Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Farhan Qureshi Renounces Islam

Farhan Qureshi was raised as an Ahmadi Muslim, but later became an orthodox Muslim. (Ahmadis believe in all five pillars and all six articles of faith of Sunni Islam, but they have some different beliefs about end times. Unfortunately, their unorthodox eschatological views have led to worldwide persecution at the hands of their more orthodox counterparts.)

Sam, Nabeel, James, and I have had a number of public debates with Farhan on the Deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Qur'an, the prophethood of Muhammad, and other topics (click here to watch some of our debates with Farhan). Farhan was once a member of the infamous Muslim Debate Initiative (which seems to be crumbling). The general consensus of those of us who knew Farhan was this: "It's only a matter of time before Farhan leaves Islam. He's too good a guy to keep defending these teachings."

Recently, Farhan circulated a letter declaring his apostasy. I didn't post the letter or announce his decision, since I wasn't sure he wanted this information to go public. However, Farhan has now quite publicly proclaimed his apostasy. Here's the announcement posted on Faith Freedom:

After years of having been involved in think tanks, advocacy groups, da’wah (invitation or propagation) initiatives and academic apologetics as a Muslim, I have I decided to evolve my perspective of reality and existence as knowledge has reached me and renounce my faith in Islam. This was a thought out decision that took months of prayer, consideration, evaluation and knowledge-seeking on my part. Every bit as it has been a search for meaning and truth is has been a grieving process for me to realize that what I have been attached to all of these years is in fact not the ultimate reality behind our existence. Nevertheless it is simultaneously liberation and continued enlightenment that brings about serenity and peace of mind for me as well.

My apostasy has not been based on disliking Islam or its requirements rather it was based on a realization that Islam is in direct contradiction with contemporary knowledge involving and including science, philosophy, ethics, anthropology, and the field which I am most interested in, educated in and practice as my line of work, namely, psychology: the science and study of human behavior.

In the coming months I plan to contribute articles to FFI which explore the behavior and psyche of the different types of Muslims out there: the western Muslim, the mystic (Sufi), the purist (Salafi), and the politically driven (Hizb/Ikhwan) are among the many colors of the Ummah, each having its own set of advocates with unique behaviors and mentality. I have spent time and energy studying and experiencing the different denominations and sub-cultures within the Ummah. Having experienced their spirituality and religiosity first hand, having studied with their scholars and preachers, and having read books, articles and arguments from them, I believe that I have a grasp of where they stand psychologically and I plan to explore this more in-depth in the near future as I publish articles.

I realized that 1400 years worth of consistent Islamiyya theology is not what I believed was the ultimate truth, rather I realized that it was a primitive attempt at understanding and implementing social, spiritual, religious and ethical standards. These seventh century standards might give slight insight into how humanity, and in this case, Arab civilization was evolving and progressing from its previous ‘jahiliyya’ or ignorance, and yet effectively became stagnant with its own set of conservative traditionalism that would not allow Arab civilization to move forward. The only attempts at progression were the rationalist Mu’tazilites of the eight century which gave rise to what many observe as the Golden Age of Islam. Yet these rationalists were viewed as heretics and apostates themselves and would become extinct by the thirteenth century. Instead dogmatic traditionalism or Sunnah would thrive in the Muslim world and the European Renaissance with its progressive attitude would pick up where the all but extinct Middle Eastern rationalists left off.

Perhaps the most important realization I have come to is that I would receive the death penalty under Shariah law for simply coming to these conclusions or realizations. This disturbs me to the core and demonstrates how the Ummah uses fear tactics under its Shariah system in order to preserve and strengthen their theological and political agenda. What I am grateful for however is the opportunity to witness the evolution of humanity where we no longer are restricted by primitive forms of theology and law and yet we continue to strive for integrity, honesty, humility, character development, and moral stability. There is a promising future for our species and not a dark one as theologians are attempting to brainwash their adherents with.

