As I detail in my new book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, in the late 770s, the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi traveled to Aleppo, where twelve thousand Christians greeted him with great honor. Al-Mahdi, however, was not disposed to respond in kind, and told them: “You have two options. Either die or convert to our religion.” Most of the Christians chose to die rather than embrace Islam. In and around Baghdad, he noticed that the Assyrian Christians had built new churches since the Muslim conquest, in violation of dhimmi laws; he ordered them destroyed; five thousand Christians in Syria were given the choice of conversion to Islam or death. Many stayed true to their ancestral faith and chose death.
Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Click here to preorder The History of Jihad, the first and only comprehensive history of jihad worldwide — not just against Europe, but against India, Africa, Israel, the U.S., and more — in the English language.
Lydia Church says
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10; 32-33
Stephen the Martyr:
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7
Lydia Church says
His martyrdom modeled Christ’s death on the cross with the words ‘receive my spirit,’ and ‘forgive them for they know not what they do.’
Mat oregan says
Oh come on! By the time mohammad was born, the words Christ had spread all around the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Middle East! So what you are saying is that mohammad stole the words of Christ and passed on as his! He’s a bigger jerk and an evil anti-christ than I ever thought he was. WOW
Louisia says
She is talking about stephen the martyr, not mohammed!!
Elisha says
“For myself, I long ago decided that I would rather know the truth than be happy in ignorance. If I can not have both truth and happiness, give me truth. We’ll have a long time to be happy in heaven.”
― A.W. Tozer, Man, The Dwelling Place Of God
God bless you, sister.
william says
JESUS is my personal savior..
timar aryat says
What is christianity for white european people? It has nothing.white they believe in satanic freedom,gay marriage,homosexual,porn,..
Doug K says
This is an interesting question…
May I ask questions in return? These may help with regard to the assumptions you make when asking your questions.
Are all Europeans white/caucasian?
Are all white/caucasian Europeans Christian? What are the reasons for the answer you come up with?
I am seen as white/caucasian of European origin.
The influences that Christians face are huge but the sum total of all of these are not greater than the presence and love of God in this world.
Christian faith was a part of my up-bringing and on further study and deeper contemplation the struggles of being Christian have become more evident and the Grace of God more noticeable in my life.
I did live a life that could not reflect the love of God nor the presence of God in my life. After living dangerously and disastrously I had reason to seek God and chose to leave behind my old ways and look for the changes that God can bring by the power God will use if we choose to trust God.
I know that God has changed my life for the better and I speak about it on a regular basis. That said I am not waiting to follow a set of rules to know that I can be confident that God loves me and that I have a relationship with God Almighty, I have to personally pursue Gods activity in me and in my environment, my city, my community and my family.
I am challenged by things that are determined to cause me to no longer trust God. Importantly you are not one of those things.
You like me are a person who has important question.
What do you make of the assertion that God is love?
Barb says
Combined with the answers above, let me add please…that there are two authors in the world. There is the author of good and the author of evil. God Himself gave us the freedom to choose which author we want in our loves and an instruction book, (the Holy Bible) to live our lives by. But the initial question is, which author is our choice?
As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord Jesus. What harm becomes a man from doing good and praying/having a relationship with the Creator of all things? What harm does it do to you or another, if someone who follows Jesus treats you well and with respect?
Now, on the other hand, what harm does it to to others to devise all sorts of evil against their neighbor and friends?
God gave us freedom to choose…freedom to love Him because we want to…because forced love…is not love at all. Think about it.
Barb says
Correction to…God Himself gave us the freedom to choose which author we want in our loves and an instruction book, (the Holy Bible) to live our lives by. But the initial question is, which author is our choice?
Which author we want in our lives.
Let me add that, choosing Jesus and loving others…it’s what will lead others to Him…not evil, killing, homosexuality, abortion etc. It’s in choosing Jesus and loving others, that open the gates of heaven for us and guarantee our place with God…not evil doings, taking lives and forcing people to do what you want.
gravenimage says
Repulsive Muslim apologist timar aryat wrote:
What is christianity for white european people? It has nothing.white they believe in satanic freedom,gay marriage,homosexual,porn,..
………………………………
Note that timar aryat believes that Christians should roll over for savage Islamic conquest because they don’t slaughter homosexuals.
And he considers freedom to be “satanic”–*very* telling.
And he condemns porn–which very few Christians indulge in–but sacralizes multiple marriages, pedophilia, rape, and sex slavery. This is Muslim “morality”. *Ugh*.
gravenimage says
And notice that this fine Muslim has *no* problem with his coreligionists telling Christians to convert or die.
Bobby LeFrew says
What does being white have to do with anything? How ignorant!!
gravenimage says
Muslim ruler tells Christians: “You have two options. Either die or convert to our religion.”
………………….
