15 September 2006
Religious Leaders Across Mideast Rage Against Pope's Comments on Islam
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foxnews.com) Pakistan's legislature unanimously condemned...
ISTANBUL, Turkey — Pakistan's legislature unanimously condemned Pope Benedict XVI. Lebanon's top Shiite cleric demanded an apology. And in Turkey, the ruling party likened the pontiff to Hitler and Mussolini and accused him of reviving the mentality of the Crusades.
Across the Islamic world Friday, Benedict's remarks on Islam and jihad in a speech in Germany unleashed a torrent of rage that many fear could burst into violent protests like those that followed publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
By citing an obscure Medieval text that characterizes some of the teachings of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman," Benedict inflamed Muslim passions and aggravated fears of a new outbreak of anti-Western protests.
The last outpouring of Islamic anger at the West came in February over the prophet cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper. The drawings sparked protests — some of them deadly — in almost every Muslim nation in the world.
Some experts said the perceived provocation by the spiritual leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics could leave even deeper scars.
"The declarations from the pope are more dangerous than the cartoons, because they come from the most important Christian authority in the world — the cartoons just came from an artist," said Diaa Rashwan, an analyst in Cairo, Egypt, who studies Islamic militancy.
On Friday, Pakistan's parliament adopted a resolution condemning Benedict for making what it called "derogatory" comments about Islam, and seeking an apology. Hours later, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry summoned the Vatican's ambassador to express regret over the pope's remarks Tuesday.
Notably, the strongest denunciations came from Turkey — a moderate democracy seeking European Union membership where Benedict is scheduled to visit in November as his first trip as pope to a Muslim country.
Salih Kapusuz, deputy leader of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party, said Benedict's remarks were either "the result of pitiful ignorance" about Islam and its prophet or, worse, a deliberate distortion.
"He has a dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages. He is a poor thing that has not benefited from the spirit of reform in the Christian world," Kapusuz told Turkish state media. "It looks like an effort to revive the mentality of the Crusades."
"Benedict, the author of such unfortunate and insolent remarks, is going down in history for his words," Kapusuz added. "He is going down in history in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini."
Even Turkey's staunchly pro-secular opposition party demanded the pope apologize before his visit. Another party led a demonstration outside Ankara's largest mosque, and a group of about 50 people placed a black wreath outside the Vatican's diplomatic mission.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the pope should explain and "tell us what exactly did he mean. ... It can't just be left like that."
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi has tried to defuse anger, saying the pope did not intend to offend Muslim sensibilities and insisting Benedict respects Islam. In Pakistan, the Vatican envoy voiced regret at "the hurt caused to Muslims."
But Muslim leaders said outreach efforts by papal emissaries were not enough.
"We do not accept the apology through Vatican channels ... and ask him (Benedict) to offer a personal apology — not through his officials," Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Lebanon's most senior Shiite cleric, told worshippers in Beirut.
Rashwan, the analyst, feared the official condemnations could be followed by widespread popular protests. Already there had been scattered demonstrations in several Muslim countries.
"What we have right now are public reactions to the pope's comments from political and religious figures, but I'm not optimistic concerning the reaction from the general public, especially since we have no correction from the Vatican," Rashwan said.
About 2,000 Palestinians angrily protested Friday night in Gaza City. Earlier, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, of the Islamic militant group Hamas, said the pope had offended Muslims everywhere.
In Cairo, some 100 demonstrators stood outside the al-Azhar mosque chanting: "Oh Crusaders, oh cowards! Down with the pope!"
The pope quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th-century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam.
"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," Benedict said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."'
The pope did not explicitly agree with nor repudiate the comment.
In Britain, the head of the Muslim Council, a body representing 400 Muslim groups, said the emperor's views quoted by the pope were bigoted.
"One would expect a religious leader such as the pope to act and speak with responsibility and repudiate the Byzantine emperor's views in the interests of truth and harmonious relations between the followers of Islam and Catholicism," said Muhammad Abdul Bari, the council's secretary-general.
