their lives and a soldier was wounded during an exchange of fire."

On Monday, gunmen apparently targeted hunters selling bush meat in Damboa in north-east Nigeria, killing 18 people, witnesses said.

Another five people died on Tuesday when a group of men playing draughts was attacked in Kano.

No group has said it is responsible for the attacks.

Strict Muslims believe it is forbidden to eat animals such as monkeys or to play games that could influence people to take up gambling.

These attacks followed an attempt on the life of the second most important Muslim leader in Nigeria, the Emir of Kano, whose convoy came under fire on Sunday. He survived but several of his guards were killed.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the deaths of some 1,400 people in central and northern Nigeria since 2010.

Last year alone, the group was linked to more than 600 deaths.

Ansaru announced its existence last June.

In December, it said it had kidnapped French national Francis Colump in the northern Katsina state.

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