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Christian/Muslim Dialogue
Dear Friends,
We at CM Dialogue are extremely excited by the announcements that (1) King Abdullah of Saudi
Arabia has announced an upcoming dialogue between representatives of Islam, Christianity
and Judaism (2) the announcement that Saudi Arabia will allow the opening of between 5 and
10 Christian Church congregations within their borders and (3) the announcement that Muslim
scholars in Ankara, Turkey have begun a massive revision of passages in the Hadith – those
which are likely not attributable to Muhammad himself and which inspire violence and the
abuse of women.
Regardless of how one regards the individuals who have carried out suicide terrorist attacks
over the past decade, the charge cannot be made that these people were non-religious.
Rather they had a fervent belief in God but, we believe, a distorted understanding as to his true
nature. From all indications, the 9/11 terrorists actually expected to wake up in Heaven
receiving the praise of a vengeful god who appreciated seeing his children carry out acts of
terror upon one another as he was apparently too weak to carry them out himself. This
vengeful deity was then expected to reward the terrorist with 72 virgin women who would be his
servants for eternity.
This however is NOT the true nature of God as portrayed in either the Quran or in the Bible.
Recently leading Muslim clerics have recognized this fact and have gathered in Ankara, Turkey
to begin a massive revision of the Hadith – a collection of the writings of post-Quranic authors
who previously offered their own interpretations, often erroneously, as to the true intent of
Muhammad in regards to specific passages in the Quran. Of particular interest are those of
Abu Hurayra, a proponent of terrorism and an opponent of women’s rights, who compiled more
than 5000 Hadiths without benefit of a second witness. Oma r Ibn Al-Khattab, the second
guided Khalifa and a contemporary of both men, accused Hurayra of making up stories about
Muhammad.
This is an incredible effort which the British press has compared to the Protestant Reformation
within Christianity. We at CM Dialogue such an effort and are hopeful that our readers will
encourage the following revisions to be made in the Hadith:
1. Within the pages of the Quran, Muhammad declares that his people must take action
against “infidels.” Historical research would indicate that he had two groups in mind here: (1)
The Quraish and (2) a quaisi- Christian cult known as the Collyridians. The former was
Muhammad’s own tribe from birth and they had become a great threat to his people as they
offered up human beings in sacrifice to their gods.
The Collyridians, although calling themselves “Christians” (as Muhammad calls them in Surah
5:51) were so in name only. An offshoot of the cult of Dianah, they paid homage to three gods;
a father god, a mother goddess named Mary (to whom they offered up cakes in worship) and
their offspring who was named Jesus or Isa. Muhammad makes specific mention of this
group in Surah 5:73, 75 and 116. From all indications this group practiced human sacrifice as
well. Please also note that the term “son of god” as used by the Collyridians to imply a physical
offspring is quite different from the Christian usage.
However later Muslim clerics have offered a reinterpretation of Muhammad’s words in
which the infidels are declared to be orthodox Christians as well as Jews. This is clearly wrong
as the Quran depicts Muhammad as having been at peace with both groups. Please consider
the following passages:
Surah 2:62: “Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the
Sabians -- whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their
reward from their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor shall they grieve"
Surah 5:82: "...and nearest among them in love to the believers will you find those who say, 'We
are Christians,' because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have
renounced the world, and they are not arrogant."
Surah 61:14: "O you who believe! Be helpers of God -- as Jesus the son of Mary said to the
Disciples, 'Who will be my helpers in (the work of) God?' Said the disciples, 'We are God's
helpers!' Then a portion of the Children of Israel believed, and a portion disbelieved. But We
gave power to those who believed, against their enemies, and they became the ones that
prevailed."
2. Various terrorist groups have clung to the promise that all those who die in attacks on
infidels will receive as their eternal reward 72 virgin women as their servants in heaven. This is
clearly a mistranslation as the original promise of Muhammad Ibn Wahhab was not of virgins
but of white raisins – the understanding being that if one were to die while returning evil for evil
then they could expect to end up in a place so hot that grapes would instantly turn into raisins
white with heat. Had the 9/11 terrorists understood this passage as such, they would have
undoubtedly acted differently.
3. In Surah 3:3 & 4 Muhammad describes the Bible as a good book. However later Muslim
clerics have maintained that the Bible was later corrupted by infidel Christians and can no
longer be trusted. This is clearly false as we now have copies of the Bible which date back
centuries prior to Muhammad and show no sign of such corruption.
4. Both Surah 4:158 and 19:30-35 speak of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ
(Isa). However later Muslim commentators appear to have been confused as to the
interpretation of 4:157 (“. . . in fact they never killed him, they were made to think that they did . .
.”) and understood it to mean that Jesus opponents had either grabbed the wrong person or
were made to think that they had carried out the crucifixion by a vision.
Doubtless the abuses committed during the medieval crusades contributed to this
understanding. Picture if you will the demented tyrant Raymond of Toulouse robbing the
homes of innocent Muslims, having them bound and placed inside their dwellings while the
structure was burned to the ground. And now picture all o f this being done in the shadow of a
large crucifix. Small wonder that the Muslim people began to view the cross as a symbol of
evil. And we greatly fear that they removed the crucifixion and the resurrection from their belief
system as a result. We are disgraced by these shameful actions of our ancestors and can
only say that they falsely represent the Gospel message. We do however ask that the Muslim
community reexamine the words of Muhammad himself.& nbsp;
Whereas the substitution theory could be derived from Surah 4:157 by itself, Arabic linguists
have informed us that the verse is actually a paraphrase of Jesus’ statement “You would have
no power over me if it were not given you from above” (John 19:11). This interpretation would
seem logical since it complies with Surah 4:158 (“Instead God raised him to him”) and avoids
an apparent contradiction.
5. It is our understanding that Muhammad taught men to treat women as their equals.
Indeed Muhammad’s wife Aisha and his daughters are said to have supplied spiritual
leadership for the Islamic community after his death. However today in many Muslim
communities we see Islamic women with limited access to education, employment and equal
rights in the family. Their own perspectives are seen as worthless and never sought.
Surah 4:34 has been used to justify the practice of wife beating. However Muslim scholars
have informed us that such an interpretation of the verse is inaccurate. Nonetheless
contemporary readers have elaborated on the text. One Arab television commentator gives
instructions on the “art of wife beating.”
Other texts include prohibitions on travel. Professor Mehmet Gormez, a Hadith expert from the
Turkish Department of Religious Affairs mentions some messages that ban women from
traveling without their husband's permission and states “But this isn't a religious ban. It came
about because it simply because it wasn't safe for a woman to travel alone.” Still further the
Hadith contains alleged quotes of Muhammad such as “If a woman doesn’t satisfy her
husband’s desires, she should choose herself a place in hell” and “If a husband’s body is
covered with pus and the wife licks it clean, she still wouldn’t have paid her dues.” – passages
that Muslim scholars agree are falsely attributed to Muhammad.
6. There exists a story, whether historic or legendary, concerning the prophet Muhammad. It
is said that, during the early days of his ministry, his teaching that there is only one God was
strongly rejected by his own Quarish tribe as well as many other local tribes. Each day
Muhammad would walk down a certain pathway past the house of a woman who greatly
despised his teaching. One tradition at least says that the woman was Jewish. Anyway, the
woman would openly ridicule him and pelt him with garbage. Muhammad never retaliated.
