Zakir Naik: 25 Errors in Less Than Five Minutes

Ever notice that in Christianity, our top apologists are brilliant scholars with solid arguments, while in Islam, the top apologists are people who can sound good while spouting absolute nonsense?

Miracles of the Qur'an: The Female Honey Bee

Here's another so-called miraculous scientific proof that the Qur'an is the Word of God:



And here's what happens when Muslim arguments are forced to confront reality:

Pat Condell: Violence Is Not the Answer

Is Anders Behring Breivik a Christian?

Who gets to define the word "Christian"? The three main sources would be: (1) Christian scriptures, (2) the Christian community, or (3) non-Christians. If we go with (1), Breivik fails miserably. If we go with (2), Breivik will be utterly rejected. Hence, the only way Breivik could be considered a Christian is if certain non-Christians (e.g. Muslims and the media) decide to define the term "Christian" as "anyone who calls himself a Christian, regardless of whether his beliefs line up with Christianity." Is this the route we want to go?



Since our Muslim friends really, really, really want to classify Breivik as a Christian, I have to ask a few questions. (i) Do non-Muslims get to define who is and who isn't a Muslim? (ii) Since the Lesbian author Irshad Manji calls herself a Muslim, is she a Muslim? (iii) How can Muslims reject Ahmadis as Muslims, but call Breivik a Christian, when Breivik obviously strays much further from orthodoxy than Ahmadis do?

U.S. Muslim Soldier Naser Jason Abdo Combats Islamophobia by Planning to Kill Fellow Soldiers

Just when you thought Anders Behring Breivik would start a trend of non-Muslim terrorist attacks, a Muslim shocks the world by turning attention back to Islam.

FOXNEWS--An Army private has been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to attack Fort Hood soldiers that authorities suggest was close to being carried out. The arrest, first reported by Fox News, comes nearly two years after a deadly shooting rampage at the base.

Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo, an AWOL soldier from Fort Campbell in Kentucky, was arrested by the Killeen, Texas, Police Department near Fort Hood and remains in custody at the Killeen jail. (Read more.)

Ironically, Abdo was in the news last year while seeking "Conscientious Objector" status. He claimed he wanted to leave the Army in order to convince people that Islam is a religion of peace. Here's part of the story from 2010:

ABCNEWS--Although Fort Campbell employs an imam on base, Abdo prefers instead to seek counsel from his personal circle of Islamic advisers, he said.

"In my experience, they don't know their religion," he said of base imams. "They don't know their faith."

Now, he said, he wants out of the Army so he can spend his life combating what he called Islamaphobia and advocating Islam as a peaceful religion.

"I want to use my experience to show Muslims how we can lead our lives," he said. "And to try and put a good positive spin out there that Islam is a good, peaceful religion. We're not all terrorists, you know?" (Read more.)

Ezra Levant Slams the CBC

Arif Mubashir Guns Down Six Daughters in Mass Honor-Killing

Perhaps he decided to gun down his daughters after reading Islamophobic bloggers condemn honor-killings (I'm guessing this would be the theory of Nazam and 1MoreMuslim).

FAISALABAD: A man gunned down six of his daughters on suspicion that two of them were in relationships with boys in the neighbourhood.

On Tuesday morning, Arif Mubashir called his teenage daughters to his room and shot them while the rest of the family, including their mother, watched. His wife Musarrat called the police after the incident.

Mubashir shot the girls after their brother said two of them were in a relationship. He told police officials that he had killed his daughters because they were both “without honour”. The man said his daughters Sameena, 14, and Razia, 16, were in a relationship with college boys from the neighbourhood and the sisters had helped each other. “I should have been told immediately but the girls sided with each other. They were both corrupt,” Mubashir told Tandlianwala Police Inspector Javed Sial.

Police officials have taken Mubashir into custody and filed a case against him. “He does not regret what he did. He boasted that he would do it all over again if he had to,” Sial told reporters.

Pakistan has repeatedly been termed as one of the least women-friendly countries. In June, the Thompson Reuters Foundation ranked Pakistan as the world’s third most dangerous country for women. (Source)

Silly Comment of the Week (By 1MoreMuslim)

Here's what 1MoreMuslim just said about the connection between (a) this blog, and (b) Anders Behring Breivik's terrorist attack in Norway:

David Wood provides the motives, Anders Behring Breivik takes the action.
Whenever a Muslim commits a terror act, his justification is that Muslim land is occupied by USA and its allies. But whenever a Christian commits terror his justification is I HATE MUSLIMS.

Let's have a little Q&A to bring out the absurdity of this comment.

Question (from me): "Is there any connection between (a) Muhammad's command to fight unbelievers (Qur'an 9:29) and (b) Muslims fighting unbelievers?"

Answer (from Muslim): "There is no connection whatsoever. Sheer coincidence."

Question (from me): "Is there any connection between (a) Muhammad having sex with a nine-year-old girl, and (b) child-marriage being so prevalent in the Muslim world?"

Answer (from Muslim): "There is no connection whatsoever. Sheer coincidence."

Question (from me): "Is there any connection between (a) Muhammad's command to beat rebellious wives (Qur'an 4:34), and (b) the prevalence of spousal abuse in the Muslim world?"

Answer (from Muslim): "There is no connection whatsoever. Sheer coincidence."

Question (from me): "Is there any connection between (a) Anders Behring Breivik shooting a bunch of blond-haired, blue-eyed teenagers, and (b) posts on this blog?

Answer (from Muslim): "Yes! There is a clear connection! Breivik shot those Norwegian, non-Muslim teenagers because of David's blog posts about Muslims!"

Sheesh.

And for two additional absurdities . . .

1MoreMuslim said: "Whenever a Muslim commits a terror act, his justification is that Muslim land is occupied by USA and its allies." Really? Did the U.S. and it's allies occupy China, Thailand, India, Nigeria, and all the other countries where Muslims are terrorizing the enemies of Allah? And did the U.S. and its allies occupy Muslim lands from the year 622 through 1776? Does 1MoreMuslim believe that the U.S. and its allies built a time machine to occupy Muslim lands, thus accounting for Muslim terrorism down through the centuries?

1MoreMuslim said: "But whenever a Christian commits terror his justification is I HATE MUSLIMS." How about giving a few examples of Christians committing acts of terrorism and justifying it by hating Muslims. I can't think of a single instance.

Jordanian Man Charged in Honor Killing

JORDAN--A Jordanian man has been charged with killing his 35-year-old sister when she was released from detention over allegedly having sex outside marriage, a judicial official said today.

"The suspect, in his 40s, was charged on Sunday with premeditated murder after fatally shooting his sister five times in Zarqa," northeast of Amman, the official told AFP.

"She had been in administrative detention since February over a fornication case. Apparently she had (sexual) relations with a man who took advantage of her and pretended he wanted to marry her."

