A Christian Federation in the Middle East

September 15, 2014 by Daniel Greenfield

The Middle East as it exists now has no future. Its borders were drawn by European colonial powers for their own purposes. The political agendas behind those borders are long dead. The kings and coalitions they were meant to protect have vanished.

ISIS is determined to tear apart the borders of the region and it’s not alone. Iraq and Syria are caught in cycles of violence because their national borders are prisons trapping incompatible religious and ethnic populations in multicultural tyrannies. The world has spent a lot of time trying to redraw Israel’s borders when it should have been redrawing the borders of the entire region.

There are only two solutions for ending the violence in Iraq and Syria; tyranny or denationalization.

As long as Sunni and Shiite Arabs and the Kurds are trapped together in a single country they will never be at peace.

All of this is really bad news for Arab Christians because they are a fragile religious minority in a region swiftly redefining itself by religion. The Arab Nationalism that shielded them is dead. That leaves them with few options except to form temporary coalitions with the representatives of older systems, the Baath Party and the Egyptian military, or the minority Shiite Islamists.

(more…)

Continue ReadingA Christian Federation in the Middle East

Former Muslim helps Leading The Way viewers find new hope in Christ

Wednesday, October 29, 2014 – By Peter Wooding Europe Bureau Chief for ASSIST News Service

Ever since Leading The Way began broadcasting Christian programming to the Arab world through its 24/7 satellite TV channel THE KINGDOM SAT, something miraculous has been happening.

Every week Muslim viewers are turning to Leading The Way’s dedicated follow-up teams to find out how they can know more about Jesus.

One such team member often ministering late into the night is Rahim*. Every week he corresponds with viewers from the Middle East and North Africa via Skype, Facebook, email, text messages, and in-person discipleship meetings, sharing the love of Christ with those who are hungry to know God’s truth.

Some are Muslims who want to know more about the Christian faith, while others have made the dangerous decision to accept Jesus as their Saviour and are in need of spiritual support as they face extreme persecution.
Rahim has faced violent persecution himself and can identify with those who turn to him for help. He was a devoted Muslim until the power of Christian radio helped him find new hope in Christ.

“I was raised in a Muslim family and I was very dedicated to Islamic practices. My father was happy at this time, but I was empty inside,” said Rahim.

He added: “One time when I was searching by radio, I listened to something that was talking about God, and afterwards I see this is Christian radio. This brought problems to me. For the first time I wanted more knowledge about Christianity.

(more…)

Continue ReadingFormer Muslim helps Leading The Way viewers find new hope in Christ

Iran – World’s “Fastest-Growing Church,” Celebrates New Bible Translation.

Monday, September 22, 2014 – By Jeremy Reynalds – Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

LONDON (ANS) — A major new translation of the Bible into modern Persian, launched in London Monday, marks a remarkable transformation for the church in Iran.

According to a news release from Elam Ministries, the organization behind the translation, at the time of the Islamic revolution in 1979, there were no more than 500 Christians from a Muslim background in the country. Now Iran is thought to have the fastest-growing church in the world.

“A very conservative estimate puts the number of Christians in Iran at 100,000,” said David Yeghnazar of Elam Ministries, speaking in the news release.

He continued, “The generally-accepted estimate is 370,000. Some believe there are 700,000, some over a million. Operation World puts the annual growth rate at 19.7 per cent. If that is the case, Iran will very soon have one million Christian believers.”

Yeghnazar believes there are a number of reasons why the church has grown so rapidly.

“The Iranian identity is not rooted in Islam and there is real disillusionment with the religion,” he said in the release. “The house church movement has emerged, allowing Iranians to go to Christian meetings easily and not risk all by going to a public church. New Christians have zealously shared the Gospel and Scriptures and there has been on-going prayer for Iran around the world.”

(more…)

Continue ReadingIran – World’s “Fastest-Growing Church,” Celebrates New Bible Translation.

British PM: Our generational struggle against a poisonous ideology

By Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent –  16 Aug 2014

The West is embroiled in a generational struggle against a poisonous brand of Islamic extremism that will bring terror to the streets of Britain unless urgent action is taken to defeat it, David Cameron warns today.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, the Prime Minister says the world cannot turn a blind eye to the creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq.

Warning that Islamic State fighters already control thousands of square miles of territory, Mr Cameron says that if these “warped and barbaric” extremists are not dealt with now, they will create a “terrorist state” on the shores of the Mediterranean.

He warns that Britain will have to use its “military prowess” to help defeat “this exceptionally dangerous” movement, or else terrorists with “murderous intent” will target people in Britain.

