DO THE CONTRAST

Because I grew up hearing the call to prayer every morning, everyone asks me about the Cordoba Mosque. (President Obama said this prayer-call was the most beautiful sound in the world. Well—you can’t argue with taste.)

I like the mosque because it is an opportunity for Islam to show America what it is about. Of course we must always oppose evil in all its forms and the celebration of 9/11 is evil. But the mosque is a painless way for Islam to show its colors. And this is what all thinking people need. When you look at it this way, 9/11 was the quintessential display of Islam. Of course all Moslems did not support 9/11. Here in the West, almost none did. And President Bush claimed that 9/11 had been done by a deluded, fringe minority. “They hijacked a wonderful religion,” he said. Is Bush an authority on Islam?

Every Moslem in the world today stands on the horns of a dilemma. Every Moslem is beaconed from both sides. One side believes that jihad does not include violence against the infidel; the other side does. Of one thing I can assure you, and every Moslem knows this: Neither side is a fringe minority.

Now here is what is important. Really important. (And this is the importance of 9/11 and the building of the mosque; they both force people to face this question.) What was Jesus like; and what was Mohammed like?

If I could get America (or even you) to focus on this question, we will achieve an understanding in due course. To jump-start your research, here’s a beginning: 


1. Jesus never killed anyone; Mohammed did. 


2. Jesus loved his enemies; Mohammed did not. 


3. Jesus called his followers to return good for evil; Mohammed had no such teaching.

4. Jesus thought he was God; Mohammed disagreed, even considered the claim blasphemous.

5. Jesus never married a child; you probably know the rest.

These contrasts I have just articulated are considered blasphemy in many countries, punishable by death. I grew up with friends who blasphemed Jesus when I tackled them. Jesus does not want me to kill them. He wants me to love them in spite of their reaction to my tackling. Obviously, if you choose to do some research, you will go far beyond my brief summary. The more you learn, the easier it will be for you to choose one of these life paths. It is my belief that 9/11, and the construction of a mosque to “remember” it, will both contribute to your understanding.

(I will be in Asia, where internet is blocked, for the next 6 weeks. No more blogs for now. But do leave your reactions)

TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL

Many of you may have seen a new episode on the very popular NCIS this past season. The plot is resolved when it is discovered that a military person was murdered by a member of his own family; he shamed the family by converting to Islam. It was a “Christian” honor killing.

The episode gives the impression that honor killings have approximately equal status in both the Islamic and the Christian faiths. This is another example of the great gulf of misunderstanding between Islam and the West. There is no precedent anywhere of the virtue of killing a non-Christian. Indeed, the opposite is the case; a Christian person always works to preserve the life of the non-believer in the hope that they might be redeemed. Outside the West, it is common knowledge that Islam has raised the bar on honor killings. One Muslim turned against Osama bin Laden after the bombings in Darfur. He did so not because of the killing of the innocent, but because so many of them were Muslims.

Following is the letter I wrote to the producers of NCIS in the hope of clarifying this misunderstanding:

NCIS

Valencia Studios

26030 Avenue Hall

Stage 5

Valencia, CA 91355

Dear NCIS family,

I’m a fan; made so by my wife. We thoroughly enjoy your characters and plot. I’m writing to state my grave concern about your resent episode in which you portray an honor killing (I need not tell you), a Christian killing a Moslem because he had converted to Islam. No doubt you knew this was a stretch right when you did it.

I have spent the past three years hiding and protecting a person who converted from Islam to Christianity. This past weekend, she converted back to Islam. Obviously, this was a cause of great sorrow for all of us who have been involved in her protection, receiving death threats, attending countless legal hearings to secure her asylum, and generally investing thousands of dollars on her behalf. It may come as a surprise to you and your writers that in no time during her conversion back to Islam has there ever been the slightest concern over her safety. Indeed, with respect to her safety, there has gone up a collective sigh of relief. At least now she will not be killed. People convert to Islam in this country everyday. It has never occurred to them to hide for protection.

