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I do pulpit supply around the city, and yesterday was one of those occasions. Morning and evening service, my responsibility was preaching at the morning service, and then sermon as well as prayers and communion at the evening service. These occasions are interesting for me, I enjoy meeting different people at different churches - but rarely do I walk away with a broken heart. Last night, I did.
After the evening service - a beautiful service, by the way, with only about 10 people in attendance, a completely disparate group, looking really mish-mashed together, with little common bond except the love of Christ between them - after the sermon and after sharing the Lord’s Supper, I had the privilege of speaking with an Iraqi man, maybe in his 50’s, though quite worn, for just a few minutes.
He told me a short tale of hardship. He comes to as many church services as he can to learn better English. I asked where he was from, and how long he has been in Canada. He told me that he “escaped” Iraq about 10 years ago. Shortly after, he told me, his wife and son tried to escape, and were caught before entering Kuwait. They were caught in a group by Saddam’s people, and the whole group was shot and killed. He said that when he heard the news, he immediately had a heart attack, and his heart has never been the same since.
In the intervening years, he has had a number of heart attacks, and has lost a leg. He said that if he happens not to be in church on a Sunday it is because he is in hospital for his heart. He likes attending church. In Iraq, he said, they attended a Christian church growing up. But, when Sadaam came to power, churches were destroyed and they were warned not to go to church or their “heads would be cut.” He was insistent that Canada is a great place to live.
I did not press him on any of the details of his life in Iraq, or subsequent flight to North America. I did not ask him his political feelings about the war in Iraq, the removal of Saddam, and the state of things now. It was my position, my privilege, to listen to him tell me a bit about his life, about his trade as a rug weaver, about how he works for 8 hours a day and completes only one inch of hand-woven rug, about his childhood exploring ruins of ancient buildings in “Babylon.” And I was immensely blessed, in a sad and strange way, in my 15 minutes with this man who had weathered heartache, hardship, and tragedy, and is coming through the other side loving, and with the love of, God.
He asked me to come back and preach again, because I spoke slowly and clearly enough for him to understand my English. I’m glad. I hope that I have the privilege to come back and speak with him again.
The other night I went out to dinner with some friends. They are all good friends, very good friends. At one point in the course of the evening, we had a conversation about US foreign policy, Guantanamo Bay, the war in Iraq, and especially about terrorism. I respect my friends’ opinions, however I found it quite disturbing the insistence upon denying that there is a religious motivation for the acts of terrorism that we see happening in the world today.
The concept of “jihad,” according to my friend, is something that has been taken out of context from the Qu’ran, and blown out of proportion by those insistent that there is a “War on Terror.” Really, the acts of violence perpetrated against the West, according to my friend’s reasoning, have more to do with US foreign policy, our reputation in the world, and social and economic issues among the people groups that are conducting these terrorist activities.
I just wanted to take a moment and respond:
We can dispose of the “social and economic” argument straight away. If the most recent rash of terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow has taught us anything, it is that there are people of high education and social standing who are ready and willing to carry out destruction against innocent lives in the West:
With six foreign doctors, one medical student and a former lab technician in custody after a four-day manhunt, investigators are quietly satisfied the “major suspects” in the case are in hand.
…
All eight detainees have ties to Britain’s National Health Service, overlapping in their duties at two hospitals in England and Scotland.
Further, watch Robert Spencer’s appearance on Cavuto, here, where he discusses the fact that most of the jihadists are of higher social standing and wealth. Also - I don’t see Osama Bin Laden hurting for cash…
So, if it isn’t social oppression, poverty, or any of those things, what is it?
It seems as if the Toronto Star, linked above, has a hard time figuring this out as well:
All eight detainees have ties to Britain’s National Health Service, overlapping in their duties at two hospitals in England and Scotland. Most also have roots elsewhere, but investigators have thus far found scant few common threads in their respective backgrounds in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, India and Saudi Arabia.
