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A
BATTLE FOR MINDS
Since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11,
2001, by Muslim extremists, the world has seen an increase in such extreme
acts of violence – and much of it supposedly in the name of God.
Outrage
around the world peaked over the deliberate murderous attack by Muslim
extremists who had taken over a thousand children and adults hostage at a
school in Beslan, Russia. Within days of the deliberate, preplanned
hostage taking and abuse of the children and adults at the school, over
three hundred had died – more than half being children.
The
Editorial in the West Australian newspaper of Tuesday 7th September
stated:
‘One
of the lessons of the Beslan school atrocity is that international
terrorists acknowledge no limit on the level of depravity to which they
will sink.
Once
again, it was the innocents who were made to suffer by zealots
unrestrained by any sense of decency or compassion…No matter what cause or
historical grievance was behind the attack, it cannot in any way justify
the calculated murders.
Russia
is in mourning and the sympathy of the civilized world is with its
citizens, especially the bereaved and the people whose lives have been
shattered by injury and shock.’
A
few days before this editorial, Rick Renner, an American Pentecostal
preacher with a teaching ministry in Russia, sent out the following email
prayer request:
‘September
3, 2004
Dear
Friend,
Today is a very sad day in Russia because of the many children who were
wounded and killed in the terrorist attack on a public school in southern
Russia.
In
the past eight days, Russia has been under the attack of terrorists. To
summarize these attacks of the past eight days:
A bomb was exploded
at a bus station in Moscow, killing several people.
§
A bomb was exploded at
the Riga Train Station, killing many and injuring large numbers of people.
§
Two airplanes were
exploded by bombs, killing nearly 90 passengers.
§
And now.... this school
in southern Russia has been attacked and as a result many children were
killed and hundreds were injured.
These terrorist
attacks in Russia are not new. Since 1999, Russia has experienced many
attacks of this nature. Only this year, a bomb was detonated at a
famous Moscow hotel; another bomb was detonated at a public concert; a
large bomb was detonated on a subway car as it carried passengers, killing
many people and creating horrible destruction; another bomb was detonated
at a hospital. Unfortunately, the list you just read doesn’t even begin to
touch all the terrorist attacks that have occurred since 1999.’
Renner
requested his readers to join him in praying for an end to
‘these mindless
attacks’.
Since
the atrocities at the Beslan school in Russia, the violence and murder has
continued.
To
draw up a list of worldwide terrorist violence, murders and massacres
since the September 11, 2001 horrors would require many more pages than
available in our small magazine.
The
Middle East, especially, continues to seeing mass murders killing innocent
civilians while being euphemistically (almost ‘romantically/heroically’ by
some people) referred to as ‘suicide bombers’. The reality is that they
are mass murders who are using their bodies as ‘launching platforms’ to
carry out their mass murders or attempted mass murders. There is nothing
sacrificial, heroic or praiseworthy in the atrocities they commit.
The
fact that many of them do it in the name of their God and religion makes
it all the more appalling.
The
kidnapping and brutal beheadings of innocent civilians, often working to
improve conditions for the general population in Iraq, does nothing to
encourage a better understanding of Islam – especially when the
throat-cutting murders give speeches of doing this in the name of Allah
and then chant
‘Allah’u aqbar’
(God is great) – whatever their claimed motivation or justification for
such brutality.
South
East Asia has also experienced the trauma of Islamist terrorists with the
Bali bombings and more recent the bombing just outside the Australian
embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The
month long day-light Muslim fast of Ramadan began on October 15. It did
not bring peace. A number of places saw Muslim mobs go on violent
rampages, claiming a variety of motivations and justifications – including
religious ones - for their violence.
The
response, or lack of response by many Muslims, has not helped the
situation.
There
have been Muslims, including in Australia, who claimed that the September
11, 2001 atrocities were committed by Israelis to falsely blame Muslims;
there have been Muslims, including Islamic community leaders, who have
declared that the atrocities at the Beslan school in Russia could not have
been Muslims because Islam is a religion of peace! Many have remained
silent.
How
should countries and communities deal with Islamist terrorist activities?