I grew up in Afghanistan. The physical threat to anyone converting to Christianity is common knowledge worldwide. I have never heard of anything like what your plot demonstrated. It is the quintessential work of fiction. Maybe you chose that portrayal to insure your own safety. You don’t need me to inform you of the violence that has been perpetrated on those who have suggested that Islam is violent. So as a Christian, may I assure you of your safety. You have no threat from me or from any other Christian. But you should be made aware that there is a fundamental misunderstanding of Islam in this country. This misunderstanding has us in a war that we will never win. And your plot has furthered that misunderstanding. Those of us who do understand Islam are at a loss to know how to get through to you.

Not to worry; you have not lost a fan. But if you have the slightest interest in this matter, send me an address and I’ll send you a copy of, “God in the Pits; the Enron-Jihad Edition.” It will shed some light on this topic.

All the best,

Mark Andrew Ritchie

What Would Jesus do? What Would Mohammed do?

Christians around the world are giving thanks today that Pastor Jones has decided to do what Jesus would do; he will not burn the Koran. Almost any pastor’s sermon from last Sunday would supply ample support from the scriptures for his decision. Jesus' message of returning good for evil is common knowledge in our country. Pastor Jones says he has been given assurance that the Imam of New York will also show respect and kindness to grieving families of the 9/11 tragedy by moving the mosque. And he may have been given such assurance.

However, while we Christians are grateful that the pastor has followed the example set by his leader, we must also expect that the Imam will also follow the example set by his leader. Anyone (like Pastor Jones) who thinks that Mohammed will show respect and kindness to the infidel, may expect the Imam to move the mosque. But you can take it from anyone who knows the modus operandi of Mohammed; he never compromised with error, and his follower, the Imam is not about to begin now. Compromise with error is anathema to Mohammed and his followers. This will not happen. The Moslem mind sees compromise like this: If your math student is convinced that 2 plus 2 equals 10, you could move your student closer to the truth by compromising with an agreement to meet them at 7, even 6 or 5. And you would be right; they would be closer to the truth. However, you would be very wrong. Instead of you teaching your student truth, the student would have taught you error. This is how the Moslem mind sees compromise with the infidel.

Please be informed about this; the pastor has done what Jesus would do; and the Imam will do what Mohammed would do. That mosque will never be moved. It is no coincidence that you have never heard that Imam condemn the killing of Tom Little.

Out of Balance Again

You may recall that I began this blog by writing that the conflict in the world today reminds me of the magician. The magician’s job is to focus the audience everywhere except where his deception is underway. You will notice that almost no attention was paid to the death of Dr. Tom Little a month ago. Did any of you hear anyone condemn his murder or the murder of any of his staff? Now we have a fringe pastor, leader of a minute flock of about fifty, who plans to burn a Koran. Suddenly the Vatican, the Secretary of State, the four-star general, the rioters of Kabul, and every news organization is covering and condemning the fringe pastor. One thing that is not in doubt: This pastor is the isolated fringe. Now what about the killers of Tom Little? No one has suggested that they are fringe. Indeed, there have been well over a thousand such killings in the decade since 9/11—enough to make it appear routine.

Almost every Christian will agree with me that the burning of a person’s holy book is not consistent with the golden rule that Jesus taught us to follow. One need not even be a Christian to know this. It is too obvious. We believe the Koran is in error and that it sanctions the execution of Tom Little and his associates. In spite of those errors, we still believe that the Bible would oppose its burning. We are called to expose error, not burn it. But we also believe that these two mistakes are not comparable; the burning of a holy book is not as serious as the taking of ten innocent lives. Yet the leaders of our world have shown far more angst over the misguided burning of a book than they have over the wanton slaughter of the innocent. While I do not mind that the leaders of our world condemn a pastor of fifty for his bonfire, I wish they could also mention that the Koran is wrong to call for the killing of those it defines as infidels. Our heroes deserve better. I repeat myself: Remember Tom Little.