As a Muslim apologist I remember debating at numerous types of venues including Mosques, Churches, Universities, Convention Halls and Libraries. Having engaged with notable Christian apologists such as Dr. James White, Dr. Tony Costa and Professor David Wood I learned that the purpose of apologetics was not confrontation rather to come to an understanding of truth even if it meant evolving one’s own perspective. The idea of receiving an apparent truth is to embrace it, not fight it. The moment we try to fight an apparent truth or reality we begin to dwell in hypocrisy: understanding that something is apparently true and yet denying it for selfish reasons or attachment to preconceived notions. I want to thank Ali Sina for giving me the platform to explore Islam and to expose its primitive nature as incompatible with contemporary reality unless and until Muslims choose to reform it. (Source)

Muslims in Thailand Behead Children

Muslims in Southern Thailand have spent years trying to rid the area of non-Muslims and non-Islamic influences. As the government pushes back against terrorism, the tactics of Muslims are escalating in brutality. Now Muslims are beheading children.

****WARNING**** EXTREMELY GRAPHIC CONTENT. I POST THIS SO THAT PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAILAND.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Muslim Flight Passenger Rageh Almurisi Storms Cockpit Yelling "Allahu Akbar!"

A Muslim yelling "Allahu Akbar" attempts to storm the cockpit, and authorities "do not yet have a motive." Perhaps he was looking for some extra peanuts.

SAN FRANCISCO – The passengers sat stunned as they watched a man walk quickly toward the front of American Airlines Flight 1561 as it was descending toward San Francisco. He was screaming and then began pounding on the cockpit door.

"I kept saying to myself: 'What's he doing? Does he have a bomb? Is he armed?'" passenger Angelina Marty said.

Within moments Sunday, a flight attendant tackled Rageh Almurisi. Authorities do not yet have a motive.

While authorities said that Almurisi, 28, of Vallejo, Calif., has no clear or known ties to terrorism, the incident underscored fears that extremists may try to mount attacks to retaliate for the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden last week.

Federal agents are investigating Almurisi's background. He was carrying a Yemeni passport and a California identification card, authorities said.

Yemen, a nation at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula, has been a focus of U.S. officials because one of the most active branches of al-Qaida operates in the remote part of the country.

Almurisi went toward the cockpit door 30 minutes before the flight from Chicago was supposed to land on Sunday night, San Francisco airport police Sgt. Michael Rodriguez said. Almurisi was yelling unintelligibly as he brushed past a flight attendant.

Marty, 35, recalled that she and other passengers on the plane were stunned when they saw Almurisi walking down the aisle. She said a woman in a row across from her who speaks Arabic translated that Almurisi said "God is Great!" in Arabic.

Andrew Wai, another passenger, told KGO-TV on Monday that the wife of one of the men who took Almurisi down later said Almurisi was yelling "Allahu Akbar."

"There was no question in everybody's mind that he was going to do something," Marty said.

A male flight attendant tackled Almurisi, and other crew members and passengers, including a retired Secret Service agent and a retired San Mateo police officer, helped subdue him as he banged on the door, police said. The flight attendant put plastic handcuffs on him. (Source)

Muslim Student Abdulrahman Khalid Althuwayb Arrested for Making Bomb Threat at Roger Williams University

How dare these racist, intolerant, bigoted Islamophobes arrest a man for making a bomb threat! Don't they know his religion commands him to fight the unbelievers (Qur'an 9:29)? By denying his right to blow people up, they're violating his freedom of religion!

BRISTOL, R.I. -- The suspicious person arrested at Roger Williams University on Thursday was a Saudi Arabia man studying English, police said Monday. They had been called to investigate a possible bomb threat.

Lt. Steven Contente said Abdulrahman Khalid Althuwayb, 25, asked for food service at the dining center before it opened Thursday morning. A dining supervisor said that Althuwayb was served, and he was asked to come during business hours next time. Two university employees told police they heard Althuwayb say, "OK, don't worry, today is the last day, and tomorrow I blow the walls out."

Bristol Police took him to headquarters and charged him with making a bomb threat or similar false report. He was arraigned in District Court, Providence, on Friday. Surety bail was set at $10,000. He was unable to post 10 percent in cash or property worth the full amount. He was referred to a public defender and awaits a July 8 felony screening. (Source)

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mentally Ill Christian Charged with Blasphemy in Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan, May 6 (CDN) — Police in Chichawatni, Sahiwal district have charged a mentally ill Christian with “injuring religious feelings” under Pakistan’s widely condemned blasphemy laws.

