For an idea on why Egypt’s Coptic Christians and their churches are constantly under attack—most recently last Sunday, when a church was bombed, killing at least 25 Christians—one need merely listen to the words and teachings of some of the nation’s Muslim preachers.
Take Dr. Ahmed al-Naqib, for instance. He has studied at the best Islamic madrassas, including Al Azhar, authored numerous books on doctrine, received awards and decorations for his academic achievements, and regularly appears on television. In one video, he appears discussing an earlier Muslim mob attack on a church in Egypt, which the media and government always denounce as fitna, an Arabic word that means temptation or discord and which Islam commands Muslims to oppose.
Citing revered Islamic texts including the Koran, Dr. Naqib explained that the open display of shirk—the greatest sin in Islam, associating someone else with God, which the Koran accuses Christians of doing via the Trinity—“is the worst form of fitna, worse than murder and bloodshed.”
In other words, and as he went on to make perfectly clear in the remainder of the video, fitna (or discord) is not when Muslims attack Christian churches—far from it—but rather when Christians are allowed to flaunt their shirk (or “blasphemies”) in churches near Muslims. Fighting that—even to the point of “murder and bloodshed”—is preferable.
Then there’s Dr. Yasser Burhami, the face of Egypt’s Salafi movement, who is as well credentialed and prolific as Naqib: he’s on record saying that, although a Muslim man is permitted to marry Christian or Jewish women, he must make sure he still hates them in his heart—and always shows that he hates them—because they are infidels; otherwise he risks compromising his Islam.
As for churches, Burhami once issued a fatwa forbidding Muslim taxi and bus drivers from transporting Christian priests to their churches, which he depicted as “more forbidden than taking someone to a liquor bar.”
But it’s not just “radical” or Salafi sheikhs who make such hateful pronouncements. Even so-called “moderate” Islamic institutions, such as Al Azhar’s Dar al-Ifta, issued a fatwa in August 2009 likening the building of a church to “a nightclub, a gambling casino, or building a barn for rearing pigs, cats or dogs.”
Such analogies are not original to the Salafis or Dar al-Ifta but rather trace back to some of Islam’s most revered doctrinaires, including Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim. They taught that “building churches is worse than building bars and brothels, for those [churches] symbolize infidelity, whereas these [bars and brothels] represent immorality.”
One can go on and on with examples of Muslim clerics and institutions inciting—with absolute impunity—against Christians and their churches in Egypt. Many secular and/or moderate Egyptians agree. For instance, back in 2014, Muslim Brotherhood supporters mauled and murdered a woman after her cross identified her as a Christian. Soon thereafter, an Egyptian op-ed titled “Find the True Killer of Mary” argued that:
Those who killed the young and vulnerable Mary Sameh George, for hanging a cross in her car, are not criminals, but rather wretches who follow those who legalized for them murder, lynching, dismemberment, and the stripping bare of young Christian girls—without ever saying [the word] “kill.” [Islamic cleric] Yassir Burhami and his colleagues who announce their hate for Christians throughout satellite channels and in mosques—claiming that hatred of Christians is synonymous with love for God—they are the true killers who need to be tried and prosecuted.
One can say the same thing about the suicide-bombing of St. Peter’s cathedral.
In short, until such time comes that the Egyptian government removes the “radical” sheikhs and their teachings from the mosques, schools, television stations and all other positions of influence, Muslims will continue to be radicalized, churches will continue to be bombed, and Christians will continue to be killed.
Margaret says
In MN a Bishop and nun get awarded for helping advance the wonderful religion that is “Islam”
The Catholic universities are promoting Interfaith Dialogue hard here begging us to “welcome” more refugees.
https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/Article/TabId/535/ArtMID/13567/ArticleID/21296/Catholics-of-the-Year-2016.aspx
Charles says
I’d like to read a story where, when the muslim mob rushes in to attack the church, they are armed and ready for them!
It is okay for Christians to DEFEND THEMSELVES! You don’t have to just accept this abuse from Satan’s people.
duh swami says
All Christians are ‘shirkers’,,,all shirkers must be killed…or at least beaten and robbed into submission…9:29 takes care of that…
Benedict says
bring it on duh swami
isabella van der westhuizen says
What have these people got against cats
It is worse than breeding pigs dogs or cats
What a bunch
Even having a cat now is wrong for them
S.VanMaanen says
Cats, dogs and pigs are unclean animals to Muslims.
Angemon says
As the quran says, “fitna is worse than murder”.
RL Robison says
And yet no Muslim seems able to speak Allah’s name without coupling it with Mohammad’s name – sure seems “shirk” to me. Surely I’m not the only one who’s ever noticed that fact.
Leon Degney says
Would they be “shirking” their duties?
