Australia is becoming a popular destination for Muslims leaving Asia and the Middle East, which is troubling to some Australians. But, the country’s Christians are using this as an opportunity for the Gospel.
Forty years ago, residents would rarely see Muslims on the streets of Sydney or Melbourne. Now, as many as 500,000 Muslims reside in Australia. And when they immigrate to the island nation, they settle into neighbourhoods that are fast becoming Islamic ghettos.
Al Hayat Television, also known as Life TV, is working to make sure these Muslims have an opportunity to hear the Gospel. The Arabic television channel was launched in Australia by Michael el Masry, a former Muslim. El Masry started the channel with his own limited finances and persevered despite fierce opposition from the Islamic community. He says, “He died for them. They deserve the message of salvation. Who is going to give them the message?” He told CBN News Al Hayat TV Australia airs Christian programmes in a way that Muslims understand.
Former Muslims recently attended a Christian worship in Arabic at a church in Sydney. Ali Bazzi has pastored the Al-Obour Church for nearly two years. Al-Obour means “crossover” in Arabic. Most members are Muslims who have converted to Christianity. Some come to the church secretly because they fear being discovered by
Muslim family members. Several attendees have received death threats for leaving Islam. Ali Bazzi spent his youthful years as a radical Muslim in Lebanon. A Muslim friend who converted to Christianity introduced him to the Bible and to Jesus.
“I liked the personality of Jesus Christ,” Bazzi said.
Source: Cedar News.
Note by the editor: It reminds me of a pamphlet published by Christian Missionaries in Ghana ‘How to invite a Muslim to convert to Christianity”. The first point was: “Do not speak to him about trinity, he will never understand it”. “Speak instead about the love of Jesus”.
Well, why are many, many more Christians converting to Islam than the other way round? See for an answer and find information in our site, Islam for the West.
Categories: Australia, CHRISTIANITY, Islam
Christian Missions in India
Missionary activity was a part and parcel of spread of British Empire in the 19th century and the converts were suitably rewarded politically and financially. As regards rational basis for Christian theology, it cannot stand for a minute in front of Islam. Here I present to you some history from the 19th century and our Islam for the West site presents a lot of literature to rationally compare Islam and Christianity.
Rev. Elwood Morris Wherry (1843-1927) was an American Presbyterian missionary to India who wrote a number of books. He was sent with his wife as American Presbyterian missionaries to Rawalpindi in the Punjab in India in 1867. Let me quote his vision about evangelizing to the Muslims:
Read further as to how the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community successfully stopped the onslaught of Christianity in India, in the Muslim Sunrise. Click here.
Violence in the Bible and Jihad in the Quran
This article was originally published in the Muslim Sunrise, in September of 2011. Muslim Sunrise is the oldest Muslim publication of North America.
By Khaula Rehman MD
Many Christians and Jews, perhaps unconsciously, consider the Quran standing in absolute contrast to the scriptures they themselves cherish. In the minds of ordinary Christians – and Jews – the Quran teaches savagery and warfare, while the Bible offers a message of love, forgiveness, and charity. For the prophet Micah, God’s commands to his people are summarized in the words “act justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Christians recall the words of the dying Jesus: “Father, forgive them: they know not what they do.” Likewise, there are verses in the Holy Quran to promote tolerant and kind behavior. The Holy Quran says, “And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend.” (Al Quran 41:35) This article is to give the Christians and the Jews a balanced view of the two scriptures, the Bible and the Quran.
There are no verses in the Holy Quran to trigger and promote genocide, but there are in the Bible: When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.[i] (Deuteronomy 20:10-17)
There are no verses in the Holy Quran to destroy polytheism with sword and kill all polytheists and even their livestock, regardless of whether they are at war or not, but in the Bible there are: If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,both its people and its livestock. You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt. (Deuteronomy 13:12-16)
Read further:
My name is Ali living in Afghanistan and I am a muslim. but I want to convert to Christian. please help me.
Dear Ali, May we know the reasons why you would like to convert to Christianity? Let us discuss your reasons before you take the final steps.
Salaam Ali Some useful websites for u if u are interested to know more about Christianity
http://Www.Word-of-life.org.au
http://Www.Kalameh.com
and not to forget: For Christians to be born again: http://islamforwest.org/
The following letter has become popular among Indonesians.
http://www.islam-watch.org/authors/63-letters/961-an-ex-muslims-open-letter-to-muslims-of-the-world.html
To me if it is true. it must be the people that are fed up by Islamic Bigotry. In Lebanon a looooong tug of war between Islam and Christianity have been in practice. Many lost their lives , properties wealth.
