By now most of you would have heard about the latest Islamic attack on non-Muslims, this time in the UK. A British military man in southeast London was repeatedly stabbed to death, along with an attempt to behead him. The two Muslim killers then attacked police with guns, knives and meat cleavers.
One news item puts it this way: “Clutching a bloodied meat cleaver after executing a soldier on a crowded street, he delivers a chilling message of hate. ‘You people will never be safe,’ he declares in a clear south London accent. ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’
“In broad daylight, he and an accomplice had just repeatedly stabbed and tried to behead an off-duty soldier in front of dozens of passers-by. Throughout the frenzied attack they shouted ‘Allah Akbar’ – Arabic for ‘God is great’ – then demanded horrified witnesses film them as they ranted over the crumpled body. The two black men in their 20s, waited calmly for armed police to arrive before charging at officers brandishing a rusty revolver, knives and meat cleavers.
“Before police arrived one of the killers was filmed giving his warped justification for the sickening attack: ‘We swear by Almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reasons we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day. You people will never be safe. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This British soldier is an eye for an eye a tooth for tooth. We apologise that women had to see this today but in our lands our women have to see the same.’
“In footage screened by ITV News, he added: ‘You people will never be safe. Remove your government. They don’t care about you. You think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street when we start busting our guns? You think your politicians are going to die? No, it’s going to be the average guy like you – and your children’.”
Shocking, outrageous, inexcusable and reprehensible. But what is perhaps even more shocking is how already the dhimmi spin-machine is moving into action. We will be hearing ad nauseum that these two are an aberration, that this is an isolated incident, and that this is not really true Islam.
The Western apologists for Islam – of which there are far too many, even in high places – will do their best to water down this episode, and claim it is not reflective of Islam. But they happen to be 100 per cent wrong, sadly. This attack is fully reflective of real Islam.
Indeed, these two Muslims were living out their faith to the letter. They took the example of Muhammad quite seriously. They took the teachings of the Koran quite seriously. They took the instructions of the hadith quite seriously.
For 1400 years this has been standard Islamic behaviour. And as we know, the only guarantee a Muslim has of making it into Paradise is if he dies for the faith, taking the infidels along with him. So these men not only were most faithful to their own religion, they were looking forward to their host of dark-eyed virgins on the other end.
They will, of course, be greatly surprised at where their real end lies. But what we must not do now is start making excuses for Islam, apologising for this religion, and seeking to be useful dupes for this bloody political ideology. That is exactly what they want us to do.
They want us to defend them, be useful idiots for them, be subservient to them, and lay down our resolve to maintain freedom and democracy. They want us to be fully submissive dhimmies in other words. And recall that the word Islam means submission. A true Muslim wants everyone to submit to Allah, to come under sharia law, and be part of a universal caliphate.
In Islam there are only three options for the infidel: convert, become a second-class citizen (a dhimmi), or die. There are no other options. A real follower of Muhammad knows this and practices this. Thus what we saw on the streets of Woolwich today is Islam in action. It is Islam according to the book.
Islam expert Mark Durie has just written on this and is worth quoting at length. He says: “The killer captured on video was referencing passages from Islamic sacred texts. ‘We must fight them as they fight us’ is a phrase found repeatedly in the Koran. He specifically mentions Sura at-Tauba (chapter 9, i.e. verse 36) and ‘many, many’ other verses from the Koran, namely:
“-‘fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together’ (Sura 9:36)
-‘fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you … And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for fitnah (oppression, persecution) is worse than slaughter; … if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith’ (Sura 2:190-9)
-‘Permission to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those (believers) who are fought against, because they have been wronged and surely, Allah is Able to give them (believers) victory’ (Sura 22:39)
“The Arabic word for ‘fight’ used in the Koran in these passages is q?til? which literally means fighting to kill. The reference ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’ is also from the Koran (although ultimately borrowed from several passages in the Mosaic law): ‘And We prescribed for them therein: The life for the life, and the eye for the eye, and the nose for the nose, and the ear for the ear, and the tooth for the tooth, and for wounds retaliation’ (Sura 5:54).
“The Muslim killers here are invoking a religious ruling that it is permissible to fight and kill people who wage war against Muslims. As Bin Ladin put it in his letter to the American people: ‘It is commanded by our religion and intellect that the oppressed have a right to return the aggression. Do not await anything from us but Jihad, resistance and revenge.’