The Prime Minister says he fears the struggle will last “the rest of my political lifetime”.

“The creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and extending into Syria is not a problem miles away from home. Nor is it a problem that should be defined by a war 10 years ago. It is our concern here and now,” he says.

(more…)

Continue ReadingBritish PM: Our generational struggle against a poisonous ideology

Why Do Liberals Have Trouble Understanding the Pure Evil of Jihad?

By David French , CP Guest Contributor – August 8, 2014

When I came home from Iraq in 2008, friends frequently asked me what I learned “most” from the experience. That’s a tough question to answer, and it depends greatly on context. I learned many things about my faith, my family, and my country, but if the question relates to the war itself, I’d tend to say something like this: “I learned the enemy is more evil than you can imagine, and I learned that a deployment is more difficult than you can imagine.” But while the deployment was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, the chance to play a very small part (surrounded by a band of brothers) to fight this extraordinary evil made it the most meaningful year of my life.

Since I’ve returned — and it’s been almost six years — I haven’t stopped talking about the nature of the jihadist enemy. I share the stories as much as I can (when the context is appropriate), yet I continue to be discouraged by how few Americans — and especially how few of my friends on the left — truly understand (or even try to understand) what the world faces. So they react in outrage when Israel strikes at Hamas, use the collapse in Iraq to once again score political points against President Bush, and use words like “irresponsible” to describe actions like launching rockets at civilians while hiding behind civilian human shields.

Why is this the case? Why can’t so many liberals understand the pure evil of Islamic jihad? I can think of three reasons:

First, they’re often in the grip of a strange kind of moral relativism. I say “strange” because it’s not true moral relativism. Actions of domestic political opponents are condemned in the strongest possible terms, and the history of Christianity is treated as if it is nothing less than one long story of war, rape, and conquest. That’s not relativism; that’s judgmental in the extreme. The relativism emerges when evaluating other cultures, where even dark deeds are excused by “culture” or “colonialism” and regions in the grips of the worst kinds of pathologies are hailed for their rich and glorious traditions.

(more…)

Continue ReadingWhy Do Liberals Have Trouble Understanding the Pure Evil of Jihad?

Muslims Turn away from Islamism

by Daniel Pipes – Jul 15, 2014

The Pew Research Center, a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, has the means to sample opinion with unique frequency and on a major scale. It has used its funds to track Muslim attitudes toward Islamism in general, toward specific terrorist groups in particular, and also suicide bombing over the past decade . The most recent study, “Concerns about Islamic Extremism on the Rise in Middle East,” released on July 1, conducted among 14,244 respondents in 14 countries between April 10 to May 25, 2014, holds much interest. Pew summarized the overall results:

As well-publicized bouts of violence, from civil war to suicide bombings, plague the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, concern about Islamic extremism is high among countries with substantial Muslim populations. … And in the Middle East, concern is growing. Lebanese, Tunisians, Egyptians, Jordanians and Turks are all more worried about the extremist threat than they were a year ago. Meanwhile, publics hold very negative opinions of well-known extremist groups, such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah.

In my reading, the survey makes two major points and also offers some lesser tidbits of interest: :

(1) The better Muslims know Islamism, the more they reject it. This theme pervades the poll numbers when compared over time. As Islamism has surged over the past decade, Muslim support for it has decreased nearly across the board, with the last year showing a particularly dramatic reduction.

Comment: Whether the issue be Islamism in general, views on Hezbollah, Hamas, or on suicide bombings, Muslim support is substantially reduced, confirming my thesis, first offered a year ago, that Islamism has peaked and is in decline.

(2) The three Palestinian populations of the West Bank, Gaza, and Israeli Arabs differ in many ways:

Of all Muslim groups polled, West Bankers and Gazans have the most favorable view of Al-Qaeda, at 26 percent; extrapolating from the incomplete data Pew offers, it appears that only about 6 percent of Israeli Arabs favor Al-Qaeda, a substantial difference.

Similarly,Palestinians support suicide bombing more than any other group in the Middle East, with Gazans oddly much higher (62 percent) than West Bankers (36 percent). Israeli Arabs again favor this tactic in much lower numbers (16 percent). (more…)

Continue ReadingMuslims Turn away from Islamism

Why Is Obama Really Downplaying Muslim Attacks on Christians?

7/15/2014 Raymond Ibrahim – Charisma News

Why is the U.S. downplaying or denying attacks against Christians?

“What about the churches which were desecrated? Is this not blasphemy? Where is justice?” asked Fr. James Channan OP, director of The Peace Center, Lahore, Pakistan.

