Transcript PEACE IN CHRISTIANITY & ISLAM

Which is the Religion of Peace,
Christianity or Islam?
The question post 911 & 7-7
Roxbury
2013
Omar Sharif
Asif Hanif
(April 30, 2003)
Muslims Claim:
• “Islam is a Religion of Peace”
• “Muhammad is a man of Peace”
• “The Qur’an is a book of Peace”
How can we know if these are true?
Definitions:
• Each religion, both Islam and Christianity
have definitions for what they call
themselves…
• Both Islam and Christianity are defined by a
revelation:
– Islam = the Qur’an and the Traditions
– Christianity = the New Testament
• Both Islam and Christianity are modelled by
a person:
– Islam = Muhammad
• (Suras 33:21 = ‘Pattern’, 68:4 = ‘Standard’)
– Christianity = Jesus Christ
In 2001, in the UK,
How did Muslims
define themselves?
•15% Radical – Follow Scripture,
and the Prophet Muhammad
•70% Nominal – Follow Traditions,
and their cultural adaptations
•15% Liberal – Follow the West,
and assimilate
By 2002: Radicals had risen to 25%
By 2003-2004: No polls were carried out…..
On February 19th, 2006:
over 40% now radical…*
while 20 % supported Suicide bombers
2013: Over 50% are no radicalized
(source: Peter G. Riddell and Peter Cotterell, Islam In Conflict, Leicester, England: IVP, 2003, chapters 1012, and page 193. Also a lecture by Riddell on the theme, “Muslim Views on the World” held at the
London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, and sponsored by the London Lectures Trust,
October 23, 2003)
* Sunday Telegraph, Feb. 19, 2006
A Global Problem:
Poll on radicalisation
by Pew International (March 2004)
Turkey = 31%
Morocco = 45%
Jordan = 55%
Pakistan = 65%
(80 million out of
140 million
people!)
Turkey
Morocco Jordan Pakistan
IMPACT SINCE 9/11
With the spiralling violence today, much of it
perpetrated by Radical Muslims, in the name
of ‘Allah’, we need to take a closer look at
what is happening within Islam….
post 9/11 & 7/7 & the ‘Arab Spring’
…..‘Arab Winter’
• Need to look at the INTERNAL DEBATE
within Islam caused by 9/11
• Need to look at the ongoing attempts, by
Muslims, to define themselves in light of
this violence.
Beginning of Radicalism
1300 AD: Ibn Taymiyya
1700 AD:
-Al Wahhab – Arabia
(Ibn Saud family)
-Waihulla – India
(Delhi, Patna, Indus Valley)
20th C. roots of Radical Islam
Egypt
Hasan al Banna (1948) ->
“Muslim
Brotherhood”
 Sayyid Qutb (1966)
‘In the Shade of the Qur’an’
‘Milestones’
Indian Subcontinent
Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi
-Tablighi Jamaat (1926)
Abul Ala Maududi
-Jamaat-e-Islami
Abd al-Mawdudi – ‘Jamaat-i-Islami’
Ayman Zawahiri – ‘Islamic Jihad’
Osama bin Laden – ‘Al Queda’
1970s – Present
• Hezbollah, Hamas, Muhajiroun,
Hizb ul Tahrir…..
Radicalization of Moderate Islam
• Yusef al Qaradawi – (July 7, 2004)
-moderate, yet
‘out of the closet’
(suicide bombers, wife
beating & Homosexuals)
•
•
Public vs. Private
face of Islam
Specific Agenda (Europe):

In 1980 the ‘Islamic Council of Europe’ published a book:
MUSLIM COMMUNITIES IN NON-MUSLIM STATES
1.
Muslims must band together to establish a viable Muslim
community based on Islamic principles.
Must not be assimilated by the majority culture.
Must establish areas of high-Muslim concentration.
Must set up: Mosques, Community centres & Islamic schools.
Must share the message of Islam with ‘unbelievers’ (Da’wah)
A responsibility of every Muslim living in non-Muslim lands.