Instead he took the persecution in a humble manner and walked on. One day Muhammad
walked down the same road but the woman was not there. He wondered what had happened
to her and began to inquire. Learning that she had become ill, Muhammad went to visit her at
her bedside. The woman was both stunned and humbled to see him. She inquired as to why
he would have such compassion upon one who had so unjustly persecuted him and was told
“If throwing garbage at me brings you happiness then you are welcome to do so every day.”
The woman was so overcome by this that she repented and became a follower of the true God.
Now the above story is accepted by many Islamic people as historic and it is rejected by many
others as a fable; primarily because it runs contrary to the idea that Muhammad would have
accepted terrorist attacks as an acceptable method of spreading Islam.
Whether the story is historical or fictional we do not know. However we would ask the Ankara
translators to establish some sort of teaching as to whether or not such actions would be
consistent with the character of Muhammad. If so then the current declarations of war upon the
people of Europe as a result of their publication of admittedly disgraceful cartoons of
Muhammad should be handled in a less violent manner.
7. And finally there is the question of grace. The Bible teaches that it is by grace (or
undeserved forgiveness) and not by works that one becomes right before God. However
various Muslim commentators have substituted the idea that we are saved by good works
instead of by grace. This would also seem to run contrary to what the Quran teaches.
Consider for example the following passage:
Say: 'O My servants who have transgressed against your own souls: do not despair of God's
mercy, for God forgives all sins. It is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.' (Surah 39:53)
These are the revisions that we would like to see made by the Muslim scholars. We are asking
the people of faith as a whole to encourage such changes as well as dialogue between
Muslims, Christians and Jews. At present, the only way we have of contacting these individuals
is through a web site they have set up at www.acommonword.com . This site contains a
message that we have declined to endorse since it falls short of denouncing the teaching in
Arab schools that Christians and Jews are actually pigs and apes designed to look human by
the devil. However it does give us an open window for discussion and we are thankful for both
the web site and the aforementioned revisions of the Hadith.
In addition to their web site, many readers will undoubtedly know Muslims personally as well
as how to contact their leadership. If so then please encourage then to move in this direction.
BELOW IS OUR INITIAL LETTER TO THE MUSLIM LEADERSHIP FROM SPEPTEMBER OF
2006:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERSHIP OF ISLAM
Dear Fellow Religious Leaders,
I am a Christian pastor with the Assemblies of God and numerous leaders within the Christian
community have approved the following letter.
It is to be recognized that both of our faiths have much in common. We both recognize the
existence of one God Who created the universe. We acknowledge that God is holy and that all
of His ways are just and perfect. We stress the importance of worshiping God above all else.
We acknowledge the importance of loving one another, of caring for the poor, the elderly, the
sick or injured and those who are wrongfully outcast. We have an inward desire for peace and
< BR>acknowledge th at it can only be attained by seeking this God of peace. Also, we eagerly
await the ultimate return of Jesus Christ (Isa).
We also acknowledge that our own faiths have throughout history fallen short of these ideals on
numerous occasions. One such extreme occasion would involve the horrible treatment of the
Islamic people during the medieval crusades. Enough cannot be said about these atrocities.
For these actions, committed by our ancestors we, the Church, are repentant and seek
forgiveness not only from God but from the descendants of those who were persecuted.
That being said, there is another matter of extreme importance before us in the present day. It
concerns terrorist acts being committed against people around the globe and the response of
the Islamic leadership concerning it.
As you know, much of the se cular press has labeled these actions as the result of “a religious
war” being carried on in our midst. This fact we find unconscionable as we, the Christian
leadership, have no recollection of having declared war on you. Nor has the Islamic leadership
given us any formal declaration that they consider themselves at war with us. It is most
unfortunate that the secular press often takes it upon itself to represent or misrepresent our
positions.
With this fact in mind, we must place a number of questions before the Islamic leadership.
There are a number of reasons why your response is so important. Foremost, as leaders
within the faiths of Islam and Christianity, each of us have tremendous influence on those who
are followers of such faith.
Since the division between Muslims and Jews seems far greater than that between Muslims
and Christians, we have been hesitant to include Jews i n our correspondence with you.
Nonetheless the path toward peace could not ever be complete without dealing with the friction
between Islam and Judaism so, at least for the present, we will not include Jews in our
discussion but will attempt to, particularly in point # 9, fairly represent their position.
Again, the point of this letter is to not to justify Israeli actions but rather to establish a peaceful
dialogue between the Christian and Muslim communities and to, as much as possible, bring
an end to hostility and to establish peace for future generations as we anticipate the return of
Christ.
We would request a formal and public reply to the questions below.
1. Are we in fact at war? Has the Christian faith in some way alienated itself from Islam to the
point that you advocate our destruction? Certainly we must acknowledge the existence of many
Christian missionaries, evangelists and apologists from both within th e clergy and the laity
who seek to convert Muslims to the Christian faith through persuasion. However there is a vast
difference between converting through persuasion and being forced to convert.
Recently two FOX News journalists verbally became converts to Islam when a knife was
pressed against their throats and their lives were threatened if they did not do so. So again,
this question: Are we in fact at war to the point that you advocate our murder?
2. There exists a story, whether historic or legendary, concerning the prophet Muhammad. It is
said that, during the early days of his ministry, his teaching that there is only one God was
strongly rejected by his own Quarish tribe as well as many other local tribes. Each day
Muhammad would walk down a certain pathway past the house of a woman who greatly
despised his teaching. One tradition at least says that the woman was Jewish. Anyway, the
woman would openly ridicule him and pelt him with garbage. Muhammad never retaliated.
Instead he took the persecution in a humble manner and walked on. One day Muhammad
walked down the same road but the woman was not there. He wondered what had happened
to her and began to inquire. Learning that she had become ill, Muhammad went to visit her at
her bedside. The woman was both stunned and humbled to see him. She inquired as to why
he would have such compassion upon one who had so unjustly persecuted him and was told
“If
throwing garbage at me brings you happiness then you are welcome to do so every day.” The
woman was so overcome by this that she repented and became a follower of the true God.
Now the above story is accepted by many Islamic people as historic and it is rejected by many
others as a fable; primarily because it runs contrary to the idea that Muhammad would have
accepted terrorist attacks as an acceptable method of spreading Islam.
Whether the story is historical or fictional we do not know. However our main question is this:
Does this story run contrary to the true nature of Muhammad? Or is it conceivable that he would
have reacted in such a way? Our Bible records the words of Jesus as telling his own followers
to “turn the other cheek” and to “carry the Roman soldier’s bag a second mile” and literally to
turn your enemy into a friend (Matthew chapter 5). Such actions, by our definition, reflect godly
qualities and would be characteristic of a prophet.
So our question is this: Was the character of Muhammad of the nature that the above story
would at least be feasible? And, if so, were not the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our country worthy
of being condemned by the Islamic leadership as blasphemy?
3. It has been widely reported that, in m any Islamic countries; primarily Saudi Arabia, school
children are taught to despise both Christians and Jews. In fact it is reported that the children
are taught that Jews are actually apes who have been designed to look human and that
Christians are actually pigs.