“The belief which seems to underlie the Woolwich attack is that because the British government is fighting a war against Muslims in Muslim lands, it is therefore legitimate for Muslims to wage jihad against the British. British people, who voted the government into power, are also considered to be personally culpable, which is why they ‘will never be safe’ and are told to ‘remove your government’.
“The killer’s language is strikingly reminiscent of Bin Ladin’s November 2002 letter to the American people, in which he not only spoke of ‘removal’ of governments (in Muslim lands), but also explained that it was legitimate to attack American civilians because they are the ones who voted their government into power.”
He concludes, “This slaughter on the streets of Woolwich has all the hallmarks of a theologically motivated attack, and keys to understand it can be found in the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad. Whether the views adopted by the killers are ‘legitimate’ interpretations of the Koran and Muhammad’s teachings may be disputed. What cannot be disputed is the source where they found their inspiration.”
Yes, this is killing according to the book. This is Islamic faith in action. Until we wake up to the reality of what the political ideology of Islam is really all about, we will simply find more Western streets covered in the blood of the “infidels”.
24 Replies to “Woolwich: Islam According to the Book”
Agree with what you say about the watering down of Islamic threats but querying the bit about Mohamad. Did he not sign an edict around 625 that urged his followers to protect Jews and Christians. I read it somewhere years ago but cannot retrace it – I think he was in a retreat west of Suez at the time??????
Patricia Rogers
Umm, no Patricia. Jews and Christians are considered to be “people of the book” in Islam, so they are regarded as a tad better than rank infidels. But dhimmitude (which is supposed to be a protection pact for these two groups) is in fact an oppressive condition of second-class citizenry. You might want to do a bit of reading here for more info. I recommend:
Durie, Mark, The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom. Deror Books, 2010.
Ye’or, Bat, The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians Under Islam. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1985.
Ye’or, Bat, Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2001.
The first article I read about it was quick to describe them as “lone wolves,” a term that allows them to continue pretending that each passing Islamic attack is somehow completely unrelated to every other Islamic attack before it. The tens of thousands that die each year at the hands of Islam are all by sheer coincidence, no connection that the media can discern.
If you don’t want the message, you wont receive it. Even if your society crumbles around you, you will remain blind by choice. Welcome to the west.
Simon Fox
Ultimately any religion, all religions, must be judged by the behaviour of its vocal adherents. To do otherwise is dangerous, irrational & bordering on philosophical insanity.
Arthur Hartwig
I have lived long enough to have born witness to some of the actual events of world war two albeit as a child. I will never forget living in an air raid shelter or listening to the thumps from above as we slept on the platforms of the tunnels of London’s Underground (railway). To enter these tunnels with buses and buildings in relative normality then to surface to bombed buildings and burnt out buses is something that sticks even in a Childs mind. The prime minister of the days before that war weakly sought to make peace with the devil’s servant Hitler time and again. Finally waving a Piece of paper supposedly giving peace in our time he was instead given a war.
You can’t make peace with evil no matter what and now we see Mr Cameron trying to do exactly the same thing.
No matter what you call it if Islam calls its followers to arms those more peaceful Muslims can rarely do anything but respond.
People really need to understand this.
If your next door Muslim neighbour says this can’t happen then quite honestly they need to change their belief to recognise loving thy neighbour as thyself as illustrated in Gods commandments written in the Old Testament and later recognised in the Koran. All were written and recognised as Gods word long before Islam became a religion or a cause. We all need to come out of the dark ages and recognise that initially and genetically we all come from one source. Then later from Noah and his Sons. So regardless of religion or other persuasions we are all part of the brotherhood of man.
God will not reward you in anyway for needlessly slaughtering your fellow man.
Consider also the fruitless promises made to young suicide bombers by their false Islamic Leaders that there will be 10 or 20 virgins waiting for them in heaven. Then ask how that will be of any recompense to the dead bomber, when to enjoy that reward as implied he would have to break every rule in the Koran and destroy the purity of the virgins.
The one contrary action of all these supposed brave and religious extremists martyrs that often confuses me is, why they always pick on the soft targets, the generally innocent people just trying to survive. Do you honestly think you can ever change the government in this way?
Seriously it is time to change and concentrate more peacefully on making this planet a little fairer and more liveable for us all and opposing those that do otherwise. This easy cowardly action against a defenceless person is neither brave nor difficult nor honourable and can only take credence from your actions or belief.