Many Muslims accused Benedict of seeking to promote Judeo-Christian dominance over Islam.
Even Iraq's often divided Shiite and Sunni Arabs found unity in their anger over the remarks, with clerics from both communities criticizing Benedict.
"The pope and Vatican proved to be Zionists and that they are far from Christianity, which does not differ from Islam. Both religions call for forgiveness, love and brotherhood," Shiite cleric Sheik Abdul-Kareem al-Ghazi said during a sermon in Iraq's second-largest city, Basra.
Few in Turkey, especially, failed to pick up on Benedict's reference to Istanbul as Constantinople — the city's name more than 500 years ago — before it was conquered by Muslim Ottoman Turks.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the German-born pope, saying his message had been misunderstood.
"It is an invitation to dialogue between religions and the pope has explicitly urged this dialogue, which I also endorse and see as urgently necessary," she said Friday. "What Benedict XVI makes clear is a decisive and uncompromising rejection of any use of violence in the name of religion."
In the United States, a Muslim group, the Council for American-Islamic Relations, asked for a meeting with a Vatican representative and urged more efforts at improving understanding between Muslims and Catholics.
"The proper response to the pope's inaccurate and divisive remarks is for Muslims and Catholics worldwide to increase dialogue and outreach efforts aimed at building better relations between Christianity and Islam," the group said.
21:35 Posted in EUROPE | Permalink | Comments (19) | 
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The violent history of the church:...
Christians started the crusades
Pope Urban II initiated the crusades,this is part of the Unchrist like history of the Christian church.***He called for the First Crusade in 1095.."Urban preached a sermon that brought forth the First Crusade (see Crusades )." as you can see from the history Christians write with their own hands they started the crusades not Muslims.http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/u/urban2.asp
Posted by: fact_slapper | 18 September 2006
Christians did NOT start the crusades. Read some history there "fact_slapper" (y'know some ACTUAL facts). the Crusades were a defensive (and yes violent) response to the spread of Islam. Islam spread by WAR (convert to Islam or die) --they even took over Portugal and Spain for a while. yes many ignorant peaceniks say "oh but Christians lived so peacefully under Islam before that" --err yea sort of. They had to pay "infidel tax" and were treated like 3rd class citizens and often killed or starved to death if room was needed for the muslims to grow more crops and the Christian "citizens" were in the way. Have you ever READ the Quran? Read it --half the book is a history of Muhammed going village to village to war on the pagans and convert them to Islam calling for Jihad. (Yes I know that many moderate muslims say 'Jihad' holy war is only for defense of Islam --but did they tell you that in the hadith "defense" is required if your peaceful neighbours aren't muslim? In other words the fact that YOU ARE NOT A MUSLIM is a provokation to the literal muslim. Thats the point you ignorant westerner! Ive posed as a muslim 'pilgrim' in Arabia and I KNOW what I am talking about --go to Saudi Arabia LIVE there for a few months (bet you dont have enough guts) and then come back and post on here and tell me what they say about Christians and Jews and Kafir (unbelievers) in general. Oh and watch out for the 'moral police'. A really fun group. More 'fun' than a barrel of grenades. oh yes.
America and the Allies must wake up! God Bless the USA and all Free Nations of the world.
George Astro
CANADA
Posted by: George Astro | 20 September 2006
George, The Christian conquest of Jerusalem, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived under Islamic rule in peace, became the scene of immense bloodshed once the Christians took over. Christians violently killed all Muslims and Jews. The Christian Crusaders' barbarism was so excessive that, during the Fourth Crusade, they plundered Istanbul, also a Christian city, and stole the golden objects from the churches
On another matter Jihad (Fighting for the Cause of GOD Almighty) started with the Bible!
MASSACRE: At the hands of the Jews— "Now therefore KILL every male among the little ones, and KILL every woman (female) that hath known man by lying (having sex) with him. "But keep ALIVE for yourselves all the GIRLS and all the women who are VIRGINS." NUMBERS 31:17-18 "And the Jews salvaged for themselves 32,000 virgins, verse 35; see also verse 40.