Are
such activities just ‘mindless attacks’ as Rick Renner suggested – or are
they the result of mindful and deliberate actions based on disturbing
ideologies?
Is
the so-called Western ‘war on terrorism’ – with bombs and bullets, the
best answer?
Is
the silence and denial of many Muslims around the world – the best way to
deal with the problem?
Not
all who are concerned about Islam and its extremes are Christians. There
are now a number of secular organizations where non-Muslims, from Islamic
countries and communities are coming together for support and to express
themselves – especially over the Internet.
One
such group is known as Faith Freedom International.
It
states that it exists to:
‘Fight Islamic militancy, militarily and its ideology, ideologically.
These are the two fronts of this war.’
Its
purpose statement reads:
‘Faith Freedom
International echoes the voice of Muslim dissidents that strive
for freedom of faith and freedom from Faith in Islamic countries. We are
against Hate, not Faith. We revere human rights not human beliefs. We
endeavour to be factually correct, not politically correct. The only way
to confront Islamic terrorism is to eradicate the ideology behind it. As
long as this reality is overlooked more lives will be lost and the world
will not know peace. We will not achieve peace by upholding lies.’
Amber
Pawlik, a contributor of articles shared through Faith Freedom
International, commented just after the seizure of the Beslan school on
September 1:
‘I have yet to see any in the media point out the most important aspect of
these terrorists, except as an aside: they are Muslim.
Seeing as it was
Muslim terrorists who flew airplanes into the World Trade Centre;
Muslim terrorists who bombed a train in Spain; and Muslim
terrorists who have beheaded innocent civilians, Muslim terrorists
who blew bombs in Bali, Turkey and Riyadh, this information about is
obviously relevant – to put it lightly.
Can someone answer me
why the fact that these terrorists are Muslims is always muddled in the
media? We (and when I say “we,” I mean the entire civilized part of the
world) are not at war with a country. We are at war with an ideology,
Islamic terrorism, which is akin to NAZIism or communism. The people who
want to see us dead are not “Chechens.” They are Muslims.’
In
case any readers are NOT reading things clearly, in making the above
statements or sharing the above quotes, we are NOT saying
that all Muslims are terrorists.
The
vast majority of Muslims are peaceable people who wish to live their lives
quietly and with freedom to follow their faith.
But
let us quote some Muslims not content to remain part of the silent
majority.
The
Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper, meaning
‘International Newspaper of the Arabs’, is a Saudi Arabian owned
and published major newspaper. Its English edition is published from
London and transmitted by satellite for simultaneous printing
‘on four continents in
12 cities, Asharq Al-Awsat is the preferred Arab-language daily,
especially among educated decision-makers who have affluent lifestyles and
sophisticated tastes.’
Abdulrahman
al-Rashed, is the general manager of Dubai-based al-Arabiya
television, who publishes a daily column in the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
Following
the Beslan school murders, Abdulrahman al-Rashed wrote an article
headlined:
‘The Painful Truth: All the World Terrorists are Muslims!’
He went on to state:
‘Our
terrorist sons are an end-product of our corrupted culture.’
After listing attacks by
Islamist extremists in Russia, Iraq, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, he
added: ‘Most
perpetrators of suicide operations in buses, schools and residential
buildings around the world for the past 10 years have been Muslims… The
picture is humiliating, painful and harsh for all of us.’
Al-Rashed rejected Muslim silence,
denials or rationalisations, and claimed that the stained image of Muslims
could not be cleansed unless
‘we admit the
scandalous facts.’
Egyptian
Muslim and columnist for the pro-Egyptian government newspaper, Al-Ahram,
Ahmed Bahgat, was also scathing in his comments. He stated of the
terrorists who seized the Beslan school, that the media images:
‘showed Muslims as
monsters who are fed by the blood of children and the pain of their
families. If all the enemies of Islam united together and decided to harm
it ... they wouldn’t have ruined and harmed its image as much as the sons
of Islam have done by their stupidity, miscalculations, and
misunderstanding of the nature of this age.’