Dennis Newland
A good article. What I think is lacking from discussion on this issue is a clear understanding on what needs to be done. I’ve seen lots of articles talking about the problem but very few articulate an action plan.
I guess the plan that the west is following is to bend over backwards to be nice and hope they will like us and stop their killing us. But we can see that is not working, but having the reverse effect. Of course the first step is to recognize reality in what is happening.
What then can be done politically? In Spain in 1492 they expelled the Moors. That is not going to be politically possible in the West. Does the government need to implement immigration controls? Even if it does, it is not going to solve the problem because of how much immigration has occurred already. Does the government need to monitor and control on what is preached in religious meetings?
I’ve not seen anyone present a political solution to this Islam problem. I suspect that every solution that the secularist comes up with is going to have bad consequences for Christians. I keep coming back to the thought that the only thing that is going to work is effective church planting movement through the proclamation of the gospel among these people in the west. And our motivation for preaching the gospel is not to solve a political problem but to bring honour to Christ.
John Angelico
Thanks guys
It is just mind-boggling how every single media report seems to not want to say the M word or the I word. Yet this was a crystal clear case of Muslims murdering in the name of Islam.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I was listening to the 3AW breakfast show this morning and they were discussing this attack. A talkback caller who used to be a British military police officer said that the soldier who was killed was probably only a new recruit who wouldn’t have seen any action. The barracks he was based at was used to train new recruits.
Ross McPhee
“One news item puts it this way: “Clutching a bloodied meat cleaver after executing a soldier on a crowded street, he delivers a chilling message of hate. ‘You people will never be safe,’ he declares in a clear south London accent. ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’”
O RLY?
Then bring back capital punishment…
John Angelico
This is a good time to remember Ephesians 6:12- “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Such terrorists and extremists are the “useful idiots” of the “spiritual forces of evil”. All the terror, agony and suffering caused by these and all other terrorists since the beginning, pales into insignificance when compared to what those “useful idiots” will endure in the first few seconds of their eternal destiny, unless they repent of their sin and accept the free gift of eternal life Jesus offers everyone. We should not stop praying that everyone (not just those of flesh and blood bent on our destruction) would come to know and love Him. I pray the Holy Spirit reveal Jesus to them all, just as He has done to so many captives of that wicked “religion of peace”.
Lex Clarke
Is it Tas or John? Whatever, the action plan should be two-fold:
Any word, speech, written material or action that advocates death to non-believers should be banned by law, and enforced.
If that involves banning certain religious writings, then why not?
OK that’s a secular response. But also, more importantly, it needs a Christian response which is in itself two-fold:
Luke 6:27: Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you: and,
2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
That’s OUR wicked ways. Are we not guilty of dropping the ball and failing to be salt and light? We have failed to defend the Bible from go to whoa. As a nation we allow human sacrifice and are no better than the Canaanites sacrificing our children to Molech hoping for a better life. We need to repent and get our act together.
Peter Newland
And with utterly duped dhimmies like this in charge, no wonder all this is just getting worse in the UK:
-“It’s completely wrong to blame this killing on the religion of Islam.” London Mayor Borris Johnson
-”It’s a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country. There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act.” Prime Minister David Cameron
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I have been studying Islam as an ideology for about 7 years. The more I study it the more I believe that it must be eradicated from the planet as a force among men. Men like the two in Woolwich only understand one thing – force. If their families were hunted down and slaughtered in retribution, other jihad minded Muslims would think twice before going for the 72 virgins. Either way, it is going to get worse before it gets better. Fear and terrorism is an inherent part of Islam. Use it as a weapon against them.
Jerry Kieffer
How appalling to think how low the west has fallen under the influence of liberal PC-think.
How appalling that 2 butchering zealots of an evil cult can, after slaughtering a man like an animal in broad daylight in a busy main street of a major city, then parade for 20 minutes before police bothered to respond, ranting about their beliefs – yet onlookers by the hundreds stand and stare like a flock of terrified sheep and no man dare step forward to confront them and bring them down – this as a result of the PC brain washing and disarming of western people in so called ‘civilised and enlightened’ lands.
If one man had been carrying a gun as used to inevitably be the case not too long ago before blanket gun-bans (on the law-abiding only) forced upon us by the liberal weakling politicians, these two creatures would simply be history and who knows, even the victim may have been protected.