Murder is punishable by death in Jordan but in so-called "honour killings" courts can commute or reduce sentences, particularly if the victim's family asks for leniency.

Between 15 and 20 women are murdered in such killings each year in the Arab kingdom, despite government efforts to curb such crimes.

Separately, the official said a 35-year-old man was charged with premeditated murder for slitting the throat of his wife's alleged lover, 26, before cutting off his penis in central Amman on Saturday.

"He handed himself in to police on the same day of the murder and confessed, giving them a bag that had the other man's penis. He was charged with premeditated murder," said the official. (Source)

Burka Ban Begins in Belgium

BELGIUM--A law has come into force in Belgium banning women from wearing the full Islamic veil in public.

The country is the second European Union nation after France to enforce such a ban. Offenders face a fine of 137.5 euros (£121; $197) and up to seven days in jail.

Two women who wear full veils launched an immediate court challenge, saying the law is discriminatory.

France, home to Europe's biggest Muslim population, enforced its ban in April.

Belgium's law bans any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places like parks and on the street.

It was passed almost unanimously by the lower house of parliament in April 2010.

MPs voted with only two abstentions to back the legislation on the grounds of security, to allow police to identify people.

Other MPs said that full face veils such as the burka or the niqab were a symbol of the oppression of women.

But critics of the law say it could end up excluding women, leaving those who do wear the full veil trapped in their homes.

And they say the measures are over the top - estimates suggest only a few dozen women wear this kind of veil in Belgium, out of a Muslim population of about half a million.

"We consider the law a disproportionate intrusion into fundamental rights such as the freedom of religion and expression," Ines Wouters, the lawyer representing the two women challenging the ban, told the newspaper La Libre.

She has taken their case to Belgium's constitutional court, where she will request a suspension of the law, AFP news agency reported. (Source)

Testimony at U.S. Congressional Hearing on the Persecution of Copts in Egypt

Muslims Enforcing Sharia in the UK?

Many people in the world rejoiced when Osama bin Laden was killed. The leader of the world's most notorious terrorist group, responsible for thousands of deaths around the world, had been shot in the face by Seal Team Six, and some were convinced that his death would make the world a slightly more peaceful place. President Barack Obama received a brief popularity jolt simply for being the U.S. leader in charge of the military when bin Laden was killed.

The hopes of peace lovers were dashed, however, when documents recovered by Seal Team Six proved that bin Laden had visited Mayberry, North Carolina, in the 1960s, a visit which culminated in a long-term relationship with the Sheriff's son, Opie Taylor. Unbeknownst to the world, bin Laden and Opie ultimately fathered a "love child." Shunned in the U.S. because he shares bin Laden's DNA, and unable to pass for Muslim in Afghanistan due to his red hair, the child is now enforcing Sharia in Great Britain.

The following article was posted by the Daily Star, and removed shortly thereafter. Were there inaccuracies in the reporting? Perhaps our friends in the UK can keep us updated.

United Kingdom--Hardcore Islamists have vowed to ban booze and mixing between the sexes in new Sharia law enforcement zones across the UK.

The move will see specific areas flooded with thousands of stickers saying "no gambling", "no music or concerts", "no porn or prostitution" and "no drugs or smoking".

The posters declare: "You are entering a Sharia controlled zone - Islamic rules enforced."

The radicals will kick off their controlled zones in the London borough of Waltham Forest later this month.

They also claim their hardline rules will be policed by thousands of "Sharia cops" on the streets.

Preacher Anjem Choudary has called the scheme an alternative to government attempts to combat violent extremism under the Prevent strategy.

Last night the former al-Muhajiroun and Islam4UK leader warned: "The Prevent strategy introduced by Theresa May is going to be countered in the next couple of weeks beginning in Waltham Forest where there will be a Sharia controlled zone sticker campaign.

"This will mean this is an area where the Muslim community will not tolerate drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, usury, free mixing between the sexes - the fruits if you like of Western civilisation.

"This will be a very heavy leafleting campaign aimed at both the Muslim and non-Muslim community in terms of what the Sharia means economically, socially and politically.

"Waltham Forest, including Walthamstow and Leyton, will also be targeted with a march.

"We want to run the area as a Sharia controlled zone and really to put the seeds down for an Islamic Emirate in the long term.

"We want to create an area where Muslims can live together, make transactions with each other, and interact between themselves rather than with the wider community."

The ex-lawyer added: "There are 25 areas around the country which the Government has earmarked as areas where violent extremism is a problem.

"We are going to go to all these same areas and implement our own Sharia controlled zones.

"This is the best way for dealing with drunkenness and loutishness, prostitution and the sort of thug life attitude you get in British cities.

"We live among the non-Muslims but we have to distinguish ourselves from them."

In May we told how Choudary had announced plans to set up teams of Islamic "Guardian Angels" to help implement Sharia law across the UK. He reckoned the "Sharia cops" would do a better job of policing Muslim areas than traditional officers.

Choudary said: "We now have hundreds if not thousands of people up and down the country willing to go out and patrol the streets for us and a print run of between 10,000 and 50,000 stickers ready for distribution."

Last night Jamaal Uddin, 17, was pictured putting up Sharia controlled zone stickers in Walthamstow.

The Muslims Against Crusades member, who said he "embraced Islam" 11 months ago said: "Allah has told us alcohol, drugs, pornography, music and concerts are all forbidden under Islam.

"That is why it is our duty to go out and spread his word among Muslims and the wider community."

GreekAsianPanda coming to remind us that Sharia has nothing to do with Islam in three . . . two . . .

At Least Seven Dead, Fifteen Injured in Terror Attack in Norway

I know what you're thinking. All religions teach the same thing. Hence, this could just as easily be an attack by disgruntled Methodists or frustrated Shaolin monks as by Muslims. Yes, so long as we ignore history and the teachings of Islam, it's perfectly reasonable to avoid jumping to conclusions.







***UPDATE*** Rumors are spreading that the youth camp attack may have nothing to do with Islam!

As many as 30 people are feared dead in a shooting at a Norwegian youth camp after a bomb in the capital, Oslo, killed at least seven.

Shots were fired by a man dressed as a police officer at a youth meeting of the ruling Labour Party in Utoya - an island around 20 miles from the capital.

He has been named in Norway as Anders Behring Breivik - an anonymous official said he was believed to have been working alone.

Police said they do not think the attacks were linked to Islamic terrorism.

An eyewitness reported seeing between 25 and 30 bodies on the island.

Police have confirmed that 17 people were killed, but said that was a preliminary figure which they expected to rise. (Read more.)

Sharia in Australia

How dare these racist, hate-mongering, Islamophobic bigots complain about Sharia law and demand equal rights for men and women?