It is historical fact that the moment that Christianity was adopted by the political power structure of the Roman Empire it stopped being a pacifist Gnostic cult, and became a methodology for control. The racism that was inherent within an empire that thought nothing of enslaving foreign peoples has continued within the Roman Catholic Church right up to the present day.
Christians have Historically perverted the truth in order to further their satanic goals after the conquest of Spain did Christians rule as Christ would have no instead they were blood thirsty tyrants. Is that enough history for you George?
Posted by: Exchristian | 26 September 2006
"Kill them all, God knows his own".
Pope Innocent III
Posted by: Fact_slapper | 26 September 2006
NEW TESTAMENT Terrorism!!!!
...these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence. (Luke 19:26-27)
According to the corrupted bible Jesus at his last supper turned the wine into his own blood and commanded his disciples to drink it (Mark 14:22-24) in violation of God's commandment to not drink blood (Genesis 9:4-5). This bloody, cannibalistic cocktail is recreated in churches across the world every week.
Posted by: Peter Harding | 26 September 2006
Peter you must remember to take your medication. Jesus turning wine into his own blood? Are you reading the new testament or some gothic subculture rewrite? sweetie this area is for serious discussions. go take your pills now.
Posted by: Joyce Maurens | 26 September 2006
Exchristan you quote verses without quoting books. This shows your dishonesty and that you are only lying to yourself. Christians NEVER lived in peace under Islam I have relatives who live in Turkey and they are hounded daily. Under islam rule unbelievers nonmuslims were forced to pay a tax and treated like dirt. The crusades began in response to hundreds of years of ISLAMIC incursions (after the muslims sent the 'invitation' to become muslims that they did to George Bush and of course it was turned down allowing the road for jihad).
Anyway your name "exchristian" reveals that you are not interested in rational dialogue you only want to bash the Christian faith because you were one now and are disgruntled. Your hypocrisy betrays you my friend.
As for the 4th crusade. The army got out of hand but to say ALL the crusades were like the 4th is an obvious lie on your part (that is if you are not completely ignorant of history books on the cursades).
Muslims not only killed many many many more Christians and Jews but STILL continue to do so to this day. Thats what this website is about. Do you see mass organizations like Hamas and AlQueda from the Christian churches ? Do you see Christian groups kiddnapping airplanes and slamming them into Muslim towers? Do you see mad Christians hiding shoe bombs in their pockets in their shirts, up their asses , so they can eagerly blow up an airplane. Do you see Christian teens and young men like in England bombing subway tracks, cafes and all in an organized effort to promote their faith? Did the Pope say "to the unbelieving world I say repent and join our faith or attacks will continue on your countries"?
What happened when the da vinci codes book/movie were published which says stuff that insulatedevery Christian. Did Christians kill the producers after issuing a "fatwa"? Did they go raving like lunatics in the streets burning effigies of the people invlolved. When a cross was immersed in a bowl of urine and presented to an art gallery in the US did Christians kill nonChristians and riot in the streets of paris destroying over a 1,213 cars? When cartoons were published of Jesus from "passion of Christ" mockign the movie and Christ did christians call for the newspaper to be bombed and the nation that it is based in be put on trial?
No muslims did those things.
Are you an american ? Do you know your country was built on the Christian faith and the old Hellenic ideals of democracy? Do you think you would have this freedom to express yourself if you lived in Arabia or Egypt?
Why dont you get on your knees and thank God you live in a country established BY christians where you AND muslims and wiccans and worshippers of *insert your religion here* can be free?
Not one of the muslim countries of the world allows nonmuslms basic freedoms we accept in the states.
Chrisitanity never started "jihad" this shows your intellectual ineptitude and obvious lack of even basic education. Have you ever read the quran? Its available in english. The new testament says over and over again not to do evil. The Qur'an says the same but ONLY to other muslims.