“I know I am among civilized men because they are fighting so savagely.” – Voltaire.
Stewart Wood
Hi Bill and others,
I too want to know what your thoughts on what can be done to stop the real threat to Islam in the west? Should the govt ban the Koran and their other sacred writings? We should stop immigration from Muslim countries, but what about Muslims born in Aust? Should we declare Islam an illegal religion and try and get some sort of reformation of Islam done to change it’s teachings and only allow a non-violent version of an updated Koran? Of course we should pray for and evangelise the Muslims, but what else could the West do?
David Roberts
The post by Tas (or John?) above raises a very interesting question, namely the need to produce an articulate action plan to deal with Islam with the need for it to be both secular and spiritual.
It has been interesting watching this story unfold while in England and seeing people like Boris Johnston stating that “London is one” and “Islam is a religion of peace” on the TV news a couple of hours ago. Whereas I disagree with his specific comments, in fairness to him, there is the issue of public order to be considered and, as one commentator observed, all politicians have been quick to try to defuse the situation.
Is this dhimmitude? I’m not sure it is, or to be more precise, it COULD simply be prudent political management of a potentially serious situation. What IS dhimmitude is the apology made by the political editor for the BBC, Nick Robinson, after stating on the News at Six that a Whitehall source had described the Woolwich killers as being of ‘Muslim appearance’ (he’d also been informed they were shouting Allahu Akbah).
I note from Bill’s MSM Complicity article that the ABC used the same phrase. Maybe they got it from their BBC buddies – I just hope they didn’t have to issue an apology as well!!
So, what should be in an action plan?
The quote by Boris Johnston above that “Islam is a religion of peace” is a classic example of ‘taqiyya’ or ‘legitimised lying’. He may in fact be blissfully ignorant and be merely quoting what he has been told and is trying to implement ‘sensible politics’. Furthermore, to support his view, the Qur’an does state words to this effect.
But, the reality is that most in the West are ignorant of Islam. They don’t understand, or know of, taqiyya nor the concept of abrogation whereby the ‘nice’ Meccan verses are negated and replaced with others, such as Sura 9:6 or the “verse of the sword” which is used by the Islamists to support violent jihad. So, the radicals can attack, cause mayhem and fear, and then the rest of the Muslim community claim they do not represent the majority view and so it is they who are now at risk and demand protection themselves.
So, I would suggest that the first element of any action plan as called for by Tas (or John!) should be to ensure ALL belief systems are made fully visible AND are subject to open critique (even in cartoon form!) rather than the converse which is to monitor or even ban certain beliefs.
If the latter option is chosen, it’s not hard to imagine if Islam, for example, was banned for its tenets of radical violence, it would only be a matter of seconds before gay rights groups were calling for the banning of Christianity for its opposition to their lifestyle! Conversely, if those gay rights adherents were forced to justify their own position in open debate without simply dismissing every dissenting voice as being homophobic, they might have more of a challenge.
From a spiritual perspective, I do not believe we should fear Islam potentially having more exposure. What is surely more of a problem for Christianity is to have curbs on our ability to proclaim our own message while Islamic beliefs are allowed to continue unchallenged.
This leads to the second element I would suggest for an action plan, namely the removal of all ‘religious’ vilification laws – which would be a necessary extension of the first element – and that there be freedom to change one’s religion or belief without fear of death, be that literal if converting from Islam or from a career angle if you hold, for example, a creationist belief.
For what it’s worth, these two elements, namely the concept of freedom of thought, conscience and religion coupled with the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to be able to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers, are not new. They were in fact the basis of Articles 18 and 19 of the original Universal Declaration of Human Rights as enacted in 1948.
My belief is that is has been the the watering down of these two articles in the subsequent 65 years and the removal of the rights of the vast majority to be able to think what they want – and to express those views openly – that has brought us many of the problems we face today.
Roger Birch
Thanks David. You ask important questions which at least several articles would be needed to properly reply to. But for starters, I seek to speak to this more fully here, in terms of resisting jihad and sharia while reaching out to Muslims:
I think Brits are becoming utter pussies with regard to Moslems…
Mark Radford
Thanks guys. Here is a video worth watching. At first he may seem like just some young hothead, but in fact he is quite informed and articulate about the situation in the UK. It is not just jihadists who are the problem, but a government and media who are completely derelict in their duty. An informative and fact-filled 21 minute clip which we all should watch (but with a few profanities – apologies).