Raymond Ibrahim: New Saudi Fatwa Defends Pedophilia as 'Marriage'

While Western Muslims assure us that Islam supports human rights, minority rights, women's rights, etc., the evidence continues to show otherwise. Again and again, Muslim clerics condemn legal efforts to protect children from being married off and raped by much older men. Raymond Ibrahim has the latest over at Jihad Watch.

**********************************************************

Muslim "child-marriage"—euphemism for pedophilia—is making headlines again, at least in Arabic media: Dr. Salih bin Fawzan, a prominent cleric and member of Saudi Arabia's highest religious council, just issued a fatwa asserting that there is no minimum age for marriage, and that girls can be married "even if they are in the cradle."

Appearing in Saudi papers on July 13, the fatwa complains that "Uninformed interference with Sharia rulings by the press and journalists is on the increase, posing dire consequences to society, including their interference with the question of marriage to small girls who have not reached maturity, and their demand that a minimum age be set for girls to marry."

Fawzan insists that nowhere does Sharia set an age limit for marrying girls: like countless Muslim scholars before him, he relies on Koran 65:4, which discusses marriage to females who have not yet begun menstruating (i.e., are prepubescent) and the fact that Muhammad, Islam's role model, married Aisha when she was 6-years-old, "consummating" the marriage—or, in modern parlance, raping her—when she was 9.

The point of the Saudi fatwa, however, is not that girls as young as 9 can have sex, based on Muhammad's example, but rather that there is no age limit whatsoever; the only question open to consideration is whether the girl is physically capable of handling her husband/rapist. Fawzan documents this point by quoting Ibn Batal's authoritative exegesis of Sahih Bukhari:

The ulema [Islam's interpreters] have agreed that it is permissible for fathers to marry off their small daughters, even if they are in the cradle. But it is not permissible for their husbands to have sex with them unless they are capable of being placed beneath and bearing the weight of the men. And their capability in this regard varies based on their nature and capacity. Aisha was 6 when she married the prophet, but he had sex with her when she was 9 [i.e., when she was deemed capable].

Fawzan concludes his fatwa with a warning: "It behooves those who call for setting a minimum age for marriage to fear Allah and not contradict his Sharia, or try to legislate things Allah did not permit. For laws are Allah's province; and legislation is his excusive right, to be shared by none other. And among these are the rules governing marriage."

Fawzan, of course, is not the first to insist on the legitimacy of pedophilia in Islam. Even the former grand mufti of Saudi Arabia supported "child-marriage," since "the Koran and Sunna document it."

Nor is this just some theoretic, theological point; the lives of many young girls are being destroyed because of this ruling. Recall, for instance, the 13-year-old girl who died while her much older husband was copulating with her (it was later revealed that, due to her reluctance, he was tying her up and "raping" her—as if there is another way to describe sex with children); or the 12-year-old who died giving birth to a stillborn; or the 10-year-old who made headlines by hiding out from her 80-year-old "husband."

Then there are the countless anonymous girls who do nothing to warrant any media attention—such as die—and have learned to live with their elderly husbands pawing at them, like, no doubt, the girl who married Islam's most popular cleric, Yusuf Qaradawi, when she was 14.

What do we make of the fact that it is always Islam's religious, authoritative voices—not aberrant voices, not "terrorists," "extremists," or any other euphemism coined for the occasion—that are constantly demonstrating Sharia's savageries? Weeks before this fatwa, a female politician and activist in Kuwait called for institutionalizing sex-slavery (recommending that Muslims buy and sell female Russian captives from the Chechnya war); a popular Egyptian preacher not only said the same thing, but added that the solution to Islam's poverty is to go on jihad and plunder the lives and possessions of infidels.

Sounds odd? Perhaps; but it is perfectly consistent. After all, distilled and in the eyes of the non-believer, Sharia law is nothing less than a legal system built atop the words and deeds of a 7th century Arab, whose behavior—from pedophilia and sex-slavery to war mongering and plundering—was very much that of a 7th century Arab. Having enticed or enslaved his contemporaries into following him, his teachings continue to entice and enslave their descendants; and, now as then, it is always the innocent who suffer.

Hezbollah Working with Mexican Drug Cartel

It would be racist and intolerant to resist them. We should open our borders to Hezbollah. The show of hospitality may cause their hearts to melt, leading to a loving embrace of cultures.

DHS Report: Muslim Extremists Have Obtained Insider Positions at Utility Facilities

I assume the utility facilities could fire the extremists, but that would be Islamophobic and bigoted. The open-minded, tolerant thing to do is to wait until the terrorists slaughter thousands of people.

ABC NEWS--Sabotage by an insider at a major utility facility, including a chemical or oil refinery, could provide al Qaeda with its best opportunity for the kind of massive Sept. 11 anniversary attack Osama bin Laden was planning, according to U.S. officials.

A new intelligence report from the Department of Homeland Security issued Tuesday, titled Insider Threat to Utilities, warns "violent extremists have, in fact, obtained insider positions," and that "outsiders have attempted to solicit utility-sector employees" for damaging physical and cyber attacks.

"Based on the reliable reporting of previous incidents, we have high confidence in our judgment that insiders and their actions pose a significant threat to the infrastructure and information systems of U.S. facilities," the bulletin reads in part. "Past events and reporting also provide high confidence in our judgment that insider information on sites, infrastructure, networks, and personnel is valuable to our adversaries and may increase the impact of any attack on the utilities infrastructure." (Read more.)

Second Muslim Charged in Sharia Attack on Convert to Islam

Hmmm. Australian lawmakers think they need to explain to Australian Muslims that Sharia Law is not the law of Australia. Don't these lawmakers know that Muslims have no desire to establish Sharia in non-Muslim lands, and that Muslims are quite happy to be living under Western democracies?

SYDNEY (AP) — A second Muslim man was charged Wednesday in connection with an attack on a recent convert to Islam who was allegedly whipped 40 times as a religious punishment for drinking alcohol.

Wassim Fayad, 43, was freed on bail after being charged with aggravated breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offense. The same charges were laid against Tolga Cifci, 20, on Tuesday. Neither man has entered a plea.

In granting bail, Magistrate Tim Kebby ordered Fayad to stay away from the alleged victim, saying the attack was "quite particular, arising from religious motivation."

The incident has created a furor in the Australian media, reflecting the friction caused by the expanding Islamic migrant community in a country whose citizens are predominantly of Christian European background.

Australia relaxed its immigration policies in 1973 when it opened its doors to nonwhites, attracting a flood of immigrants from South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard weighed into the debate Wednesday, telling reporters there is no place for religious punishments in Australia.

"There is only one law in this country — the law of Australia. That's what binds us together and everybody has got to abide by that law," she said.