The word “Islam” is not even mentioned in the article. The word “Muslim” only once, in relation to the Muslim Council of Britain.
Let’s look for a moment at some of the things that might be motivating these terrorists. At the outset, I’ll just say that I’m not accusing all Muslims of terrorism. But, I am saying that there is a religious motivation for the terrorists that try to hurt us - and that this is their central motivation.
Across town from the site of the recent attempted car-bomb attacks, several thousand Muslims gathered in front of the London Central Mosque to applaud fiery preachers prophesying the overthrow of the British government – a future vision that encompasses an Islamic takeover of the White House and the rule of the Quran over America.
“One day my dear Muslims,” shouted Anjem Choudary, “Islam will govern Britain!”
Choudary was a co-founder of Al Muhajiroun, the now-banned group tied to suspects in the July 7, 2005, London transport bombings and a cheerleader of the 9/11 attacks.
“Democracy, hypocrisy,” Choudary chanted as the crowd echoed him. “Tony Blair, terrorist! Tony Blair, murderer! Queen Elizabeth, go to hell!”
…
Muslim leader Abu Saif, who kept his voice at a fever pitch through declarations such as: “Brothers and sisters, make no mistake. Make no mistake. The British government, the queen, the MPs in this country, they are enemies to you, enemies to Allah and enemies to the Muslims.”
Abu Saif is believed to be a member of the group Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Party of Liberation, which states its aim is to unify Muslims and establish Islamic rule over the world. The group’s Cambridge cell reportedly had tried to recruit the Iraqi doctor now suspected of mounting the attack on Glasgow’s airport June 30. The failed car-bomb assault followed two similar attempts in London the previous day.
Abu Saif spoke with disdain of Blair’s appointment as a special envoy to the Middle East, issuing an apparent threat.
“Inshallah,” meaning “Allah willing,” he told the crowd, Blair will “go to the Middle East as an envoy, and he’ll come back in a box. Inshallah. What box that is, we leave that up to you.”
Over 3,000 in attendance, in front of the largest Mosque in the UK. Read the whole thing.
Choudary is a Muslim leader who stated that attacks such as 9/11 and 7/7 are perfectly justified, as only Muslims are innocent.
I would also state that these terrorists are motivated by hate, and that this hate is rooted in deep religious belief. Take for example, from Hamas Television, the indoctrination of hatred towards the Jewish people in children, on children’s TV shows:
As Spencer points out, that Haddith can be found here.
And then there is the incitement to kill and fight Jewish people, also bred from religious motivation, fed to children through Palestinian television, in which a Mickey Mouse look-alike is beaten to death by an actor playing a Jewish man. A 3-year old girl calls in to the program to express her hatred, saying that the Jews killed Farfur:
But, maybe that is all anecdotal.
Words on Jihad from those who understand it best - Muslim scholars. This from the preface to a booklet, found quite easily through a Google search for “Jihad.” This is found on “youngmuslims.ca“:
Though jihad may be a part of the answer to the problems of the ummah, it is an extremely important part. Jihad is to offer ourselves to Allah for His Cause. Indeed, every person should according to Islam prepare himself/herself for jihad and every person should eagerly and patiently wait for the day when Allah will call them to show their willingness to sacrifice their lives. We should all ask ourselves if there is a quicker way to heaven? It is with this in mind that this booklet is being published.
Further, the issue of Jihad is taken up by Hasan al-Banah. Again from the preface:
Imam Hasan al-Banna is the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood and one of the pioneers of today’s Islamic revival. It is a shame that so many people are unaware of this man and his contribution towards what we see today. It is the right of the contemporary Muslim generation that they should have access to the writings of this great reformer; especially on this important topic.
The Imam, may Allah bless him, shows us that ultimately, and insha’Allah (God-willing) time will be a witness to this, only Islam can save mankind from itself. And jihad on the individual and international scale will be a necessary part of this process of change.
