Thought for the Day

Credit: South Wales Argus

"A young man who recently converted to Islam told me that while he loved his new found faith, the worship the prayers and the discipline, one of the worst things about his new life was listening to the Friday sermon. He had yet to hear a sermon which actually engaged with the very real ethical issues which plague many Muslim communities, integration, identity, radicalisation as well as the more complex discussions around loyalty and belonging. Rather than address those very real problems, many imams were more obsessed with the length of beards, how much water you needed for ablutions or the dangers of men and women mixing. And it?S true, so many of these sermons are absurdly divorced from the painful realities of what?S happening around us. Many preachers refuse to acknowledge that even if militant Islamism lies at the margins of society, it has a cancerous effect on the whole of Islam and affects us all.

In all these sermons, there are copious references to the Prophet?S daily life. But if the prophet is to be a reference point, why not raise those other matters he is also reputed to have said, that a time would come when nothing would remain of Islam but its name, nothing of the Quran but its word, and that many mosques would be beautifully furnished but destitute of any guidance. Our witness to the faith today is preachers who use their sermons to encourage hate while calling Islam peaceful. We have young men who talk of the brotherhood of Muslims but kill innocents randomly simply because they can, conflicted Muslim states too busy both blaming the west and indulging the west. If this continues what will remain of Islam, a religion seemingly reduced to compulsory ritual without spiritual essence.

The Islamic world has become far less sophisticated in how it reads its own scripture and sources. In this lies one of the roots of religious fundamentalism and over the years, it has morphed into a harsh and cruel Islamism. The two are inexorably linked both deluding themselves that Islam will one day be dominant. There is no victory here only nihilism. Geopolitics may drive the violence, extremist militancy may be small in numbers, but innocents being slaughtered in the Arab world and in Europe has at its core an ideology where dying is more important than living. God is the greatest is a call to prayer, but it has also become a prelude to a death cult. Many ordinary Muslims remain baffled by global events, for them their faith remains a source of moral and spiritual growth, of giving and generosity. But last week?S tragic attacks in Paris, yesterday?S shootings, show that unless we are active in defending all that is good in our faith, there will be no faith to defend. With each attack Islamism won?T weaken the west, but it will hollow out the Muslim faith just that little bit more."

- BBC Radio 4Thought for the Day 19 November 2015.

Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations,

University of Edinburgh School of Divinity.

As Sadiq Khan the MP for Tootingsaid,  "Extremism isn't a theoretical risk. Most British Muslims have come across someone with extremist views at some point – and so have I. It's affected my personal life, my friendships and my career. People I knew as a boy have gone on to hold extremist views, and even to act on them in terrible ways."

The message attached to the rose in the illustration is a powerful one. The quotation has been used countless times as an Islamic condemnation of the Paris bombings. But it is only part of a longer verse in the Quran which is contradicted by the next verse 5:33 as explained here in response to a comment made on the Answering Muslims blog:

Verse 5:32 - On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.

Verse lima:33 - The punishment of those who wage war against God and His Apostle, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter.

Greater honesty as expressed by Professor Mona Siddiqui in 'Thought for the Day' would bring more credit to Muslims who protest that Islam is a Religion of Peace.

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Delusions

Delusion 1

Reluctantly, the US authorities have had to conclude that the shooting of 14 civil servants at a Christmas party in California was not the act of a disgruntled employee but one inspired by Islamic fundamentalism: "The investigation so far has developed indications of radicalisation by the killers and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorists organisations".

Nervousness in recognising the facts is understandable. How many more silent potential killers lurk among us? Predictably ISIS have claimed credit but the sad fact is that even when ISIS and all other fundamental Islamist organisations are defeated, the ideology still comes from the book Muslims are required to study from their earliest years. The answer is in proper education, enabling Muslims to question a faith which in Christian terms must be misguided. So long as people are allowed to believe that they can gain a place in paradise by murdering innocent people there will be no change.

In Christianity thegreatest of faith, hope and charity (love), is love. By contrast Islam rewards believers at the expense of unbelievers. The characteristics of love and forgiveness are embedded in Christian consciousness, even of nominal and lapsed Christians which leads them to welcome others who reject democracy and regard Christians as inferior. It is a delusion to think that Muslims would allow non-Muslims the same freedom that they demand in our midst yet to question their allegiance is condemned as Islamophobia. If believers cannot question their beliefs and come to their own conclusions they will be forever at the mercy of those who would control them, a devastating lesson learnt all too late by many Christians.

