islam

"If Christian minorities living under Islamic authority have little choice but to speak well of their 'coexistence' with Islam, why are Western leaders, politicians, and talking heads of all varieties—who are not under Islamic authority—also behaving like cowed dhimmis?" Raymond Ibrahim applies his penetrating insights into the historical continuity of Islamic persecution of Christians to the tragic case of the Coptic Pope Tawadros II's recent remarks. It should be noted that Orthodox Christian patriarchs and bishops subjugated under Muslim rule in the Islamic world have also made similar such statements, and some have even gone much further, to the borders (and beyond?) of outright blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy: His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has written of a “dialogue of loving truth” with Islam, and of Orthodoxy having for centuries “coexisted peacefully” with Islam, and projects the chimera of an “interfaith commitment.....

About one-third to one-half of Muslims (274.0 million - 503.5 million) in Muslim majority countries uphold beliefs and practices that are contrary to many Western values and international human rights. This conclusion is part of my recently published study, " Muslim Beliefs & Practices: A Global Demographic Assessment ."* The surveys used to compile the study were conducted by Pew Research (2008 - 2012) and covered 1.1 billion Muslims---two-thirds of the Muslim world. North America and Western Europe were not included. The study found that though 69% (742 million) of Muslims want to live under sharia, those who support the harsh "hudud" punishments (stoning for adultery, amputation for theft, death for apostasy, etc.) ranged from 35% - 45%. Since these punishments are derived directly from the Quran, hadith, and sunna, support for them undoubtedly comes from Muslims who promote the traditional interpretation of those texts. This group, consisting of 41% (369...

Fr Benedict Kiely “We are at a Lepanto moment in Western history,” said Father Benedict Kiely, founder of Nasarean.org... Lepanto refers to the 1571 naval battle that turned the tide for Christian forces resisting the onslaught of the Muslim invaders of the Ottoman Empire in the waters off southwestern Greece. “We must pray with the same fervor that the Christians prayed then to save Western civilization, not just from the danger of radical Islamist extremism, but from radical, aggressive secular liberalism," added Fr Kiely. _____________ This is a bold and, for Roman Catholicism in America, unexpected move, which we welcome for its ability to draw attention to persecuted Christians, as as well as to highlight Islam's strident antichrist theology which manifests in its doctrine of violent jihad against Christians. With fearless Orthodox voices such as Archbishop Mark of Berlin , Fr Josiah Trenham (whose own church has been subjected to jihad threats ), and of course New Mart...

The crumbling into apostasy and de facto dhimmi status of Western Christianity continues to gather momentum with yet another cathedral in the UK hosting an Islamic service. Ramadan is the 'Month of Jihad' for Muslims, and as this news report below shows, Ramadan has become the 'Month of Apostasy' for more and more Christians. "The cathedral announced it would “host its second Grand Iftar which, this year, will also mark the anniversary of the London Bridge attacks and will bring all communities together to celebrate Ramadan." Defiling the cathedral and committing apostasy. The 'Church' of England is finished. By comparison, the Orthodox Church absolutely forbids the reading of texts from any other faith during any of the divine services. Only the Old and New Testaments, and select texts from the Orthodox service books and perhaps lives or writings of saints or of recognized Orthodox writers may be read in an Orthodox Church during a service. No non-Ort...

The UK arrested, charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced Tommy Robinson in one hour. The UK judge presiding slapped a gag order on the press. These are the actions of a totalitarian regime, one which, in this case, seems to have sold its soul to Islam. I was immediately reminded of the poem, 'First they came...' Written by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (†1984), the spare verse exposes the cowardice of German Christians and intellectuals during the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis to power: Engraving of the poem 'First they came...' at the New England Holocaust Memorial, Boston MA. First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I did not speak up— Because I was not a Catholic. Then they came for...

The death toll continues to climb as Muslims journey though Islam's month of jihad... Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch notes wryly of one of these acts that:  [It] brings to mind Barack Obama’s last Ramadan message, from 2016, which said: "For many, this month is an opportunity to focus on reflection and spiritual growth, forgiveness, patience and resilience, compassion for those less fortunate, and unity across communities." Spencer takes the opportunity to draw a lesson from these Ramadan attacks: Spiritual growth for Muslims involves obeying Allah, who says "kill them wherever you find them" (cf. Qur’an 2:191, 4:89, 9:5). Of course, some will protest that especially suicide bombings and attacks are against the teachings of Religion of Peace. What, have you not read Allah's command? “Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties, for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed....

The Armenian Genocide is commemorated on April 24 each year, the Pontian Greek Genocide on May 19. Together with the Assyrians and other Christians under Ottoman rule, the combined total of Orthodox and Eastern Christians massacred by the Muslim Turks from 1894 to 1923 reached 3.6 million. Still from the film 'Ravished Armenia', based on a survivor's eyewitness account. While it is essential to remember the Armenian Genocide and to work to stop the Islamic genocide against Christians in the Middle East and Africa being committed today, we must recall that the term 'genocide' is a secular one. As Christians we commemorate those killed not so much as 'genocide victims', but as Martyrs — Witnesses for Christ — for they were persecuted and killed by the Turkish Muslims primarily because they were Christians, who refused to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. As the Lord tells us, "You will be hated by all for My Name's sake. But he who endures to th...