In
spite of such denunciations, others praised the terrorists or made
ridiculous comments such as those of a Bahraini ultra-conservative Muslim
religious scholar, Ali Abdullah. He declared the hostage taking of
children was ‘un-Islamic’, but explained,
‘I have no doubt in my
mind that this is the work of the Israelis who want to tarnish the image
of Muslims and are working alongside Russians who have their own agenda
against the Muslims in Chechnya.’
Comments like these from supposed Islamic scholars do nothing positive for
the world’s perception of Islamic scholarship.
What
has become clear in these situations is that there is a battle going on
behind the outward Islamist terrorism. It is a battle for minds. There
is a growing number of commentators, writers, journalists and others who
are identifying that, in order to win the so-called war against terrorism,
we need to understand and attack the ideology that is foundational to
Islamist violence and terrorism. Such a battle can’t be won with bullets
or bombs. Violence in response to violence generally leads to more
violence.
The
Apostle Paul expressed a relevant truth centuries ago:
‘By
the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am
“timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! I beg you that
when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some
people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though
we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we
fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have
divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’
(2 Corinthians 10:1-5)
At
the school in Beslan, Russia (a predominantly Christian community), two
Christian pastors, who were both brothers and neighbours, both lost
children in the school murders.
Taymuraz
and Ria Totiev had four of their children killed by the terrorists:
Larissa, 14, Luba, 12, Albina, 11, and Boris, who was 8 years old. Their
oldest daughter, Magina, was hospitalised and then released – the only
surviving one of their five children.
Sergey and Bela Totiev had two of
their three children attending the school killed by the terrorists:
Dzerassa, 15, and 9 year old Anna. Their 12-year-old son, Azamat, ended up
with a severe eye injury and overseas surgery was sought to help him
overcome the injury.
With
such a family tragedy the two families held a service out the front of
their homes, and did their best to help neighbours and others with their
losses, grief, injuries and family traumas. The Totiev brothers, and
their families, have fought against understandable anger and bitterness
and done their best to share Christian love, forgiveness and hope in the
midst of enormous personal and community tragedy and pain.
With
help from the USA-based Russian Ministries they are trying to find help
and resources to establish a Christian Comfort and Reconciliation Centre.
Through this centre they will try to: provide needed medical aid for those
still recovering from injuries; provide food and clothing to poor and
needy families, especially where a wage-earning parent had been killed at
the school; provide Christian counselling for the many who are struggling
with confusion and depression as a result of the September atrocities.
They
are doing what they can, in practical love and care, to win a battle for
minds that could easily have been lost to anger, bitterness and
destructive revenge.
A
BATTLE FOR MINDS continued
We
believe that openness and availability of information and education is
always better than brainwashing, mind manipulation, coercion, aggressive
or violent opposition – in dealing with religious differences and
extremes. We also believe that it is important for people to think things
through thoroughly for themselves – and not for them to allow others to do
the thinking for them.
This
particularly applies to the growing need for awareness of what Islam is
all about. What is it that Muslims believe (and collectively agree on),
and how does this impact their lives, AND how do their beliefs and
practices impact on their non-Muslim neighbours and community members?
Ignorance
and half-truths can be dangerous and damaging – especially to
relationships, dialogue and religious harmony.
This
especially applies to the faith of Muslims who are generally more
defensive than members of other faiths and world religions. There are
serious risks in questioning the teachings of Islam, of questioning the
Prophet Muhammed – such questioning for some have cost them their lives.
To ridicule or make satirical comments about Islam or Muhammed is even
worse, in will generally lead to fatwahs and death threats.
The
Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society declares in its
Mission statement:
‘We believe that
Islamic society has been held back by an unwillingness to subject its
beliefs, laws and practices to critical examination, by a lack of respect
for the rights of the individual, and by an unwillingness to tolerate
alternative viewpoints or to engage in constructive dialogue.
The
Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society (ISIS) has been formed
to promote the ideas of rationalism, secularism, democracy and human
rights within Islamic society.
