[Via FrontPage Magazine]
In a recent interview on CBN News, Andrew White, an Anglican priest known as the “Vicar of Baghdad,” tried to recount the horrific atrocities Christians in Iraq are suffering at the hands of the Islamic State. After explaining how Christian minorities fled Baghdad to Ninevah when Islamic militants began terrorizing them and bombing their churches, White said:
Then one day, ISIS, the Islamic State, the Islamic caliphate came [to Ninevah] and they hounded all of them [Christians] out. Not some, allof them. And they killed huge numbers. They chopped their children in half; they chopped their heads off.
It should be noted that the targeting of Christian children in Iraq goes back years before the creation of ISIS. For example, in June 2008, a Canadian parliamentary committee heard about how “militant Muslims” were crucifying Christian children: “Since the war began in 2003, about 12 children, many as young as 10, have been kidnapped and killed, then nailed to makeshift crosses near their homes to terrify and torment their parents.”
During his interview, White offered the following, likely surreal to Western sensibilities, anecdote:
ISIS turned up and they said to the [Christian] children, “You say the words [shehada, convert to Islam], that you will follow Muhammad.” And the children, all under 15, four of them, they said, “No, we love Jesus [Yesua]. We have always loved Jesus. We have always followed Jesus. Jesus has always been with us.” They [ISIS] said, “Say the words!” They [children] said, “No, we can’t.” [White starts sobbing] They chopped all their heads off. How do you respond to that? You just cry. They’re my children. That is what we have been going through. That is what we are going through.
As callous as it is to say, perhaps these faithful children are better off. After all, ISIS members have been known to compel Christians to convert to Islam, and still cruelly hack their heads off—thus damning them twice.
Similarly, in one of his Facebook postings, White wrote:
Today’s Pictures are too awful to show. You know I love to show photos but the photo I was sent today was the most awful I have ever seen. A family of 8 all shot through the face laying in a pool of blood with their Bible open on the couch. They would not convert it cost them their life.
During his CBN interview, White also told of how ISIS members came to a Christian man saying, “Either you convert to Islam or we kill all your children.” The desperate father declared the words, the shehada, that “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,” thus becoming a Muslim. Contrite at heart, he phoned White crying, “Abouna, abouna [father, father] I said the words! Does that mean Jesus doesn’t love me anymore? I’ve always loved Jesus but I said those words because I couldn’t see my children being killed!”
White responded: “No Elias, Jesus still loves you—he will always love you.”
The two types of anecdotes offered by White—Christians refusing to embrace Islam and dying for it, and Christians embracing Islam under duress—are an integral part of how the “Islamic world,” the majority of which was almost entirely Christian before the Islamic conquests, came into being: a historic fact Western people were once well acquainted with, before the current age of political correctness and alternate realities.
A historic anecdote that combines the twain—forced conversion to Islam followed by Christian remorse—comes from Egypt:
In 1389, a great procession of Copts who had accepted Muhammad under fear of death, marched through Cairo. Repenting of their apostasy, they now wished to atone for it by the inevitable consequence of returning to Christianity. So as they marched, they announced that they believed in Christ and renounced Muhammad. They were seized and all the men were beheaded one after another in an open square before the women. But this did not terrify the women; so they, too, were all martyred (Crucified Again, pgs. 113-114).
First forced to convert and then forced to remain in Islam—both on pain of death: these are two facts of Islam, past and present; facts that, according to top ranking Islamic cleric Sheikh Qaradawi are responsible for the existence of Islam today. Just ask Sudan’s Meriam Ibrahim, Egypt’s Muhammad Hegazy, or Iran’s (rather America’s forsaken) Saeed Abedini.
Aside from the numerous historic accounts of Christians slaughtered for refusing Islam—whether100,000 Georgian beheaded or burned alive, or a “mere” 813 Italians beheaded—Christians are still being forced to convert to Islam, and not just at the hands of ISIS:
- Palestine, July 2012: Christians in Gaza protested over the “kidnappings and forced conversions of some former believers to Islam.” The ever-dwindling Christian community banged on a church bell while chanting, “With our spirit, with our blood we will sacrifice ourselves for you, Jesus.”
- Pakistan: In 2004, a-two-year old child was raped because her Christian father “refused to convert to Islam.” Another “devoted Christian” was butchered by Muslim men “with multiple axe blows [24 per autopsy] for refusing to convert to Islam.” In April 2014, A Muslim security guard murdered a Christian worker who refused to convert to Islam.