Members of the Islamic group al-Shabaab publicly beheaded the mother of two girls, ages 8 and 15, and her cousin after discovering they were Christians. The girls “were witnesses to the slaughter.” — Somalia.

“Christian teaching is extremely harmful to the mental health of the people.” —Kazakhstan.

Five years’ imprisonment and up to $20,000 in fines for educators if they…speak to a Muslim child of religions other than Islam. — Brunei

Along with an especially jarring list of atrocities committed against Christian minorities throughout the Islamic world, March also saw some callous indifference or worse from the U.S. government.

President Barack Obama was criticized by human rights activists for not addressing the plight of Christians and other minorities during his talks with leaders in Saudi Arabia, where Christianity is actively banned.

According to the Washington-based International Christian Concern advocacy group, Obama did not “publicly broach the subject of religious freedom” when he spoke on March 28 with Saudi King Abdullah, despite a letter from 70 members of Congress urging him to “address specific human rights reforms” both in public and in direct meetings with the king and other officials. (more…)

Continue ReadingWhy Is Obama Really Downplaying Muslim Attacks on Christians?

The Plight of the Muslim: the Great Cost of Following Christ

 7/11/2014 Rob Hoskins

It’s amazing to me how the Internet is heightening our awareness of what is going on in the world to a whole new level. Things all around the globe that have been cloaked in obscurity for hundreds of years are now coming to light, many of them taking center stage in mainstream media. Take for instance the case of Meriam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman who had been sentenced to death for her Christian faith widely covered in media, like the May 16 CNN news report below. The struggle between Islam and Christianity has been going on for a very long time. Both faiths are “exclusive and expansionary”, often causing them to clash.

Little do we, as Westerners, know that to be Muslim and choose Christianity in some nations and contexts means giving up everything. There is a vast difference of interpretation between how I read this verse and the meaning it holds for a born Muslim who has chosen to follow Christ and is counting the cost of that decision: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

(more…)

Continue ReadingThe Plight of the Muslim: the Great Cost of Following Christ

Opinion: Was Jesus a Jewish Settler or an Occupier?

Jesus—perhaps the most significant and influential person in history ever—was a settler. Indeed, Jesus was a Jewish settler who lived in the town of Bethlehem in Judea (which is referred to by some today as “occupied territory” in the West Bank.)

How can millions worldwide accept the story of Jesus, claim that a Jewish family raised this Jewish boy in this city—yet, somehow claim the Jews do not have history and the right to this land? There is nearly a Christian alive who disputes that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea—the same city where King David had been born a thousand years earlier. And if that is the case, how can anyone in the same breath claim to be a Christian—and say that there is any occupied territory in Israel?

Jordan created the term “West Bank” only 60 years ago. Is that more important than Jesus?

The Jewish people—from the time of Jesus—have a biblical, legal and moral link and connection to these areas that are part of the State of Israel. All of the land of Israel is rich with stories from the Bible—and Judea and Samaria belong to Israel.

(more…)

Continue ReadingOpinion: Was Jesus a Jewish Settler or an Occupier?

Islam’s ‘Protestant Reformation’

June 30, 2014 by Raymond Ibrahim – Frontpage Mag

In order to prevent a clash of civilizations, or worse, Islam must reform.  This is the contention of many Western peoples.  And, pointing to Christianity’s Protestant Reformation as proof that Islam can also reform, many are optimistic.

Overlooked by most, however, is that Islam has been reforming. What is today called “radical Islam” is the reformation of Islam.  And it follows the same pattern of Christianity’s Protestant Reformation.

The problem is our understanding of the word “reform.”  Despite its positive connotations, “reform” simply means to “make changes (in something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it.”

Synonyms of “reform” include “make better,” “ameliorate,” and “improve”—splendid words all, yet words all subjective and loaded with Western references.

(more…)

Continue ReadingIslam’s ‘Protestant Reformation’

Pro-Islam Anti-Israel bias exposed on Bolt Report on Australia TV / Pr Daniel on live webcast this Sunday 10th August

Dear friends & family in Christ, 1) Click the following link for a must watch 5 minute video of Andrew Bolt exposing the Pro-Islam Anti-Israel bias around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8GkE1EY_QA&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop…

Continue ReadingPro-Islam Anti-Israel bias exposed on Bolt Report on Australia TV / Pr Daniel on live webcast this Sunday 10th August

Pledge Allegiance to New ‘Caliph,’ ISIS Demands of World’s Muslims in Ramadan Declaration

Sunni demonstrators chant pro-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant slogans and wave al-Qaeda banners in Mosul on Monday, June 16, 2014. (AP Photo)June 29, 2014 – By Patrick Goodenough

(CNSNews.com) – As Ramadan began on Sunday, the terrorist group fighting to control territory across northern Syria and north-western Iraq effectively named its leader as head of the world’s Islamic fighters and demanded that Muslims everywhere pledge allegiance.

