Jan 21st, 2008: Islam Report

tCover Page The Staff and Sword Ministry January 21, 2008

ISLAM REP(Assembled and written b y: Chuck-JOHNEL

This is what I wrote on the cover page and page 2 of the December 20, 2006Newsletter (Quote)

The events of November 30, 2006 to December 14, 2006 Ìn The Spirit', during"LIKE A MIGHTY WIND" Prayer Operation, marked a "life-defining moment' astens of thousands of Christian intercessors joined by even greater numbers ofwarring Angels of GOD through JESUSCHRISTswept through Islam Ìn The Spirit'destroying the demons and a demonic infrastructure that has sustained an evil systemon earth for 1,400 years - an evil demonic system that has held captive over onebillion living souls.

It has taken us five years of prayer, intercession, revelation, scouting, and waitingon God's Commission and Anointing (2001 to 2006) to undertake this work, butwhen we had God's "GO AHEAD" all those years of prayer-intercessorypreparation paid off wonderfully. We (the Net of Prayer and volunteers) literallyswept through Islam Ìn The Spirit' inside of 24 hours on December 3, 2006destroying every demon of that evil system andfreeing over 1.2 billion living souls.

Through JESUS' Word we understand that it will take a minimum of two years beforethe "first .si ni scant) evidences" of this waffare surfaces ìn this world' andthereafter another 15 years for the whole work to unfold.

Wh y 15 years? The spiritual foundations of Islam were laid down in a timedimension of creation; a place deep Ìn The Spirit' where time is not counted as timeis here on earth. For every day we were operating Ìn The Spirit' in Islam a yearwill/would pass - thus 15 days = 15 years. It works out like this:

(Quote continued on page 2)

Pie 2 The Staff and Sword Ministry January 21, 2008

mber 20. 2

TIME WISE:

From November 30, 2006 it will be two years before we BEGIN to see (significant)manifestations of what was done Ìn The Spirit' in Islam show in this world - or byNovember 30, 2008. Thereafter, it will be a full 15 years for all this work to surfacein this world which takes us to 2023.

Onlabout: November 30, 2008(First manifestations Ìn This World')

Onlabout: November 30, 2009-2011(FASTING Manifestations - ground work)

On/about: November 30, 2012(WARFARE Manifestations begin)

Onlabout: November 30, 2013 - November 30, 2022(SOWING THE WORD Manifestations)

Onlabout: November 30 2023(NAMING/ANGELS, CANDLESTICKS, CANDLES)

Somewhere in this time period we will DOUBLE AND SET this Ìn The Spirit' - butwhen is not known. The DOUBLE AND SET will quicken the whole process.

Whether anything that surfaces visibly and identifiably between now and November

30, 2008 is not known - we will keep our eyes and ears open and alert. (Unquote)

JESUS' Word to Chuck-JOHNEL12:40 AM Wednesday, November 22, 2006

I ask JESUS about extending our stay in the former Islam areas past December ] 4 t ' andabout binding/loosing things in the Islam areas and JESUS told me this:

"IT IS WELL TO EXTEND THE ÒCCUPY AND WATCH' PRAYER ACTION TO THESEVEN PRAYER GROUPS. I HAVE SO LED YOU TO DO THIS, IT IS MY WILL.

Page 3 The Staff and Sword Ministry January 21, 2008

JESUS' Word to Chuck-JOHNEL - November 22, 2006 - (continued)

WAIT ON ME AS I WILL SPEAK TO YOU IN SOME DAYS' TIME CONCERNINGANYTHING FURTHER.

YOU MAY READILY BIND AND LOOSE IN A NORMAL PRAYER ACTION AWAYFROM THE AREAS WHERETHE SPIRITS BEHIND ISLAM HELD SWAY AND WHERETHE FOUNDATIONS OF MY KINGDOM ARE BEING ESTABLISHED BY THISPRAYER OPERATION.

ALTHOUGH YOU WILL SEE SOME EARLY EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECT OF THISPRAYER ACTION IT WILL BE A FULL TWO YEARS BEFORE SIGNIFICANTCHANGES WILL BEGIN TO APPEAR AMONG THE MOSLEMS ; PRIMARILYSTARTING WITH AN AWAKENING AND AWARENESS OF THEIR TRUE SPIRITUALCONDITION. THOUGH THIS WILL NOT BE READILY VISIBLE NOR REPORTEDOPENLY IT WILL SURFACE BROADLY AMONG MOSLEMS. MANY WILL BEGIN TOAGGRESSIVELY SEEK ANSWERS TO DEEP QUESTIONS IN THEIR HEARTS ANDTHAT WILL LEAD TO THESE AND MULTITUDES MORE SEEKING ME AND MYWORD. YEA, THEY WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME.

