ISLAM AND TERRORISM

ISLAM AND TERRORISM...

SOME BRIEF THOUGHTS ON ISLAM & TERRORISM
Imad Shehadeh, Th.D.
President, Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary

FIRST, CLEARING SOME MISCONCEPTIONS

1. "Islam" does not mean "peace." It means "submission." The word for peace in Arabic is "salam" not "islam." Islam refers to slave submission to Allah. Actually, the Quran lacks the biblical concept of a son's relationship to God as Father. God in Islam is held to be so transcendent that, not only is He wholly other, but He is also wholly apart. Man's duty is to submit, but without being sure of the result of this submission.

2. The word "Allah" is the Arabic word for God. The Bible has used this word, even before Islam, to refer to God. Thus the Arabic New Testament speaks of Christ as the Son of Allah.

3. Though Christians and Muslims speak of the same God (or Allah), God's nature and attributes are entirely different between the two religions. The God portrayed in the Bible is so different from the God presented in the Quran.

4. Not all Arabs are Moslems. The word "Arabs" refers to the Arabic speaking people, while the word "Moslems" refers to those who follow the Islamic religion. There are 19 Arabic speaking countries located in the Middle East and North Africa, and consisting of about 300 million people. While 95% of Arabs in the Middle East and north Africa are Moslems, only 20% of Arabs in the United States are Moslems. This means that 80% of Arabs in the United States are Christian!

5. Most, if not all, Moslem countries hold that the state religion is Islam. This is why Moslems tend to think of the West as "Christian," and of this present conflict as Islam versus Christianity.

6. A Moslem is not allowed to leave Islam or else risk his or her life. At birth, a person is branded either Moslem or non-Moslem depending on one's descent. One's religion is therefore marked on his or her birth certificate, identity card, and/or passport. Furthermore, a non-Moslem can easily become a Moslem, but not the reverse. This is why there are non known visible churches of Moslem converts to Christianity. Converts do exist, but they are in small numbers meeting secretly.

7. There are many decent Moslems who would be against terrorism. Some, if not converted to Christianity, have at least embraced Christian values. In the case of some American Muslims, some have adopted the values inherent in the US constitution.

SECOND, FOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK ISLAMIC REGIMES:

1. The question of Jihad. What is Islam going to do about the potential to rely on terrorism from the Quran since it does teach that the active pursuit of non-Muslims, especially Christians and Jews, with the intent to harm and even kill is acceptable? Note the following verses:

Quran 9:5, known as "the verse of the sword," declares, "Fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem."

Quran 3:85 states, "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost."

Quran 66:9 and 9:73 declare, "O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be firm against them."

Quran 5:33 states, "Those that make war against Allah and his apostle and spread disorders in the land shall be put to death or crucified or have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or be banished from the country."

Quran 8:68 states, "It is not for any prophet to have prisoners until he has made wide slaughter in the land." Though early in his career, Muhammad recited verses that were kind to non-Muslims (e.g., Quran 2:62; 2:256), later in his life, his language changed. His last words commanding harm to non-Muslims are said to abrogate those verses commanding kindness (see below on the quranic doctrine of abrogation of
verses). It is said that non-Muslims will be forgiven only if they turn to Islam and practice Islamic religious duties. No matter how Muslims try to explain away the above verses, terrorists use them so that to them the end justifies the means. It is verses like these that form the basis for one of the fundamental tenets of Islam: Jihad. Accordingly, Islam's ultimate goal is to enforce worldwide submission to the Quran at whatever cost. What we label as terrorists is simply a group of people who obey the Quran. Yet, what makes things more complicated is that Muslims in the world today are either ignorant of the teachings of the Quran, or they hide it (for more on Jihad, please see the article "Don't Hit the Snooze Button" by Barbara Richmond on www.foryourglory.org. Also see the feature story "One Nation Under Different Gods?" By Janet Chismar, editor of Religion Today, September 19, 2001).

2. The question of reciprocity. Why is it that Muslims are allowed to establish mosques and Islamic centers in the western world, when the same privilege is not granted to Christians in many Muslim countries? For example, there is not one single church in Saudi Arabia. Christians there gather either in embassies or associated cultural centers or military bases. In contrast, in the US, there are 3,500 mosques, and growing at the rate of 4 to 5 a week! Wherever Islam spread it has closed the doors behind it. No wonder that today the Middle East and North Africa, the home of the early church, is most needy
mission field.