Delusion 2

The leader of the Labour Party was quick to take credit for Labour's victory in the Oldham by-election. Labour Deputy leader Tom Watson said "If this was a referendum on Jeremy Corbyn, then he has won. It was a decisive victory with our share of the vote going up. I hope our MPs look at this result." It was not a referendum. The local verdict was that the electorate simply had confidence in their local lad. It had nothing to do with Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.

The decision of Parliament to ignore the artificial border between Iraq and Syria was a difficult one for MPs. Mr Corbyn likes to base his authority on grass roots support but what is that worth when supporters resort to bullying tactics, sending threats and offensive material to MPs who voted according to conscience?

Delusion tiga

The Anglican Church in this country continues to grapple with the consequences of following the liberal lead of the US Episcopal Church. As attendance continues to decline in line with these liberal innovations the Church of England ("A Christian presence in every community") has even considered a Beeching style closure of churches, leaving a Christian presence in some communities.

The relentless pursuit of a liberal rencana in the Church in Wales where a policy of exclusion continues to operate has resulted in an exercise to keep the current episcopal elite and their supporters in the style to which they have become accustomed by substituting Ministry Areas for Parishes with lay people doing most of the work regardless of whether they are qualified to do so beyond a programme of rudimentary lay training.

Archbishop Morgan thinks it a wonderful idea (here, page 2): "So things are on the move and what has been fantastic about all this is how the parishes concerned have got excited about the prospect, embraced the vision and seen for themselves the advantages that accrue. That is much better than a centrally imposed plan that people do not own."

The question has been raised, "What hope for the Church in Wales?" -  When meetings do not address the problem of alienation there is something wrong with the organisation they exist to serve. Read the alternative view here.

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They still don't get

Memorizing Islamic texts which condemn other religions.                 Telegraph/Photo: REUTERS

"The Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, has asked officials to review home schooling amid fears that thousand[s] of children are having their minds ?Filled with poison? By radicalised parents. Between 20,000 and 50,000 children are thought to be educated at home ? But the Government has no idea of the exact number because parents are under no obligation to inform their local council.

Ms Morgan has already announced a crackdown on unregistered schools and “weekend madrassas” after some were found to be promoting extremist ideology. But senior government sources have revealed that home schooling is now “on the radar”.... The focus on home schooling highlights growing concern in government over the problem of children being radicalised by religious extremists abusing positions of trust to promote hardline doctrine." [My emphasis - Ed. Full report here.]

From theTelegraph in 2011: "Several madrassas ? Religious schools often run by mosques ? Use ?Excessively strict approaches to discipline? To keep children in line, it was revealed. Researchers said the imposition of hard-line rules on behaviour instilled a sense of ?Spiritual fear? In young people, marking them out from mainstream schools.

The study, by the Institute for Public Policy Research, found a number of examples of madrassas actually employing corporal punishment. A ban on physical beatings, including the cane, was introduced in the 1980s. But the legislation does not cover ?Supplementary schools?, including many madrassas, where lessons are taught for fewer than 12.5 hours per week."

What is being studied? This is the Conclusion from "Peace or Jihad? Abrogation in Islamdanquot;:

"The issue of abrogation in Islam is critical to understanding both jihad and da'wa, the propagation of Islam. Some Muslims may preach tolerance and argue that jihad refers only to an internal, peaceful struggle to better oneself. Western commentators can convince themselves that such teachings are correct. However, for learned Muslim scholars and populist leaders, such notions are or should be risible. They recognize that, in practice, there is compulsion in Islam. They take seriously the notion that the Qur'an teaches not just tolerance among religions, but tolerance among religions on the terms of Islam. To understand the challenge of the current Islamist revival, it is crucial for non-Muslims and moderate Muslims alike to recognize that interpretation of Islamic doctrine can have two faces, and that the Medinan face may very well continue to overshadow the Meccan face for a major portion, if not the majority, of contemporary Muslims."

Political and religious leaders need to understand that "...Everything in the Qur'an about forgiveness and peace is abrogated by verse 9:5 which orders Muslims to fight the unbelievers and to establish God's kingdom on earth." Once that fact is grasped it is evident that the "Islamic extremistdanquot; horrors witnessed are carried out according to the texts being studied.

Children in Britain should be educated according to British standards in the British way of life if we are to achieve any sense of integration. There is nothing to be gained by allowing children to memorize that their host nation is inhabited by less worthy creatures (apes and pigs) who deserve to die if they do not convert to Islam.

In theentry, "Why there will be no Merry Christmas wishes from 'ordinary' Muslims", twelve months ago I included video of an Imam explaining that in Islam, wishing each other a "Merry Christmas!" is "worse than fornication, drinking alcohol or killing someone" because Christmas celebrates the Incarnation which is rejected by Muslims along with the Crucifixion.