This is mainstream Islam–although Christians are occasionally offered the third choice of living under humiliation as persecuted dhimmis.
And nothing has changed today.
God, I hate Islam.
SAE says
You & me both.
Everything about their faith is vulgar, repulsive, & deceitful
unlike the good, holy, & true way of Christ.
Sons of Liberty says
gravenimage , …you are right ..it is mainstream Islam and it HAS NOT CHANGED from the 7th Century to today . Yet the world continues to ignore this evil ideology and the death count rises .
elee says
You used the very words that occurred to me……”Mainstream Islam.”
gravenimage says
True, SAE, Sons of Liberty, and elee.
christianblood says
Graven, don’t forget that Wahhabism, which is the most virulent and the most hateful form of islam is spread and still being spread at the behest of the West. More below:
https://www.narutoforums.org/threads/wahhabism-was-spread-at-behest-of-west-during-cold-war-mohammed-bin-salman.1132912/
PATRICIA FRANCES KOENIG says
christianblood, Islam has been attacking, killing, enslaving, raping and murdering Christians since the 7th century. Wahhabism is no more virulent than historic Islam and all it’s conquests and persecutions of Christians. The Globalists are certainly giving Islam a pass because the Globalists want to destroy Christianity…so they let the Muslims do what Muslims have always done: persecute and terrorize other religions. Islam needs no encouragement from the West to spread their hateful and perverted ideology. The Koran and Haddith instructs them to do so.
christianblood says
PATRICIA FRANCES KOENIG
True, islam has been a cult of death and hate since its inception but the US is now for decades using islamic jihadists to further its liberal imperialist agenda. US is now even open to help Saudis develop thermo nuclear weapons:
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180221-us-may-open-path-for-saudi-arabia-to-acquire-nuclear-weapons/
gravenimage says
Christianblood, Wahabbism is just orthodox Islam.
And you have posted that silly link scores of times now–no, Muslims do not spread Islam because the West makes them do it. Muslims have been aggressively spreading Islam since the days of the “Prophet”.
christianblood says
gravenimage
The link I posted is true and you hate the truth which is U$A=ISIS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H86B-7fbqD0
gravenimage says
No, Muslims do not spread Islam because Western Infidels are pressuring them to. This has been going on for 1400 years, since long before the United States ever existed.
J D S says
God teaches us not to hate by the death of Jesus last words from the cross “forgive them they know not what they do” ….Them he allows Islam to exist to test us. Hmmmmm! We do know however, what will eventually happen to Islam and it’s adherents ….unless they REPENT…They still have time…though very little.
Elrond says
Shows a sense of weakness . You can’t get people to convert by showing them the truth of your argument , such as ” I can prove as well as can be expected that the ten plagues of Egypt and subsequent exodus happened because the Egyptians recorded the event and their horrific losses in the reed sea “, because the Muslims have no basis in fact to demonstrate that their religion ,Islam is true by showing Jesus predicted Mohammeds coming revelation in the book of MaryMagdalene exclusive revelations as it doesnt exist. The only thing you have are terrorism and deaththreats because you know its a lie. Shame the Christians dont retaliate with utmost ferocity , Jesus did say his followers should ” sell your cloaks and buy swords. “. Meekness isnt weakness , weakness in the face of terror will only lead to death of loved ones.
Avenger says
It’s much easier for Christians to “present the other cheek” than to fight this evil madness. The Christians in the Central African Republic have it right but no one is lifting a finger to help them.
elee says
If they turn us into soldiers of necessity, they have made us more like them and less like Christians and Westerners. As far as I can see they leave us no choice. Anybody got a better idea?
Malcolm (South Afric) says
elee
You make good points.
As Christians, our mission is to spread the Gospel.
Those of us that have fought in wars know that that is the last option, we do not seek it, we do not recoil from an enemy, we would prefer to have peace.
If the enemy no matter who, spreads deceit, we are obliged to oppose it with reason and truth.
If the enemy attacks our brothers and sisters, our family, our faith, we are obliged to defend them in every which way, to the ultimate point of taking a life or sacrificing our own.
We would rather our enemy see the light, than take his life.
Jacque Demolay says
This is an excellent point, Turning the other cheek is a response to non fatal insult. Jesus did not say if someone wants to cut off your arm, to let them cut off the other one also. Unlike Islam, Christians don’t conquer others by the sword…but Christianity is not a religion of pacifism.
gravenimage says
Yes–Christianity is not a suicide pact.
Jay says
Given the choice of dying or converting to Islam, do neither. Kill the bastards. They’re no better than rabid dogs. Justified self defense is the right and duty of every human being.
Linda says
Careful not to insult rabid dogs now.
SAE says
Funny. You are correct though. Anything that is compared to Islam…
is an insult because Islam is the lowest of the low like the pits of hell.