NPR author Vicki O’Hara reports the following.
“The Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House has studied some of the textbooks
currently in use in Saudi public schools, from grades one through 12. Nina Shea, the center's
director, says the texts do not comport with what Saudi officials have been saying. The
textbooks "reflect an ideology of hatred against Christians, Jews . . . and others who do not
subscribe to the Wahhabi doctrine," Shea says. The center's report cites numerous exam ples.
It quotes a fourth-grade text as telling students to "love for the sake of God and to hate for the
sake of God." The report says that textbooks instruct students that Christians and Jews are
"apes and pigs" and warns students not to "greet," "befriend" or "respect" non-believers. Saudi
officials have told Washington that their reformed
curriculum encourages tolerance and understanding of other religions and cultures.
Shea says any changes in that direction are miniscule. "They have made some changes,"
she says. "Sometimes though, the changes aren't all they're cracked up to be. For example,
they will say, 'You have to hate the unbeliever but to treat them justly.' That's supposed to be an
improvement." In its defense, the Saudi embassy in Washington issued a statement saying
that curriculum reform is a massive undertaking and that the process in Saudi Arabia is
ongoing. Shea is skeptical; she notes that the oil-rich Saudis began the reform process five
years ago. "They certainly have the money to change all the textbooks for next semester," she
says. ‘Or, last semester for that matter.’"
Our question then is this: Does the Islamic leadership in fact advocate teaching this sort of
hatred to children. Would it actually be acceptable to hate someone for the sake of God? If so
then are we not endorsing blasphemy against a holy God? And finally, will the Islamic
leadership openly rebuke school officials who print such material?
4. Within the pages of the Qur’an, Muhammad himself describes the Bible as a good book.
Please consider the following quote:
"ALLAH is HE besides Whom there is none wort hy of worship, the Living, the Self-Subsisting
and All-Sustaining. HE has sent down to thee the Book containing the truth and fulfilling that
which precedes it; and HE has sent down the Torah (Law of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus)
before this, as a guidance to the people; and HE has sent down the Discrimination (judgment
between right and wrong)." – Surah 3:3-4”
Now it must be noted that some Moslems have claimed that the Bible was corrupted after the
time of Muhammad. This is plainly false as we currently have copies of the Bible which date
centuries prior to the birth of Muhammad with no such evidence of corruption. That being said,
we are left to wonder why there was no report of outrage on May 15, 2002 when the Washington
Times reported that “there was little outcry when Islamic terrorists holed up in Bethlehem's
Church of the Nativity reportedly used the Bible as toilet paper. Catholic priests in the church
marking the spot where Jesus was believ ed to have been born said that during the five-week
siege, Palestinians tore up some Bibles for toilet paper and removed many valuable
sacramental objects.”
Should we not then conclude that these Palestinians committed blasphemy by desecrating a
book that Muhammad endorsed?
5. We are quite concerned that the horrible abuses committed by representatives of the
Christian Church during the medieval crusades have caused the Muslim people to discard to
two cardinal principles of both our faiths; namely the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Picture if you will the demented tyrant Raymond of Toulouse robbing the homes of
innocent Muslims, having them bound and placed inside their dwellings while the structure
was
burned to the ground. And now picture all o f this being done in the shadow of a large crucifix.
Small wonder that the Muslim people began to view the cross as a symbol of evil. And we
greatly fear that they remo ved the crucifixion and the resurrection from their belief system as a
result. We are disgraced by these shameful actions of our ancestors and can only say that
they falsely represent the Gospel message. We do however ask that the Muslim community
reexamine the words of Muhammad himself before dismissing the actions of Jesus on the
cross. The following verse in the Qur’an seems to imply the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the grave:
"Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, 'How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?'
Jesus said, 'I am a servant of ALLAH. HE has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet;
'And HE has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and
almsgiving so long as I live; 'And HE has made me dutiful towards my mother, and has not
made me arrogant and graceless; 'And peace was on me the day I was born, and peace will be
on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.' That was Jesus, son of
Mary as quoted in Surah 19:30-35
Yet our understanding of Islam is that you teach that Jesus never went to the cross. We
understand that this interpretation is derived from Surah 4:157:
“And for claiming that they killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of GOD. In
fact, they never killed him – they were made to think that they did . . . for certain they never killed
him.“
Whereas the substitution theory could be derived from the previous verse by itself, Arabic
linguists have informed us that the verse is actually a paraphrase of Jesus’ statement “You
would have no power over me if it were not given you from above” (John 19:11). This
interpretation would seem logical since it complies with Sura 4:158 (“Instead God raised him to
him”) and avoids an apparent contradiction.
The above understanding seems logical to us. Would maintainin g the substitution theory not
then put you in contradiction to Muhammad?
6. It is our understanding that Muhammad taught men to treat women as their equals.
Indeed Muhammad’s wife Aisha and his daughters are said to have supplied spiritual
leadership for the Islamic community after his death.
However today in many Muslim communities we see Islamic women with limited access to
education, employment and equal rights in the family. Their own perspectives are seen as
worthless and never sought.
Recently we have become concerned about a young Iranian woman by the name of Nazanin
Mahabad Fatehi. This 18 year old woman stabbed one of three men who attempted to rape her
and her 16 year old niece. For that she has been sentenced to death. We are informed that
such actions are common in several Islamic countries and we find the practice horrific.
One of the unique aspects of Jesus’ ministry was that he counted women among his closest
followers and was always respectful of them. Is it not contrary to the will of God for men to do
otherwise?
7. A teaching which we understand to have originated from within the Wahabbi movement
more than a millennium after the Qu’ran says that those who commit acts of terror and kill non-
Moslems are guaranteed a place in heaven with 72 virgin women as their servants. (As we
understand it, the original Arabic meaning was not “virgins” but “white raisins.”)
Here then is a vital point: Does the leadership of the Islamic religion thus encourage the
murder of those who subscribe to Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. and
promise such eternal rewards or does it discourage such practice?
Firstly, does the Wahabbi teaching not contradict verses in the Qu’ran such as 5:32 and 25:68-
69?
We have come across a quote from Osa ma Bin Laden in which he declares the United States
government to be an enemy of Islam and then declares that anyone who pays taxes to the U. S.
is therefore an enemy to be killed. Now please understand that our paying taxes does not
constitute an endorsement of all that goes on in our government. For example we strongly
oppose the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion and are seeking to have it abolished. We
do however pay taxes in obedience to the words of Jesus. When asked about paying taxes to
the corrupt Roman government, Jesus observed Caesar’s image on a coin and stated “Render
therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s”
(Matthew 22:21).
Secondly, please note another principle in our Bible fr om the following verses: Numbers 31:7
& 8, Deuteronomy 7 and I Samuel 15:3. It is here that the Hebrews are given instructions on
how to deal with certain corrupt tribes; namely the Midianites, the Caananites and the
Amalakites. These groups not only advocated the extermination of the Jews themselves but
also the murder of their own first born child as a sacrifice to the pagan god Baal. That is to say
that Baal-
worshippers sacrificed their own children. Indeed ancient texts speak of the Caananites
placing a new born baby on a hot iron and watching it die as a form of worship to Baal. The
solution that God gives to the Hebrews concerning these tribes of people is to wipe them out –
kill them – remove them from the face of the earth.
