Presecution in Algeria

Courthouses in Algeria are collecting more and more Christians. Operation Mobilization reports the sentencing of five missionaries and several local believers.

The Christians received two to three years in prison plus fines, but they are appealing. Although persecution is an opportunity to witness and grow, it's also emotionally draining.

So far, 20 churches have been told to stop their activities, but they're ignoring this order. In September, six members of a house fellowship were handcuffed after the meeting and held in custody overnight. Their gathering "disturbed the faith of Muslims," and the believers were ridiculed, pressured and accused of becoming Christians for the money and visas. "The only visa we have received is that to heaven," the believers replied.

Among the Christians that visited the court in Tiaret to learn about trial results were local newspapers and internationals. Some of the cases included six believers who were sentenced to two years in prison and two believers that were going through trial again. In the first case, believers were accused of "shaking the faith of Muslims" and "holding religious meetings without permission," On top of the two-year prison sentence, the Christians were fined $5,000 euros apiece. In a separate case, two believers have to face the judge in Tiaret for a second time. Previously held for three days after being found not guilty for carrying Christian literature, the believers are facing trial again.

What level of Delusion...

Paul-André Durocher, Roman Catholic Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall writes HERE that the misuse of the Qu'ran by terrorists doesn't make Islam a religion of violence. Wow Rt Rev., that is deep. But the opposite is also not true. The fact that terrorists misuse the Qur'an does not mean that Islam is a religion of peace.

The bishop asks us who wrote: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Yeah... we get the gist. Do not use one verse and use that for warmongering. But bishop, it is not just a verse in the Qur'an, it is all over the Qur'an. And the hadith make very very clear that the violent verses in the Qur'an are exactly that. Violent verses that are normative for the behavior of Muslims.

It would be very bad to give the impression that all Muslims are prone to violence. But bishop, you are an ostrich. Islam is, in its sources, a religion that cannot do without violence. Without violence and the fear of it, Islam cannot maintain its hold over its followers. Read man. Read!

Mosque of Jesus Christ in Madaba (Jordan)

In Madaba our muslim brothers have called a mosque the 'Mosque of 'Isa al-Masih'. They say they have done this in order to create closer ties with the Christians of the city. Dutifully those Christians said that this was such a fine idea. But do we think they really care a bit? As if naming a mosque after the foundation of our faith, makes any difference. The imam will continue to preach that 'Isa was 'just a prophet' and that he did not die on the cross.

Just imagine that a Church in Amman decides to call itself the Church of Muhammad... Why not? I happen to know many Muhammad's who go to church, as they met Jesus as he really is. But would the authorities in Amman allow such name for a Church?

Names of Mosques or Churches do not mean much. What they preach, that is the issue.

Sharia is not fun

Haider Ala Hamoudi, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh, is criticizing the many fatwa's of salafi Muslims that seem to aim at taking any join out of life. Watching Mickey Mouse is haraam, the eating of certain deserts, flying kites... is Islam against joy in life?

Hamoudi considers the fatwa's 'mostly for vulgar entertainment value (it really can be funny how ridiculous some of these things get, it's my version of Jerry Springer to look through them), but I've sort of noticed a pattern'. What is the pattern? According to Hamoudi:

If I might proffer a simple, additional reason that some of this might be coming about is that for the most part, the Islamist resistance is filled with angry and frustrated people, in many cases very extreme ideologues, who don't really think very highly of fun, as might be said of ideologues the world over, whether Marxists or abortion doctor killers or whoever. To them, the world is serious business, not to be laughed at, and ideas in their purity meant to prevail. The notion that their ideas aren't entirely consistent in application (it's the world, they never will be, when you try to force the world into the consistent idea, it usually ends pretty badly) engenders a furious reaction. They don't believe it, they insist it is consistent, and pure, and comprehensive and absolute.

Interesting reading - and funny because of the examples Hamoudi uses. Read more on his website. For this very article by Hamoudi, see HERE.

Smile: Kadhafi about Barack Obama

Sorry, a bit off-topic here, but I could not resist. Elections in the USA are a permission for many transgressions.

In the last few days, I see many pro-Republican websites and blogs where the story appears that according to the Libyan leader Muammar Kadhafi, Barack Obama is a Muslim of Kenyan origins who studied in Islamic schools and whose campaign may have been financed by people in the Islamic and African worlds. Kadhafi said this on TV in June. Funny how these words are now, months later, brought to us by MEMRI, the institute that exists to support Israel and that will do anything to get a Republican president elected.

I do not vote for Obama, let me ensure you that. But it is so funny how his alleged Islamic background is now 'confirmed' by no-one less than the Libyan leader. Do you know that years ago, Kadhafi said on TV that Shakespeare was an Arab Muslim who immigrated to England? His real name was Sheikh Zubayr. If you believe that to be credible, than, by all means, treat Kadhafi as a credible source of information about Obama.

Mission - Absolute Priority

Pope Benedict XVI about the need for mission:

The missionary mandate continues to be an absolute priority for all baptized persons who are called to be "servants and apostles of Christ Jesus" at the beginning of this millennium.

To be taken seriously by all baptized Christians!

Another St Francis Missiological Conference

This month, 20 or so mission practitioners from the Muslim world meet to present and discuss papers on the cutting edge of Church, Islam, and Arab World. The subjects of the papers promise great mind-stretching discussions! The papers will probably be published in the December issue of St Francis Magazine - so keep coming back!