They really want to be evaded from this oppression and suppression. It is the ultimate result of such bigotry.
Not everyone has the in sight of a matter. The need a solution to this discrimination.
If we go in past Christianity has no different but rather worse discriminative, very very strict and radical behaviour and had very brutal phases for the establishment of its beliefs.So much that people got fed up from religion and drifted away from it.
Hence the church had to be lenient to bring them back. And has come to an extent that nothing of Original Christianity or Bible is left in it.
This is where the Radical Islamic approach can bring Islam. People may fed up and try seeking salvation or take refuge elsewhere.
It is always better to be moderate and tolerant.
According to a Hadith, moderation is the best Policy in life.
Mr.Jesus Loves You Sir! We love Jesus too. More then any Christian might do believe me . And we have strong reasons to prove it. So much that we believe he did not and could not die on the Cross because God loved him even more hence Jews could not give him a death that was considered accursed.But instead exalted him by saving him alive from the cross and migrating him to a safe place. Where he accomplished his designated duty of finding the lost sheep ( Israelite tribes) of Israel. How could have he gone or left the earth, world without attending to his assigned mission?
Besides Jesus kept wondering and praying painfully. O my Lord O my Lord have you left me? How could he pray to be saved the agony if he was designated to have come and give his life on cross for the sake of salvation of mankind??? Another aspect, that can a prophet’s or dear one’s of God’s prayer go Un-answered? to us no! never!. Sure he was answered and helped from God in a situation that seemed impossible.
Moreover, I read Bible, it has so many moral guidelines and modesty for day to day life, that I do not see Christians practice at all. But we Muslims do. For instance no Christina lady idealise and take Holy Mary as a role model in modesty and try dressing up like her we Muslims woman do.
It is said a woman without head gear or scarf should be taken as a shaven heads( as a disgraced person). Once I asked this to a woman who had come to my door for preaching Christianity. I told her I will teach you Christianity. You do not even look like one. I asked her do you Know when … pardon me I do not remember name of the person Rebecca seeing … ( I do not remember now…maybe Isaac) approach she she went behind the Camels and covered her head. To this at first she had panic, then she said oh… come on..that was just a tradition..it has nothing to do with religion. I said what about the shaven head?
There was a man with her too who was listening all the while, he looked at her sternly and said , have you listed what she said? And said you are right dear. you are right. We are not what we should be. He almost wept with tears in his eyes.
brother Johan! if you or anyone sincerely wants to know the answers to these question they should go to Ahmadiyya perspective on the topic.
They can very satisfactorily answer them in full length and detail. All the veils be removed and the whole scenario be clean and clear.One cannot but exclaim and be over joyed to know why and what actually these apparent contradiction meant.
All the verses should be seen in different situations and different back grounds.
For instance, Islam say love your neighbour even if he is a Jew or Christian.Whereas at the other hand it says do not befriend them. Both are different scenarios. One is a civilian, a person living in your neighbour in a government where justice prevails. Meaning no one is treated with ethnic identity, but humanity. Where a Jew or Muslim will not mistreat or harm the other and yet escape the law. In such places a Muslim, regardless of ethnic difference has to be as good to his neighbour as possible. But if the neighbour is an enemy or traitor that of the country and Government, and is trying to inflect harm to the government( be it Islamic or Un-Islamic Government) a Muslim is commanded not to befriend such individual.
This is a very rational universal approach. There is no contradiction. It only shows Islam does not allow racial discrimination.
As for taxes from Non Muslims in the Muslim Government. This is another privilege and relaxation for non Muslim citizens , in a Muslim country. It is if they do not want to fight for the safety of their country on borders in wars they can financially help their government in other way. They are given relaxation. Again this is absolute and un- matched justice, understanding and moderation. You must consult an Ahmadi Misionary.
In Marocco for instance even these days Jews have very high offices in the Government. I understand some Jews are ‘Personal Advisor’ of His Majesty the King.
Yes, Muslims ‘fed up’ with other Muslims’ behavior should really study the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, before taking the drastic step of leaving Islam alltogether. Visit http://www.alislam.org and of course The Muslim Times.
Anisa, I would have to say that what you have said about non muslims and the ‘extra tax’ situation is ridiculous. You are as much in denial about your own faith as many non muslims are. That tax iNo the Christians did not do this, they believed in missionariessn’t just applied in war or other threatening position a country may find itself in. Its there ALL the time and in many instances it causes so much hardship because it can become huge. That’s a fool’s fantasy saying that. Continuing to find excuses and reasons for appalling behaviour to non muslims ( and also other muslims!!)reflects a hidden awareness that something is amiss somewhere. …