Now it pains us to say this but just recently an Islamic woman was apprehended at an airport in
England together with her bab y. It seems that the woman had stored an explosive in the baby’
s bottle and had plans of detonating it over a populous American city thus killing each
passenger including her own baby as well as thousands on the ground. Now we have not
heard any words of condemnation from the Islamic leadership in regards to this woman. We
are asking you right now “Will you condemn this woman’s actions as contrary to Islamic law?”
Still further we must ask if you will condemn the actions of extremists who recently shot
Leonella Sgorbati, a Christian worker at a children’s hospital in Mogadishu? This lady died
from three gunshots to her chest.
Will you condemn the intentional killing of Ali Mustaf Maka’il, a 22 year old college student also
in Mogadishu? He was shot in the back for having become a Christian.
Will you condemn the words of Sheikh Abubukar Hassn Malin, one of your own clergy who
called for the murder of Pope Benedict XVI?
Will you condemn the beheadings of Daniel Pearl, Nick Berg, Kim Sun II, Paul Johnson and
others; each of which took place while the assassins shouted “Allah is great!”? And will you tell
your people that imitating such actions are blasphemous and place them in danger of the
wrath of God?
Additionally we must point out that the Biblical response toward the Midianites, Caananites and
Amalakites was to destroy them. Please, we do not want our society to denigrate into such a
state. As representatives of Jesus Christ we want to be envoys for peace and not destruction.
Please also bear in mind that, unlike in most Moslem nations, the leadership of the Christian
Church has only limited influence among our government’s policy makers. And we have no
authority to establish political or military policy at all .
8. Various individuals within both the Christian and Muslim communities have pointed to
passages in the Qur’an which, at first glance, seem to encourage violence between the two
movements. Passages such as Surah 2:193 & 216, 5:33 & 51, 8:39 & 65, 9:5 & 29 are seen
by many Muslims as a call to arms against Christians. Christians in turn see them as reasons
to retaliate. However both groups seem ignorant of the historical setting in which the passages
were written:
History tells of a heretical group known as the Collyridians who existed in Asia at the time. This
group taught that three gods existed in the heavens. In the beginning a father god was said to
have impregnated a goddess named Mary and their ensuing offspring was named Jesus.
Muhammad is almost certainly describing these people in Surah 5:73, 75 and 116; passages
often mistakenly seen as being directed to the Christian concept of the Trinity. Now because
the Collyridian practice of offering cakes to Mary in worship seems to have evolved from the
worship of Artemis and since the latter religion was characterized by human sacrifice, it seems
likely that the Collyridians sacrificed humans as well. With this in mind, it would have seemed
quite reasonable for Muhammad to have decreed war upon them. However, by contrast, he
seems to have been at peace with the Christian community.
When the above facts are taken into account, does it not seem likely that the devil himself has
used confusion among both groups to promote violence when we should instead be working
together in harmony?
9. As previously noted, we have elected to exclude the Jewish community from our dialogue
for the present time. However the question of Israel and the occupation of the Holy Land is a
constant source of agitation and certainly cannot be overlooked. Nor can we totally obtain our
goal of peace until the Jews are included. In the meantime however, there is much that the
Muslim community can do to educate us.
A large portion of the Christian community has traditionally understood verses such a Isaiah
51:11 and Ezekiel 37:12 to be forecasting the Jews return to the land in 1948 and their
subsequent capture of Jerusalem in 1967. However we must recognize that alternate
interpretations are feasible: for example Isaiah and Ezekiel could be referring to the decree of
the Persian king Artaxerxes which gave the Jews the right to return from exile in 446 B.C. By
this view, the term “everlast ing” in Isaiah 51:11 would be conditional upon their obedience as
shown in Deuteronomy 28:58-68 and 29:24-28. That such obedience did not occur is
evidenced by Jeremiah chapters 2 and 3 and by Mark 11:20.
Additionally the Christian leadership cannot endorse the manner in which the Jewish
community went about securing the land prior to 1948. We cannot endorse the terrorist actions
of radical Zionist groups such as the Irgun or the Stern Gang. Many within the Christian
community are not even aware of their bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946 (which killed 91
innocent men, women and child ren) or the brutal massacre of 260 Arab people at Deir Yassin
that these groups committed on April 9, 1948 – incidents that no doubt fueled the fires of future
hostilities. Christians do need to be aware of them though and thus we are offering a listening
ear to the Muslim leadership.
On the other side of this we must point out that the term “Palestinian”, given to those who
are making claim to the land, is a misnomer. While it is true that the ancient Philistines (or
Palestinians) could make a claim to the Gaza Strip, these people were entirely wiped out in
1270 by the Mamluk Sultan Baybars and do not exist as a people anymore (an apparent
fulfillment of Jeremiah 47:2-5 and Zephaniah 2:5).
While the present disagreements over the land are regrettable, it would seem unwise for the
Christian community to become directly involved at all. However we would suggest that the
dispute be resolved by a coming together of people of faith rather than those of the secular
community who would likely tend to take whatever position is politically favorable. Also we
believe that people of faith w ould be more likely to resolve the matter peacefully by seeking
God’s will on the subject. An old song contained the words “There will never be any peace until
God is seated at the conference table.” Let’s extend that invitation to God. It may very well be
that He would establish a spirit of unity and love between both sides to the point that they could
live together harmoniously in the land.
10. Now we must also draw attention to recent words of Iranian leader Ahmadinejad: He
stated that all tension could be brought to a halt if America would just convert to Islam. We
would request an explanation as to just what this means. There are so many different versions
of Islam throughout the world that we are not even able to interpret the statement. The only
thing tha t we can think of in this regard is to break down the term “Islam” into its simplest form;
that being “submission or surrender to God.” The vast majority of the Christian community has
made an effort to do just that – to submit and surrender our lives to God. It is for this reason
that we see so much conflict between the Christian community and the secular world in
America. We cannot approve of their endorsement of such things as abortion, pornography or
the homosexual lifestyle and, as a result they both hate and ridicule us.
We therefore ask the question “Should those within the Christian community who have
surrendered their lives to God then be considered Islamic? Would it for example be possible
for someone to believe in the Deity and resurrection of Jesus Christ and salvation by grace and
yet still be a Muslim?
Either way, there would seem to be a tremendous opportunity for us to work together for
world peace. Now we recognize the likelihood that there would be great disagreement over just
how we could accomplish these goals. For example some might conclude that the best way to
remove pornography from a society is to kill the pornographer. This would run contrary to
Christian teachings as we would instead seek to change the pornographer’s heart with the
good news that God loves him. This may or may not run contrary to Muslim practice but, with all
that the Quran has to say about the mercy of God, it seems unlikely. Nonetheless we see an
incredible opportunity for both groups to come together as a force for good.
This is why your response to these questions is so important. Many throughout the world do
not even believe in God and much of that disbelief stems from their having seen violence and
terror committed in the name of God. To the contrary, despite our differences, both Islam and
Christianity can be a force for good and for peace in the world and the clergy can lead the
way.