Three families related to 25-year-old Babar Masih – the only other Christian families in the area – have fled their homes after a Muslim mob threatened to harm them, relatives of the accused told Compass.

Police in Chichawatni, Punjab Province registered the blasphemy case against Masih on Monday (May 2) after arresting him at about 10 p.m. that night. Son of Iqbal Masih in Shakir Colony, Chichawatni Bypass, the young man’s own family handed him over to police because a large number of Muslim clerics had gathered outside their house and demanded that he be turned over to them so that they could “do justice” by killing him, relatives said.

A Muslim neighbor, Rana Sardar, had told Masih’s family that the police should be called so that he could be taken into custody, “otherwise he would be killed by the Muslim clerics who were getting more charged up with every passing moment,” a relative said. With a large number of people gathered at the house when police arrived, Babar Masih was handed over from another gate and immediately put into a police van.

When the clerics saw Masih being put into the police van, they rushed toward it and tried to take hold of him. They continued chasing after the vehicle as it carried him away, giving the three families related to Masih’s immediate family the opportunity to flee from their homes, relatives said. At press time they were still in hiding.

Masih’s brother, Amjad Masih, said that after fleeing from their home, he talked with neighbors who told him that several other neighbors had been pressured by Muslim clerics to go to the police station to provide testimony against the accused.

“These neighbors were of the opinion that they could not refuse to give evidence after the Muslim clerics forced them, telling them that they were coming out of the mosque after prayer when Babar Masih used abusive language against the prophet Muhammad,” Amjad Masih said. “They told me, ‘It is such a sensitive matter that we could not refuse.’” (Source)

Nigeria: Muslims Slaughter Christians and Burn Christian Homes

Notice the following BBC report attributes the bloodshed to "power struggles and land disputes." The violence never has anything to do with Islam.

BBC--At least 16 people have been killed in an attack on a predominantly Christian village in northern Nigeria.

Police said late on Friday that unidentified assailants had also burnt a number of houses in the village in Bauchi state, near Tafawa Balewa.

Bauchi is in Nigeria's middle belt, where the predominantly Muslim north meets the mainly Christian south.

There are long-standing tensions in the area rooted in power struggles and land disputes, correspondents say.

This has caused violence in the past between indigenous Christian or animist groups, and Muslim settlers from the North.

Hundreds have died in clashes in Nigeria following national elections last month in which Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian, won the presidential poll against a Muslim, Muhammadu Buhari.

The worst of the violence was in Bauchi and Kaduna states. (Source)

Jihadists Recruiting . . . in Switzerland

Switzerland? SWITZERLAND?? SWITZERLAND???

Switzerland--Defence Minister Ueli Maurer says there has been an increase in the recruitment of Muslims for militant training camps.

In an interview with the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, Maurer said the government was aware of Swiss who went to these training camps, and others who visited Koran schools.

He said the federal intelligence service had a good overview of Switzerland’s “Jihad fighters”, but refused to give any figures.

According to the intelligence service, a militant Islamic network was set up last year in Switzerland in order to find recruits who are sent to countries like Somalia and Yemen.

Maurer told the newspaper that under current Swiss laws it is difficult to prevent Islamists from raising funds.

“The intelligence service can only observe and provide analyses,” he said. “We have at our disposal very little means [to fight Islamic militant activities] since parliament has up to now rejected them.” (Source)

Muslims Attack Churches in Egypt

Notice that we see the same pattern across the Muslim world.

STEP ONE: Someone doesn't like Christians.

STEP TWO: The person starts a rumor, e.g. "That Christian burned a Qur'an!" "That Christian blasphemed Muhammad!" "That church is keeping a convert to Islam in chains!"

STEP THREE: Instead of carefully assessing the evidence, Muslims instead form a mob and start burning churches and killing Christians.

STEP FOUR: The media portrays the senseless violence as "community conflict."

STEP FIVE: Everyone insists that the conflict has nothing to do with Islam (or the Qur'an's commands to subjugate non-Muslims, etc.).