ALTHOUGH YOUR FOCUS IS RIGHTLY ON ISLAM, AS I HAVE LED YOU, THEINFLUENCE OF THIS PRAYER ACTION WILL ALSO REACH DEEPLY INTO THEHINDU'S AND BUDDHISTS HAVING A LIKE EFFECT, EVEN AMONG RELIGIOUSGROUPS YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF.

UNDERSTAND THAT IN THESE COMING DAYS FROM NOVEMBER 30, 2006 TODECEMBER 14, 2006 YOU WILL ERADICATE THE DEMONIC INFRASTRUCTURETHAT HAS UNDERGIRDED THE ISLAMIC EMPIRE AND THE ADVANCE OF ISLAM.

NOW ABIDE IN ME, EVEN AS YOU HAVE, AND I WILL SAY MORE WHEN IT ISTIME."

What I bring focus on at this time is this part of JESUS' Word:

"ALTHOUGH YOU WILL SEE SOME EARLY EVIDENCE OF THEEFFECT OF THIS PRAYER ACTION IT WILL BE A FULL TWOYEARS BEFORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WILL BEGIN TOAPPEAR AMONG THE MOSLEMS ..."

Following the "LIKE A MIGHTY WIND" Prayer Operation into Islam In TheSpirit' the Net of Prayer began praying daily LOOSING as follows: We LOOSEDa Spirit of Love and forgiveness in the hearts of Moslems, we LOOSED a Spirit


of Love and Kindness among Moslems, we LOOSED a Spirit of Life amongMoslems, we LOOSED a Spirit of Knowledge and devotion to JESUS CHRIST andjoy in the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST in Moslems. This was done in the first half of2007.

DAVID WILKERSON REPORTS: Towards the end of 2007 we received aNewsletter from Wilkerson in which he shared how he heard many unusual stories,while at a conference in Jordan, of Moslems having visions/dreams of JESUS andthis resulting in many turning to Christ. Wilkerson indicated that this was happeningin every Moslem nation on earth, Later, we heard a report that the number ofMoslems turning to Christ is in the millions.

We are seeing the EARLY EVIDENCE JESUS told me of which is reflecting theeffect of this prayer operation undertaken in November-December, 2006 which wasalso the culmination of five years of prayer-intercession seeking God's Commissionand Anointing to do this work.

This is a PRAISE THE LORD and GLORY TO GOD in the Highest!!! Amen!

I will now share some interesting tidbits about Islam, for your information andedification.

The following Quotes are drawn from: "What Eery American Needs to Know aboutthe Q ur'an" a history of Islam and the U.S.. Written by: William J. Federer,Published by Amerisearch, Inc., P.O. Box 20163, St. Louis, MO. 63123. (QUOTE)

SANTA CLAUS

' When the Muslim Seljuk Turks invaded Asia Minor in 1087 AD, they killedinfidel Christians and destroyed Byzantine churches or turned them into mosques. Asthe Muslims moved closer to the city of Myra, there was great concern over the fateof the remains of Saint Nicholas, the most famous saint in the Eastern OrthodoxChurch.

Venetian merchants took his remains out of the cathedral in Myra and shippedthem to the southern Italian city of Bari for protection, thus introducing WesternEurope to the traditions of gift-giving on the anniversary of Saint Nicholas' death,December 6`n

Over the centuries, these traditions spread across Europe and eventually were


brought by immigrants to America. The Dutch settlers pronounced Saint Nicholas"Sant Nicklaus," which was embellished into the modern Santa Claus.

Saint Nicholas' remains are still located in the Cathedral de San Nicolas deBari, in southern Italy, though in January of 2003, Muslims of Demre (Turkish namefor Myra) demanded they be returned to their city for a tourist attraction. (Note - theydid not comply.)

FIRST CRUSADE 1095-1099

By most numbering, there were nine maj or Crusades and numerous minor ones,continuing from 1095 till 1291 when Acre was finally captured by the Muslims.