- Uganda, July 2014: After a gang of Muslims brandishing machetes stormed a church during service, hacking one 18-year-old woman to death and leaving three others, including a one-year-old baby, injured, the pastor explained that the attackers belong to a local “group of Muslims” which seeks “to transform [Christian-majority] Uganda into an Islamic nation and would kill anyone who refused to convert.”
- Nigeria, May 2014: A Christian teenage girl told of how Boko Haram came to her household and slaughtered her father and brother because they refused to convert to Islam. After abusing her, they tied her up and left her in a state of shock between the two corpses.
- Bangladesh, October 2013: After shutting down the construction of a church, a local government official threatened Christians with eviction from their village unless they renounced their faith and embraced Islam. Said one of the Christians: “Their threats chilled me to the bone. That is why I pretended to accept Islam, but faith in Christ is the wellspring of my life.” Another said: “The chairman is clipping the wings of our faith. I do not know how long we can grin and bear it. We want religious freedom. We want to practice our religion freely.”
- Russia, 2013: In Tatarstan, a Muslim-majority republic in Russia, seven churches were burned and “increased pressure on Christians to convert to Islam” was widespread.
- Uzbekistan, August 2012: A 26-year-old Christian woman, partially paralyzed from youth, and her elderly mother were violently attacked by invaders who ransacked their home, confiscating “icons, Bibles, religious calendars, and prayer books.” At the police department, the paralyzed woman was “offered to convert to Islam.” She refused and was accordingly fined almost two years’ worth of her wages.
Pakistan, Uganda, Russia, Nigeria, Palestine, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh: these are not “ISIS.” Yet Christians there are experiencing the same intolerance and violence that Christians under ISIS are experiencing.
The lesson? If all around the Muslim world Christian minorities are being forced to embrace Islam, often on pain of death, the very least the non-Muslim world can do is embrace the fact that Islam is inherently hostile—a costly lesson that countless innocents have been paying for nearly 1,400 years.
For if Christianity is built on the blood of Christian martyrs, apparently so is Islam.
Judi says
Too awful to comprehend. Barbaric savages.
jewdog says
Too bad most of the European Christians could care less – their anti-Semitism is greater than their concern for the Christians of the Islamic countries. I see Ireland, that bastion of Catholicism, just recognized Palestine. Unless the evil Jews are somehow involved they are deaf, dumb and blind.
Linda Rivera says
Nations’ leaders who recognize the ILLEGITIMATE state of fake ‘Palestine’ are cursing their own people and their own nations.
God gave Israel to Jews as an everlasting possession. God’s wrath will come on all who seek to give away, take, or steal any part of Israel.
Who are these God-haters? Mere men who place themselves above our Glorious, Awesome, Wonderful Creator. May God’s Great and Precious Name be praised throughout all eternity. Who alone is worthy of all praise..
noellsq says
The world has to wise up and start being more like the animals. It is time to deport all Muslims if they do not want to support their state.
boakai ngombu says
the children of Christ – murdered by IS (and others like them) – rest at peace in Christ, Savior and Lord. He does not forget atrocity and impenitence.
the IS murderers, following their noble Koran (the shepherd for the adherent), remain and are being led into utter darkness. the Allah god of Islam (unknowable; the best of all deceivers) cannot bring forth a soul from death to life … it can only destroy.
the “living” example of such darkness of being is Muhammad (lately contrived; full of lusts). their knowledge is stunted; their wills limited. no light. these never hear of Isaiah, so their knowledge is limited and they are crippled by this ignorance.
perhaps some know of Apostle Paul (although they don’t hear): “… that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles….” (ESV, Romans 26:23)
but their SHAIRA (enslavement tool) will not allow this knowledge to illuminate the mosque (turning point; jihadi training center; armory) … which is porous.
particolor says
The Western Countries will wonder what struck them when these Islamic Lunatics Crawl out of their Wooden Horses !!.. Get them out of Your Countries Now before its Too Late !!
spac says
The most horrible thing arose in the world is Muhammad and his satanic book. Let Spencer be blessed by almighty for bringing some light to that fact
boakai ngombu says
that should be: SHARIA (enslavement tool)
Jay Boo says
Sidenote
An uplifting moment of very young children singing praise
Guaranteed to put a smile on your face no matter what religion one follows or not.