Howie Gardner
orueagle3@yahoo.com
We at CM Dialogue are extremely excited by the announcements that (1) King Abdullah of Saudi
Arabia has announced an upcoming dialogue between representatives of Islam, Christianity
and Judaism (2) the announcement that Saudi Arabia will allow the opening of between 5 and
10 Christian Church congregations within their borders and (3) the announcement that Muslim
scholars in Ankara, Turkey have begun a massive revision of passages in the Hadith – those
which are likely not attributable to Muhammad himself and which inspire violence and the
abuse of women.
Regardless of how one regards the individuals who have carried out suicide terrorist attacks
over the past decade, the charge cannot be made that these people were non-religious.
Rather they had a fervent belief in God but, we believe, a distorted understanding as to his true
nature. From all indications, the 9/11 terrorists actually expected to wake up in Heaven
receiving the praise of a vengeful god who appreciated seeing his children carry out acts of
terror upon one another as he was apparently too weak to carry them out himself. This
vengeful deity was then expected to reward the terrorist with 72 virgin women who would be his
servants for eternity.
This however is NOT the true nature of God as portrayed in either the Quran or in the Bible.
Recently leading Muslim clerics have recognized this fact and have gathered in Ankara, Turkey
to begin a massive revision of the Hadith – a collection of the writings of post-Quranic authors
who previously offered their own interpretations, often erroneously, as to the true intent of
Muhammad in regards to specific passages in the Quran. Of particular interest are those of
Abu Hurayra, a proponent of terrorism and an opponent of women’s rights, who compiled more
than 5000 Hadiths without benefit of a second witness. Oma r Ibn Al-Khattab, the second
guided Khalifa and a contemporary of both men, accused Hurayra of making up stories about
Muhammad.
This is an incredible effort which the British press has compared to the Protestant Reformation
within Christianity. We at CM Dialogue such an effort and are hopeful that our readers will
encourage the following revisions to be made in the Hadith:
1. Within the pages of the Quran, Muhammad declares that his people must take action
against “infidels.” Historical research would indicate that he had two groups in mind here: (1)
The Quraish and (2) a quaisi- Christian cult known as the Collyridians. The former was
Muhammad’s own tribe from birth and they had become a great threat to his people as they
offered up human beings in sacrifice to their gods.
The Collyridians, although calling themselves “Christians” (as Muhammad calls them in Surah
5:51) were so in name only. An offshoot of the cult of Dianah, they paid homage to three gods;
a father god, a mother goddess named Mary (to whom they offered up cakes in worship) and
their offspring who was named Jesus or Isa. Muhammad makes specific mention of this
group in Surah 5:73, 75 and 116. From all indications this group practiced human sacrifice as
well. Please also note that the term “son of god” as used by the Collyridians to imply a physical
offspring is quite different from the Christian usage.
However later Muslim clerics have offered a reinterpretation of Muhammad’s words in
which the infidels are declared to be orthodox Christians as well as Jews. This is clearly wrong
as the Quran depicts Muhammad as having been at peace with both groups. Please consider
the following passages:
Surah 2:62: “Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the
Sabians -- whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their
reward from their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor shall they grieve"
Surah 5:82: "...and nearest among them in love to the believers will you find those who say, 'We
are Christians,' because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have
renounced the world, and they are not arrogant."
Surah 61:14: "O you who believe! Be helpers of God -- as Jesus the son of Mary said to the
Disciples, 'Who will be my helpers in (the work of) God?' Said the disciples, 'We are God's
helpers!' Then a portion of the Children of Israel believed, and a portion disbelieved. But We
gave power to those who believed, against their enemies, and they became the ones that
prevailed."
2. Various terrorist groups have clung to the promise that all those who die in attacks on
infidels will receive as their eternal reward 72 virgin women as their servants in heaven. This is
clearly a mistranslation as the original promise of Muhammad Ibn Wahhab was not of virgins
but of white raisins – the understanding being that if one were to die while returning evil for evil
then they could expect to end up in a place so hot that grapes would instantly turn into raisins
white with heat. Had the 9/11 terrorists understood this passage as such, they would have
undoubtedly acted differently.
3. In Surah 3:3 & 4 Muhammad describes the Bible as a good book. However later Muslim
clerics have maintained that the Bible was later corrupted by infidel Christians and can no
longer be trusted. This is clearly false as we now have copies of the Bible which date back
centuries prior to Muhammad and show no sign of such corruption.
4. Both Surah 4:158 and 19:30-35 speak of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ
(Isa). However later Muslim commentators appear to have been confused as to the
interpretation of 4:157 (“. . . in fact they never killed him, they were made to think that they did . .
.”) and understood it to mean that Jesus opponents had either grabbed the wrong person or
were made to think that they had carried out the crucifixion by a vision.
Doubtless the abuses committed during the medieval crusades contributed to this
understanding. Picture if you will the demented tyrant Raymond of Toulouse robbing the
homes of innocent Muslims, having them bound and placed inside their dwellings while the
structure was burned to the ground. And now picture all o f this being done in the shadow of a
large crucifix. Small wonder that the Muslim people began to view the cross as a symbol of
evil. And we greatly fear that they removed the crucifixion and the resurrection from their belief
system as a result. We are disgraced by these shameful actions of our ancestors and can
only say that they falsely represent the Gospel message. We do however ask that the Muslim
community reexamine the words of Muhammad himself.& nbsp;
Whereas the substitution theory could be derived from Surah 4:157 by itself, Arabic linguists
have informed us that the verse is actually a paraphrase of Jesus’ statement “You would have
no power over me if it were not given you from above” (John 19:11). This interpretation would
seem logical since it complies with Surah 4:158 (“Instead God raised him to him”) and avoids
an apparent contradiction.
5. It is our understanding that Muhammad taught men to treat women as their equals.
Indeed Muhammad’s wife Aisha and his daughters are said to have supplied spiritual
leadership for the Islamic community after his death. However today in many Muslim
communities we see Islamic women with limited access to education, employment and equal
rights in the family. Their own perspectives are seen as worthless and never sought.
Surah 4:34 has been used to justify the practice of wife beating. However Muslim scholars
have informed us that such an interpretation of the verse is inaccurate. Nonetheless
contemporary readers have elaborated on the text. One Arab television commentator gives
instructions on the “art of wife beating.”
Other texts include prohibitions on travel. Professor Mehmet Gormez, a Hadith expert from the
Turkish Department of Religious Affairs mentions some messages that ban women from
traveling without their husband's permission and states “But this isn't a religious ban. It came
about because it simply because it wasn't safe for a woman to travel alone.” Still further the
Hadith contains alleged quotes of Muhammad such as “If a woman doesn’t satisfy her
husband’s desires, she should choose herself a place in hell” and “If a husband’s body is
covered with pus and the wife licks it clean, she still wouldn’t have paid her dues.” – passages
that Muslim scholars agree are falsely attributed to Muhammad.
6. There exists a story, whether historic or legendary, concerning the prophet Muhammad. It
is said that, during the early days of his ministry, his teaching that there is only one God was
strongly rejected by his own Quarish tribe as well as many other local tribes. Each day
Muhammad would walk down a certain pathway past the house of a woman who greatly
despised his teaching. One tradition at least says that the woman was Jewish. Anyway, the
woman would openly ridicule him and pelt him with garbage. Muhammad never retaliated.