Thanks Meredith. Yes Tim Blair is a good opinion piece writer on these issues. Of course he is just a commentator, not an editor or news journalist. They are still a huge problem, as is the MSM as a whole.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
There is a disconnection between what the majority of Muslim spokespersons think of Islam, namely that it is a religion of peace and the understanding of the fundamentalists who take their cue from the verses from the Koran quoted above. Therefore the true mission of Islam needs to be brought out into the open, addressed and resolved.
The surreal scenes on television screens of the two butchers brandishing machete and knives over the dead body of Drummer Lee Rigby who they had just hacked to death in broad daylight in a busy civilian street in Woolwich, far away from the theatre of war, chilled to the marrow .How much worse to have been on the spot while civilised life was suspended for the long 20 minutes before the police arrived. Two brave women, described as The Angels of Woolwich spoke to the men when time seemed to stand still.
The nation is in shock and that includes many Muslims spooked at this atrocity which they refute is in their name.
We need to agree, what is Islam all about? We need to talk about jihad, dhimmitude, an eye for an eye, infidels, expansionism and how all this relates to Britain.
Rachel Smith, UK
Sorry for the late response to Peter N, who said:
“But also, more importantly, it needs a Christian response which is in itself two-fold:
Luke 6:27: Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you: and,
2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ”
Sorry Peter, but your exegesis seems faulty on both passages.
In Luke, Jesus talking to individuals about individual behaviour, and is not talking about the system of law and order/justice to be upheld by a nation’s government (Rom 13:4-7).
The 2 Chron passage is God speaking to Solomon after the dedication of the temple, dealing with a future rebellious nation which is suffering under God’s righteous judgement (already in operation), and turning back to Him.
My point was that the ‘mad as a cut snake’ radical stopped short of quoting the full context which ends with “a life for a life”.
If he wants that kind of retributive justice, then he had better watch out. But the context explains that the text aims to limit vengeance to equal measure, rather than allowing it to escalate.
At the moment the radical political Muslim activism is treated UNequally – in fact it is so much favoured that the radicals must be laughing at us all.
John Angelico
Well, if Christianity was teeming with murderers I think I would abandon it on the grounds that if you can’t beat them you don’t have to join them.
How anyone can follow Islam is beyond me. Hundreds of years of fighting and tens of thousands of deaths and they call it a peaceful religion.
There are horses for courses and there are people for religions. To be part of such a violent religion is to be violent.
Agree with what you say about the watering down of Islamic threats but querying the bit about Mohamad. Did he not sign an edict around 625 that urged his followers to protect Jews and Christians. I read it somewhere years ago but cannot retrace it – I think he was in a retreat west of Suez at the time??????
Patricia Rogers
Umm, no Patricia. Jews and Christians are considered to be “people of the book” in Islam, so they are regarded as a tad better than rank infidels. But dhimmitude (which is supposed to be a protection pact for these two groups) is in fact an oppressive condition of second-class citizenry. You might want to do a bit of reading here for more info. I recommend:
Durie, Mark, The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom. Deror Books, 2010.
Ye’or, Bat, The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians Under Islam. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1985.
Ye’or, Bat, Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2001.
See extracts from Mark’s book here: http://www.newenglishreview.org/Mark_Durie/The_Dhimma's_Return/
I have often written about it and related issues. See here eg:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2009/03/12/making-it-illegal-to-criticize-islam/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
The first article I read about it was quick to describe them as “lone wolves,” a term that allows them to continue pretending that each passing Islamic attack is somehow completely unrelated to every other Islamic attack before it. The tens of thousands that die each year at the hands of Islam are all by sheer coincidence, no connection that the media can discern.
If you don’t want the message, you wont receive it. Even if your society crumbles around you, you will remain blind by choice. Welcome to the west.
Simon Fox
Ultimately any religion, all religions, must be judged by the behaviour of its vocal adherents. To do otherwise is dangerous, irrational & bordering on philosophical insanity.
Arthur Hartwig
I have lived long enough to have born witness to some of the actual events of world war two albeit as a child. I will never forget living in an air raid shelter or listening to the thumps from above as we slept on the platforms of the tunnels of London’s Underground (railway). To enter these tunnels with buses and buildings in relative normality then to surface to bombed buildings and burnt out buses is something that sticks even in a Childs mind. The prime minister of the days before that war weakly sought to make peace with the devil’s servant Hitler time and again. Finally waving a Piece of paper supposedly giving peace in our time he was instead given a war.