If you didnt have such a hate on for Christian faith you could actually talk rationally about it but you dont.
Gnosticism was never a large movement in Christianity -stating that it stopped being one before rome adopted it shows again a basic ignorance of easily verifiable history.
Why would Rome adopt Christianity ? Do you think the proud pagan romans wanted to do that? What happened (if you bothered to read instead of only scribble ) is that many converted BY WORD OF MOUTH. People got sick of living as you do "exchristian" always with lust and drugs and strip clubs and hate. Do you think I dont know who you are exchristian? I know you very well. Instead of hating the faith because you couldnt live as a good person why dont you turn and accept Gods help to being a good person? Stop hating the Christ who died for you . Muhammed never died for you (although I can bet you a million dollars he would kill you if you didnt convert).
Listen "exchristian" (whats wrong why not use your real name are you that fearful? Being a coward is terrible. I use my real name why not you?) I've lived in the arab
world. Egypt is ok most of the time but if you think you are free to be a Christian or even "exchristian" there you got something else coming to you friend. Theyll killl you
secretly. and it will be an "accident". A friend of mine was
like you ( a westerner) he was not a Christian or a muslim
he was secular. A blue eyed blond guy from New Jersey. he and I had jobs a tech support workers for the Cairo municipal govt. It was okay and the pay was great . One day a muslim friend of ours and his cleric dad started 'witnessing' to him about Islam. My friend turned them down. "I dont believe in god yo" he said. They wouldnt take no for an answer and invited me and him on a pilgrimage outside the city to a special mosque there where a person had been healed of cancer. (My friend was
a football player--a fullback--in school and got his left leg mangled --he walked with a limp). They said he would be healed. He though I have nothing to lose. He never came back.
They latter found his body disconnected from his head in a dumpster five miles from the mosque.
I got the hell out of there once the police stated it was a "suicide" by a despondent handicapped man who had been sad about his disability! He had walked with a limp leg for 12 years and he always joked about it.
But what I would like to know is how you "kill yourself" by chopping off your own head???
no exchristian you are wrong about the christian faith --if you dont convert to us we will NOT show up on your doorstep and demand you do or "else"
And in your heart you know it.
I am sorry for any fake 'christians' who have hurt you so that you have lost your faith. But to back up a religion like islam? come on man thats wrong .
Now if you are not an "exchristian" but some cowardly muslim who is using that nickname to print lies about the Christian faith then I understand. If you had any real guts you would use your real name.
I am George Astro.
PS come on you muslims you haters of good are you going to issue a fatwa against me now? I live in Texas and I dont bow down to you desert rats.
Posted by: George Astro | 26 September 2006
Thanks to Johnny Blaze for the tip. TO: "exchristian"/raheem (an angry muslim who hates Christians):
I have noticed your responses are a perfect example of "lying to the infidels in order to support Islam is okay" doctrine so im wasting my breath talking with you . Unlike you I have a very busy life (fighting islam in real life not just online!) so I will end this with a link to those who are interested. Its for a website created by exmuslims (this is not a Christian site most of the writers are secular now). And it reveals all the evil that is Islam TODAY (not "Christianity yesterday as muslimes love to harp on!)
http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles.htm#morality
bye for now
George Astro
PS I notice on your website a free exchange of ideas is NOT allowed while on this christian site the christian owner allows your comments AND mine. in your site www.turnto islam.com all comments contrary to islam are NOT allowed. What you are exchristian (and people like you) is so obvious by your being contrary to freedom of speech on your site unlike this site where anyone can comment even if they are against Christianity and post lies about it (like you do!) How come you cant do that on your muslim sites? your hypocrisy is showing ...
Posted by: George Astro | 26 September 2006
PS I notice on your website a free exchange of ideas is NOT allowed while on this christian site the christian owner allows your comments AND mine. in your site www.turnto islam.com all comments contrary to islam are NOT allowed. What you are exchristian (and people like you) is so obvious by your being contrary to freedom of speech on your site unlike this site where anyone can comment even if they are against Christianity and post lies about it (like you do!) How come you cant do that on your muslim sites? your hypocrisy is showing ...