And Muslims tell us the spread of Islam will help the West.

CAIRO--At least 10 people are dead and 185 are injured, some seriously, after Islamists burned down two churches in a Cairo suburb overnight in a bloody rampage against Coptic Christians.

It was the second assault on Egyptian Christians in less than a month.

Hundreds of Salafist radicals massed outside the Saint Mina Church on Saturday night firing guns, and throwing Molotov cocktails, bottles and rocks amid rumours swirling through the country’s Muslim community that a Coptic Christian’s wife had converted secretly to Islam and was being held in the church against her will.

The woman in question has appeared on television to deny the rumours but Salafists and their supporters refuse to believe her.

Police and soldiers intervened at the scene but the mob then moved on to another church, Saint Mary’s, and torched it too.

The Egyptian cabinet met in emergency session on Sunday to address the matter.

On March 9, another church was burned down on the same pretext, leaving 13 dead.

Christians represent around 10 percent of Egypt’s population and complain of systematic discrimination by the Muslim majority.

The country is also gripped by mass anti-Semitism. A 2006 survey by Pew showed 97 percent of Egyptians admitting to having an unfavourable opinion of Jews, 82 percent describing their views as “very unfavourable”. (Source)

Friday, May 6, 2011

President Obama's Alternative Bin Laden Speech

Six Suicidal Assumptions about Islam

Excellent overview from Citizen Warrior.

1. Islam is about Muslims.

No, Islam is about everyone. Islam has rules about everything, and that includes non-Muslims. 61% of the Koran is about non-Muslims. It has rules about whether or not Muslims should befriend non-Muslims; about how to treat non-Muslims captured in war; about whether non-Muslim women can be raped; the attitude to take towards the possessions of non-Muslims. Most of these rules are unfavourable or hostile toward non-Muslims.

2. Islam is a race (kind of).

There’s a lot of sloppy thinking about this. Making this assumption will render you incapable of any clear thinking on the subject. When you think about it, it’s obvious Islam is a belief system, but when people criticise Islam they are often accused of racism. Defenders of Islam are happy to exploit this tendency as a charge of racism carries such force in a society sensitised to it. But Islam is and always will be a belief system, not a gene pool.

3. Islam is a religion.

There is a theme of personal salvation within Islam which gives it some similarities to other religions. However, this is not the main part of Islam. It is mainly a political and legal system with rules concerning the conduct of every imaginable subject from warfare to wiping your bottom. It is both highly political and very personal which may help to explain its huge capacity for taking offence. In a society concerned about discriminating against people on the basis of religion, the religious dimension of Islam can be exploited for political gain.

Islam teaches that achieving personal salvation is done through obeying all the rules and extending Islam’s control of the world. The surest way to personal salvation is by being killed whilst fighting for Islam.

Islam is often described by Muslims as a “total system of life”. This is a fair description. The effects of this system can be seen right across the Muslim world where women are subordinated, free expression is non-existent, and tyranny in one form or another is the norm.

4. The word “Islam” means “peace.”

Actually, “Islam” means “submission”. The basic idea is that perfect submission to the will of Allah brings peace. How do Muslims know the will of Allah? By studying what Muhammad said and did. What did Muhammad say and do? He brought new lands under the control of Islam and told his followers to do the same. So Muslims bring new lands under the control of Islam. When the whole world submits to the will of Allah, there will be “peace”, as Islam defines it.

In the past, Islam conquered new lands by following Muhammad’s example of military conquest. Today, this is less feasible so Islam follows Muhammad’s example of migration (al-Hijra). This is a 3 step process: (a) migrate (b) multiply (c) dominate. (b) is achieved by new arrivals, having large families, and converting the host population. (c) is achieved by subversion, increasing intimidation, then revolution. (a), (b) and (c) are mutually reinforcing. For example, the power achieved through (b) and (c) can be used to block controls on (a) migration.