You can’t make peace with evil no matter what and now we see Mr Cameron trying to do exactly the same thing.
No matter what you call it if Islam calls its followers to arms those more peaceful Muslims can rarely do anything but respond.
People really need to understand this.
If your next door Muslim neighbour says this can’t happen then quite honestly they need to change their belief to recognise loving thy neighbour as thyself as illustrated in Gods commandments written in the Old Testament and later recognised in the Koran. All were written and recognised as Gods word long before Islam became a religion or a cause. We all need to come out of the dark ages and recognise that initially and genetically we all come from one source. Then later from Noah and his Sons. So regardless of religion or other persuasions we are all part of the brotherhood of man.
God will not reward you in anyway for needlessly slaughtering your fellow man.
Consider also the fruitless promises made to young suicide bombers by their false Islamic Leaders that there will be 10 or 20 virgins waiting for them in heaven. Then ask how that will be of any recompense to the dead bomber, when to enjoy that reward as implied he would have to break every rule in the Koran and destroy the purity of the virgins.
The one contrary action of all these supposed brave and religious extremists martyrs that often confuses me is, why they always pick on the soft targets, the generally innocent people just trying to survive. Do you honestly think you can ever change the government in this way?
Seriously it is time to change and concentrate more peacefully on making this planet a little fairer and more liveable for us all and opposing those that do otherwise. This easy cowardly action against a defenceless person is neither brave nor difficult nor honourable and can only take credence from your actions or belief.
Dennis Newland
A good article. What I think is lacking from discussion on this issue is a clear understanding on what needs to be done. I’ve seen lots of articles talking about the problem but very few articulate an action plan.
I guess the plan that the west is following is to bend over backwards to be nice and hope they will like us and stop their killing us. But we can see that is not working, but having the reverse effect. Of course the first step is to recognize reality in what is happening.
What then can be done politically? In Spain in 1492 they expelled the Moors. That is not going to be politically possible in the West. Does the government need to implement immigration controls? Even if it does, it is not going to solve the problem because of how much immigration has occurred already. Does the government need to monitor and control on what is preached in religious meetings?
I’ve not seen anyone present a political solution to this Islam problem. I suspect that every solution that the secularist comes up with is going to have bad consequences for Christians. I keep coming back to the thought that the only thing that is going to work is effective church planting movement through the proclamation of the gospel among these people in the west. And our motivation for preaching the gospel is not to solve a political problem but to bring honour to Christ.
John Angelico
Thanks guys
It is just mind-boggling how every single media report seems to not want to say the M word or the I word. Yet this was a crystal clear case of Muslims murdering in the name of Islam.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I was listening to the 3AW breakfast show this morning and they were discussing this attack. A talkback caller who used to be a British military police officer said that the soldier who was killed was probably only a new recruit who wouldn’t have seen any action. The barracks he was based at was used to train new recruits.
Ross McPhee
O RLY?
Then bring back capital punishment…
John Angelico
This is a good time to remember Ephesians 6:12- “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Such terrorists and extremists are the “useful idiots” of the “spiritual forces of evil”. All the terror, agony and suffering caused by these and all other terrorists since the beginning, pales into insignificance when compared to what those “useful idiots” will endure in the first few seconds of their eternal destiny, unless they repent of their sin and accept the free gift of eternal life Jesus offers everyone. We should not stop praying that everyone (not just those of flesh and blood bent on our destruction) would come to know and love Him. I pray the Holy Spirit reveal Jesus to them all, just as He has done to so many captives of that wicked “religion of peace”.
Lex Clarke
Is it Tas or John? Whatever, the action plan should be two-fold:
Any word, speech, written material or action that advocates death to non-believers should be banned by law, and enforced.
If that involves banning certain religious writings, then why not?
OK that’s a secular response. But also, more importantly, it needs a Christian response which is in itself two-fold:
Luke 6:27: Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you: and,
2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
That’s OUR wicked ways. Are we not guilty of dropping the ball and failing to be salt and light? We have failed to defend the Bible from go to whoa. As a nation we allow human sacrifice and are no better than the Canaanites sacrificing our children to Molech hoping for a better life. We need to repent and get our act together.