Posted by: GA | 26 September 2006
look at the hate in that guys eyes. these muslim people are sick.
Posted by: just surfing by | 26 September 2006
Muhammed was a pedophile!!
http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/childbrides.htm
Ron
Posted by: ron | 26 September 2006
I left Islam.
It was very simple actually. The bottom line was that I recognized that this is my life and no one has the right to tell me what to do. I didn’t ask God for this life; so he has no rights on me, like to tell me to do this and that. That was the bottom line. I got angry in religion because of this, so I left it and also I thought, that Muslims think it is very important to be a Muslim, but they forget the fact that they are Muslims cause their parents are Muslims. While they talk as if they chose their religion before being born. Of course that’s not the case. We all are just born into whatever our parents are and that is not under our control. If you give this argument to a normal Muslim, they say that Islam is spread everywhere so whoever wants to convert, he can chose, “see the truth” and convert. But very few people convert. Conversion means leaving your family and things. So conversion is very difficult in most cases and rare. So whatever Religion you are born in, chances are that your going to stay in that religion.
When I came to the US, I saw other nationalities with closeness; some nice Hindus, nice Goras, Christians, etc, etc. It’s not possible that these nice people can burn in Hell eternally forever. Princess Diana for example. It’s not possible for her to burn in fire forever and ever. Muslims don’t think about this. They take the burning in fire very lightly. One of the other reasoning I had is that burning in Hell forever is an infinite sin.
Now life is finite and a person can only commit a finite amount of sin; it is unfair to punish a finite amount of sin with an infinite amount of punishment. Doesn’t make sense!
So that’s it, I guess. I thought the prophet lived his own life, so I’ll live my own. Islam tells me to do something. Well it can go to hell. It’s my life, I didn’t sign any contract with god to obey him, and neither did I ask him for my life.
Posted by: ron | 26 September 2006
I was born a hindu but became muslim several years ago in Detriot. You need to understand in our culture it is not wrong to marry such a young bride and consummate the marriage because women mature faster then men. She was 9 years old when she went with the Prophet (peace be upon Him) but she had a womans mind.
In islam its fine to marry such a young lady because the Prophet (peace be upon Him) blessed such a union. It is not 'pedophillia' because you are married to her she is your wife.
And if she is 9 its fine and its fine if she is 7 also because the Prophet (peace be upon Him) engaged the lady at that age
Posted by: Aneesh | 26 September 2006
Why I am a Muslim
Ibrahim, a Pennsylvania teenager, explains how difficulties with church teaching about Jesus as God led him from Catholicism to Islam.
A time comes in everyone's life, or at least I hope it comes, when they realize that they have to not only believe what they believe in, whatever it may be, but get out there and proclaim it to the world. Luckily, that time came early for me. I am 17, and Islam is the belief that I’m proclaiming.
I was raised Catholic. Not internally as much as externally. I went to Catholic Sunday school, called CCD, but the Catholic view of God never played a major roll in my childhood. It was a Sunday thing. Anyhow, I started to enjoy Mass around 7th grade. It made me feel good to do the right thing. I was always a rather moral person, but I never really studied the fundamentals of Catholicism. I just knew that I felt good worshipping my creator.
I really liked Catholicism, but I always saw it as us (the Catholics) with Jesus worshipping God, not us worshipping God and Jesus as one. I saw Jesus (peace be upon him) as my example on how to be a good follower of and submitter to God's will, but not as God himself.
Before I was confirmed in 8th grade, in the fall of 1999, I learned a lot about what Catholicism was. The Catholicism of the Church had a lot on viewing Jesus as God in it. Nothing like my “undivided God being worshipped by me with Jesus as an example” train of thought. It was like they just opened up a can of cold, illogical confusion and tried to feed it to me. It didn’t feel right.