Fayad and Cifci are among four people who are accused of breaking into Christian Martinez's house on Sunday, holding him down on his bed and whipping him 40 times with an electric cord. The court was told that Martinez, a recent convert to Islam, was targeted for "religious reasons." (Read more.)

Religious reasons? Doesn't everyone know that all true Muslims believe in Western values, not Islam?

Sharia Becoming "Shadow Legal System" in Australia

But I thought that Muslims just want democracy and that it would never occur to them that Sharia must be established throughout the world!

Canberra, July 20: The Sharia law has become a 'shadow legal system' within Australia, endorsing polygamous and underage marriages that are outlawed under the country's legal systems.

According to new research conducted by legal academics Ann Black and Kerrie Sadiq, a system of "legal pluralism" based on sharia law "abounds" in modern Australia, with religious ceremonies validating multiple wives or even underage ones.

According to the research, some Australian Muslims have been complying with the shadow system of religious law as well as mainstream law, News.com.au reports.

The research, which will be published next week, says that the wider community has been "oblivious to the legal pluralism that abounds in this country".

Sharia is based on Muslim teachings in the Koran but is open to interpretation by different religious leaders.

It has potential cultural conflicts with Australian law over points including alcohol, marriage and charging of interest on loans.

While there has been a push to adopt sharia here the Attorney General says existing laws win out. (Source)

Muslim Cleric Says Jews Were Brought to Israel to Be Slaughtered

GreekAsianPanda coming to remind us that this has nothing to do with Islam in five . . . four . . . three . . .

Muslims Execute 16 Pakistani Police Officers

***WARNING*** EXTREMELY GRAPHIC VIDEO

On June 1, the Taliban crossed the border from Afghanistan and raided the Shaltalu area of the district of Dir in northwestern Pakistan. This video shows the execution of more than a dozen Pakistani policemen who were captured during the fighting. The Taliban leader gives a speech prior to executing the Pakistani men:

"These are the enemies of Islam who originated from Pakistan. They are the Pakistani police, soldiers and their supporters who recently lined up six kids in Swat and shot them execution style. These Pakistanis are now our captive and we will avenge the death of the children by doing the same to them."

***UPDATE*** GreekAsianPanda is having an incredibly difficult time understanding how this video is at all relevant to this blog. Muslims executing Muslims for allegedly killing Muslim children apparently has nothing to do with Muslims, so the video is completely irrelevant to anyone's concerns about violence in the Muslim world. GAP has interpreted the mere fact that I posted the video as somehow meaning that I support police officers who kill children and demand that such officers be exempt from punishment. I've tried to explain things, but maybe someone else would have better luck. (Note: I seriously doubt that these police officers killed children. The Taliban throws charges at anyone they kill.)

Bottoms Up To Shariah

The following video is all the more poignant in light of David's last post.

Convert to Islam Receives 40 Lashes for Drinking Alcohol . . . in Australia

ME: "We need to be on guard against Muslims who want to impose Sharia."

OTHERS: "Racist! Bigot! Islamophobe! Everyone knows that Muslims have no desire to impose Sharia. Enough of your fear-mongering!"

AUSTRALIA--A Sydney man who was held down on his bed and whipped up to 40 times by strangers had recently converted to Islam and was reportedly being punished for drinking.

The 31-year-old was asleep in his apartment in Silverwater, in Sydney's west, when he woke to find four bearded men in his bedroom about 1am (AEST) yesterday.

Three of the intruders restrained him on the bed while the fourth man used a cable to lash him 40 times.

The attack lasted about 30 minutes and left the man covered in welts, the Seven Network reported today.

The man reportedly told police he had only recently converted to Islam and that fundamental Wahabi Muslims were punishing him for having a few drinks with friends.

Members of Sydney's Muslim community have condemned the attack.

"This criminal act has no place in Islam. As Australian Muslims we are required to follow Australian law, not take the law into our own individual hands," Ahmed Kilami, from the Muslim Village, told the Seven Network.

"I hope these guys are caught and face the full force of the law."

The victim has moved out of his home but hopes what happens to him will not distort people's view of his adopted religion, the network said. (Source)

Yes, it would be absolutely absurd to condemn Islam based on its teachings. Instead, we should ignore its teachings and praise it.

Is Bart Simpson a Racist?

Hizb ut-Tahrir Conference in Chicago

Hmmm. I'm starting to question the popular mantra that Muslims are happy with democracy and simply want to live in harmony with their non-Muslim neighbors.

Egyptian Sheikh on Killing Muhammad's Critics

Approval of U.S. among Arabs Lower under Obama Than under Bush

Obama's plan was simple. After becoming President of the United States, he would praise Islam, quote the Qur'an, bow to Muslim leaders, give speeches in the Middle East, and show us all that terrorism can be defeated with soothing words.

Reality is officially setting in. By putting himself forward as the champion of American-Islamic relations, Obama led Muslims to believe that he would carry out their interests--ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, pulling U.S. forces entirely out of the Muslim world, turning a blind-eye towards terrorist networks, and throwing Israel under the bus.

No one can say that Obama hasn't tried to please Muslims. But when a religion demands total submission, adherents often do as well. Now that Muslims are realizing that Obama isn't going to do enough for their cause, his popularity is plummeting.

WASHINGTON — Two years after US President Barack Obama called in a groundbreaking speech from Cairo for a "new beginning" in relations with the Muslim world, his popularity among Arabs has nosedived, a poll released Wednesday shows.

An overwhelming majority of more than 4,000 people surveyed in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, told the Arab American Institute that they felt that Obama had not met the expectations he laid out in the June 2009 Cairo speech, the poll found.

Obama called in his Cairo speech for an end to the cycle of "suspicion and discord" between the United States and Muslim world, and outlined a new US blueprint for the Middle East, which included a Palestinian state and efforts to defuse a nuclear showdown with Iran.

But the poll found that Arabs see the Obama administration's handling of key Middle East policy issues as having made no contribution to improving relations between them and the United States.

In fact, the two issues on which the US administration has invested "considerable energy -- the Palestinian issue and engagement with the Muslim world -- receive the lowest approval ratings," the survey found.

Less than nine percent of the people polled said the Obama administration has handled the two key issues well.

The Arab world's image of the US as a whole has also soured to become even less favorable than during the last year of the administration of president George W. Bush, under whom the United States led an international coalition that invaded Iraq, the survey found.

The killing by US Navy SEALs of Osama bin Laden did little to improve Arabs' views of the United States. Majorities in all six countries said they viewed the United States less favorably following the killing of the Al-Qaeda head in Pakistan. (Read more.)

At Least 17 Dead in Mumbai Terror Attack

Radical Methodists? Extremist Quakers? Fundamentalist Presbyterians? Since all religions supposedly teach the same thing, we can only hold our breath and wait to find out who's responsible for the latest terrorist attack in Mumbai.