ISIS
promotes freedom of expression, freedom of thought and belief, freedom of
intellectual and scientific inquiry, freedom of conscience and religion –
including the freedom to change one’s religion or belief - and freedom
from religion: the freedom not to believe in any deity.’
Some,
supposedly open-minded and ‘informed’ people like to point out, often
through newspaper letters to the Editor, that Christianity has also dealt
harshly with critics and has killed innocents in the name of religion –
what those people seem to ignore is: those things were often not condoned
by ‘rank and file’ believers in Jesus Christ; those things may have
happened in the Middle Ages and earlier – long ago; those things were
opposed and gradually came to an end long ago; much of the time those
things occurred – not because of the teachings of Jesus Christ, but in
spite of them – often because those in power did not take those teachings
seriously.
Islamist
terrorists are active today. We are not discussing issues of past distant
history, but of 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004!
In
order to understand Islamic extremists and their ideology, we must
understand the basics of Islam.
To
understand why the majority of Muslims are NOT Islamist terrorist, we must
understand the basics of Islam.
To
understand the reluctance of many Muslims to actively, vocally,
vigorously, come out in active opposition to Islamist extremes we must
understand the basics of Islam.
As
a service to our readers we list the following Internet websites on Islam,
from varying perspectives, for reading and research to increase knowledge
and understanding. By providing this variety of Internet links, we are
not necessarily endorsing the content of any or all of these websites. We
believe readers have the right to exposure to a variety of viewpoints and
interpretations so that they can make up their own minds as they weigh up
and evaluate the information available.
For
readers who don’t have computers and/or Internet access, CCG Ministries
has numerous resouces on Islam, both for purchase and reading/research at
our Nollamara Centre.
WEBSITES ON ISLAM
Sites are listed alphabetically – not in
any order of significance. Check articles, statements, and links given on
websites for the broadest exposure of information and viewpoints.
Islam from Secular & other Non-Christian
Perspectives
(including former Muslims, people from
Islamic countries and communities)
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s1095657.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1061302.htm
http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/islam_in_australia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
http://freeworldnow.com/News.htm
http://iabolish.com/mt/
http://jihadwatch.org/
http://jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/
http://knowislam.info/drupal/support
http://middleeastinfo.org/
http://unicorn.phoenixrising-web.net//jihad.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/stars/dorina/islamdp.html
http://www.anti-cair-net.org/
http://www.danielpipes.org/
http://www.faithfreedom.org/
http://www.geocities.com/muslimfreethinkers/Content.htm
http://www.knowislam.info/drupal/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/islam.htm
http://www.secularislam.org/Default.htm
Islamic apologists and information:
http://islam.ii.net/
http://www.afic.com.au/apislam.htm
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/Islamwomen.html
http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~waleed/isoc/local.html
http://www.icv.org.au/abouticv.shtml
http://www.islam101.com/
http://www.islamonline.net/english/aboutus.shtml
http://www.isoc-unsw.org.au/
http://www.jannah.org/
http://www.uga.edu/islam/
http://www.unn.ac.uk/societies/islamic/index.htm
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/clubintro/
Progressive Islamic Perspective
http://www.altmuslim.com/am_about.php
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~aas/isislam.htm
http://www.submission.org/
Christian responses:
http://debate.domini.org/newton/
http://www.answering-islam.org/
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/i07.html
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/i18.html
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/i19.html
http://www.arabicbible.com/christian/islam.htm
http://www.barnabasfund.org/
http://www.carm.org/islam.htm
http://www.goodseed.com/theprophetsenglish.html
http://www.gospelcom.net/awm/site/display3.php?article=41
http://www.isic-centre.org/isic_briefing.htm
http://www.islamonline.net/English/index.shtml
http://www.muhammadanism.org/
http://www.rim.org/muslim/islam.htm
http://www.safeplace.net/members/mer/index.htm#indexindex
http://www.safeplace.net/members/mer/MER_Papers.html
http://www.studytoanswer.net/islam/islamindex.html
(An even more extensive listing of
sites from a variety of alternative viewpoints [including most of the
above], giving background perspectives of websites, can be seen at:
http://www.listislam.cjb.net/)
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