I continued with Catholic church, and kept on worshipping. But I talked to many in the church about my feelings that Jesus wasn't God but more of a Prophet, an example. They told me that I had to accept him as God and as a sacrifice, and so on. I just wasn't buying it. I tried to buy it but I guess God withhold the sale for my own benefit. There was a better car out there for me. I continued at the church.
Sometime in mid-December of 1999, for no reason that I can recall I started reading up on Islam in encyclopedias. I remember making a list of bolded words in the entry for "Islam" in an old 1964 Grolier World Book that I found in my closet, and studying them. For some reason I was amazed by this faith and that it was all about God and that it was everything that I believed all my life - right here. Previously, I had accepted that there was no faith like I felt inside of me. But I was amazed that I had found this faith. I found out that "my" faith had a name, and millions of other adherents!
Without ever reading a Qur'an or talking to another Muslim, I said shahada (declaring your belief in no god but God) on 31 December 1999. As the months passed, I learned more. I went through many periods of confusion, happiness, doubt and amazement. Islam took me on an enlightening tour of me, everyone else, and God.
The transition was slow. I was still attending Mass five months into my change of faith. Each time I went, I felt more and more distant from the congregation, but closer and closer to Prophet Jesus and God.
During Ramadan 2001, the second time I fasted (the first year, I converted during Ramadan and did not fast), I went to the library during lunch period. It was better than sitting at a table with my friends, because I got work done in the library. I swear my grades went up. Anyways, I started talking to the only other Muslim at my school, John. We talked about Islam a little more each day. He's an awesome brother and he took me to the mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan. Going was one of the best things I ever made in my life. God really answered my prayers this time. I thought I would be nervous, but I wasn't at all. It was the most natural thing I ever did in my life. I felt home. I realized something before leaving. As I sat there on the floor, praying to God, I realized that the room was full of others but it was OK. See, at home when someone asks me what I am doing, I never say I am praying. I never admit it to anyone. It is too awkward. But there, at the masjid, I was praying to God in front of a score of other Muslims and I felt perfectly fine. Better than fine! I felt secure and safe. It was the most liberating thing since I accepted God into my heart that cold New Year's Eve almost two years ago.
I never told my parents right out. In fact, I don't plan to. The most significant clue that I gave came around 1:00 AM on 16 December 2001, when I finally told my dad I was going to the mosque in the morning with a friend when he asked me why I was setting my alarm. He told me how he can't wait for me to move out of the house, how displeased he is with me and how stupid the choices I make are to him. I never told them straight out because I figured it was best to test the waters by revealing clues bit by bit; I didn't want to send a shockwave through the family. I can only imagine what my dad would do if he knew I was actually a practicing Muslim. He seems to hate my guts just for studying the faith, which he thinks is all I am doing. I understand that my dad is a depressed man, so I don't really hold this all against him. I mean, it is his fault for thinking himself so smart that he doesn't need God. That thought is what got him so depressed. But I don't think he realized how hard one's heart can be when you deny your human need for a relationship with your Creator. So I don't hold it all against him. He didn't know what he was getting into. My mom doesn't know that I am a Muslim, but at least she hasn't shown her anger over me going to the mosque. She is upset over it but never told me that I displease her, at least. As God commands, I'll continue to try my best to be nice to my parents as long as they don't attempt to take away my Islam. The best thing that I can do for them is to be a good example so that maybe one day, inshallah, they can see that there is a better way of living than living in the dark world of God-denial.
I've never been to the Mid-East, but I am studying Islam every day. I read books from every point of view. Sufi, Shia, Sunni, books on the Qur'an alone... The Muslims view sects as haram, so no matter what you believe you are always a Muslim and nothing extra. You may have completely different views than another Muslim, but as long as you both believe that there is no god but God, you are both Muslims and that's that. I read a lot on-line, and discuss a lot with other Muslims on-line and on the phone. I've met some really great people on-line who have taught me a lot about life, Islam and God.