One has to wonder therefore why the Archbishop of Canterbury welcomed Shia theologians to Lambeth Palace at the culmination of three days of dialogue with Christian theologians. Expressing his appreciation for this dialogue, Archbishop Justin Welby said: "At a time of increasing fear and division in the world, it is ever more important that people of faith, Christians and Muslims, come together to work towards the common good for the betterment of all." What delusion. His sentiments are sound but can not be genuinely reciprocated by Muslims because it is contrary to their beliefs. It would have made more sense if he had followed a predecessor's example and demanded an explanation of why other faiths are persecuted in states where Islam dominates.

As Islam expands and Christianity wanes there is an unsettling change in attitude which regards Islam as fact and Christianity as fiction when there isIncredible Proof for Why You Should Have Faith in the Bible: "There are 16 total historians apart from Scripture that reference Christ. Almost everything about Christ we can find without ever going to the New Testament" and "There's more evidence that Jesus lived than Julius Caesar, yet no one doubts Caesar existed." Islam claims to be authoritative but denies historical evidence.

Christians know that false prophets will test their faith but our faith leaders entertain representatives of a supremacist ideology on an equal level which accords legitimacy to beliefs that, certainly in Christian terms, must be wrong because there is "only one way to the Father". Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There is no ambiguity.

What is needed is not an education system which permits children to memorize texts that demand all to convert or die but one in which faith can be challenged in the same way that Christianity has been challenged and proved to be true. Any faith which can not tolerate scrutiny must be suspect. Denying Muslims the truth is to deny them salvation.

This morning I read "Archbishop of Canterbury supports 'our Muslim brothers and sisters' ". ReadThe Logic of Islamic Intolerance for an explanation of why such trust is a perilous mistake.

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Poverty + Islamophobia = Radicalisation - allegedly

Senedd Cardiff Bay                                                                                           Credit: Wales Online

"Poverty and Islamophobia are partly to blame for the radicalisation of Muslims in Wales" according to Islam expert, Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray from Cardiff's Islam UK Centre. Welsh Government ministers are so taken in by this ludicrous claim that they are speaking to Muslims in a bid to "tackle extremism and Islamophobia".

The Welsh people have been the butt of jokes for years suffering poverty andbigotry but they do not use poverty and Welshophobia as an excuse to resort to extremism. Why? Because their faith is based on the Christian belief of love and forgiveness, not in an ideology which promises paradise for crimes against the innocent.

According to thePostgraduate Funding web site, the Islam-UK Centre was founded in 2005 and "works towards the promotion of better understanding of Islam and the life of Muslims in Britain". Its activities "address issues which are central to the situation of Muslims" in contemporary Britain. With the help of a "very generous gift to the University", the Jameel Scholarships have been established to enable the very best students to come to Cardiff – those who have the intellect and determination to apply their knowledge "for the benefit of Muslim communities in the UK", and to promote "better understanding of Islam" in wider society.

The promotion of Islam is obvious but 'the better understanding of Islam' is a euphemism for blind acceptance. Islam means submission and obedience. To question any aspect of Islam is deemed Islamophobic. In an earlier entry, 'The road to ruin', I referred to UK Mosque Open Day which was being promoted on social media listing participating places of worship. "Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the mandanquot;!

Cardiff school children at an open day at Dar Ul-Usra Mosque in Cardiff  Source: Wales Online

Muslims like to tell us what we should believe, particularly that Islam is a religion of peace but this is not reflected in the world around us. That most Muslims live peacefully is hardly relevant when their ideology dictates otherwise. Most Germans did not gas Jews and homosexuals but there were sufficient numbers willing to do so. Most Muslims do not behead people because they are not followers of Islam but many do.

In contrast to the fear and repression of Islam, Britons (for now, see previous entry) live in a Christian country with a faith based on the Gospel message: "A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

That can be the only excuse for the Archbishop of Canterbury, joined by the archbishops of Wales, Scotland and Ireland, to accept invitations from Muslim leaders as they seek to convince people that "inter-faith relations in Britain are strong, despite dunia tensions such as IS atrocities and the refugee crisis". Such dialogue serves only to validate a warped ideology which seeks the demise of Christianity.

Shepherds are tasked with protecting their flocks. Instead they flirt with danger. Islam is contrary to the Christian faith. This is clearly illustrated in the Middle East where ISIS is determined to erase all traces of Christianity.

Poverty and the phony charge of Islamophobia are not responsible for radicalisation. Some of the worst atrocities have been perpetrated by highly educated Muslims. Playing the victim and demanding more concessions is the name of the game. The only hope for peace is opening Islam to rigorous debate, not validating the ideology through inter-faith relations. But that is regarded by Muslims as Islamophobia and ministers play along with it!

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