Instead he took the persecution in a humble manner and walked on. One day Muhammad
walked down the same road but the woman was not there. He wondered what had happened
to her and began to inquire. Learning that she had become ill, Muhammad went to visit her at
her bedside. The woman was both stunned and humbled to see him. She inquired as to why
he would have such compassion upon one who had so unjustly persecuted him and was told
“If throwing garbage at me brings you happiness then you are welcome to do so every day.”
The woman was so overcome by this that she repented and became a follower of the true God.
Now the above story is accepted by many Islamic people as historic and it is rejected by many
others as a fable; primarily because it runs contrary to the idea that Muhammad would have
accepted terrorist attacks as an acceptable method of spreading Islam.
Whether the story is historical or fictional we do not know. However we would ask the Ankara
translators to establish some sort of teaching as to whether or not such actions would be
consistent with the character of Muhammad. If so then the current declarations of war upon the
people of Europe as a result of their publication of admittedly disgraceful cartoons of
Muhammad should be handled in a less violent manner.
7. And finally there is the question of grace. The Bible teaches that it is by grace (or
undeserved forgiveness) and not by works that one becomes right before God. However
various Muslim commentators have substituted the idea that we are saved by good works
instead of by grace. This would also seem to run contrary to what the Quran teaches.
Consider for example the following passage:
Say: 'O My servants who have transgressed against your own souls: do not despair of God's
mercy, for God forgives all sins. It is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.' (Surah 39:53)
These are the revisions that we would like to see made by the Muslim scholars. We are asking
the people of faith as a whole to encourage such changes as well as dialogue between
Muslims, Christians and Jews. At present, the only way we have of contacting these individuals
is through a web site they have set up at www.acommonword.com . This site contains a
message that we have declined to endorse since it falls short of denouncing the teaching in
Arab schools that Christians and Jews are actually pigs and apes designed to look human by
the devil. However it does give us an open window for discussion and we are thankful for both
the web site and the aforementioned revisions of the Hadith.
In addition to their web site, many readers will undoubtedly know Muslims personally as well
as how to contact their leadership. If so then please encourage then to move in this direction.
BELOW IS OUR INITIAL LETTER TO THE MUSLIM LEADERSHIP FROM SPEPTEMBER OF
2006:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERSHIP OF ISLAM
Dear Fellow Religious Leaders,
I am a Christian pastor with the Assemblies of God and numerous leaders within the Christian
community have approved the following letter.
It is to be recognized that both of our faiths have much in common. We both recognize the
existence of one God Who created the universe. We acknowledge that God is holy and that all
of His ways are just and perfect. We stress the importance of worshiping God above all else.
We acknowledge the importance of loving one another, of caring for the poor, the elderly, the
sick or injured and those who are wrongfully outcast. We have an inward desire for peace and
< BR>acknowledge th at it can only be attained by seeking this God of peace. Also, we eagerly
await the ultimate return of Jesus Christ (Isa).
We also acknowledge that our own faiths have throughout history fallen short of these ideals on
numerous occasions. One such extreme occasion would involve the horrible treatment of the
Islamic people during the medieval crusades. Enough cannot be said about these atrocities.
For these actions, committed by our ancestors we, the Church, are repentant and seek
forgiveness not only from God but from the descendants of those who were persecuted.
That being said, there is another matter of extreme importance before us in the present day. It
concerns terrorist acts being committed against people around the globe and the response of
the Islamic leadership concerning it.
As you know, much of the se cular press has labeled these actions as the result of “a religious
war” being carried on in our midst. This fact we find unconscionable as we, the Christian
leadership, have no recollection of having declared war on you. Nor has the Islamic leadership
given us any formal declaration that they consider themselves at war with us. It is most
unfortunate that the secular press often takes it upon itself to represent or misrepresent our
positions.
With this fact in mind, we must place a number of questions before the Islamic leadership.
There are a number of reasons why your response is so important. Foremost, as leaders
within the faiths of Islam and Christianity, each of us have tremendous influence on those who
are followers of such faith.
Since the division between Muslims and Jews seems far greater than that between Muslims
and Christians, we have been hesitant to include Jews i n our correspondence with you.
Nonetheless the path toward peace could not ever be complete without dealing with the friction
between Islam and Judaism so, at least for the present, we will not include Jews in our
discussion but will attempt to, particularly in point # 9, fairly represent their position.
Again, the point of this letter is to not to justify Israeli actions but rather to establish a peaceful
dialogue between the Christian and Muslim communities and to, as much as possible, bring
an end to hostility and to establish peace for future generations as we anticipate the return of
Christ.
We would request a formal and public reply to the questions below.
1. Are we in fact at war? Has the Christian faith in some way alienated itself from Islam to the
point that you advocate our destruction? Certainly we must acknowledge the existence of many
Christian missionaries, evangelists and apologists from both within th e clergy and the laity
who seek to convert Muslims to the Christian faith through persuasion. However there is a vast
difference between converting through persuasion and being forced to convert.
Recently two FOX News journalists verbally became converts to Islam when a knife was
pressed against their throats and their lives were threatened if they did not do so. So again,
this question: Are we in fact at war to the point that you advocate our murder?
2. There exists a story, whether historic or legendary, concerning the prophet Muhammad. It is
said that, during the early days of his ministry, his teaching that there is only one God was
strongly rejected by his own Quarish tribe as well as many other local tribes. Each day
Muhammad would walk down a certain pathway past the house of a woman who greatly
despised his teaching. One tradition at least says that the woman was Jewish. Anyway, the
woman would openly ridicule him and pelt him with garbage. Muhammad never retaliated.
Instead he took the persecution in a humble manner and walked on. One day Muhammad
walked down the same road but the woman was not there. He wondered what had happened
to her and began to inquire. Learning that she had become ill, Muhammad went to visit her at
her bedside. The woman was both stunned and humbled to see him. She inquired as to why
he would have such compassion upon one who had so unjustly persecuted him and was told
“If
throwing garbage at me brings you happiness then you are welcome to do so every day.” The
woman was so overcome by this that she repented and became a follower of the true God.
Now the above story is accepted by many Islamic people as historic and it is rejected by many
others as a fable; primarily because it runs contrary to the idea that Muhammad would have
accepted terrorist attacks as an acceptable method of spreading Islam.
Whether the story is historical or fictional we do not know. However our main question is this:
Does this story run contrary to the true nature of Muhammad? Or is it conceivable that he would
have reacted in such a way? Our Bible records the words of Jesus as telling his own followers
to “turn the other cheek” and to “carry the Roman soldier’s bag a second mile” and literally to
turn your enemy into a friend (Matthew chapter 5). Such actions, by our definition, reflect godly
qualities and would be characteristic of a prophet.
So our question is this: Was the character of Muhammad of the nature that the above story
would at least be feasible? And, if so, were not the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our country worthy
of being condemned by the Islamic leadership as blasphemy?
3. It has been widely reported that, in m any Islamic countries; primarily Saudi Arabia, school
children are taught to despise both Christians and Jews. In fact it is reported that the children
are taught that Jews are actually apes who have been designed to look human and that
Christians are actually pigs.