Now I insulted hell. Let’s say Islam met its match there. Two equals without distinction.
elee says
Muhammed was smarter than the devil. Imagine a hell in which the inmates fight literally like hell against liberation and you’ve got Islam.
elee says
Damned well said Jay. Oh and……if you drop your weapon and get captured, read up on a place called Otranto. Or, just Google ISIS and watch some of their videos. They excite Muslims.
Bud says
Otranto is a witness to the supreme defense of our Christian faith. When told to surrender to the approaching Ottoman Turks, the mayor of Otranto threw the keys to the gates of the city into the sea. This was even after the majority of the soldiers defending the city had slipped away in the dark of the night. The few remaining soldiers and the citizens defended the city valiantly until it fell. After the capture of the city, and much slaughter, women and children were sold into slavery. The captured men were given the option to convert to Islam or die. They chose death. As they were led to the top of a hill to be beheaded, they were reminded to stay strong in the faith by an elderly tailor, Antonio Primaldo. He was the first beheaded. The story, as told, was that his body stayed standing after being beheaded, and no effort by the Muslim soldiers could move him. So powerful was this witness that an Ottoman soldier was converted on the spot, and was himself immediately speared to death by the other Muslim soldiers.Eight hundred men stayed strong in the faith and gave witness with their blood…after having bravely fought the Ottoman Turks until the city was overwhelmed.
Their resistance was credited with giving the Christian armies time to gather and to repel the advancing Ottoman Turks, thus saving Italy from being overwhelmed by the Muslim invaders.
balam says
Jay: Chinese know the best way to handle Muslims in their Muslim provinces .You can read in ‘DAWN’ Pakistan in todays edition.
gravenimage says
Actually, the Chinese have done a lot of appeasing of Muslims, as well.
Michael Copeland says
“As dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog.”
Churchill
Rufluc says
All the signs, all the evil actions and all the acts of deceit of Islam point towards it being the tool of Satan. Clearly, Satan is trying to pull all the followers of the one true God away from him by forcing them to follow the devil instead…or else die! (Or sometimes become ‘dhimmis’ or ‘slaves’).
Its evil has no bounds. An evil which is now being spread among the lunatic left, all of whom have one thing in common. They are totally blind to this evil. They either make excuses for it, or they just conveniently overlook it, prefering to denigrate Christianity and other religions for the violence they have participated in, in the past. But they refuse to accept that most of this was either in self defence or to stop the spread of Islam as per the Crusades. Non Islamic religions are primarily defensive, whilst Islam is offensive.
They (Muslims) also know that the vast majority of non Muslims know hardly anything about the true nature of Islam, and therefore believe it to be the ‘religion of peace, because they have been sold the lie by having it told to them many times over by the devils disciples who ‘teach’ in our schools and Universities. But as we all should know, if something is repeated enough times, then ‘the lie’ becomes ‘the truth’ in many uneducated people’s minds. It is all part of Satans game of deceit.
1.6 billion people currently on Earth have been deceived into believing they are following a religion of peace. They need to open their eyes, their ears, their hearts and their minds to fully understand the real truth. NOT the ‘manufacturered truth’ of the evil one.
Jacque Demolay says
That “religion of peace” nonsense is simply a talking point for western atheists. Muslims know exactly what sort of faith they follow.
william says
!!MOOOOOOOOOOOHAMID was known as “SHAERON MAJNOON” the mad poet!!!
balam says
Mohammad was a GENIUS and one of the GREATEST SALESMAN who has billions of followers who worship him and willing to lay their lives for him .He was an EVIL GENIUS.
duh swami says
In spite of thousands of years of technology, the world remains populated by savages…Some of them call themselves ‘Christians’,
nearly all of them are ‘religious’ supremacist bigots….However, ‘Christianity’, provides a way out of your savage bigotry…Islam has no way out…
duh swami says
About half my posts don’t make it to print…lost to deep space? What’s with that?
gravenimage says
Swami, if you are technical problems here, write to JW tech guy Marc Louis at the “Contact Us” box.
FYI says
And the muslims say “there is no compulsion in religion”!
Oh yes there.. is.. in islam!
3 options are given.
1 Convert to the mohammedan cult,2.pay the Jizya tax or be 3.murdered.
But wait!
1 does the koran not say “there is no compulsion in religion”?didn’t “allah” himself say that in his “perfect” book?Nobody should be pressurized into converting.
2 Forcing people to pay money{ or else….}is that not… Stealing??
3 Intentional homicide;isn’t that murder and a sin AGAINST GOD?
Oh I know..”allah” completely MISSED those all-important Commandments of God didn’t he?;you know the ones that prohibit murder,stealing,bearing false witness..
But then allah admits to being the champion at bearing false witness{“the best of deceivers” koran 3:54} as did indeed his “prophet”{al tabari 6:111}.
islam: a house of cards.. built on a foundation of quicksand.. in an earthquake zone.
balam says
The easiest way to understand Quran is to replace ALLAH with SATAN .