3. The question of democracy. Why is there no democracy in the Arab world that insures with action, not simply words, basic human rights? On the one hand, and contrary to what Islamic leaders declare to the West, the voice of Arab Christians and other non-Muslim groups are not heard, and they are persecuted and not given rights on equal par with Muslims. On the other hand, searching Muslims themselves are not allowed to question or criticize their religion but are locked in it, with the threat of severe persecution and death for leaving the Muslim faith. Muslims who have converted to Christianity
remain hidden out of fear. Today there is not one single visible church of Muslim converts in the entire Arab Muslim countries. This lack of true democracy has resulted in the absence of any common ground for dialogue or constructive cooperation between Muslims and non-Muslims in facing political, social, economic, and religious challenges.

4. The question of truth. According to the quranic doctrine of abrogation, God is supposed to have made Muhammad forget some verses and then replaced them by others. Quran 17:86 declares, "If it were Our will We could take away that which We have sent thee by inspiration: then wouldst thou find none to plead thy affair in that matter as against Us." Thus it is said that the responsibility for verses being erased from Muhammad's memory lies on God Himself. Quran 13:39 adds, "Allah doth blot out or confirm what He pleaseth." According to this well known doctrine in Islam, when God replaces a verse, the latter version is a better and improved one, and may even contain opposite instructions. Quran 2:106 says, "None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: knowest thou not that Allah hath power over all things?" Furthermore, man is not to allow this teaching of abrogation to cast doubt upon the reliability of Muhammad. Quran 16:101 declares, "When we substitute one revelation for another, and Allah knows best what He reveals, they say, 'Thou [Muhammad] art but a forger': but most of them understood not." Thus, authentication for the truth of Muhammad's claims is not required, and does not extend beyond the alleged claim to a miraculous poetic style. This doctrine of abrogation has extended so far as to dismiss all previous revelation, vis-a-vis the Bible. Thus the Quran has re-written biblical history with stories and accounts that contradict the Bible. To deal with the contradiction between the Bible and the Quran, Muslims throughout history have claimed that the Jews and Christians have corrupted their Bible so that the original Bible no longer exists. No matter what evidence for the truth and reliability of the Bible is provided, Muslims refuse to face the possibility of the truth of the present Bible as we know it. This has resulted in the general deep lack of commitment for seeking truth or for seeing the value of truth.

QUESTIONS TO ASK OURSELVES

1. The question of identity. Do we really understand the deep heart of the average Muslim today, especially the Arab Muslim (the one closest to the Quran because of the Arabic language)? On close examination, one finds that Arab Muslims have an identity problem. They see themselves as having been humiliated by Israel's conquering the land of Palestine from them. They see that their large number of one billion has been unable to defeat the small six million Jews in the land. They see their countries divided, backward and way behind the West. As a result, they cling to the one thing they have which the
West does not: Islam. This means that in dealing with the future, the West must realize that terrorism has religion at its roots and its justification. Though not all Muslims think like this, the problem is that the Quran can be used as justification for terrorist activities against the West.

2. A question of wisdom. In light of the above, we must be careful not to rely on military action alone to stop terrorism. We must be sure to address the religious element and not only the political one. We need to be extremely patient and loving to go beneath the deepest of layers to understand where the root problem is in Muslim thinking. Muslims are uncompromising and they react more violently when threatened or attacked. An anonymous friend put it this way, "Unless the world's religious leaders -- Jewish, Christian and Muslim -- could find common ground in the disposition of the Holy Land, the conflict would escalate as it has."

To be honest, I am concerned that military actions may cause more problems in the long run. I strongly support President Bush's repeated declaration that the fight is going to be very long. Actions such as freezing the financial sources and stepping up security in travel are right on target. Other such non-military moves may be more effective than military action. But more so, it is time to challenge the Muslim world and its leaders with the questions outlined above. These questions strike at the heart of our future human existence.
Imad Shehadeh, Th.D.
President, Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary

ADDITIONAL READING
For more detailed information on Islam see Imad Shehadeh's 1990 doctoral dissertation, "A Comparison and a Contrast between John's Prologue and Quranic Surah 5." This study compares and contrasts the use of sources, the inspiration presupposed, the nature of God, the incarnation, and redemption between the two religions. Because of the danger of publicizing this dissertation, it has not been placed in the public list of doctoral theses and dissertations, but may be obtained from Dallas Theological Seminary. For a study of the Arab-Israeli conflict, please see Imad Shehadeh's master's thesis, "Ishmael in Relation
to the Promises to Abraham," Dallas Theological Seminary, 1986.