Origins can be traced to 1009 when Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allahordered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem destroyed. Pilgrims returningfrom the Holy Land shared reports of Muslim persecution and cruelty toward"dhimmi" Christians.

Following the defeat of the Christian homelands of Syria, Lebanon, Palestineand Egypt, the Muslims conquered Sicily. In 1057, the Norman adventurer RobertGuiscard took control of Calabria in the "toe of Italy" and fought against the Muslimsof Sicily.

The Italian city-states of Pisa, Genoa and Catalonia fought the Muslims whowere raiding Majorca, Sardinia, Catalonia and the coasts of Italy.

In 1071, the Muslims delivered a major defeat to the Byzantine Christians atthe Battle of Manzikert and took control of all but the coastlands of Asia Minor.

In desperation, the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus humbled himselfand sent ambassadors to the Council of Piacenza in March of 1095, appealing forhelp from his religious rival, the Roman Catholic Pope.

The seriousness of this appeal is highlighted by the fact that it occurred afterthe beginning of the Great East-West Schism between the Roman Catholic Churchand the Byzantine Church which began in 1054.

Encouraged by victories in Spain, where by 1085 the Christian forcesrecaptured Toledo and Leon from the Muslims, Pope Urban II gave an impassionedplea at the Council of Clermont in 1095 for Western European countries to sendprotection to the Byzantine Christians.

The First Crusade began in 1097, led by Godfrey of Bouillon. It freed Iconiumfrom the Muslims, though it was later taken back. The First Crusade defeated Turkishforces at Dorylaeum and Antioch, and captured Jerusalem in 1099, holding it fornearly 100 years.


3" CRUSADE 1189-1192ROBIN HOOD & MAGNA CARTA

In 1190, Pope Gregory VIII called for a Third Crusade. It was led by GermanKing Frederick I, called Frederick Barbarossa (meaning Redbcard), who was theEmperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He was joined by Philip II of France andRichard I of England.

Frederick led 100,000 soldiers across Byzantium, driving out Muslims andtemporarily freeing Iconium.

He most likely would have freed Jerusalem and the surrounding area fromMuslim domination had he not fallen off his horse while crossing the Goksu Riverin Cilicia, Asia Minor. Being 67 years old and weighted down with heavy armor, hedrowned in waist deep water and the Crusade went into confusion.

Richard the Lionheart assumed leadership of the Crusade and captured Acre.Due to disagreements, Philip II returned to France in 1191. Richard's troops camewithin sight of Jerusalem in 1192, but narrowly failed to drive out Saladin (1138-1193).

Western resolve for the war diminished and political unrest increased backhome from King Philip II of France and from Richard's ambitious brother John, whoruled England in his absence, as chronicled in the legends of Robin Hood.

This situation put Richard in the position of having to negotiate a hurried trucewith Saladin, who, it was later discovered, was on the verge of defeat.

Saladin allowed Christians to leave Jerusalem if they paid a ransom, butaccording to Imad al-Din, approximately 7,000 men and 8,000 women could notmake their ransom and were taken into slavery.

The vessel Richard sailed away on was shipwrecked, so he decided to travelwith a party across Europe in disguise. He was recognized near Vienna and capturedby Duke Leopold V of Austria. The Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI, imprisonedRichard at Dumstein. England had to place burdensome taxes on its populace to raisethe "king's ransom."

In 1197, Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, was preparing for anothercrusade but died due to malaria.

Once Richard was back in England, he ruled only a few years before being shotwith an arrow during the siege of a castle. His brother became the oppressive KingJohn, who lost Britain's claim to French lands.

This caused England's noblemen to surround John on the plains of Runymeadein 1215 and force him to sign the Magna Carta, a document which began the longprocess of limiting the arbitrary power of monarchs and guaranteeing rights ofcitizens.


MOHAMMED'S DEATH

At the age of 63, suffering from the effects of one of his wives poisoning hisfood, Mohammed died in 632 AD. Mohammed had conquered from the frontiers ofByzantium south to the tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Hadith Sahih Bukhari, narrated by Abu Huraira, recorded Mohammed'swords while he was dying:

Allah's Apostle said, "I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearingthe widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with tenor (cast in the heartsof the enemy), and while I was sleeping, the keys of the treasures of the world werebrought to me and put in my hand."

Abu Huraira added: "Allah's Apostle has left the world and now you, people,are bringing out those treasures." (Hadith Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 4, Book 52, No. 220)

Within a hundred years of his death, his followers conquered Arabia,Damascus, Syria, Persia, North Africa, the Holy Land, Spain and were at the gatesof Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Roman Empire.

SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION

"What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches whichare in Asia, unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatiraand unto Sardis and unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea. (Revelation, Chapters 2and 3).

In the last book of the Bible, the Apostle John wrote a letter to seven churches.All of these churches were in Asia Minor, and eventually all would be destroyed byMuslims.

Note - the destruction was total. The Moslems leveled the cities, dug up the dead andburned their bones, shattering the tombstones to rubble and leaving nothing toindicate that these cities had ever existed - which is standard Moslem behavior andhas been for 1400 years.

COFFEE

When John Sobieski won the Battle of Vienna, Muslims fled in panic, leavingmany bags of coffee beans. The reason Muslim Turks fought so tirelessly day afterday was their practice of drinking coffee, a drink unknown in Western Europe.Shortly after the battle, Vienna opened its first Turkish coffee house, and within a


short time, the drinking of coffee spread across Europe, helping to fuel the industrialrevolution.

CROISSANT

In Larousse Gastronomique, edited in 1938 by Alfred Gottschalk, and in 1988by Jenifer Harvey Lang, (New York: Crow, p. 338), the origin of the croissant pastrydates to when the Turks were besieging Vienna in 1683, or possibly Budapest in1686:

The Turks were besieging the city. To reach the center of town, they dugunderground passages. Bakers, working during the night, heard the noise made bythe Turks and gave the alarm.

The assailants were repulsed and the bakers who had saved the city weregranted the privilege of making a special pastry which had to take the form of acrescent in memory of the emblem on the Ottoman flag.

Alan Davidson, in the Oxford Companion to Food (1999, p. 232) recounts thestory:

According to one of a group of legends, which vary only in detail, a baker ofthe 17 `" century, working through the night at a time when his city (either Vienna in1683 or Budapest in 1686) was under siege by the Turks, heard faint undergroundrumbling sounds which, on investigation, proved to be caused by a Turkish attemptto invade the city by tunneling under the walls.

The tunnel was blown up. The baker asked no reward other than the exclusiveright to bake crescent-shaped pastries commemorating the incident, the crescentbeing the symbol of Islam. He was duly rewarded in this way, and the croissant wasborn.

In the French language, the word for croissant is "Viennoiserie." TheRomanian word for croissant is "cornulet" which means "little crescent."

LEBANESE CHRISTIANS MASSACRED

Maronites took their name from an early Christian hermit, Maron, who died in410 AD. Though retaining their own liturgy, Maronites have been in communionwith the Catholic Church since 1182.

In 1975, the coastal Christian towns of Damour and Jiyya were totallydestroyed and their inhabitants massacred or violently evicted from their homes byMuslims. Over the next 17 years, 90,000 mostly Maronite Christian and Greek

Page 9 The Staff and Sword Ministry January 21, 2008Page 9 ^'he Staff and Sward Ministry January 2l, 2Q08

Catholic inhabitants were killed, thousands mutilated and hundreds of thousandsevicted or fled,

The process of Islamization in Lebanon is advancing through the policies of theSaudi -backed billionaire Prime Minister Hariri, who buys large amounts of propertiesfrom poor Christians. The Iran backed Hezbollah has stated their goal is to haveLebanon be a completely Islamic state. (UNQUOTE " What Every American Needsto Know about the Qur'an" a history of Islam and the U.S.. Written by: William J.Federer.)

Catholic inhabitants wire killed, thousands mutilated and hundreds of thousandsevicted or fled,

The process of Islamization in L^ban.on is advancing through the policies of theSaudi-backed billionaire Prime Minister Hariri, who buys large amounts q f propertiesfrom poor Christians. The Iran backed He^bollah has stated their goal is to haveLebanon be a completely Islamic state. (UNQUQTE "What Eêr y American Needsto know about the Qur'an" a history of Islam and the U.S.. Written by: William J.Federer.}

HOW TO BEAT YOUR WIFEISLAM STYLE and INSTRUCTIONS

HAW T^ BEAT YOUR 'L^VIFE

ISLAM STYLE and INSTRirCTIQNS

This past October, 2007 FOX TV News covered a story about an Islamic Cleric, a Dr.Muhammad Al'Arifi, a Saudi Arabian TV personality, (the Moslem equal to our Dr.Phil) gave instructions on Arab TV on the right way of beating one's wife. If shecannot be trained and if reprimanding them does not work, they need be beaten.However, Dr. Al'Arifi, with true Islamic compassion, suggested they not be beatenon the face so as to make them "ugly" and he showed where to beat a woman so itdoesn't leave marks.