5. Because most Muslims are not violent it must mean that Islam is not violent.

The perception that most Muslims are not violent will depend on where you live. In those countries where Muslims are more dominant, they tend to be more aggressive. As a rule of thumb, where Muslims are a minority they are less violent. This goes back to the birth of Islam: when Muhammad had a small band of followers in Mecca, the message he gave them was peaceful and tolerant (“Let there be no compulsion in religion” is a favourite from this period); when he migrated to Medina and established dominance he and his followers became more violent (“Kill the unbelievers wherever ye find them” is a favourite from this period). The message he taught after migrating to Medina is saturated with violence. The principle here is that when Muslims are in a weak position, the Meccan message is uppermost; when they are dominant, the Medinan message is unleashed.

In effect, Islam is both violent and tolerant: when circumstances dictate, it is driven by the Meccan message; but, when circumstances allow, it switches to the Medinan message. Being a “good” Muslim and doing what’s right for Islam will change accordingly.

6. The best person to ask about Islam is a Muslim.

About 90% of Muslims know very little about Islam. Most Muslims do not study Islam for themselves; they get their opinions ready-made from their leaders. They don’t have an in-depth knowledge and most probably don’t want it because the consequences of forming a deviant viewpoint can be fatal. Many Muslims are also in denial about the real nature of Islam.

Given what has been said about the Meccan and the Medinan messages, how do you know which message your Muslim is familiar with? And, if your Muslim knows the Medinan message is he/she going to tell you? There is a longstanding principle of using deception to protect the faith and the faithful in Islam which, as with all things Islamic, goes back to Muhammad’s own example.
_______________________________

The conclusions we reach reflect the assumptions we make. Start with false assumptions and you reach false conclusions. Start with suicidal assumptions and you reach suicidal conclusions. We don’t have to make these mistakes ourselves; our leaders are making them on our behalf. We and our children will suffer the consequences.

Islam has a foothold in our country. If you want to prevent that becoming a stranglehold by means of the “peace process” described in 5 above, you need to join the Resistance.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Muslim Convert James A. Larry Gets Life in Prison after Murdering Family for Rejecting Islam

So Larry will get a life of prison dawah to help other inmates convert to Islam, just as he converted to Islam in prison before murdering his family in the name of Islam.

CHICAGO--A man who was angry that his family would not go along with his conversion to Islam was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday in the slayings of his mother, pregnant wife, infant son and two nieces in a rampage last year on the South Side.

James A. Larry, 33, of Madison, Wis., pleaded guilty last month to multiple counts of murder, attempted murder and the intentional homicide of an unborn child.

The bald, bearded defendant issued a quiet apology in Judge James Linn's courtroom, as several surviving members of the family stood at a podium and clutched one another.

"I'm sorry for what I did to my family," Larry said, standing in a tan jail jumpsuit, his hands clasped behind his back. "I regret it every day, and I pray for them."

Family members chose not to submit victim-impact statements for the judge to consider and declined to speak after the hearing, telling a court liaison they were simply relieved the case was over.

Prosecutors said Larry came to Chicago in April 2010 bent on slaughtering his relatives at the home in the Marquette Park neighborhood. He had converted to Islam while serving a prison sentence in Wisconsin for a weapons conviction.

"He was upset at his wife and their family — he felt disrespected that they would not join his religion," Assistant State's Attorney Jim McKay said. "It didn't matter if they were young or old, pregnant or not. He wanted them dead."

The massacre began in the early morning hours April 14, at the family home in the 7400 block of South Mozart Street. Larry first shot his mother, Leona Larry, 57, as she slept on a sofa in the living room. He then went systematically through three first-floor bedrooms, fatally shooting his wife, Twanda Thompson, 19; his 7-month-old son, Jihad; his 3-year-old niece, Keleasha Larry; and his 16-year-old niece, Keyshai Fields, who was pregnant.

Larry also shot his 13-year-old nephew, Demond Larry, in the face, but the boy survived. The defendant then kicked in the bedroom door of a man who lived in the basement of the home and tried to shoot him, but no bullets fired, prosecutors said.

After Larry's 12-year-old niece awoke to the gunfire and saw her bloodied relatives, she ran out of the house. Larry chased her down the street and fired but missed, prosecutors said. The girl made it to a gas station and called her mom.