Right now, I am 100% a Muslim and that will never change, inshallah. I thank God that I've gone through so many periods of doubt. When I look back I see that it was not God leaving me but God telling me that it was time that I asked myself how much I loved God, and what I was willing to go through to understand my faith. A week of crying, depression, prayer, reading to the extreme, and ignoring most other things in life sounds harsh...but the reward - knowing so much more about yourself, God, and the relationship between you (Islam) - is worth more than any material things. Through my interrogation of Islam I gained God’s most precious gift - Islam, or surrender to the peace. I've heard Christians say that with Christianity you "know God on a personal level." In Islam, your relationship with God is so much deeper than that. God is with me every moment, guiding me, teaching me, loving me, protecting me, liberating me, enlightening me, comforting me... Alhamdulilah for Islam!
Islam has done a lot for me. More than I could have ever guessed. And every day, it just gets better. I went from living my life on a trial-and-error basis to embracing guidance, and now knowing what the best choices are for me to make. From seeking who I am and spending a life in confusion, I am being guided. I can't find the words to say what its like, but I'll try again: God reveals to me what life is. I don't have to guess anymore.
- -- -
Sura 93, “The Morning Hours”
By the morning hours
By the night when it is still
Your lord has not abandoned you
and does not hate you
What is after will be better
than what came before
To you the lord will be giving
You will be content
Did he not find you orphaned and give you shelter
Find you lost and guide you
Find you in hunger and provide for you
As for the orphan, do not oppress him
And one who asks, do not turn him away
And the grace of your lord -- proclaim
- -- -
That is what I went through, what God did for me - what I am. So here is my proclamation to the world. Islam is more than you think it is, in fact more liberal than most would wish it to be. But do not only listen. Study all views for yourself...and come to your own conclusion. God says “let there be no compulsion in religion” because faith in God is a choice made by the heart, and it can't be forced.
Ibrahim
www.islamfortoday.com
Posted by: Why I am a Muslim | 26 September 2006
When I first converted one of my English friends said that I couldn't be a Muslim because I was the wrong colour, but it doesn't matter where you are from, if you want to be a Muslim you can be.
Some people think that my parents made me change my name, but they didn't. I chose it myself one day and I don't regret it.
Missing things
My mum's side of the family still call me by my English name Katie, as they have always known me by that, but when I meet new people I'm Fatima.
I like being a Muslim because I pray with my friends to God and I feel good about it.
Sometimes I miss things though. For instance, when I go shopping with my mum, there are foods that I used to have and now I can't.
And when I go to my grandparents' house I only eat vegetarian stuff which is a bit more work for my Nana but I help her in the kitchen.
All the other stuff is the same. I'm still the same person and my grandparents still love me just as much.
Food
Our beliefs are the same as other religions. After all, we just want peace in the world and to live happily together.
We still have fun as Muslims - we just have to look out for obstacles. When we are in the supermarket my mum can check the food labels.
When we go out to eat somewhere we have to be careful that our food does not include meat because we can only eat halal meat. I also can't eat foods with gelatine in.
It's a shame because I used to like marshmallows and jelly sweets but now I have to buy the vegetarian ones which are not available in most shops. But my dad's pleased because he says it won't rot my teeth!
Proud
I go to a Muslim school and when we are waiting at the school gates some other children call out to us, "Go back to your own country!" But this is my country.
I'm white and English and proud of it - where do they expect me to go - the moon?!
We could really understand what it was like for people suffering from racism.
My family and my school and I think seriously about people who are less fortunate than us and about how we can help them.
We sometimes have fairs, charity events or something like that to try and raise money and we always pray for other people, whether they are Muslims or not.
I'm really glad that I'm a Muslim!"
Fatima, 10, Nottingham
Posted by: Timah | 26 September 2006
AsSalaamuAlaykum (Peace be upon you)
It feels like I have been Muslim all of my life. In actuality, I probably was - underneath. But, for most of my life (50 years) I was Christian. I was raised Catholic and converted to a fundamental Christian religion, The Salvation Army, in my 30s and remained there until Allah (SWT) rescued me at age 50. AlHamdullillah!!