Objective: Muslims should become the majority & the entire
nation should be governed according to Islam.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
(from: M. Ali Kettani “The Problem of Muslim Minorities and the Solutions”, in Muslim Communities
in Non-Muslim States, London, Islamic Council of Europe, 1980, pp.96-105)
Kuram Murad, in
“The Islamic Movement in the West” 1980
“An Islamic movement is an
organised struggle to
change the existing society
into an Islamic society
based on the Qur'an and
the Sunna, and make Islam,
which is a code for entire
life, supreme and dominant,
especially in the sociopolitical spheres.”
Muslim’s Agenda:
The West is in Decline:
-Culturally (loss of national identity, creating block societies
i.e. Western Union, all in opposition to Islam’s culture)
-Socially (breakdown & dysfunction of the family, of society,
rise in crime, indiscipline in schools, plethora of statistics)
-Morally (Movies, TV, Music, all push sexual promiscuity,
immorality, & have huge influence on the youth)
-Spiritually (Secularism is now the norm, only 5-7% go to
church, with much public criticism of religion)
-Economically (Capitalism’s dependence on interest/usury, is
evil, and brings about inequality, and injustice)
-Politically (Democracy is anathema in Islam, and allows
unbelievers to control and eradicate the faith of believers)
ISLAM IS THE ANSWER:
Radical Islam’s Agenda
•1) Eradicate Immorality – Shariah Law
•2) Eradicate Usury (Interest) – Islamic banking
•3) Eradicate Democracy - Caliphate
•4) Eradicate Western Militaries – Ummah
Using the 3 stages of ‘Da’wah’
– ‘Pen’ (Mecca 610-622 AD)
– ‘Scale’ (early Medinan 622-624 AD)
– ‘Sword’ (late Medinan 624-632 AD)
But, how much
influence do these
Radical Muslims
have?
From where do they derive their
authority?
TWO SOURCES:
1) THEIR SCRIPTURE: The Qur’an
2) THEIR PARADIGM: The Prophet
Muhammad
(Suras 33:21 = ‘Pattern’, 68:4 = ‘Standard’)
1) Scripture:
Looking at the Qur’an:
The Peace Verses:
Sura 2:256 = “For there is no compulsion in
religion”
“Law of Abrogation”
(Suras 2:106, 16:101)
“That which we give, we give something
better”
(Mansukh vs. Nasikh)
Thus, Sura 2:256 is a weak verse,
abrogated by 101 verses which follow!
Sura 2:190-193 = “ Those who fight
you, Do not transgress limits, /
…and slay them wherever ye catch
them, and fight them, until there
prevail faith in Allah”
A Moderate Interpretation:
Sura 5:31-32 (raven, and blood of Abel)
“ we ordained for the Children of
Israel that if anyone slew a
person…it would be as if he slew the
whole people; and if anyone saved a
life, it would be as if he saved the life
of the whole people...”
A Radical Interpretation:
Sura 5:31-32 “we ordained for the
Children of Israel that if anyone slew a
MUSLIM not in retaliation of murder, or
to spread mischief in the land, it would
be as if he slew ALL MUSLIMS; and if
anyone saved A MUSLIM, it would be
as if he saved the life of ALL
MUSLIMS...”
Consider:
Sura 5:31-32 “we ordained for the
Children of Israel that if anyone slew a
MUSLIM not in retaliation of murder, or
to spread mischief in the land, it would
be as if he slew ALL MUSLIMS; and if
anyone saved A MUSLIM, it would be
as if he saved the life of ALL
MUSLIMS...”
What kind of Murder?
• Killing of Muslims in:
-Chechnya?
-Kashmir?
-Afghanistan?
-or Iraq?
What kind of ‘Mischief in the Land’?
•
•
•
•
Immorality?
Secularism?
Democracy?
Usery (use of interest)?
The Medinan Sword Verse:
Sura 9:5: = “ But when the forbidden
months are past, then fight and slay
those who join other gods with Allah
wherever you find them; besiege them,
seize them, lay in wait for them with every
kind of ambush..”