FOXNEWS--Three separate explosions tore through a business district in India’s Mumbai Wednesday, leaving at least 17 people dead and 141 injured, authorities said. Less than an hour after the series of blasts, its Home Ministry confirmed a terrorist attack and placed the entire city on high alert.

Although no group claimed responsibility, the explosions hit locations where a terror siege nearly three years ago killed 166 people. Wednesday also coincided with the birthday of the lone surviving gunman of the 2008 attack.

Arup Patnaik, a top police officer, said the attackers used improvised explosive devices in the attack, hidden in an umbrella in the Jhaveri Bazaar jewelry market and kept in a car in the business district of Opera House.

Indian officials say they believe the responsibility of Wednesday's attack rests with the Indian Mujahideen, a group that works closely with Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is the group suspected to be behind the 2008 attack.

All three blasts happened from 6:50 p.m. to 7 p.m., when all the neighborhoods would have been packed with office workers and commuters. (Read more.)

Canadian Public School Allows Muslim Prayers, Prohibits Christian Prayers

Who would have thought that Islam would get special privileges in the racist, bigoted, Islamophobic West (again, and again, and again)?

TORONTO – A majority-Muslim public school in Toronto is defending its policy of allowing an imam to lead Friday prayers in the cafeteria, saying students who leave school for prayers at a mosque typically don’t return to school.

The school prohibits any Christian prayers.

For the past three years, some 300 Muslim students at Valley Park Middle School have been allowed to use the school cafeteria for their Friday prayers. Before the policy change, school officials say students would leave classes early and not return.

“I think it’s important to note the prayer isn’t conducted under the auspices of the board,” Jim Spyropoulos, a superintendent for inclusive schools with the Toronto District School Board, told the Globe and Mail newspaper. “This was the best solution that avoided compromising instructional time.”

The issue is “about religious accommodation,” Shari Schwartz-Maltz, a school district spokeswoman, told The Canadian Press.

Those explanations have not placated angry parents, who are lighting up radio call-in shows and blogging furiously — particularly since Christian and other prayers are disallowed in the public school system. (Read more.)

Three Things about Islam

Brooklyn's Own Betim Kaziu Convicted of Attempting to Join Terrorist Group in Order to Kill U.S. Troops

Instead of reading the peaceful Qur'an, Betim must have been reading al-Qaeda's radical handbook. Here are some excerpts from al-Qaeda's "Manual of Jihad":

"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."

"And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!"

"Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their property for this, that they shall have the garden; they fight in Allah's way, so they slay and are slain."

"O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness."

"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves."

Ha! Tricked you! These quotations are all taken directly from the Qur'an. No danger of radicalization from a book that commands adherents to "fight those who do not believe in Allah."

New York--A Brooklyn high school dropout was convicted Thursday of conspiring to join a foreign terrorist group so he could kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Betim Kaziu faces life in prison for the jihadi adventure that took him to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and finally Kosovo - where he was arrested in 2009.

The jury deliberated less than four hours before reaching a verdict in the two-week trial in Brooklyn Federal Court.

Kaziu smiled and waved to his parents, who emigrated from Macedonia.

"I need my son home," Kaziu's father said outside court.

Kaziu, 23, wanted to become a member of the Taliban or the Somali-based Al Shabbab so he could die a Muslim martyr on a battlefield in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine or Africa.

"The defendant desired to wage jihad," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Kazemi said in his closing argument.

"He never intended to return to the United States. He hoped to die a martyr. "

Flush with cash from a court settlement for a playground accident, Kaziu traveled overseas with a buddy from Mill Basin who chickened out of the scheme and returned to Brooklyn to eventually became a government cooperator.

Defense lawyer Joshua Dratel argued that a trove of militant videos - including some from hate-spewing Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al-Awlaki - found on Kaziu's laptop computer don't make him a terrorist.

"Millions of people watch these videos and don't fight jihad," Dratel said.

Kaziu had made a so-called martyrdom video in Albania before he was arrested.

"I came here with the brothers to chill before I, God willing, depart," Kaziu said as he stood on a cliff above the sea. (Source)

Fight Breaks Out at Abubakar As-Saddique Mosque . . . in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Punches Thrown in Minneapolis Mosque: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Faouzi Mohamad Ayoub, Former Dearborn Resident, Added to FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List

Will the Islamophobia never end? Where's Mayor O'Reilly to tell us that Dearborn is the most peaceful place on earth?

DETROIT, MICHIGAN--Federal prosecutors in Detroit have unsealed a two-year-old criminal indictment against a former Dearborn man who, they say, tried to use a phony U.S. passport to sneak into Israel in 2000 to carry out a bombing for Hizballah.

The indictment, handed down in August 2009, said Faouzi Mohamad Ayoub, 44, who also goes by the name Fawzi Ayoub, used a passport in the name of Frank Mariano Boschi to try to get into Israel. The U.S. State Department has designated Hizballah as a Lebanese terrorist group.

The indictment was unsealed Friday, two days after the FBI added the man’s name and photo to its most wanted terrorist list. There are 31 others on the list. (Read more.)

Female MPs Get into Cat Fight on Floor of Afghan Parliament

We might call it the "Democracy Delusion." Quite popular among Western politicians of the past two decades, it goes like this: "The reason we're having so many problems in the Middle East, and Afghanistan, and Pakistan, is that Muslims need democracy. Once we give them the wonderful gift of democracy, they'll realize that they don't need to settle disagreements through violence. When terrorists are finally given the right to vote, their hearts will melt, and they'll embrace the rest of the world in a love-fest of teddy bears and candy-coated raindrops."

So we introduce democracy to Afghanistan, and people still settle disagreements through violence. Why? Because democracy doesn't change people's hearts. It simply brings to light the attitudes of the majority. If the majority wants to live in peace, you'll have a peaceful country. If the majority are becoming increasingly focused on following the example of Muhammad and his companions (who tended to settle disagreements through violence), democracy isn't going to help much.

AFGHANISTAN--Some Afghan lawmakers on their Tuesday session called on President Karzai to step down amid growing tensions between executive, judiciary and legislative branches of the government.

Parliamentarians claimed that President Karzai is sick and has lost the capability to govern the nation. (Read more.)

Michigan Legislators Introduce Ban on Sharia

The proposed bill would ban enforcement of any foreign legal code that conflicts with the Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, but I think we all know which foreign system Michigan congressmen might be concerned about.