In a speech on the same day Saudi King Abdullah alluded to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) as nothing more than “a handful of terrorists” whose aim was to sow discord among Muslims.

“We will not allow a handful of terrorists, using Islam for personal aims, to terrify Muslims,” Abdullah said in the speech, which was read out on Saudi television by the culture and information minister.

“We hereby declare that we will continue to confront and fight all forms of this menace that does not relate to Islam by any means,” he said.

The Saudi king’s own claim to Islamic leadership is enshrined in the title of “custodian of the two holy mosques,” a reference to the Ka’aba in Mecca and the Mohammed mosque in Medina, the most revered sites in Islam.

(more…)

Continue ReadingPledge Allegiance to New ‘Caliph,’ ISIS Demands of World’s Muslims in Ramadan Declaration

A very interesting view point on Gaza from an Egyptian Muslim Doctor / Online poll re legalizing prostitution in WA please vote NO

Dear friends & family in Christ, 1) You may click the following link to watch a 2 minute video from an Egyptian Doctor regarding the current crisis in the Middle…

Continue ReadingA very interesting view point on Gaza from an Egyptian Muslim Doctor / Online poll re legalizing prostitution in WA please vote NO

New study: wealthy, better educated Muslims more likely to wage jihad

Robert Spencer – Jihad Watch

This study makes a statement that is absurd on its face when it says that “religious practice” plays no role in “violent radicalization,” when in reality we have seen time and time again that jihad terrorists are devout, observant Muslims who appeal to peaceful Muslims by invoking the Qur’an and the example of Muhammad and portraying themselves as the true Muslims. But nonetheless, this study debunks once again one of the core assumptions of the Washington foreign policy establishment: that poverty causes terrorism, and that therefore throwing money at the problem of jihad will make it go away.

“Risk factors for violent radicalization: youth, wealth and education,” from Medical News Today, March 21 (thanks to LA):

New research from Queen Mary University of London has found youth, wealth, and being in full-time education to be risk factors associated with violent radicalisation. Contrary to popular views – religious practice, health and social inequalities, discrimination, and political engagement showed no links.

The pioneering research assessed population prevalence of sympathies for terrorist acts – a key marker of vulnerability to violent radicalisation – and their relationship with commonly assumed causes of radicalisation. The community study surveyed over 600 men and women of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Muslim heritage in London and Bradford, aged 18-45.

(more…)

Continue ReadingNew study: wealthy, better educated Muslims more likely to wage jihad

Why Are Christians the World’s Most Persecuted Group?

Why Are Christians the World’s Most Persecuted GroupRaymond Ibrahim – Frontpage Magazine

Why are Christians, as a new Pew report documents, the most persecuted religious group in the world?  And why is their persecution occurring primarily throughout the Islamic world?  (In the category on “Countries with Very High Government Restrictions on Religion,” Pew lists 24 countries—20 of which are Islamic and precisely where the overwhelming majority of “the world’s” Christians are actually being persecuted.)

The reason for this ubiquitous phenomenon of Muslim persecution of  Christians is threefold:

Christianity is the largest religion in the world.  There are Christians practically everywhere around the globe, including in much of the Muslim world.  Moreover, because much of the land that Islam seized was originally Christian—including the Middle East and North Africa, the region that is today known as the “Arab world”—Muslims everywhere are still confronted with vestiges of Christianity, for example, in Syria, where many ancient churches and monasteries are currently being destroyed by al-Qaeda linked, U.S. supported “freedom fighters.”  Similarly, in Egypt, where Alexandria was a major center of ancient Christianity before the 7th century Islamic invasions, there still remain at least 10 million Coptic Christians (though some put the number at much higher). Due to sheer numbers alone, then, indigenous Christians are much more visible and exposed to attack by Muslims than other religious groups throughout the Arab world.   Yet as CNS News puts it, “President Obama expressed hope that the ‘Arab Spring’ would give rise to greater religious freedom in North Africa and the Middle East, which has had the world’s highest level of hostility towards religion in every year since 2007, when Pew first began measuring it. However, the study finds that these regions actually experienced the largest increase in religious hostilities in 2012.”

(more…)

Continue ReadingWhy Are Christians the World’s Most Persecuted Group?