Arab International Ministry, the Indianapolis group that led the crash course on Islam here, claims to have trained 4,500 American Christians to proselytize Muslims in the last six years, many of those since the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The oratorical tone of these authors and lecturers varies, but they share the basic presumption that the world’s two largest religions are headed for a confrontation, with Christianity representing what is good, true and peaceful, and Islam what is evil, false and violent.
The criticism is coming predominantly from evangelicals, who belong to many independent churches and Christian denominations, including the Southern Baptist Convention.
Evangelicals have always believed that all other religions are wrong, but what is notable now is the vituperation.
here we go again… so how different are these people from Al-Qaeda or Wahabies again?
Comments
Taliban is a better analogy
Mahmood,
Another insightful post. I really enjoy having the prespective of someone in the region. My detailed comments can be found here … Taliban is a better analogy.
Peace
Doug
“Wahabis of the US” would have even been more apt!
They’re virtually the same, Al-Qaeda is the forerunner of Taliban after Al-Qaeda and the Mujahideen threw the Soviets out of Afghanistan.
In Arabic “Al-Qaeda” (pronounced al-qa’ida) means “the base” and that gives you a hint of what their ideology is: get back to the ways of the Prophet and Islam in the 7th century.
All of these factions have sprung and are fed by the Wahabi thoughts which started in Saudi Arabia around the time that the late King Abulaziz conquored and unified the Arabian Peninsula (modern day Saudi Arabia) where the Saud’s provided the generals, and Mohammed AbulWahab (who started the Wahabi sect) provided the foot soldiers.
That’s the basis of my labeling these uber-christians the “Al-Qaeda of the US”, I now realize that they are possibly more dangerous and should have called them in my piece the “Wahabis of the US” as they are infinitely more dangerous!
However, the point I am making is this, religion is a very personal issue and should be practiced within one’s self to reach a higher plain of being and be closer to God. I fail to understand how someone or some organization cloaking themselves in the words of God actively pursue practices that are un-Godly. I suggest here that these people are using religion just as they would any marketing tool: “look how good and pious we are so give us your money and souls”.
Well I for one won’t give them money, but I most definitely give them soles!
Extremists
Great article. I agree 100%. I am a Christian, as were my parents, but I didn’t understand the true meaning of my religion until I opened my eyes and heart to God. I don’t feel most people do this, they simply go by what they have been told. In fact, although raised as a Christian, I didn’t actually became a Christian until I experienced God myself, which was only a few years ago. I personally, know very little of Islam, but I do know the true teaching of Islam is very different from how extremist groups practice and display it. The same goes for Christian groups of the like. Everyone shoud have the right to believe as they wish, but no one should discourage it. That is exactly what this Indianapolis group is trying to do. In the bible, it says that God has predestined his people. To me that means that you do not choose God, but he chooses you. If you live a moral life, are true to yourself as well as those that care about you, then God has already chosen you no matter if you believe if Jesus is the son of God, or if you believe Mohammad (spelling) was God’s prophet. Unfortunately I’m in the minority when it comes to this view.
oops.
By the way, the above comment was posted by David Dyess II of tangant.com. — Your newest fan.
Re: oops.
Welcome aboard David!
Re: Extremists
Well they’ve had their day in the spotlight, now EVERYONE in the Arab world is against them and their ideals. The majority of people were against them from day one, the governments only got on the bandwagon as a response to the heinous attacks on Riyadh and Morocco.
It’s unfortunate that you need a catastrophe to get things moving, but this is life and I’m not going to argue with it. I would rather look at the bright side and to the future rather than look back. Now that the governments are firmly behind eradicating this tumor, we should see them moving to first clear up the education system, the unqualified preachers from mosques and the public, and most importantly give the people the right to speak their minds without fear of persecution, not just the press.
In Bahrain and neighbouring Qatar this movement has already started a few years ago. In the last couple of years we had a great gathering of theologians here in Bahrain from different religions trying to understand each other and to find better ways to coordinate. They had the same thing in Qatar earlier this year (or late last year).
We see a lot more programming on TV now that brings different sects of Islam to do the same thing, start the dialogue at least.
What I personally want to see is the release of personal freedoms because I believe without this very basic right, we will never dare constructively criticise.
I dont know what to believe anymore….
Hello everyone, I like the discussion here, this seems to be a fairly
level headed group.
I am a christian, who does not hate muslims because I have seen for myself what wonderful people muslims can be. I am just soo confused as to what to think about all the pain i the world. Here is what I currently believe. Please feel free to write me about what you do or do not like about what I am saying. I would really like to have these ideas tested.
1) I believe that most of these conflicts have more to do with economics and power than religion. Truly religious people are not warmongering, they are wonderful.
2) I believe that universal education, freedom of speech and press, and governmental transparency are the best remedies to these kind of problems.
3) The poor need to be given books, not guns, mentors, not men willing to send them to die.
4) Men and women need to be treated as equals. Although very different men and women are both human and intelligent, and worthy of respect, able to make descisions for themselves.
Again, I would like to hear your comments on these ideas. please write me at: livproof@ufl.-NO-UCE-.edu remove the -NO-UCE-. from the email.
Don’t understand
Before I say anything else, let me qualify my comments.
I am a Christian
I am an American
Although raised as a Christian, I have come to know Christ through my own worship, study and discovery
I believe God created all men and loves all of them.
I have known three Muslims, and they were all WONDERFUL people and I was happy to know them!
NOW:
As I understand it, the wahabi’s are radicals and are disdained by the majority of muslims……Why aren’t more muslims coming out and speaking against them publicly? From where I sit, the moderate muslims have remained largely silent in response to all of the truly awful actions of the radical wahabis.
I don’t understand this. Are they afraid? Are they indifferent?
From a western point of view….moderate Islam’s silence appears to condone and support the terrorist actions of the wahabis.
I am not attempting to start an argument….I am sincerely curious.
-An “average” American [b][/b]
Re: Don’t understand
you hit the nail on the head really, fear plain and simple is what doesn’t allow moderate muslims to come out against these elements. Fear of governments and radicals as well. If you come out against them (before the Riyadh bombing at least) then you would be labled a heretic and you could literally legally be killed!
But now things are a bit better, now that the Saudi government themselves (followed by every other Muslim nation – and notice the word followed here!) and labled these people with various derogatory names, we can speak our mind (almost) about them.
There is not one Muslim I know that condones acts of violence anywhere in the world. But, every society has its own crackpots and you will find so-called Muslims who will condone such acts, as I am sure you will find Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc following the same route.