Marco says
Spot on!
Also, IMHO, naming your children after the so called prophet’s name is equally blasphemous.
Bruce Hachey says
Muslims are told and required in the Koran to kill Christians and all those who defy them and do not accept islam as superior. They are liars and they use Taquiyya [a form of lying ]to back up whatever they say they can and do lie about anything and everything if it accomplishes what they want . Religion of peace ,my eye, Sad to say that without the Son of God in their lives they will burn in hell.
Lesley says
It’s mind blowing that people can be so blindly enraged by love and life. For God so LOVED the world that he gave his only begotten son, and on and on.
Mind blowing <:-((
Alicia Sinclair (@CJRyan7) says
And Sisi is just about the only hope for us as non-Muslims in terms of stemming the inevitable tide of Islam heading from the Middle East and towards the west.
If THIS is how Egyptians are being schooled and taught, despite General Al Sisi being in power-we are in trouble.
gravenimage says
Al Sisi is better than the Muslim Brotherhood would have been–but he is, I’m afraid, no savior for threatened Christians in Egypt.
Crusades Were Right! says
The greatest act of humanitarianism would be the eradication of Islam from the planet.
Steven says
WIPE EVIL ISLAM FROM WORLD, SAVES LIVES
Steven says
I MEAN…. WIPE OUT EVIL ISLAM FROM WORLD, SAVES LIVES
anonamustafa says
I think he meant “more powerful”.
boakai ngombu says
fitna (or discord) is not when Muslims attack Christian churches—far from it—but rather when Christians are allowed to flaunt their shirk (or “blasphemies”) in churches near Muslims. Fighting that—even to the point of “murder and bloodshed”—is preferable.
the allah god of islam (unknowable; the best of all deceivers) is furious that it was outsmarted, out maneuvered, by the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and that its power is broken. it is impotent, now, and cannot destroy true faith in the salvation of God in which Father Abraham believed.
and the slaves (Muslims) are left only to abide as their prophet Muhammad (lately contrived; full of lusts; having no compassion) and despoil, pollute, kill, cheat, steal, rape, dominate, and, as well, abide by SHARIA which produces not righteousness. a bloody hell on earth, this brotherhood.
Returns on a White Horse as Conqueror says
I would be afraid to worship allah if he is unknowable and the greatest of deceivers. I nor you can trust him. Note: I spelled allah and he with lowers case letters to show my contempt of him. What a weakling of a god he is to have you do his dirty murdering for him. You sir, are the deceived. Deceived by satan. You will have eternity in hell fire and brimstone.
He who loves not knows not God. That is how you can see who is a true follower of God. Haters go to hell. As far as three gods, that is a deception you believe. God is One, the Bible even states this, the Three in One is a mystery. You are three yourself. That is correct, you are three in one. You have a spirit, a body and a soul. Man is made in God’s image, therefore God has a Spirit (everywhere at all times and all places at once), a body through Jesus His Son and a Father, representing the all powerful Godhead.
If, as you says god is unknowable, then you have little hope within yourself. Let me take what little hope you have left away by telling you that you, because you do not believe on the only Son Jesus, the Messiah Who has already come to earth, because you deny Him, He will send you away to hell with a blast of His breath. Repent and believe the gospel. It is surely better than killing, raping and robbing in the name of a so-called unknowable god (with a little g).
dumbledoresarmy says
And this is also why the Mohammedan in a truck in Germany mass-murdered people whom he perceived as Christians (whether they were in fact professing Christians or not, *he* would have seen them as such), attending a German Christmas market, which was being held right next to a *historic Christian church**.
gravenimage says
*Exactly*, DDA.
IQ al Rassooli says
Muslims and Islam in a NUTSHELL~
Every Muslim is the ENEMY of every none Muslim (Infidels/ Kuffar) on Earth. Currently none Muslims are 80% of humanity
Every Muslim is a potential MASS MURDERER the instant he/she decides that he/she is NOT Sharia compliant enough
No Infidel/Kafir is SAFE from Muslims
All other explanations are IRRELEVANT!
IQ al Rassooli
Kafir & Proud!
gravenimage says
Raymond Ibrahim: Christian Worship Is ‘Worse than Murder and Bloodshed’
……………………
Yes–this is what Christians are up against in Dar-al-Islam. No wonder pious Muslims are always slaughtering them.
God, I hate Islam.
DBag says
Just get along. Why kill someone for there beliefs. Our bible states love thy neighbor as yourself. Islam says kill Christian’s. Christians have been persecuted since the beginning of time. There is no need for bloodshed because we are all brothers. Why does one want to kill his brother in life. We must find a way to rid the world of evil. We need people to get along and except each other. Our goal is not to tear one another down but build each other up.