This past Qetober, 2007 FOX TV IWews covered a story about an Islamic Cleric, a Dr.Muhammad Al'Arifi, a Saudi Arabian TV personality, (the Moslem equal to our Dr.Fhil} gave instructions on Arab TV on the right way qf beating one's wife. If shecannot be trained and if reprimanding them does not work, they need be beaten.However, Dr. Al'Arifi, with true Yslamic compassion, suggested they not be beatenon the face so as to make them "ugly" and he showed where to beat a woman so itdoesn't lease marks.

One of his charming comments was, "do not hit your wife in the face since you wouldnot do this to your donkey or camel. " Translation = a woman is on par with a donkeyor camel.

Dne of his charming comments was, "do not hid your wife in the face since you wouldnot do phis to your donkey or camel. " Translation ^ a woman is on par with a donkeyor camel.

The Islamic Doctor went on to explain that since Allah made men bigger and strongerthat this is so we can overpower and beat our wives. Women, he said, have a defensealso - "their tears. "

The Islamic Doctor wend on to explain that since Allah made men bigger and strongerthat this is so we can oêrpawer and beat our wives. Women, he said, have a defensealso - "their tear^.s. "

I believe there was talk of this Doctor writing a book, "How to beat your wife". Hey,I've got a good idea, why not have the women's liberation movement in the U.S.write a forward for Dr. Al'Arifi book "How to Correctly Beat Your Wife" and workto have it translated into English and be published in America.

I beli^ê there was talk of this Doctor writing a book, "How to beat your wife". Hey,I've got a good idea, why nvt have the women's liberation movement in the U.S.write a ft^rward far Dr. Al'Arifi boflk "Haw to Correctly Beat Your Wife" and workto have it translated into En^lash anti be published in America.

I write this with tongue in check, since the "women's movement" (like true liberals)support Islam and do not have a peep to say about the well known abuse women inMoslem nations endure.

I write this with tongue in check, since the "women's movement" (like true liberals}support Islam and do not have a peep to say about the well known abuse women inMoslem nations endure.


Quotes from "SECRET BELIEVERS what Happens Vhen Muslims Believe

in Christ" written by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen. (QUOTE)

A Middle Eastern countyIt was Sunday morning in the town of Suq al Khamis, and Ahmed was

considering the unthinkable. The lanky teenage boy paced around his room, tryingto decide whether or not to take the risk. He looked up at the poster over his bed,even though he had the words memorized:

Allah is our objective.The messenger is our leader.The Quran is our law.Jihad is our way.Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.

It was that last statement that made Ahmed shudder. Just last night he'dsuffered another nightmare. He was in a pit with all kinds of snakes. They werecoiled around him, striking at him with their terrifying fangs.* He'd wakened in asweat, recognizing again the threat of eternal punishment that Allah promised to allwho did not faithfully follow the pillars of Islam. The dreams varied — sometimes hecould feel flames scorching his flesh; other times he was hung by his hair as the skinwas scraped off his body. This was the terrifying message of Islam as taught by thefaction of Muslim Brotherhood that often met in his home. Yes, Allah was merciful;but he was also a god of horror and fear who took pleasure in torturing infidels.According to the teaching, every Christian was kafrr, an infidel. His only hope forescaping the horrors of hell was to live an exemplary life of Islam. Or to die in jihad.(Page 13)

. ..Ahmed pulled the rumpled letter out of his pocket and reread Zaki'sshocking words: "Isa** is the most amazing man who ever lived. I can't help butcompare Him to our Prophet, peace be upon him. I won't say anything more. Get acopy of the Injil and read it for yourself. We'll talk when I'm home for the holiday."

*Note by C-J: Iperceive Ahmed was seeing his destination if he continued the life ofa Moslem - hellfire and torment.

**Note by C-J..' - "Isa " is the name in the Qur'an that speaks of JESUS CHRIST.

Ahmed stuffed the letter back in his pocket and thought again about hisoptions.... (Page 14) Ahmed would go to a local Christian P riest and asked him

about Christianity, Father Alexander replied:


QUOTE continued) Father Alexander gave a nervous laugh and said, "No, that'snot a good idea. You just turn around and go back home. This place is forChristians. If you want to worship God, go to the mosque."