NPR author Vicki O’Hara reports the following.
“The Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House has studied some of the textbooks
currently in use in Saudi public schools, from grades one through 12. Nina Shea, the center's
director, says the texts do not comport with what Saudi officials have been saying. The
textbooks "reflect an ideology of hatred against Christians, Jews . . . and others who do not
subscribe to the Wahhabi doctrine," Shea says. The center's report cites numerous exam ples.
It quotes a fourth-grade text as telling students to "love for the sake of God and to hate for the
sake of God." The report says that textbooks instruct students that Christians and Jews are
"apes and pigs" and warns students not to "greet," "befriend" or "respect" non-believers. Saudi
officials have told Washington that their reformed
curriculum encourages tolerance and understanding of other religions and cultures.
Shea says any changes in that direction are miniscule. "They have made some changes,"
she says. "Sometimes though, the changes aren't all they're cracked up to be. For example,
they will say, 'You have to hate the unbeliever but to treat them justly.' That's supposed to be an
improvement." In its defense, the Saudi embassy in Washington issued a statement saying
that curriculum reform is a massive undertaking and that the process in Saudi Arabia is
ongoing. Shea is skeptical; she notes that the oil-rich Saudis began the reform process five
years ago. "They certainly have the money to change all the textbooks for next semester," she
says. ‘Or, last semester for that matter.’"
Our question then is this: Does the Islamic leadership in fact advocate teaching this sort of
hatred to children. Would it actually be acceptable to hate someone for the sake of God? If so
then are we not endorsing blasphemy against a holy God? And finally, will the Islamic
leadership openly rebuke school officials who print such material?
4. Within the pages of the Qur’an, Muhammad himself describes the Bible as a good book.
Please consider the following quote:
"ALLAH is HE besides Whom there is none wort hy of worship, the Living, the Self-Subsisting
and All-Sustaining. HE has sent down to thee the Book containing the truth and fulfilling that
which precedes it; and HE has sent down the Torah (Law of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus)
before this, as a guidance to the people; and HE has sent down the Discrimination (judgment
between right and wrong)." – Surah 3:3-4”
Now it must be noted that some Moslems have claimed that the Bible was corrupted after the
time of Muhammad. This is plainly false as we currently have copies of the Bible which date
centuries prior to the birth of Muhammad with no such evidence of corruption. That being said,
we are left to wonder why there was no report of outrage on May 15, 2002 when the Washington
Times reported that “there was little outcry when Islamic terrorists holed up in Bethlehem's
Church of the Nativity reportedly used the Bible as toilet paper. Catholic priests in the church
marking the spot where Jesus was believ ed to have been born said that during the five-week
siege, Palestinians tore up some Bibles for toilet paper and removed many valuable
sacramental objects.”
Should we not then conclude that these Palestinians committed blasphemy by desecrating a
book that Muhammad endorsed?
5. We are quite concerned that the horrible abuses committed by representatives of the
Christian Church during the medieval crusades have caused the Muslim people to discard to
two cardinal principles of both our faiths; namely the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Picture if you will the demented tyrant Raymond of Toulouse robbing the homes of
innocent Muslims, having them bound and placed inside their dwellings while the structure
was
burned to the ground. And now picture all o f this being done in the shadow of a large crucifix.
Small wonder that the Muslim people began to view the cross as a symbol of evil. And we
greatly fear that they remo ved the crucifixion and the resurrection from their belief system as a
result. We are disgraced by these shameful actions of our ancestors and can only say that
they falsely represent the Gospel message. We do however ask that the Muslim community
reexamine the words of Muhammad himself before dismissing the actions of Jesus on the
cross. The following verse in the Qur’an seems to imply the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the grave:
"Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, 'How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?'
Jesus said, 'I am a servant of ALLAH. HE has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet;
'And HE has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and
almsgiving so long as I live; 'And HE has made me dutiful towards my mother, and has not
made me arrogant and graceless; 'And peace was on me the day I was born, and peace will be
on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.' That was Jesus, son of
Mary as quoted in Surah 19:30-35
Yet our understanding of Islam is that you teach that Jesus never went to the cross. We
understand that this interpretation is derived from Surah 4:157:
“And for claiming that they killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of GOD. In
fact, they never killed him – they were made to think that they did . . . for certain they never killed
him.“
Whereas the substitution theory could be derived from the previous verse by itself, Arabic
linguists have informed us that the verse is actually a paraphrase of Jesus’ statement “You
would have no power over me if it were not given you from above” (John 19:11). This
interpretation would seem logical since it complies with Sura 4:158 (“Instead God raised him to
him”) and avoids an apparent contradiction.
The above understanding seems logical to us. Would maintainin g the substitution theory not
then put you in contradiction to Muhammad?
6. It is our understanding that Muhammad taught men to treat women as their equals.
Indeed Muhammad’s wife Aisha and his daughters are said to have supplied spiritual
leadership for the Islamic community after his death.
However today in many Muslim communities we see Islamic women with limited access to
education, employment and equal rights in the family. Their own perspectives are seen as
worthless and never sought.
Recently we have become concerned about a young Iranian woman by the name of Nazanin
Mahabad Fatehi. This 18 year old woman stabbed one of three men who attempted to rape her
and her 16 year old niece. For that she has been sentenced to death. We are informed that
such actions are common in several Islamic countries and we find the practice horrific.
One of the unique aspects of Jesus’ ministry was that he counted women among his closest
followers and was always respectful of them. Is it not contrary to the will of God for men to do
otherwise?
7. A teaching which we understand to have originated from within the Wahabbi movement
more than a millennium after the Qu’ran says that those who commit acts of terror and kill non-
Moslems are guaranteed a place in heaven with 72 virgin women as their servants. (As we
understand it, the original Arabic meaning was not “virgins” but “white raisins.”)
Here then is a vital point: Does the leadership of the Islamic religion thus encourage the
murder of those who subscribe to Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. and
promise such eternal rewards or does it discourage such practice?
Firstly, does the Wahabbi teaching not contradict verses in the Qu’ran such as 5:32 and 25:68-
69?
We have come across a quote from Osa ma Bin Laden in which he declares the United States
government to be an enemy of Islam and then declares that anyone who pays taxes to the U. S.
is therefore an enemy to be killed. Now please understand that our paying taxes does not
constitute an endorsement of all that goes on in our government. For example we strongly
oppose the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion and are seeking to have it abolished. We
do however pay taxes in obedience to the words of Jesus. When asked about paying taxes to
the corrupt Roman government, Jesus observed Caesar’s image on a coin and stated “Render
therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s”
(Matthew 22:21).
Secondly, please note another principle in our Bible fr om the following verses: Numbers 31:7
& 8, Deuteronomy 7 and I Samuel 15:3. It is here that the Hebrews are given instructions on
how to deal with certain corrupt tribes; namely the Midianites, the Caananites and the
Amalakites. These groups not only advocated the extermination of the Jews themselves but
also the murder of their own first born child as a sacrifice to the pagan god Baal. That is to say
that Baal-
worshippers sacrificed their own children. Indeed ancient texts speak of the Caananites
placing a new born baby on a hot iron and watching it die as a form of worship to Baal. The
solution that God gives to the Hebrews concerning these tribes of people is to wipe them out –
kill them – remove them from the face of the earth.
