Yesterday I posted part of an article from California's Paradise Post about a speaker named Mujahid el-Masih, who asserted that "the main theme of jihad is the murdering of Christians and Jews."
In my haste I once again left out something I should have included: that the Qur'an actually mandates warfare against Christians and Jews not simply to murder them, but to offer them three choices: conversion, death, or subjugation as inferiors under Islamic law (cf. Qur'an 9:29). Many Muslim commentators throughout history and today have understood this to be the Qur'an's last word on jihad.
So el-Masih's statement was incomplete — but the reactions to his remarks has been, predictably enough, even more misleading.
From the Paradise Post, with thanks to Nicolei:
On Tuesday, the Paradise Post published an article about Pastor Mujahid el-Masih, a former Muslim from Pakistan who now preaches to churches around the country as a converted Christian. His presentation on Sunday at the Ridge Southern Baptist Church was titled the "True Understanding of Islam" and he made bold statements such as: "The main theme of jihad is the murdering of Christians and Jews," el-Masih said. He also claimed Muslims plan to take over America by the year 2020.The story was picked up and linked to the national Council on American-Islamic Relations Web site and to the Jews Like News Web site....
The Post had tried to contact assistant professor of religious studies, Loren Lybarger of Chico State to get his reaction to the presentation. Unfortunately he could not get in contact with the paper until Wednesday.
Lybarger was born in Pakistan and had lived in the Middle East with Palestinians for a number of years. He now teaches an introductory class on Islam, Christianity and Judaism at Chico State.
"Jihad is a very complex idea," Lybarger said in response to el-Masih's claims of jihad having a murderous theme towards Christians and Jews. "That is blatantly false and quite the contrary."
Quite the contrary? So jihad is to save the lives of Christians and Jews? I wonder what the Christians and Jews of the Middle Eastern and North African regions that were conquered by Islam so long ago would say about that.
Lybarger summed up jihad to mean the Muslim's struggle to live a good life with the practice of Islam.However, one of the interpretations of jihad has been linked to war.
"For most of Islamic history the understanding of war was that it was linked to self- defense," Lybarger said. "Muslim scholars developed certain rules when at war and the Islamic community had to be under attack."
While it is true in Islamic jurisprudence that an attack on Muslim lands makes defensive jihad obligatory on every Muslim who is able to fight (fard ayn), offensive jihad is also obligatory on the Muslim commuinity as a whole (fard kifaya). The difference between a fard kifaya obligation and one that is fard ayn is that one is released from a fard kifaya obligation if someone else is taking it up: so offensive jihad is not commanded for everyone, as long as some Muslims are performing it, while defensive jihad is mandatory for all.
Throughout Islamic history Muslims waged offensive jihad. That is how the great Islamic empires of the past came to be. Lybarger should know this.
As a result, more militant groups had adopted jihad to justify armed resistance and going against the government. However, it is stipulated noncombatants would not be targeted. In other words, if a person is not a soldier, they are to be left alone.
Once again, this is not so simple. While it is true that some Islamic
jurists prohibit the killing of women and children (cf. Shaybani's Siyar, I.29-30), others allow it if they are perceived as aiding the war effort (cf. 'Umdat al-Salik o9.10; al-Mawardi's al-Akham as-Sultaniyyah, 4.2).
"Most Muslims argue that the attack on the World Trade Center was unjustified because there were civilians," Lybarger said. "But if the attack was on the military, it might have been a different story."Lybarger also said most Muslims disagree with extremists.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesmen of national communications for the Council on American-Islamic Relations was disappointed with el-Masih's presentation.
"The problem is that Christian churches all around America are hiring these speakers. It's a strange phenomena," Hooper said. "What good does it do? All it does is promote hatred and mistrust."
Well, I'm against hatred and mistrust. But Ibrahim Hooper could do a great deal to dispel that hatred and mistrust by coming clean about CAIR's real perspectives and goals (and particularly how this "moderate" group managed to hire several people who have now been indicted for various terrorist activities). He could dispel a lot of hatred and mistrust by being forthright about the traditional roots of jihadist violence, and working for real reform in the Islamic community. No, I'm not holding my breath.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesmen of national communications for the Council on American-Islamic Relations was disappointed with el-Masih's presentation.
"The problem is that Christian churches all around America are hiring these speakers. It's a strange phenomena," Hooper said. "What good does it do? All it does is promote hatred and mistrust."
The above-referenced vomit does not warrant effort or commantary from me, considering its origin.
Here's a link to a cartoon that explains the mindset of Islam and Jihadists version of compasion.
http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoSun/donato.html
"Welcome to my home sheik Doe. I want to express my humble gratitude and honor for such a noble Muslim as you agreeing to have supper with someone as unworthy as I. Please have a seat at my table while I serve a meal specially prepared for you..."( one hears the internationally recognizeable sound of a dhimmi racking a shotgun)
I DO so love Ibrahim Hooper. He reminds me of the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkies, all rolled up into - of all things - the spokesman for a "civil rights" organization!