The words stunned the boy. It hadn't occurred to him that the church wouldn'twelcome him. Haltingly he tried to explain: "I just want to find out what youbelieve."

"I' m sorry. This is not the time or place." The priest's voice became severe.Clearly he would not let Ahmed into the building.

"Then can I at least borrow the Inj i l * T'

* Note - The Injil is the Moslem term for the Bible.

"Why do you want the Injil? You have your Quran. Now go. The service isabout to start, and you should not be seen here."

Ahmed started to protest then noticed that several of the parishioners hadstopped to stare at the strange scene. He'd lost any chance to slip quietly into thechurch. If he lingered any longer, someone might report this to his father. He turnedand quickly dashed across to his bike. (Page 15)

....Poetry filled the void when Zaki was away. Zaki, the one friend who knewabout Ahmed's spiritual journey — who, in fact, had encouraged him to ask theforbidden questions about Islam and had brought him a Bible — was overseas, startingpostgraduate studies to become a doctor. Zaki was the only one who knew about hisfear of death. At night when he couldn't sleep, Ahmed visualized the tortures thatwould be inflicted on all who did not measure up to Allah's standards. (Page 24)

....and the subtle message that he (Ahmed) noticed was of the god of Islamwho treated people as slaves. He had read the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and KarlMarx and considered for a time the utopian vision of Communism... .

....Whom did God favor? Over the past year he had read and reread the Injil,and the teachings of Jesus, the Prophet called Isa in the Quran, still astonished him.He memorized several of the Prophet's statements from the Injil: "If someone strikesyou on one cheek, turn to him the other also." The Quran by contrast commandedhim to fight and kill. "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has

already committed adultery with her in his heart." The Quran permitted him to marryup to four women, and to keep all women captured in any invaded country. He knewthe arguments against the Bible — that it was distorted and required the corrective ofthe Quran.... (Page 25, 26)

....As the prayers (in the Mosque) ended, Ahmed turned to his neighbor andsaid, "Peace be upon you," and noticed that the young man was already developinga dark spot in the center of his forehead, caused by repeatedly bowing and forcefully


(QUOTE continued) touching his head to the floor. This was a mark of pride fora devout Muslim, demonstrating for all to see that he faithfully prayed five times aday. (Page 26)

They sat down on the floor as the Imam placed the Quran on a rehal, an ornatewooden stand. In his youthful exuberance, in his thirst for truth, Ahmed feltcompelled to speak. Maybe others in the room had similar thoughts but only lackedthe boldness to voice their doubts. He would raise the right question, the honestquestion. Politely addressing the Imam, he asked: "Why do we, the religion thathonors the prophets, ignore the greatest Prophet of all?" The Imam looked at him,stunned that anyone would speak before he had started his lesson. Ahmed couldn'tstop now: "Is there anyone greater than the Prophet 1sa? [ look at Him and seeperfection. I look at Him and see God."

That's when all hell was unleashed on Ahmed. (Page 27)

Note by C-J.• Father Alexander was reluctant to engage the young Moslem, Ahmed,because Moslems were known to come pretending to be seeking Jesus and would turnthem over to the authorities and they'd be arrested, their church destroyed and somemight be executed.

Brother Andrew meets a Moderate Moslem - Professor Kamal

...."He's one of my students," said the professor. "As part of his program he teachesQuran to local high school students."

Brother Andrew observed the building as Kamal explained that this mosquewas similar in design to the famous Al-Azhar University Mosque in Cairo. "I earnedmy PhD at Al-Azhar,"' he said. "It is the center of Islamic learning and a degree fromthere is the most prestigious in the world. My vision is that someday this universitywill have that same kind of reputation."

That is a big vision," said Andrew."Inshallah. God willing, it can happen."As they collected their shoes and strolled across the campus, Andrew took

advantage of the opportunity to say how glad he was that the professor was open toa discussion with Christians. "You are so knowledgeable about Islam. I would reallybe interested to hear your vision of the ideal Islamic society."

"Yes, Islam is an integrated system," the professor answered. He locked hishands behind his back and seemed to switch into a lecture mode, as though BrotherAndrew and Butros were two students in his very popular classes. "It not on]yprepares one for a happy life in the hereafter, but it also deals with all problems and


(QUOTE continued) the probable solutions that help in eradicating them. That can onlybe achieved by establishing the Islamic society and by strengthening its main foundations."