The article goes on with al-Banah’s words:
Jihad is an obligation from Allah on every Muslim and cannot be ignored nor evaded. Allah has ascribed great importance to jihad and has made the reward of the martyrs and the fighters in His way a splendid one. Only those who have acted similarly and who have modelled themselves upon the martyrs in their performance of jihad can join them in this reward. Furthermore, Allah has specifically honoured the Mujahideen with certain exceptional qualities, both spiritual and practical, to benefit them in this world and the next. Their pure blood is a symbol of victory in this world and the mark of success and felicity in the world to come.
Those who can only find excuses, however, have been warned of extremely dreadful punishments and Allah has described them with the most unfortunate of names. He has reprimanded them for their cowardice and lack of spirit, and castigated them for their weakness and truancy. In this world, they will be surrounded by dishonour and in the next they will be surrounded by the fire from which they shall not escape though they may possess much wealth. The weaknesses of abstention and evasion of jihad are regarded by Allah as one of the major sins, and one of the seven sins that guarantee failure.
Islam is concerned with the question of jihad and the drafting and the mobilisation of the entire Umma into one body to defend the right cause with all its strength than any other ancient or modern system of living, whether religious or civil. The verses of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Muhammad (PBUH) are overflowing with all these noble ideals and they summon people in general (with the most eloquent expression and the clearest exposition) to jihad, to warfare, to the armed forces, and all means of land and sea fighting.
Well, so much for that theory. The essay continues, asking why it is that Muslims fight:
Islam allows jihad and permits war until the following Qur’anic verse is fulfilled:
‘We will we show them Our signs in the universe, and in their ownselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the truth.’
(Surat al-Fussilat (41), ayah 53)
People have for some time now ridiculed this but today these same people acknowledge that preparation for war is the surest way to peace! Allah did not ordain jihad for the Muslims so that it may be used as a tool of oppression or tyranny or so that it may be used by some to further their personal gains. Rather jihad is used to safeguard the mission of spreading Islam. This would guarantee peace and the means of implementing the Supreme Message. This is a responsibility which the Muslims bear, this Message guiding mankind to truth and justice.
For our own good I guess - war is a means to force peace upon the world - the peace of knowing the truth of the Quran.
(For more on jihad and Islam, an area that is not my specialty, but that read up on and know how to Google, I would seriously recommend Jihad Watch, as well as the site’s Islam 101, by Gregory Davis. Or, Daniel Pipes on “What is Jihad?“, who states unequivocally: “The purpose of jihad, in other words, is not directly to spread the Islamic faith but to extend sovereign Muslim power (faith, of course, often follows the flag). Jihad is thus unabashedly offensive in nature, with the eventual goal of achieving Muslim dominion over the entire globe.”)
While this is by far a complete survey of Jihad, or religious motivations in terrorism, what I do hope to have accomplished is to show that in the terrorism that we see in the world today, from 9/11, to 7/7, to the Madrid bombings, to the most recent spate of attacks in the UK, to the insurgency in Iraq, to the Taliban in Afghanistan, to the jihadists at the Red Mosque in Pakistan, in all of that there is a religious motivation that goes much, much deeper than the pat answer given by the Left that it has to do with either economic situations, or the US involvement in the Middle East. No. It has to do with a deeply held religious belief that Islam should conquer the world. And some people just don’t get that.
Of course, I suppose I could have done away with all of the above, and just quoted John Smeaton, the Glasgow Airport baggage handler, and overnight hero, if I wanted to show the religious motivation behind terror attacks in the modern world:
Witness John Smeaton added: “It was unbelievable, the guy was in flames and still trying to fight the police. He was a maniac.
“He was shouting ‘Allah, Allah, Allah,’ with every punch he threw. I tried to grab him and pull him away. Then he was on all fours covered head to toe in flames.”
Update:How could I forget the terrorism, and its religious foundation, that is sharia law?
If you wanted to arrive at rainfallsoneveryone, you could do so in any number of ways.