RonaldB says
In his book, “Understanding Muhammad and Muslims”, Ali Sina states how important it is to keep Muslims outside the borders, because once inside, they will win the fighting. The reason was that Muslims were the most violent people there are: there is nobody as violent as Muslims. These experiences with Christians show that violence is the first and last resort of Muslims acting as Muslims.
The critical fight for religious and any other type of freedom is, can the immigration of Muslims be stopped? The whole purpose of the “Islamophobia” campaign is to make unspeakable any proposal to limit or stop Muslim immigration as such. As long as the “peaceful” Muslim sects like Ismailis and Ahmadiyyas promote Muslim acceptance and ostracize people opposed to Muslim immmigration, as such, these sects are acting as fifth columnists for Islam, eventually enabling just such scenarios as described by ibrahim.
dlbrand says
somehistory says
Reading this here was no easier than reading it on FPM. My only comfort is knowing these ones are no longer in pain or danger from islam or its rabid followers, worshippers of satan the devil; and in reading and remembering what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in his Second letter, 1:5-10.
Christ will come with all His holy angels, in a flaming fire to bring retribution on these murderers for what they have done and continue, for now, to do against and to His children, both young and old. There will be no escape for these demon worshippers. Nothing they can say, no money they can pay, no place to flee or hide. No one to protect them or fight effectively on their behalf.
Salah says
“And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
Here’s a beautiful painting by W.A.Bouguereau: “Vierge Consolatrice.” I’ve already posted before, but it’s worth reposting:
http://www.wikiart.org/en/william-adolphe-bouguereau/virgin-comforter-1875
Charli Main says
Where are all these “moderate” “tolerant” “peaceful” Muslims we hear so much about in some JW posts????
Why are they not rampaging down the streets screaming ” not in our name” “not in Islam’s name” ” curse the Islamic State for bringing shame on us”?????
Muslims are silent, because they all know that the vermin of Islamic State are doing no wrong and committing no crimes. They are good Muslims practicing Islam as taught in ALL mosques and Madrassas worldwide.
dlbrand says
Indeed, Robert. And thanks for tabling that reality: These atrocities were happening while we were there, in strength and force.
The readers ought to refer to the link you provide within the article, which, links back to details still extant in 2008. Do so noting, the details in that report were ongoing while we were claiming success of the surge, success of our mission in Iraq, success in establishing a new and better post-Saddam Iraq.
Many of these incidents transpired in towns and areas we had–at the orders of the new Iraq government and at the demands of the lion’s share of the Iraqi populace—already withdrawn our forces from.
Because, the argument was, we were in Iraq as guest. There, at the service of that sovereign nation, and thus, our actions there, limited to the request of that government.
The tacit argument was we were also there to prove the reality of the Muslim Moderate.
For such reasons, as history attests; while we were in Iraq in force; just down/up the road from us, if you will; “believers” beheaded, dismembered, burnt, raped and crucified Christian children (as well as adults); and “we” hammered out the details of the Status of Force Agreement, claimed victory and success in establishing a new and better post-Saddam Iraq.
Thus, as Ibrahim poses in his closing summation, “if Christianity is built on the blood of Christian martyrs, apparently so is Islam”; to that we can add, so too, is the “New post-Saddam Iraq.”
cs says
The work of this Bishop in Baghdad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnLzdakPXYY
worth seen it. in 3 parts.
TH says
The Otranto martyrs did exactly the right thing. They had the option fo being faithful to Christ and follow him or perhaps due to fear pretend to convert to Islam and probably be killed in any case.
These 800 so martyrs were beatified last yar last year. Pope Francis doesn’t seem to have learnt any lesson about Islam. from this and other such cases.
Johnny Canuck says
If Muslims love death, why don’t they kill themselves en masse, leaving Jews, Christians and other peaceful people of the world to live long and productive lives?
Uncle Vladdi says
Liberals won’t care, because they are idolaters – when they see an imaginary “image” of something fearful in their heads, they believe it is real, that it has already happened/is happening, so they’ll immediately rush to compromise with Submit to it.
Their imaginations are limited to hopeless static images, devoid of dynamic cause and effect.
When they hear “Christians die” they imagine white Western folks, so they celebrate.