Now it pains us to say this but just recently an Islamic woman was apprehended at an airport in
England together with her bab y. It seems that the woman had stored an explosive in the baby’
s bottle and had plans of detonating it over a populous American city thus killing each
passenger including her own baby as well as thousands on the ground. Now we have not
heard any words of condemnation from the Islamic leadership in regards to this woman. We
are asking you right now “Will you condemn this woman’s actions as contrary to Islamic law?”
Still further we must ask if you will condemn the actions of extremists who recently shot
Leonella Sgorbati, a Christian worker at a children’s hospital in Mogadishu? This lady died
from three gunshots to her chest.
Will you condemn the intentional killing of Ali Mustaf Maka’il, a 22 year old college student also
in Mogadishu? He was shot in the back for having become a Christian.
Will you condemn the words of Sheikh Abubukar Hassn Malin, one of your own clergy who
called for the murder of Pope Benedict XVI?
Will you condemn the beheadings of Daniel Pearl, Nick Berg, Kim Sun II, Paul Johnson and
others; each of which took place while the assassins shouted “Allah is great!”? And will you tell
your people that imitating such actions are blasphemous and place them in danger of the
wrath of God?
Additionally we must point out that the Biblical response toward the Midianites, Caananites and
Amalakites was to destroy them. Please, we do not want our society to denigrate into such a
state. As representatives of Jesus Christ we want to be envoys for peace and not destruction.
Please also bear in mind that, unlike in most Moslem nations, the leadership of the Christian
Church has only limited influence among our government’s policy makers. And we have no
authority to establish political or military policy at all .
8. Various individuals within both the Christian and Muslim communities have pointed to
passages in the Qur’an which, at first glance, seem to encourage violence between the two
movements. Passages such as Surah 2:193 & 216, 5:33 & 51, 8:39 & 65, 9:5 & 29 are seen
by many Muslims as a call to arms against Christians. Christians in turn see them as reasons
to retaliate. However both groups seem ignorant of the historical setting in which the passages
were written:
History tells of a heretical group known as the Collyridians who existed in Asia at the time. This
group taught that three gods existed in the heavens. In the beginning a father god was said to
have impregnated a goddess named Mary and their ensuing offspring was named Jesus.
Muhammad is almost certainly describing these people in Surah 5:73, 75 and 116; passages
often mistakenly seen as being directed to the Christian concept of the Trinity. Now because
the Collyridian practice of offering cakes to Mary in worship seems to have evolved from the
worship of Artemis and since the latter religion was characterized by human sacrifice, it seems
likely that the Collyridians sacrificed humans as well. With this in mind, it would have seemed
quite reasonable for Muhammad to have decreed war upon them. However, by contrast, he
seems to have been at peace with the Christian community.
When the above facts are taken into account, does it not seem likely that the devil himself has
used confusion among both groups to promote violence when we should instead be working
together in harmony?
9. As previously noted, we have elected to exclude the Jewish community from our dialogue
for the present time. However the question of Israel and the occupation of the Holy Land is a
constant source of agitation and certainly cannot be overlooked. Nor can we totally obtain our
goal of peace until the Jews are included. In the meantime however, there is much that the
Muslim community can do to educate us.
A large portion of the Christian community has traditionally understood verses such a Isaiah
51:11 and Ezekiel 37:12 to be forecasting the Jews return to the land in 1948 and their
subsequent capture of Jerusalem in 1967. However we must recognize that alternate
interpretations are feasible: for example Isaiah and Ezekiel could be referring to the decree of
the Persian king Artaxerxes which gave the Jews the right to return from exile in 446 B.C. By
this view, the term “everlast ing” in Isaiah 51:11 would be conditional upon their obedience as
shown in Deuteronomy 28:58-68 and 29:24-28. That such obedience did not occur is
evidenced by Jeremiah chapters 2 and 3 and by Mark 11:20.
Additionally the Christian leadership cannot endorse the manner in which the Jewish
community went about securing the land prior to 1948. We cannot endorse the terrorist actions
of radical Zionist groups such as the Irgun or the Stern Gang. Many within the Christian
community are not even aware of their bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946 (which killed 91
innocent men, women and child ren) or the brutal massacre of 260 Arab people at Deir Yassin
that these groups committed on April 9, 1948 – incidents that no doubt fueled the fires of future
hostilities. Christians do need to be aware of them though and thus we are offering a listening
ear to the Muslim leadership.
On the other side of this we must point out that the term “Palestinian”, given to those who
are making claim to the land, is a misnomer. While it is true that the ancient Philistines (or
Palestinians) could make a claim to the Gaza Strip, these people were entirely wiped out in
1270 by the Mamluk Sultan Baybars and do not exist as a people anymore (an apparent
fulfillment of Jeremiah 47:2-5 and Zephaniah 2:5).
While the present disagreements over the land are regrettable, it would seem unwise for the
Christian community to become directly involved at all. However we would suggest that the
dispute be resolved by a coming together of people of faith rather than those of the secular
community who would likely tend to take whatever position is politically favorable. Also we
believe that people of faith w ould be more likely to resolve the matter peacefully by seeking
God’s will on the subject. An old song contained the words “There will never be any peace until
God is seated at the conference table.” Let’s extend that invitation to God. It may very well be
that He would establish a spirit of unity and love between both sides to the point that they could
live together harmoniously in the land.
10. Now we must also draw attention to recent words of Iranian leader Ahmadinejad: He
stated that all tension could be brought to a halt if America would just convert to Islam. We
would request an explanation as to just what this means. There are so many different versions
of Islam throughout the world that we are not even able to interpret the statement. The only
thing tha t we can think of in this regard is to break down the term “Islam” into its simplest form;
that being “submission or surrender to God.” The vast majority of the Christian community has
made an effort to do just that – to submit and surrender our lives to God. It is for this reason
that we see so much conflict between the Christian community and the secular world in
America. We cannot approve of their endorsement of such things as abortion, pornography or
the homosexual lifestyle and, as a result they both hate and ridicule us.
We therefore ask the question “Should those within the Christian community who have
surrendered their lives to God then be considered Islamic? Would it for example be possible
for someone to believe in the Deity and resurrection of Jesus Christ and salvation by grace and
yet still be a Muslim?
Either way, there would seem to be a tremendous opportunity for us to work together for
world peace. Now we recognize the likelihood that there would be great disagreement over just
how we could accomplish these goals. For example some might conclude that the best way to
remove pornography from a society is to kill the pornographer. This would run contrary to
Christian teachings as we would instead seek to change the pornographer’s heart with the
good news that God loves him. This may or may not run contrary to Muslim practice but, with all
that the Quran has to say about the mercy of God, it seems unlikely. Nonetheless we see an
incredible opportunity for both groups to come together as a force for good.
This is why your response to these questions is so important. Many throughout the world do
not even believe in God and much of that disbelief stems from their having seen violence and
terror committed in the name of God. To the contrary, despite our differences, both Islam and
Christianity can be a force for good and for peace in the world and the clergy can lead the
way.
Howie Gardner
orueagle3@yahoo.com