I get really understandable ones, on a fairly consistent basis. They usually have something to do with rain falling, or with rain fall totals in pretty much any city you could imagine:
NASA has agreed to buy a Russian space toilet for $19 million US that filters urine into drinkable water.
The new toilet will go on the International Space Station, which currently has only one toilet for a crew of three. The crew will expand to six members in 2009, and space bosses don’t want astronauts lining up when they have to go.
…
And so, the toilet pumps urine to a U.S.-made filtering system. Water molecules are very small, and the filters can remove anything made of bigger molecules — in particular, the organic waste in urine. Solid matter is separated from the liquid, stored in tanks and returned to Earth on the earliest possible spaceship.
The filtering technology is tried and true, Quine notes. “It’s fairly elaborate — osmotic systems with various layers of charcoal and things to take out things that you don’t want to recycle.”
Why do they bring the solids back to earth?
And, how long until this is heralded as a solution to global warming?
Lawyers in Pakistan are investigating a report that up to 30 men tortured and gang-raped a young Christian man for refusing to convert to Islam.
The victim is seriously injured and unable to move, Release International’s partner in Pakistan has reported. However, according to the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) the police are keeping him locked up and have denied him medical treatment.
…
According to CLAAS, the Christian was invited to a game of cricket. A quarrel broke out and he was beaten up. Later that evening, the father of one of the Muslims asked the Christian over to his house.
Joseph Francis, the National Director of CLAAS, explained: “When he entered the drawing room, he found it filled with unknown people. They began to beat him severely. They threatened him with dire consequences if he did not accept Islam. After his refusal, they committed sodomy with him one by one for the whole night.”
The poll suggests Canadians divide in essentially three groups on the issue of creation: 34 per cent of those polled said humans developed over millions of years under a process guided by God; 26 per cent said God created humans alone within the last 10,000 years or so; and 29 per cent said they believe evolution occurred with no help from God.
“These results reflect an essential Canadian tendency,” said pollster Bruce Anderson. “We are pretty secular, but pretty hesitant to embrace atheism.”
The belief that God had a direct or indirect role in creation was widespread among the 1,000 respondents questioned between June 21 and 24. A majority of those polled held this view in every region of the country, in rural and urban areas, and regardless of education.
Look at that bolded part. And then we get this little gem from the Globe and Mail:
The findings suggest the least educated were most likely to be creationists, as were respondents living in rural Canada.
Among respondents without a high-school diploma, 37 per cent said they believed God alone created humans less than 10,000 years ago, whereas only 15 per cent of university-educated respondents were strict creationists.
Rural respondents also had a plurality who believed in strict creationism at 34 per cent, whereas only 22 per cent of urban dwellers said they believed God alone created humans.
I’m looking for the raw poll numbers, as, I would like to see how the Globe and Mail made both of those statements. How do those statements square? What kind of spin is that?
Oh well, it might give some people I know fodder for their creationist fascinations. No names, of course!
LOS ANGELES — The 24-year-old son of former Vice President Al Gore was arrested for drug possession on Wednesday after he was stopped for allegedly speeding in his hybrid Toyota Prius, a sheriff’s official said.
Al Gore III – whose father is a leading advocate of policies to fight global warming – was driving his environmentally friendly car at about 160 kilometres per hour on a freeway south of Los Angeles when he was pulled over by an Orange County sheriff’s deputy at about 2:15 a.m.
A subsequent search yielded a small amount of marijuana, along with prescription drugs including Valium, Xanax, Vicodin and Adderall, said sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino. There were no prescriptions found, he said.
160 kph = 100 mph
Can a Prius seriously go that fast? I just think its funny that they make a big deal of his “environmentally friendly” car. It ain’t so friendly to anyone in the surrounding environment if the drunken, doped up louse were to go out of control, wreck, and take some innocent people with him. But, hey, at least he was reducing his carbon footprint!
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