When Larry was arrested a short time later, he said to police that Allah told him to kill his family, according to court records. A police report quoted him as saying: "I wish I had more bullets. I wish I had more bullets."

Linn remarked in court that, based on the accounts of the defendant's erratic behavior, he expected to see some evidence of underlying psychiatric issues. But in the end, he said, "there were none." (Source)

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Honor Killing in Michigan: Rahim Alfetlawi Murders Step-Daughter Jessica Mokdad for Not Following Islam

At least there's a good chance of justice in the city of Warren. In Dearborn, police would probably cover up the honor killing in order to preserve the city's reputation.

20-year-old Woman Dead; Stepfather Charged with Murder: MyFoxDETROIT.com


WARREN, Mich. — Authorities say a Minnesota man killed his 20-year-old stepdaughter in Michigan because she left home and wasn't following Islam.

Rahim Alfetlawi, 45, was being held today in the Macomb County Jail without bond after being charged with first-degree murder in the death Saturday of Jessica Mokdad at her grandmother's home in the Detroit suburb of Warren. He was arraigned Monday and awaits a May 12 preliminary examination.

Warren Police Detective Lt. Michael Torey says the Coon Rapids man went to police in neighboring Center Line to report the shooting. Torey says Alfetlawi told police the gun accidentally discharged when he pulled it out but police believe he intentionally shot her in the head.

Alfetlawi requested a court-appointed lawyer. A number listed for Alfetlawi in Minnesota wasn't in service. (Source)

Friday, April 29, 2011

Sam and David on "Jesus or Muhammad" This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

Sam and I will be on ABN this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 8:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time) each night. We'll be on with Pastor Joseph on Friday, Jay Smith on Saturday, and Anthony Rogers on Sunday. Those who don't get ABN via satellite can watch live here.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Gaddafi's Forces Using Rape as a Weapon of War

LIBYA--Children as young as eight are being raped in front of their families by Gaddafi's forces in Libya, according to a leading charity.

Aid workers described horrific stories of widespread sexual abuse, including one incident in which a group of girls was abducted and held hostage for four days.

When they were finally released, they were too traumatised to speak.

Other children have described being forced to watch as their fathers were murdered and their mothers raped.

They told Save The Children that they themselves were then brually beaten before being released. (Read more.)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Christian Evangelist Abraham Abera Beaten to Death by Muslims in Ethiopia

If a Palestinian had been beaten to death by an Israeli soldier, Muslims would be rioting in the streets around the world right now. But since it's a Christian evangelist being killed by Muslims, don't expect much of a reaction from anyone.

Washington--International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on April 21 four Muslims beat an evangelist to death and assaulted his pregnant wife in Worabe, Ethiopia, an area that is 97% Muslim.

The Muslims lured Evangelist Abraham Abera from Kale Hiwot Church, his home and place of ministry, at 9:30 p.m. They told him that his friend was sick and needed his immediate attention. Abraham left with the men; they turned on him and began to beat him with rods. The minister's wife, Birtukan, saw the men attack her husband and ran to intervene, but the Muslims beat her as well.

Abraham died on the spot and his wife, who sustained a severe head injury, was left unconscious in the street. She was found and taken to a hospital in Butajira, where she regained consciousness on April 22nd and was able to recount the details of the attack. Birtukan spoke with an ICC source and said that she knew two of the attackers. She said that as the Muslims were beating her and her husband, they told them, "You (Christians) are growing in number in our area. You are spreading your message (the gospel). We will destroy you."

Though Birtukan did suffer injuries to her mid-section, her unborn baby did fortunately survive the attack.

The attackers still remain at large. A Christian leader in the area told ICC that the men may not be arrested because the local officials are also Muslims. "Christians in Worabe and its surrounding areas are persecuted at the hands of Muslim radicals, and the local government officials, who are Muslims, don't protect Christians. We urge the higher government authorities [state and federal officials] to intervene and protect us," said the Christian leader.

"The brutal killing of Evangelist Abraham and the beating of his wife, Birtukan, is deeply troubling. We urge the federal government authorities to investigate this latest attack as well as reports of persecution against Christians in the Silte zone," said Jonathan Racho, ICC's Regional Manager for Africa. (Source)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011