Dam says
Actually I don’t want to roam around here as a critics, but to make understand a little bit of religious values to this guy’s who pose a straight forward option with regards to Muslim, we Christian don’t trust and believe in such rhetoric publish by non Muslim or where there is non existent of such logic in any religion, but at the same time I can’t guarantee for others religion, belief or faith as much as with that of Christianity. The Christian will never use or conditioned such uncomfortable option. Yes Christian too have some threatening or warning to all humanity living in this universe that ‘YOU SHOULD BE BORN AGAIN’ until and unless you are born again you will not enter the kingdom of heaven, so repent no one knows when will JESUS the son of GOD return and appear again, your salvation and my salvation is more important than any of the religion that you and I dearly cling to. No one can save you, it is only you who can save through your belief and faith, so therefore seek ye first the kingdom of God and all shall be added unto you. There is never too early and never too late the door is still wide open for you and for me. Amen.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Mr spencer, under sharia law governing war and peace there is nothing like “convert or die “as it is the case in mithraist bible, according to OT.First,it is only hostile non-muslim combatants are to be fought who rejected options of surrender or peace settlements.Non-hostile non-muslims who remain allies to Muslims shall not be fought and could remain independent.
I don’t think Abbasid caliph will be ignorant about sharia, being that it was during that sharia became fully developed with Emergence of Islamic schools of interpretation like Hanafi, malik, shafiee and Hanbali. so, Mr spencer the account in your book “jihad from muhammad to Isis “is once again not reflecting reality on the ground in that period.
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Ibrahim From here on, you will be ignored by me, unless you say something that is worth while or reply to questions.
Somehow it is doubtful if you are capable of that.
Hope that others will do the same.
gravenimage says
The vile Ibrahim itace muhammed wrote:
Mr spencer, under sharia law governing war and peace there is nothing like “convert or die
…………………………….
What mendacious claptrap.
Quran (8:38-39) – “Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief) their past will be forgiven… And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of the world ]. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do.”
Quran (9:5) “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them…”
Sahih Muslim (1:33) The Messenger of Allah said: “I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and they establish prayer and pay zakat.”
There are many, many more examples in the Qur’an and Hadith. These all mean “convert or die”.
More:
as it is the case in mithraist bible, according to OT.
…………………………….
Actually, Judaism is not a proselytizing faith. There are no demands that people convert or die.
More:
First,it is only hostile non-muslim combatants are to be fought who rejected options of surrender or peace settlements.Non-hostile non-muslims who remain allies to Muslims shall not be fought and could remain independent.
…………………………….
Nope–“I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah” is pretty clear-cut, and gives no quarter to those who have appeased Muslims.
More:
I don’t think Abbasid caliph will be ignorant about sharia, being that it was during that sharia became fully developed with Emergence of Islamic schools of interpretation like Hanafi, malik, shafiee and Hanbali. so, Mr spencer the account in your book “jihad from muhammad to Isis “is once again not reflecting reality on the ground in that period.
…………………………….
Uh huh–even though this is clearly mainstream Islam. Try again…
Reply
Paige says
I have had my fb account several times for speaking out about ISLAM .. I don’t care what they do in their religious practices as long as my 1rst amendment right isnt infringed upon ,
That being said , their idea of peace is no other religion to exist ..period .. how ever when they aren’t picking fights with the rest of the world , they also attack each other ..
The religion was originally designed to control a desert population in a region with very limited resources ..up until the 20th century , it was obscure at best ,until the discovery of oil , this changed the world , until oil these were basically nomadic tribes roaming vast deserts and killing each other over mud holes ,
Oil money allowed these people to build cities and multiply , ..now they are a threat to humanity , a threat to the entire planet , their system of laws beliefs and politics contradict almost every country they squat in ,
The guy who coined the phrase ” the enemy of my enemy is my friend ” found himself beheaded by his new found Muslim friend , all of these western leaders that take bribes from their new found friends , really doesn’t understand the mindset of the people they are siding with against their own people , are going to be the first ones to get beheaded .. they think collectively that traitors are scum and can’t be trusted for any reason ..
I could right about how different a culture theirs is from our own , like Trump for example , they hate him but seriously respect him .. because he’s in your face ..he doesn’t take bribes , and he doesn’t pull any punches , Muslims can’t stand ass kissers like Obama ..or Hillary Clinton
You would be surprised how quickly they turn and run when you have the balls to get up in their faces , they are honorless back stabbers they pick on and attack the weak they never go after the big alpha male , they go after women and children , gays . They have no respect for polite king men , they only respect aggressive alpha male types , and women are not even considered human
They have an entire instruction manual that explains how to defeat an entire country through attrition .. bribery , terrorism, deceit , murder and rape
Carol the 1st says
But surely it’s all in a good cause?!?