Sword Verse against Christians, Jews:
Sura 9:29 = “...Make war upon such of
those to whom the scriptures have been
given as believe not in Allah, or in the last
day, and who forbid not what Allah and
his apostle have forbidden...until they pay
tribute...”
Methodology of Sword Verses:
Sura 47:4 = ” When you encounter the
unbelievers, strike off their heads, until ye
have made a great slaughter among
them...” (i.e. Woolwich murder)
Sura 8:38-39 = “ Unbelievers…And fight
them on until there is no more Tumult or
oppression, and there prevail Justice and
faith in Allah”
Recompense for those who die in Jihad:
Sura 4:74 = “Let those who fight in the
cause of Allah who sell the life of this world
for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the
cause of Allah, whether he is slain or gets
victory, Soon shall we give him a reward of
great value”
Sura 47:4-6 = “…Those who are killed in
the way of Allah, He will never let their
deeds be lost…And admit them to
Paradise…”
The Qur’an’s 149 Sword Verses:
1.
2:178 2.
2:179 3.
2:190 4.
2:191 5.
2:193 6.
2:194
7.
2:216 8.
2:217 9.
2:218 10. 2:244 11.
3:121 12. 3:122
13. 3:123 14. 3:124 15. 3:125 16. 3:126 17. 3:140 18. 3:141 19. 3:146
20. 3:152 21. 3:153 22. 3:154 23. 3:155 24. 3:156 25. 3:157 26. 3:165
27. 3:166 28. 3:167 29. 3:169 30. 3:172 31. 3:173 32. 3:195 33. 4:071
34. 4:072 35. 4:074 36. 4:075 37. 4:076 38. 4:077 39. 4:084 40. 4:089
41. 4:090 42. 4:091 43. 4:094 44. 4:095 45. 4:100 46. 4:102 47. 4:104
48. 5:033 49. 5:035 50. 5:082 51. 8:001 52. 8:005 53. 8:007 54. 8:009
55. 8:012 56. 8:015 57. 8:016 58. 8:017 59. 8:039 60. 8:040 61. 8:041
62. 8:042 63. 8:043 64. 8:044 65. 8:045 66. 8:046 67. 8:047 68. 8:048
69. 8:057 70. 8:058 71. 8:059 72. 8:060 73. 8:065 74. 8:066 75. 8:067
76. 8:068 77. 8:069 78. 8:070 79. 8:071 80. 8:072 81. 8:073 82. 8:074
83. 8:075 84. 9:005 85. 9:012 86. 9:013 87. 9:014 88. 9:016 89. 9:019
90. 9:020 91. 9:024 92. 9:025 93. 9:026 94. 9:029 95. 9:036 96. 9:038
97. 9:039 98. 9:041 99. 9:044 100.
9:052 101.
9:073 102.
9:081
103.
9:083 104.
9:086 105.
9:088 106.
9:092 107.
9:111
108.
9:120 109.
9:122 110.
9:123 111.
16:110 112.
22:039
113.
22:058 114.
22:078 115.
24:053 116.
24:055 117.
25:052
118.
29:006 119.
29:069 120.
33:015 121.
33:018 122.
33:020
123.
33:025 124.
33:026 125.
33:027 126.
33:050 127.
47:004
128.
47:020 129.
48:015 130.
48:016 131.
48:017 132.
48:022
133.
48:024 134.
49:015 135.
59:002 136.
59:005 137.
59:006
138.
59:007 139.
59:008 140.
59:014 141.
60:009 142.
61:004
143.
61:011 144.
61:013 145.
63:004 146.
64:014 147.
66:009
148. 73:020
149. 76:008
How should these verses be exegeted?