Peter Newland
And with utterly duped dhimmies like this in charge, no wonder all this is just getting worse in the UK:
-“It’s completely wrong to blame this killing on the religion of Islam.” London Mayor Borris Johnson
-”It’s a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country. There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act.” Prime Minister David Cameron
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I have been studying Islam as an ideology for about 7 years. The more I study it the more I believe that it must be eradicated from the planet as a force among men. Men like the two in Woolwich only understand one thing – force. If their families were hunted down and slaughtered in retribution, other jihad minded Muslims would think twice before going for the 72 virgins. Either way, it is going to get worse before it gets better. Fear and terrorism is an inherent part of Islam. Use it as a weapon against them.
Jerry Kieffer
How appalling to think how low the west has fallen under the influence of liberal PC-think.
How appalling that 2 butchering zealots of an evil cult can, after slaughtering a man like an animal in broad daylight in a busy main street of a major city, then parade for 20 minutes before police bothered to respond, ranting about their beliefs – yet onlookers by the hundreds stand and stare like a flock of terrified sheep and no man dare step forward to confront them and bring them down – this as a result of the PC brain washing and disarming of western people in so called ‘civilised and enlightened’ lands.
If one man had been carrying a gun as used to inevitably be the case not too long ago before blanket gun-bans (on the law-abiding only) forced upon us by the liberal weakling politicians, these two creatures would simply be history and who knows, even the victim may have been protected.
“I know I am among civilized men because they are fighting so savagely.” – Voltaire.
Stewart Wood
Hi Bill and others,
I too want to know what your thoughts on what can be done to stop the real threat to Islam in the west? Should the govt ban the Koran and their other sacred writings? We should stop immigration from Muslim countries, but what about Muslims born in Aust? Should we declare Islam an illegal religion and try and get some sort of reformation of Islam done to change it’s teachings and only allow a non-violent version of an updated Koran? Of course we should pray for and evangelise the Muslims, but what else could the West do?
David Roberts
The post by Tas (or John?) above raises a very interesting question, namely the need to produce an articulate action plan to deal with Islam with the need for it to be both secular and spiritual.
It has been interesting watching this story unfold while in England and seeing people like Boris Johnston stating that “London is one” and “Islam is a religion of peace” on the TV news a couple of hours ago. Whereas I disagree with his specific comments, in fairness to him, there is the issue of public order to be considered and, as one commentator observed, all politicians have been quick to try to defuse the situation.
Is this dhimmitude? I’m not sure it is, or to be more precise, it COULD simply be prudent political management of a potentially serious situation. What IS dhimmitude is the apology made by the political editor for the BBC, Nick Robinson, after stating on the News at Six that a Whitehall source had described the Woolwich killers as being of ‘Muslim appearance’ (he’d also been informed they were shouting Allahu Akbah).
I note from Bill’s MSM Complicity article that the ABC used the same phrase. Maybe they got it from their BBC buddies – I just hope they didn’t have to issue an apology as well!!
So, what should be in an action plan?
The quote by Boris Johnston above that “Islam is a religion of peace” is a classic example of ‘taqiyya’ or ‘legitimised lying’. He may in fact be blissfully ignorant and be merely quoting what he has been told and is trying to implement ‘sensible politics’. Furthermore, to support his view, the Qur’an does state words to this effect.
But, the reality is that most in the West are ignorant of Islam. They don’t understand, or know of, taqiyya nor the concept of abrogation whereby the ‘nice’ Meccan verses are negated and replaced with others, such as Sura 9:6 or the “verse of the sword” which is used by the Islamists to support violent jihad. So, the radicals can attack, cause mayhem and fear, and then the rest of the Muslim community claim they do not represent the majority view and so it is they who are now at risk and demand protection themselves.
So, I would suggest that the first element of any action plan as called for by Tas (or John!) should be to ensure ALL belief systems are made fully visible AND are subject to open critique (even in cartoon form!) rather than the converse which is to monitor or even ban certain beliefs.
If the latter option is chosen, it’s not hard to imagine if Islam, for example, was banned for its tenets of radical violence, it would only be a matter of seconds before gay rights groups were calling for the banning of Christianity for its opposition to their lifestyle! Conversely, if those gay rights adherents were forced to justify their own position in open debate without simply dismissing every dissenting voice as being homophobic, they might have more of a challenge.