*satire ON*
Join us for a little mockumentary, live from Washington DC -
Studio: "Take it away Chuck!"
Journalist: "Thanks, Jim. I'm with Ibrahim Hooper, the Spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Taqiya. Mr. Hooper, we noticed you were at a rally in DC where several speakers referred to Jews as the descendants of apes and pigs -"
Hooper: "You mean pigs and apes - I mean I wasn't even there."
J: "We have video tape here, sir-"
H: "I didn't hear anything of that nature-"
J: "- you're standing right here by the podium..."
H: "(indistinguishable muttering)"
J: "By the way, we are wondering now that Osama has acknowledged responsibility for the 9/11 attacks, would you care to finally denounce Mr. bin Laden for the murder of 2700 of your fellow Americans?"
H: "We're not in the business of denouncing people-"
J: "Except if they criticize the tenets of your religion- "
H: "You're a RACIST!!"
J: "Well, that does it for us - back up to the apes and pigs in the studio..."
*satire OFF*
Hatred and mistrust would end if Muslims would own up to the truth and would repudiate parts of the Koran that mandate the killing of non-Muslims, AND if they would put their repudiation into ACTIONS. As this has never happened and never will, the mistrust will continue. Hatred occurs when the jihadist put into action the words of the Koran. You reap what you sow.
Hatred on our end is unnecessary when it comes to our relationship with Moslems. Contrary to their ideology, it not necessary to hate in order to win. Cold determination and never-ending perseverance will outdo hatred every time.
Now when it comes to mistrust, that is another matter. Do we want to trust Moslems? I don't think so. They are allowed and urged to lie, to dissemble, to betray by their scriptures. Why should we trust liars and deceivers? Does that Ibrahim Cooper creature want our trust? Give me a break! I would not trust that wily creep no matter what he promises and claims. The only Moslem you can trust is a---No! I cannot say that; it might be construed as hatred, and you know what I said about hatred from our side in the foregoing paragraph.
Mujahid al-Masih (struggler for the Messiah) isn't a Muslim: he's an ex-Muslim wh is now a Christian. Too bad for CAIR, with its links to all those terrorist groups, that such people exist and are growing in number.
Knowing them fanatical, racist, gun-toting American Evangelicals, I suspect that people like Mujahid al-Masih will probably incite them to open relief works in Muslim countries (maybe on the Chad =-Darfur border?) and show a loving and respectful witness to Muslims; and in a generation or two, the Evangelicals will have a better reputation in Pakistan and Afghanistan than they do in New York and Baaaaaah (as in what sheep say)-Ston, and the badmashes will stop killing them, lest 100 more spring up to replace each one martyred.
OT - interesting article:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/FK23Aa01.html
Islamic Riddle
We all know that the Star in the Jewish religion is the Star of David.
And we know that the Cross in Christianity is there because Jesus was crucified on the cross.
But do you know where the Crescent or the Moon comes from in Islam?
a) The Turkish flag
b) Pre-Islamic Allah was a Moon God
c) The Arabs were deeply impressed with the shape of the Moon
If you chose b) then you are correct.
Prophet Mohammed worshiped a God named Allah before Islam was founded. Pre-Islamic Allah had three daughters - all mentioned in the Koran and were known as the Trinity Dessert Goddesses, Al-lat(u), Menat and Al-Uzza. [1 God + 3 Gods = 4 Gods.]
All of these Goddesses would have been important to Mohammed’s family or the Quraish. Allatu was Allah’s main daughter; a Mother Goddess, known simply as ‘The Goddess’. Allatu was so popular that she was borrowed by the Greeks and became Leto – Mother of Apollo. Al-Uzza was represented as the morning star - Venus.
But more significantly Menat had a cult which was between Mecca and Medina and was worshiped in the form of a ‘Black Stone’ or the Kaaba at Mecca; the very same black stone that every devout Muslim is required to encircle during his (her) pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca at Ramadan.
This explains how it could be that Mohammed’s own father was named Allah or Abdullah - which translates into a servant of Allah – even before Islam was created. Mohammed was born into a family known as the Quraish {Webster's Third Dictionary}, who for more than 200 years were the caretakers of the ‘Black Stone’ or Kaaba at Mecca. Before Islam, Mohammed’s religion was known as Kaaba with Allah as God.
Worshiping Moon and Sun Gods and Goddesses were common in ancient times, from the Queen of Sheba in Ethiopia to the Ancient Greeks. Historical facts seem to show that Islam has its foundation in this Mythology, with any Biblical connection being added later – perhaps to give the religion legitimacy in the face of the other powerful regional ‘One God’ religions. (Most things Islamic were developed under the Syrians, who took over Islam after killing Mohammed’s cousin.)
If anyone can translate this message. Please pass it on.