Radical Islamic terrorism targets Christians

A Pakistani Christian girl (Anjum Naveed)

To say that "all Muslims are terrorists" would be as inaccurate as saying "all Americans are members of the KKK." Most of the 1.5 billion Muslims live peacefully with their neighbors. But to say that radical Islamic militants -- about 15 to 20 percent of the Muslim population -- are not a threat to Christians and Jews . . . is naive. Despite President Obama's assertion that the "United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam," radical Islamists are at war. Christians in Muslim countries today are living under violent persecution in the name of Islam.

Below are recent examples from the Voice of the Martyrs website:

• On August 1, 2009, a mob of angry Muslims attacked local Christians in Pakistan, killing at least eight people, including a seven-year-old child, as well as burning and looting dozens of homes and a church building. The violence came in response to a rumor that Christians had desecrated pages from the Qur'an several days earlier at a wedding in a nearby village.
• On July 27, 2009, four Christians were beheaded in Somalia after being kidnapped by members of Al-Shabab, an Islamic militant group. The Christians were allegedly promoters of "fitna," a Muslim term for religious discord, and were beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam. The Christians had been working for a local government organization which assists orphans in southern Somalia.
• On July 20, 2009, a convert from Islam to Christianity was murdered in Somalia by members of al-Shabaab, a militant group with ties to Al-Qaeda. The victim had been a Christian for 15 years and was the leader of a group of underground believers.
• On July 11, 2009, police arrested a Christian man and woman for allegedly burning down their own house church in an Egyptian village. The Egyptian State Security Investigations officers have since arrested three Muslim suspects who were seen entering the church with cans of kerosene and leaving shortly afterwards shouting "Allahu Akbar [God is great]."
• On July 8, 2009, Muslims attacked Christians in Pakistan after a believer allegedly committed blasphemy against Islam. A Muslim cleric used the local mosque's loudspeaker to call Muslims to attack Christians. More than 500 Muslims looted and damaged over 100 homes, burned vehicles and attacked believers. Electricity and water supplies were cut off. Dozens were injured, including women and children who were reportedly sprayed with acid. One of the woman who was beaten miscarried. Muslims have registered blasphemy cases against 11 believers.
• In October 2008, over 300 Christian families fled Mosul, Iraq. Armed Muslims entered local churches and homes and told believers that they would be killed if they did not vacate the city.
• On March 3, 2008, Muslim militants killed at least two Christians and wounded dozens more in Ethiopia. The militants attacked the Christians, including women and children, while they were attending a worship service. Among the wounded were a police officer and a Christian whose hand was cut off by the attackers. Reports indicated that the attack was part of a plan by Muslim militants, influenced by the spread of Wahhabism in the area, to wipe out Christians from the Muslim-dominated region.

Muslim militants are targeting other areas of the world, as well. Faith Freedom reports: "In 2009 we have Buddhists in southern Thailand killed for being non-Muslims; we have Christians in Pakistan being burned alive over a comment over a book; we have Nigerian Christian pastors being beheaded for not converting to Islam; we have Bahai's facing persecution in Iran; we have Ahmadiyya Muslims facing persecution in Pakistan; and Hundus also suffer persecution in Bangladesh and Pakistan . . . . This persecution will not end because of silence; on the contrary it will merely grow."

• On July 20, 2009, a Muslim stabbed and killed a German businessman after leaving a Catholic church service (Compass Direct News).
• On July 28, 2009, 150 people died in a violent clash between police and Islamic militants. The assaults were mainly directed against police stations because the law enforcers "are Western-educated." A Christian church was burned to the ground in the fighting (news.scotsman.com).
• In a May 15, 2009 article, a Pentecostal pastor in Kenya -- a convert from Islam -- attempted to cross from Ethiopia into Somaliland. He was beaten for carrying Christian materials. Militants threatened to kill him if he did not renounce his faith, but the pastor refused (FrontPage Magazine).

Why is this happening?

According to a recent News Sentinel report: "The difficult fact for many Westerners to accept is
that . . . conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims is built into the Islamic worldview, with concepts such as Dar-al-Islam (The House of Islam) and Dar-al-Harb (The House of War). In other words, Islam casts a worldview that sharply divides the world between persons who have been submitted to Allah and his Shari'ah law (the word Islam implies submission, or being conquered) and those who have not and therefore are adversaries . . . . Qu'ran does contain verses urging a sort of conditional restraint, even tolerance, in dealing with non-Muslims, but it also has verses urging conflict and dominance, so the question among Muslims is which verses have greater authority."

Faith Freedom cites two verses from the Qu'ran that radical Islamic militants use to support jihad: "Verse 9:73 states "O Prophet! Strive hard (wage war) against the unbelievers and the Hypocrites and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, – an evil refuge indeed." While the Hadith 9:4 says "Wherever you find infidels kill them; for whoever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection."

Jesus promised persecution to his followers -- because he himself was persecuted. Christians around the world are defending their faith with their blood -- but most Christians in the United States are oblivious to their pain. For many, "Christian living" is boldly living a life for Christ in the face of death.