From a spiritual perspective, I do not believe we should fear Islam potentially having more exposure. What is surely more of a problem for Christianity is to have curbs on our ability to proclaim our own message while Islamic beliefs are allowed to continue unchallenged.
This leads to the second element I would suggest for an action plan, namely the removal of all ‘religious’ vilification laws – which would be a necessary extension of the first element – and that there be freedom to change one’s religion or belief without fear of death, be that literal if converting from Islam or from a career angle if you hold, for example, a creationist belief.
For what it’s worth, these two elements, namely the concept of freedom of thought, conscience and religion coupled with the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to be able to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers, are not new. They were in fact the basis of Articles 18 and 19 of the original Universal Declaration of Human Rights as enacted in 1948.
My belief is that is has been the the watering down of these two articles in the subsequent 65 years and the removal of the rights of the vast majority to be able to think what they want – and to express those views openly – that has brought us many of the problems we face today.
Roger Birch
Thanks David. You ask important questions which at least several articles would be needed to properly reply to. But for starters, I seek to speak to this more fully here, in terms of resisting jihad and sharia while reaching out to Muslims:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/08/01/christianity-other-religions-and-islam/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2011/12/06/christianity-society-and-false-dilemmas/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2013/04/14/great-news-for-muslims/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I think Brits are becoming utter pussies with regard to Moslems…
Mark Radford
Thanks guys. Here is a video worth watching. At first he may seem like just some young hothead, but in fact he is quite informed and articulate about the situation in the UK. It is not just jihadists who are the problem, but a government and media who are completely derelict in their duty. An informative and fact-filled 21 minute clip which we all should watch (but with a few profanities – apologies).
http://www.therightscoop.com/excellent-clip-of-london-man-speaking-the-truth-about-islam-and-yesterdays-woolwich-terrorist-attack/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
At least there are some people willing to report. Saw this in Friday’s Daily Telegraph
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/ill-say-it-we-are-under-attack-from-extreme-islamic-lunatics/story-fni0cwl5-1226649467162
Meredith Gemeren
Thanks Meredith. Yes Tim Blair is a good opinion piece writer on these issues. Of course he is just a commentator, not an editor or news journalist. They are still a huge problem, as is the MSM as a whole.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
There is a disconnection between what the majority of Muslim spokespersons think of Islam, namely that it is a religion of peace and the understanding of the fundamentalists who take their cue from the verses from the Koran quoted above. Therefore the true mission of Islam needs to be brought out into the open, addressed and resolved.
The surreal scenes on television screens of the two butchers brandishing machete and knives over the dead body of Drummer Lee Rigby who they had just hacked to death in broad daylight in a busy civilian street in Woolwich, far away from the theatre of war, chilled to the marrow .How much worse to have been on the spot while civilised life was suspended for the long 20 minutes before the police arrived. Two brave women, described as The Angels of Woolwich spoke to the men when time seemed to stand still.
The nation is in shock and that includes many Muslims spooked at this atrocity which they refute is in their name.
We need to agree, what is Islam all about? We need to talk about jihad, dhimmitude, an eye for an eye, infidels, expansionism and how all this relates to Britain.
Rachel Smith, UK
Sorry for the late response to Peter N, who said:
Sorry Peter, but your exegesis seems faulty on both passages.
In Luke, Jesus talking to individuals about individual behaviour, and is not talking about the system of law and order/justice to be upheld by a nation’s government (Rom 13:4-7).
The 2 Chron passage is God speaking to Solomon after the dedication of the temple, dealing with a future rebellious nation which is suffering under God’s righteous judgement (already in operation), and turning back to Him.
My point was that the ‘mad as a cut snake’ radical stopped short of quoting the full context which ends with “a life for a life”.
If he wants that kind of retributive justice, then he had better watch out. But the context explains that the text aims to limit vengeance to equal measure, rather than allowing it to escalate.
At the moment the radical political Muslim activism is treated UNequally – in fact it is so much favoured that the radicals must be laughing at us all.
John Angelico
Well, if Christianity was teeming with murderers I think I would abandon it on the grounds that if you can’t beat them you don’t have to join them.
How anyone can follow Islam is beyond me. Hundreds of years of fighting and tens of thousands of deaths and they call it a peaceful religion.
There are horses for courses and there are people for religions. To be part of such a violent religion is to be violent.
John DeVries