The example of Muhammad:
2) Their Paradigm
• His biography: ‘Sira-t-ul rasul-Allah’,
• His Sayings: Hadith
• The Maghazi: 29 battles fought
39 battles planned
The example of Muhammad:
With those Under his Jurisdiction:
1. The Jews
• 624 - After Badr - Banu Qaynuka
• 625 - After Uhud - Banu al Nadir
• 627 - After the Trench – Banu Quraiza
2. Those who Criticized him:
• Asma the poetess, and Umair the blind
disciple
• Around 25 were assassinated
With these Scriptures, and the example of
the prophet Muhammad, can you then
understand why so many within Islam today
are saying what they are saying, and doing
what they are doing?
Their authority, they believe, is that of ‘holy
writ’, a divine authority, modelled by the
greatest and clearest paradigm for Mankind,
for all peoples, all places, and for all times…
including the West…today.
SO, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
• Radical Christians!
• Radical Methodolgy!!
Why? Because we follow the same
Paradigm, and therefore can
understand them best!
We also have Two Sources:
1) The Bible
2) Our Lord Jesus Christ
But do they speak of Peace/Violence?
Violence in the Old Testament
6 Criteria:
1) Restore broken relationship from the fall (Gen.3)
2) Create a people & a nation, from which the Messiah would
come
3) Judge surrounding nation’s sin (Gen 15:13-14; Lev. 18:2528; 20:22; Deut.18:9-14; 2Kings 21:9)
4) Judge the sin of the Jews (2 Chron.7:17-22) (i.e. Assyrian
and Babylonian captivities)
5) Never for expansionist or political gain (i.e. promise to
Abraham, fulfilled in David)
6) Goal: Peace and Reconciliation between God and His
people
•Bible: violence for a particular point in time
•Quran: ongoing struggle to defeat unbelievers
Old Testament Peace = ‘Shalom’
• Wars were divinely ordained campaigns
• Dependency on Divine intervention for God’s
Weak people:
– Egypt (plagues):
Ex.7-12
– Jericho (Walls):
Josh 6:20
– Amorites (Sun):
Josh 10:12-13
– Canaanite (Rain):
Judg.5
– Midianites (Confusion):
Judg.7
– Arameans (Blindness):
2Ki.6:8
– Assyrians (Strikes):
2Ki.19:35-37
– Easterners (Ambush):
2Chr.20
Responsibility of the KING
Deut. 17:14-20
• They were not to amass horses
– military security
• They were not to amass wives
– political security.
• They were not to amass silver and gold
– economic security.
• So what was the king to do? He was to study
the Torah all day!
• Peace found in:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Bodily Health, stability (Lev.26:6; Job 5:23)
Welfare (2Sam.20:19)
Family relationships (Gen.29:6; 37:4; 43:23-28)
Friendships (Gen.43:27; Ex.18:28)
Persue Peace (Ps.34:14)
Israel’s peace (Num.6:24-26)
God’s relationship (2Sam.20:19; 1Kings 8:61)
Inner spiritual peace (Num.6:26; Ps.4:8; Isa.45:7)
Goal of war is Peace (Ps.72:7; 122:6-8)
• Messiah = ‘Prince of Peace’ (Isa.9:5-7; Mic.5:4-5)
• And when he comes: “Beat [our] swords into
ploughshares and [our] spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor
will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4)
Isaiah 11:6-10 = A Vision of Normalcy:
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with
the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a
little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their
young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like
the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the
young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will
neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the
earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters
cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a
banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his
place of rest will be glorious.”
*Fulfilled in Rev.21:3-5 “God will dwell with His
people…wipe away every tear…no more death…”
New Testament = Eiréné (state of Peace,
opposite of War: Matt.10:34; Lk.12:51)
• Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the Peacemakers”
• Matthew 5:39-44 “whoever slaps you on your right
cheek, turn the other to him also. love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you
• MATTHEW 22:37-40 “YOU SHALL LOVE THE
LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND
WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR
MIND.''YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF. On these two commandments depend
the whole Law and the Prophets.“
• Matthew 26:52 ”Put away your sword, Jesus
said to him, for all who live by the sword will die
by the sword” (Lk.22:49-51; Jn 18:11)
• Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27 “Love your enemies”
• ROMANS 10:15 Gospel is “the Gospel of Peace”,
which is to be Preached (Acts 10:36; Eph.6:15)
• ROMANS 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends
on you, be at peace with all men”
• 2 COR.13:11 “live in peace, and the God of love
and peace will be with you”
• COLOSSIANS 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in
your hearts”
• 1 THESS.5:13-16 “Live in peace with one
another… See that no one repays evil for evil, but
always seek after that which is good for one
another and for all people”
• 1 PETER 3:11 “Seek Peace, and pursue it”
Peace between Husbands & Wives
• Love one’s wife: 1 Pet. 3:7, Col. 3:19
“husbands must love your wives &
NEVER treat them harshly.”