"And what are those foundations?""First, all believers are brothers. God said, `Believers are brothers, so make peace

between your brothers.' This brotherhood was a new kind of relationship, not known toArab society before the advent of Islam. From a sociological point of view, this principleof brotherhood eliminates social defects, imposes social sensitivity among Muslims, andenables them to sustain a high level of social relationships and avoid any kind offragmentation."

Andrew decided for now not to ask the obvious question about why Muslim

societies so often failed to achieve this ideal. Instead, he said, "That's for Muslims. Whatabout the minority in the country who are not Muslims?"

"The principle of brotherhood in Islamic society is not limited to Muslims only. Asimilar friendship should be realized with non-Muslims. God says, Àllah does not forbidyou to be kind and to act equitable towards those who have not driven you from yourhomes. Surely Allah loves those who are equitable."

"So does Islam believe that all people are equal, whether Muslims or Christians orJews?"

"Yes, that is another distinguishing foundation of Islam — its call for completehuman equality. Every individual, irrespective of origin, color, language, or wealth, enjoysthe same social, political, and economic status and privileges. In the Quran Sura 49:13 Godsaid, `0 mankind, we have created you from a male and a female and made you intonations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily, the most honored among you inthe sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous among you.' There is no distinctionbetween peoples whether Arabs, Persians, English, Africans, Australians, etcetera, exceptin the degree of piety."

"Professor, I hope this will not offend you, but I can't help observing that theredoesn't seem to be a lot of brotherhood and equality in the Muslim world. As you know,I work among the Christian community and they feel intimidated and often arepersecuted."

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, À true Muslim is he from whose tongue andhand others are safe.' This means that anyone who injures or hurts his fellow brother byword or deed cannot be regarded as a true Muslim."

"So members of the Muslim Brotherhood who attack Christians and burn downchurches are not true Muslims?"

"They are not real Islam. Islam is about peace and brotherhood.""Would you say that in a true Islamic society no one is forced to believe in God

or in a particular religious practice?""No one believes without conviction," said the professor, "and there is no conviction

without evidence. People are free in choosing their religion and whatever doctrine theywant. God said, `Proclaim. This is the truth from your Lord. then. Let him who will believe


(QUOTE continued)) and let him who will disbelieve.' The question of freedom withregard to belief and worship is of paramount importance in Islam. Every person is entitledto exercise freedom of belief and worship."

The three men walked without talking for a while; then Andrew commented that theprofessor's vision of Islam was indeed appealing. "I wish others saw it the same way youdo. But honestly there are many Christians who suffer under Islam — in this country, inEgypt, in Pakistan, and in many other Islamic countries."

"You are right. This is not good.""So what can we do about it?"The professor didn't answer for a moment; then he said, "I think talks like this are

helpful.""Yes," Andrew agreed. "But we need more than talk. We need some doing as well."The men had walked in a circle and were now back at the mosque and adjoining

academic building where they had started. Before they parted, Andrew said, "Professor,this has been a very encouraging discussion. I want to thank you for taking the time to seeus.

"The pleasure is mine. Please come and visit me anytime you are in the country.""I will do that. May I ask you one more rather personal question?" The professor

nodded. "I admire your dedication to Islam. You are a truly good man. I was intrigued byyour fasting six extra days after Ramadan. I'm sure you are faithful in praying five timesa day and giving to the poor, and you've probably been on the haj j ."

"Several times. I lead groups on pilgrimage to Mecca.""You faithfully practice the five pillars of Islam. Does this guarantee you will go to

heaven?""No, there is no guarantee of paradise.""So how can you be sure you will be saved? Apart from dying in a jihad, isn't there

any way to have assurance that you are going to paradise?"The professor looked down at the sidewalk for a moment. "Do more good works,"

he answered, looking up at Andrew. "That's all you can hope for. The question of paradisebelongs to God Himself, not to a man. We are trying to do our best. If you want to reachparadise, you have to do many good things."

As they left the professor and walked to the parking lot, Andrew said to Butros, "Howsad! There is such a good, pious, dedicated Muslim, and he has no certainty at all that hewill ever see paradise or heaven." (Pages 84 - 87) (UNQUOTE "SECRETBELIEVERS")

Documents

Jan 21st, 2008: Islam Report