HOUSE BILL No. 4769

June 16, 2011, Introduced by Reps. Agema, Hooker, Tyler, McMillin, Lund, Bumstead, Glardon, Heise, Rogers, MacGregor, Nesbitt, MacMaster, Franz, Moss, Potvin, Genetski, Haveman, Lori, Pettalia, Haines, Shirkey, O'Brien, Knollenberg, Lyons, McBroom, Opsommer, Johnson, Denby, Muxlow, Outman, Damrow, Jacobsen, Rendon, Hughes, Kurtz, Price, Yonker, Daley, Kowall, Huuki, Scott and Cotter and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

A bill to limit the application and enforcement by a court, arbitrator, or administrative body of foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights; to provide for modification or voiding of certain contractual provisions or agreements that would result in a violation of constitutional rights; and to require a court, arbitrator, or administrative body to take certain actions to prevent violation of constitutional rights.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

Sec. 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as the "restriction of application of foreign laws act".

(2) As used in this act "foreign law" means any law, legal code, or system of a jurisdiction outside of any state or territory of the United States, including, but not limited to, international organizations and tribunals, and applied by that jurisdiction's courts, administrative bodies, or other formal or informal tribunals.

Sec. 2. A court, arbitrator, administrative agency, or other adjudicative, mediation, or enforcement authority shall not enforce a foreign law if doing so would violate a right guaranteed by the constitution of this state or of the United States.

Sec. 3. (1) If any contractual provision or agreement provides for the choice of a foreign law to govern its interpretation or the resolution of any dispute between the parties and if the enforcement or interpretation of the contractual provision or agreement would result in a violation of a right guaranteed by the constitution of this state or of the United States, the contractual provision or agreement shall be applied as modified or amended to the extent necessary to preserve the constitutional rights of the parties.

(2) If any contractual provision or agreement provides for the choice of venue or forum outside of the states or territories of the United States, and if the enforcement or interpretation of the contractual provision or agreement applying that choice of venue or forum provision would result in a violation of any right guaranteed by the constitution of this state or of the United States, that contractual provision or agreement shall be interpreted or construed to preserve the constitutional rights of the person against whom enforcement is sought. Similarly, if a natural person subject to personal jurisdiction in this state seeks to maintain litigation, arbitration, agency, or similarly binding proceedings in this state, and if a court of this state finds that granting a claim of forum non conveniens or a related claim violates or would likely lead to a violation of the constitutional rights of the nonclaimant in the foreign forum with respect to the matter in dispute, the claim shall be denied.

(3) Any contractual provision or agreement incapable of being modified or amended to preserve the constitutional rights of the parties pursuant to the provisions of this section is null and void.

(4) If a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, business association, or other legal entity contracts to subject itself to foreign law in a jurisdiction outside of any state or territory of the United States, this act does not apply to that contract.

Sec. 4. This act applies only to actual or foreseeable violations of the constitutional rights of a person caused by the application of the foreign law.

British Muslims Call for Three Independent Muslim States . . . in the UK

It would be funny if it weren't so utterly sad. Every time we say something about Muslims wanting to establish Sharia in the West, we're called "racists," "Islamophobes," "bigots," "hate-mongers," etc. And yet, again and again, Muslims say they want Sharia in the West.

United Kingdom--Islamic extremists have called on British Muslims to establish three independent states within the UK.

The notorious Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) group have named Yorkshire towns Bradford and Dewsbury and Tower Hamlets in East London as testbeds for blanket sharia rule.

The medieval 'emirates' would operate entirely outside British law, according to a document on the MAC website.

The MAC group, led by Abu Assadullah, was set up last year and has become notorious because of its violent protests, most provocatively burning poppies during the Remembrance Day silence.

Under the heading 'Muslims should set up Islamic emirates in the UK', MAC says: 'We suggest it is time that areas with large Muslim populations declare an emirate delineating that Muslims trying to live within this area are trying to live by the sharia as much as possible with their own courts and community watch and schools and even self sufficient trade. (Read more.)

Apologetics 315 Interview

I just did an interview with Brian Auten at Apologetics 315 (an excellent site, if you aren't familiar with it). We discussed arguments for Islam, the Dearborn Arab Festival, and other topics. You can listen to the interview here.

Christian Preacher Harassed and Bullied at 2011 Dearborn Arab Festival

Dearborn is caught in a spiral. A few years ago, peaceful Christian missionaries would quietly come to Dearborn to preach the Gospel. Then security started slapping Christians around, and police began throwing Christians in jail and trampling on the Constitution. This drew some of the more vocal, confrontational, anti-Sharia Christian groups to the city (e.g. Terry Jones, Ruben Israel, etc.). But instead of showing the world how peaceful and loving Muslims are, Dearborn reacted with further hostility, even towards peaceful Christian preachers. This, of course, will draw even more anti-Sharia groups to Dearborn in the future. Will the city continue to respond in anger? If so, I see no end to the spiral.



For more Dearborn videos, click here.

Muslim Clerics Condemn Law That Would Protect Women from Domestic Violence and Marital Rape

The Qur'an allows men to beat women into submission:

Qur'an 4:34--Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

It also declares that women are the sexual property of their husbands:

Qur'an 2:223--Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will; but do some good act for your souls beforehand; and fear God. And know that ye are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give (these) good tidings to those who believe.

So what happens when women ask for protection from domestic abuse or marital rape? Muslim clerics recognize that to protect women would be to condemn the Qur'an.

BEIRUT — Lebanon's highest Sunni Muslim authority on Friday rejected a bill aimed at protecting women against domestic violence and marital rape, saying it would lead to the demise "of the family as in the West."

"Islam is very aware of and concerned with... resolving problems of poor treatment... but this should not happen by cloning Western laws that encourage the breakdown of the family and do not suit our society," said the influential Dar al-Fatwa in a statement on its website.

Dar al-Fatwa also slammed as "heresy" a clause in the bill that criminalises marital rape, accusing those behind the draft law of "inventing new types of crimes."

"This will have a negative impact on Muslim children... who will see their mother threatening their father with prison, in defiance of patriarchal authority, which will in turn undermine the moral authority" of fathers, it said.

"We must continue to follow sharia (Islamic law) as concerns the Muslim family," it added.

The bill, drafted by feminist organisations, lawyers and forensic experts, was approved by Lebanon's cabinet in 2010 and is currently under study in parliament.

Should it be passed, the law would come under the penal code -- under which cases are referred to a criminal court -- rather than personal status laws, which are ruled on by religious authorities in multi-confessional Lebanon.

The bill criminalises marital rape and calls for police intervention should a woman notify authorities of abuse by her husband or another family member.

If found guilty, defendants would have to undergo rehabilitation or face prison should they fail to do so.

Domestic abuse and harassment continue to be taboo in Lebanon, considered the most liberal country in the largely conservative Arab world, with very few women filing complaints as police generally turn a blind eye and send the victims home. (Source)

Honor Killing of Aya Baradiya Leads to Law Changes in Palestine

Change takes time in the Muslim world, but it seems that more and more Muslims are calling for change.