• Ephesians 5 ‘A man must love his wife
as Christ loved the church, and be
willing to die for her’
Jesus’ teaching for Christians:
• Instead of Violence – Suffering
(Matt. 5:38-39)
• Instead of Vengeance – Forgiveness
(Matt.6:14-15; Luke 17:3-4; 23:34)
• Instead of Greed – Sharing
(Luke 12:33-34: 18:22)
• Instead of Domination – Service
(Luke 22:24-27)
• Instead of Hatred – Love
(Matt.5:43-45; Luke 6:27-31)
Problem Passages:
• Temple Cleansing: (Mt. 21:12-13; Mk.11:1518; Lk.19:45-46; Jn.2:13-17) On animals, no
violence, but authoritative words
• ‘Swords’ at the Last Supper: (Lk.22:36-38)
Be ready to defend against thieves,
exampled with dinner knives. See its
application the next day…with Peter (Mt.
26:52).
• Not bring Peace, but a Sword: (Mt.10:34;
12:51) Consequence of commission, and not
sword, but ‘Word of God’ (“sharper than
any double-edged sword” Heb.4:12)
• Revelation Violence: We are spectators,
because final justice can only be done by an
Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent
God. The sword God wields is the sword
form his mouth (Rev.19:15) = the sword of
the ‘word of truth’
What about the Crusades, Inquisition?
• Ask criteria for their displeasure
“One should not eradicate others for their
God”…agree with them.
• Use Jesus as our paradigm, to condemn the
crusades.
• Take them to Muhammad’s example in Medina
– Then ask them to condemn that example
• Show them that we uniquely have the moral
high ground on this issue…proving the
relevance of Jesus.
CONCLUSIONS:
• If you want to find peace:
– Don’t go to the Qur’an
– Don’t go to their Prophet Muhammad
– GO TO THE NEW TESTAMENT!
– GO TO JESUS CHRIST!
• The whole world is looking for PEACE
• There is only one real source for it…
– And WE HAVE IT!! “COME ON HOME”
Solutions:
1) Move beyond our fear of Confrontation
2) Move beyond our fear of Repercussions
3) Move beyond our need for Security
4) Move beyond our opponent’s Sensibilities
5) Move beyond dialogue → to debate
6) Begin to teach Christian Apologetics & Polemics
7) Begin to publicly confront their auth. (Qur’an)
8) Begin to publicly confront their model (Prophet)
9) Leaders must model it (i.e. ‘ol Codgers’)
10) Get on
&
We must ‘Stand in the Gap’
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
It’s the best way to get their attention
Forces our antagonists to respond
May be the 1st time they have heard criticism
Gets the agenda moving
‘Pre-Evangelistic’
We don’t have a choice
-Muslims/Humanists tend to initiate the confrontation
-Fits their cultural paradigm
7) Creates a Christian Public Presence
8) Does that which the state may/can not do
9) Upgrades and strengthens the church
10) We have the only alternative!
11) We have the Best Material!
12) WE HAVE THE TRUTH…and his name is JESUS!
What weapons will we use?
“For though we live in the world, we do not
wage war as the world does. The weapons
we fight with are not the weapons of the
world. On the contrary, they are divine power
to demolish strongholds. We demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets itself
up against the knowledge of God, and we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ”
(II Corinthians 10:3-5)