For many years I taught psychology and philosophy in college. In that teaching, and in my own education, I came to believe many concepts and philosophies things that did not fit with my religion. But, I accepted that there would be differences and that was OK. One of the things I knew was that while the Christian religion taught that I was (1) born in the image of God (on one hand) and (2) born in sin (on the other) - both were not possible. The first thing I heard about Islam was that we are born good.
In succeeding years, fitrah has become a favorite topic of my reading. All of my reading has proven that what I always believed in my heart was true - that man is born good and his propensity is to live within the Will of Allah.
I spent the first 8 months in Islam single - and when I did marry I was truly blessed with a good Muslim husband. I learned more in the first 1 month of my marriage to him than I had in the 8 months I tried to learn on my own. Always, however, my husband told me that, "Islam is a process. You are responsible for what you learn as you learn it. Worry about the ‘big' things - not the little things."
Some of the most important things I have learned are:
That I was always Muslim in my heart - that not all practice Islam the same but anyone who calls themselves "Muslim" is treated by me as Muslim - that Sisters make WONDERFUL friends ( too bad I waited so late in my life to learn that) - that being obedient to my husband has more benefits than I could have ever imagined - that women are more respected in Islam than anyone who is not a Muslimah would possibly imagine - and that the "Peace that passeth all understanding" is not a Christian reward - it is an Islamic reality.
The most important advice I can give a new Muslimah is: Allow Allah to chose your husband - make Istikharah and trust that you will learn the truth from it Do not worry about changing those around you - worry about changing yourself , into the best Muslim you can be - Allah will take care of the rest Search for legitimate Scholars - not everyone knows enough to teach you the truth When you marry, trust your husband and look to him to teach you Islam - it is his job Enjoy obedience to your husband - it will bring rewards in heaven but also on earth!!
Become friends with Sisters who are like you want to become.
May Allah bless you and make your Islamic journey as peaceful as mine.
Written by Judi Muhammad
www.jewsforAllah.com
Posted by: Judi | 26 September 2006
A Muslim is some one who Submits Their Will to God. This Is What Jesus Did and Taught.
Son of God is a figure of speech which many other Prophets were labeled as for example; in the King James Version of the Bible.
The Prophet Jesus said He was the Messenger of the Word of God - not God incarnate. Jesus taught that there is only One God, and that man gains eternal life by following the teachings that God revealed through Him.
MUHUMMED (pbuh): Is a true prophet of God according to the Bible (a) " . . Every spirit (meaning every prophet) that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in flesh is of God 1 JOHN 4.2 Compare with Holy Qur'an 3:45 and many other Qur'anic references where Jesus (pbuh) is referred to as the CHRIST.
Christianity made a falseJesus through its pious literature, rather than Jesus making Christianity. Religious writings and sermons, so eager to make us truthful and good, rarely tell the truth. No authentic literature mentions Jesus until a century after his death. The historic Jesus died in obscurity and returned to a darker obscurity than that he emerged from because it is false.
Posted by: pEACE mAKER | 26 September 2006
Put up or shut up!!!! Here is my standing offer this is as fair as I can be! if anyone can show me the verse of the Bible [Any accepted translation] where the word Christian is spoken by jesus himself not only will I accept your faith I will denounce islam as a lie! Is that fair??? Pay attention to what I am saying! This is my request simply connect the word Christian to the lips of Jesus not through my book The Quran,but through your book the Bible,and I will Sing The praise of your Jesus! How can I be any fairer than this? My conversion is in your hands.
www.answering-christianity.com
www.jesus-or-allah.com
www.convertstoislam.com
www.why-christians-convert-to-islam.com
www.islamdefenders.com
www.faithfreedom.com
Posted by: Exchristians challenge | 26 September 2006
"To be a Christian, you must "pluck out the eye of reason."
[Martin Luther founder of the protestant church]
http://www.why-christians-convert-to-islam.com/
Posted by: Martin Luther founder of the protestant church | 30 September 2006
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