GUARDIAN--As Ibrahim Baradiya recounts the events surrounding the last moments of his daughter's life at the bottom of a dark well, the agony of grief is drawn across the face of his wife, Fatima. She says almost nothing. Her eyes are half-closed. She shakes her head with small, rapid movements. A deep frown furrows her forehead. When the story is finished, she fetches her daughter's trinkets – beads, bangles, a hair clasp, a key ring, a purple pom-pom – and spreads them over the table and she weeps.

The story of Aya Baradiya's murder is like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle whose full picture may never be known; a dark and disturbing tale of death, lies, rumour, ruptured family relations, shame, despair and anger.

But the killing went far beyond a family affair. After the discovery of Aya's body more than a year after the 20-year-old university student went missing, her uncle confessed to Palestinian police, claiming it was an "honour" killing. Widespread protests against such crimes, led by students and women's organisations, erupted. In response, the Palestinian president last month scrapped historic laws that permitted leniency for the perpetrators of so-called "honour" killings. . . .

Under a 1960 Jordanian penal code, part of which still applies in the West Bank, which Jordan ruled between 1948 and 1967, perpetrators of such crimes are treated with leniency as they are deemed to have mitigating circumstances. The maximum sentence is six months, according to police. A clause in a 1936 British Mandate law, still in effect in Gaza, also allows for leniency in the punishment of "honour" killings.

Reliable statistics are hard to come by, but it is thought there are around 20 such crimes in the West Bank and Gaza each year. Women who have been raped or molested, or are victims of incest, are considered to have stained a family's reputation. Such acts of violation are rarely admitted by the victim's family. . . . (Read more.)

Sam Shamoun vs. 1MoreMuslim on Allah's Repentance

Have you ever noticed that some Muslims are so desperate to attack Christianity, they don't care if they contradict Islam in the process? Here is another response from Sam Shamoun to 1MoreMuslim.

--------------------------------------------------------

It is time, once again, to turn the tables on 1MoreMuslim to show that he is both inconsistent and dishonest.

He wrote:

You should be busy correcting your theology, rather than teaching me about my language. And allah is not yahweh, Allah created human being knowing they will be wicked, so he felt no regrets, unlike Yahweh.

And:

unfortunately the only God who repents is the God of the bible, perhaps you can find other Greek Gods who do so.

What makes this assertion rather astonishing is that the Quran claims that Allah is a god who often and relents and changes his mind! Note the following verse carefully:

Then Adam received commandments from his Lord, and his Lord REPENTED towards him; for He is OFT-REPENTING (huwa al-tawwabu), Most Merciful. S. 2:37

Here is how the verse is translated in the various English versions:

Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He RELENTED toward him. Lo! He is THE RELENTING, the Merciful. Pickthall

Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord TURNED towards him; for He is Oft-RETURNING, Most Merciful. Y. Ali

Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He TURNED to him mercifully; surely He is Oft-RETURNING (to mercy), the Merciful. Shakir

Then Adam learnt from his Lord certain words of prayer. So HE TURNED toward him with mercy. Surely HE is Oft-RETURNING with compassion, and is Merciful. Sher Ali

Thereafter Adam received certain words from his Lord, and He TURNED towards him; truly He TURNS, and is All-compassionate. Arberry

And Adam caught certain words from his Lord, and He TURNED towards him, for He is the compassionate one easily TURNED. Palmer

And words of prayer learned Adam from his Lord: and God TURNED to him; for He loveth to TURN, the Merciful. Rodwell

And Adam learned words [of prayer] from his Lord, and God TURNED unto him, for he is easy to be reconciled and merciful. Sale

Notice that these versions render the Arabic words taba and tawwab as relented, relenting, turned, turns etc. Now my question to you is what does repentance mean if not a turning away from something towards something? What does repentance mean if not relenting from something? Moreover, what did Allah relent from? What did he turn from when he turned towards Adam in mercy and compassion?

Here are a few more cases where Allah is said to repent and change his mind or course of action:

Except those who repent (taboo) and make amends and openly declare: To them I repent (atoobu); for I am Oft-Repenting (wa ana al-tawwabu), Most Merciful. S. 2:160

Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance (al-tawbata) from his servants and takes the alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (huwa al-tawwabu), the Merciful? S. 9:104

And to the three who were left behind, until the earth became strait to them notwithstanding its spaciousness and their souls were also straightened to them; and they knew it for certain that there was no refuge from Allah but in Him; then He repented (taba) to them that they might repent (liyatooboo); surely Allah is the Oft-repenting (huwa al-tawwabu), the Merciful. S. 9:118

Let us see how the lexical sources define these words:

= Ta-Waw-Ba = TO RETURN; REPENT; TURN ONE’S SELF IN A REPENTANT MANNER (with ila or without it), TURN with mercy (with ala), ADAPT.

taba vb. (1) (Project Root List)

Now just in case 1MoreMuslim still wants to stubbornly deny that these words mean that Allah actually repents and changes his mind, here are some verses where the very same words are used in connection to Allah calling individuals to change or repent from their evils ways:

They will question thee concerning the monthly course. Say: 'It is hurt; so go apart from women during the monthly course, and do not approach them till they are clean. When they have cleansed themselves, then come unto them as God has commanded you.' Truly, God loves those who repent (al-tawwabeena), and He loves those who cleanse themselves. S. 2:222 Arberry

And when two of you commit indecency, punish them both; but if they repent (taba) and make amends, then suffer them to be; God turns, and is All-compassionate. S. 4:16 Arberry

And to Thamood their brother Salih; he said, 'O my people, serve God! You have no god other than He. It is He who produced you from the earth and has given you to live therein; so ask forgiveness of Him, then repent (tooboo) to Him; surely my Lord is nigh, and answers prayer. S. 11:61 Arberry

Save him who repenteth (taba) and believeth and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. And whosoever repenteth (taba) and doeth good, he verily repenteth (yatoobu) toward Allah with true repentance (mataban). S. 25:70-71 Pickthall

Believers, turn (tooboo) to God in sincere repentance (tawbatan); it may be that your Lord will acquit you of your evil deeds, and will admit you into gardens underneath which rivers flow. Upon the day when God will not degrade the Prophet and those who believe with him, their light running before them, and on their right hands; and they say, ‘Our Lord, perfect for us our light, and forgive us; surely Thou art powerful over everything.’ S. 66:8 Arberry

To further confirm that Allah literally changes his mind and repents, here is what the Quran says Allah did when the people whom Jonah preached to repented of their sins:

If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed and profited by its belief as did the folk of Jonah! When they believed WE DREW OFF FROM THEM THE TORMENT OF DISGRACE in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while. S. 10:98 Pickthall

Let us see how the Muslim expositors interpreted this passage:

(If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed) if only the people of a township believed when the punishment befell them (and profited by its belief) He says: their faith did not benefit them upon the descent of punishment (as did the folk of Jonah) except the folk of Jonah who benefited from their belief. (When they believed We drew off) WE DIVERTED (from them the torment of disgrace) the severe punishment (in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while) We left them without punishment until they died. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs, Q. 10:98; bold, capital and italic emphasis ours)

If only there had been one town - meaning its inhabitants - that believed, before chastisement befell it, and profited by its belief - except for the people of Jonah: when they believed, after seeing a portent of the chastisement, for they did not wait [to believe] until it came to pass, We removed from upon them the chastisement of degradation in the life of this world and We gave them comfort for a while, until the conclusion of their terms [of life]. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Q. 10:98; bold and italic emphasis ours)

And they believed, after they saw [with their own eyes] the chastisement WHICH THEY HAD BEEN PROMISED. So We gave them comfort, We kept them alive to enjoy their wealth, for a while, until their terms [of life] would be concluded [while they took comfort] therein. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Q. 37:148; bold, capital and italic emphasis ours)

… Then he mentioned the multitude of followers that Musa had, peace be upon him, then that he saw his nation of people filling from the west to the east. The point is that between Musa and Yunus, there was no nation, in its entirety, that believed except the people of Yunus, the people of Naynawa (Nineveh). And they only believed because they feared that the torment from which their Messenger warned them, might strike them. They actually witnessed its signs. So they cried to Allah and asked for help. They engaged in humility in invoking Him. They brought their children and cattle and asked Allah to lift the torment from which their Prophet had warned them. As a result, Allah sent His mercy AND REMOVED THE SCOURGE from them and gave them respite. Allah said…

In interpreting this Ayah, Qatadah said: "No town has denied the truth and then believed when they saw the scourge, and then their belief benefited them, with the exception of the people of Yunus. When they lost their Prophet and they thought that the scourge was close upon them, Allah sent through their hearts the desire to repent. So they wore woolen fabrics and they separated each animal from its offspring. They then cried out to Allah for forty nights. When Allah saw the truth in their hearts and that they were sincere in their repentance and regrets, He REMOVED the scourge from them." Qatadah said: "It was mentioned that the people of Yunus were in Naynawa, the land of Mosul." This was also reported from Ibn Mas`ud, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and others from the Salaf. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 10:98; bold and capital emphasis ours)

These commentators candidly admit that even though Allah had sworn to punish Nineveh, he nonetheless repented from destroying them when he saw their repentance!

The foregoing proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that when taba and tawwab are used in respect to the Islamic deity we are to interpret this as Allah literally changing his mind and course of action.

Now watch as 1More tries to pervert the plain and unambiguous meanings of these texts and Arabic words in order to force the Quran to agree with his theological presuppositions. Watch him do the very thing he condemns Christians for doing in trying to force these verses to fit in with his mistaken notion that his god is perfect and therefore never repents and changes his mind.

Lord willing, in my next post I will prove that Allah doesn’t simply allow people to do evil, as 1More erroneously asserted, but that he actually creates them to be evil and to act wickedly!

Inconsistency, thy name is 1MoreMuslim!

Malak's Journey from Islam to Christ

I just read the testimony of a young woman who left Islam and became a Christian last year. Her name is Malak. I'll post the beginning here. You can continue reading on her blog.

I didn’t grow up abused or neglected; my parents loved me more than they loved themselves. I was the result of seven years of failed attempts and desperation that led to in-vitro as a last resort. I was named Malak, Arabic for “angel”, because my dad thought I was a gift from God. My family is devoutly Muslim and proudly adheres the Shia’a School of Thought. Islam was a huge part of my life growing up and I spent almost as much time in Islamic School as I did my regular secular public schools. I started fasting during Ramadan when I was eight, and learned Salat (the five daily Islamic prayers) at age nine.

I came from your average family—my dad worked as a carpenter, my mom was the stay-at-home-and-raise-the-kids wife, and my siblings and I did a great job at being destructive little monsters (as every good child should be). Dad was the authority and disciplinary figure in our home, mom never had the heart to punish us when we did something wrong, she rarely even yelled at us.

For as long as I can remember dad was in and out of hospitals a lot, my siblings and I spent a lot of time at my uncle’s house because mom would stay overnight at the hospital with dad; we were often there for weeks at a time. I never really knew what was wrong with him because I was so young, but one day when I was in the fifth grade my mom told me that he had cancer. I laughed, I didn’t know what that meant and I didn’t know how else to react. I remember going to my friend’s house that day and telling her about it, the news didn’t really register with either of us, we just continued playing outside. Fast forward to sixth grade, late-November 2004, dad was back home for a few days. The night before he went back to the hospital I’d really irked him because I kept refusing to clean my room and he yelled, “I only have so little time left on this earth and you kids are shortening that time!” That was the last time he was home alive. I got to see him at the hospital for the last time on November 29th; he died December 1st of liver cancer that had spread to his lungs.

I wasn’t raised to trust in God or love Him; Islam was more of a guide on how to live a good and moral life. A bunch of rules with no real reason to follow them other than the get out of jail free card they might guarantee you. So when my dad died I didn’t know how to cope and neither did my mom; I remember walking in on her crying one night and in an attempt to comfort her, told her it was okay and that dad was in heaven now, happy and healthy. She got upset with me and insisted that my dad would rather be here with us on earth suffering than happy in heaven. Even as an eleven year old kid I thought that was strange, isn’t heaven supposed to be the greatest place ever? Back then heaven was just a place of worldly pleasures, a place where you got whatever you wanted and lived however you wanted; there was no sadness or death, just a place to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. God wasn’t the focus, the worldly stuff was, the idea of “being with God” was never really taught, He was God, what did He care about being in the presence of humans? Our goal was to be good so that He would let us into Paradise and we could finally be happy and content, with or without Him there. So when mom said that dad would rather be here with us then in heaven I realized that nothing could be more important, nothing could satisfy, other than family—not even heaven or God. Yes, when asked I would always say “God is first”, but only because that’s what you’re supposed to say.

My faith in God got shaky; I didn’t trust Him much. He’d taken my dad away which, according to my mom, was a huge mistake on His part. My dad was supposed to stay here and take care of us, what did God think He was doing when He took him away? Doesn’t He know that my dad would rather be here than in heaven? Shaky faith turned into anger and soon into unbelief. I never called myself an Atheist, it went against my conscious, but I refused to acknowledge Him and wanted nothing to do with such a malevolent deity. This didn’t last long though, once my Islamic School had started up again the fear of hell was beaten back into me with scary stories of eternal torment and Judgment Day; still no love, trust, or even respect for God, just fear for my own soul. (Continue reading . . .)