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Islam and the Woke Culture

This article originally appeared in 2022.

In the book Honor and Shame, Roland Muller discusses three basic emotional responses to Adam and Eve’s original sin in the Garden of Eden: guilt, shame, and fear. After they sinned, they felt guilty because they had broken God’s command. They felt shame – they knew they were naked, and so they covered themselves. And they felt fear – they hid themselves from God.

Cultures and worldviews have been shaped by one or more of these emotional responses. Some cultures primarily operate with one clear worldview; others may be a mixture of all three. Most Western culture is primarily based on guilt/innocence – we clearly understand the concepts of right and wrong. Guilt/innocence-based cultures are typically individualistic. We believe individuals are responsible for themselves and their behavior.

A different worldview shaped Islam. In fact, the shame/honor basis of Islam can be traced to the Bedouin honor codes. Unlike the individual responsibility of those from a Western mindset, shame/honor-based cultures are attached to groups – families, tribes, nations, etc. Shameful deeds affect the entire group, and as such, they are hidden, and if they cannot hide them, then the shameful deed demands revenge. In this culture, the importance of the group outweighs the importance of an individual. If a person shames the family, and the family is unable to hide the shameful deed, the mindset says that the family must avenge. Islam is conformity to the point of submission.

Interestingly, the “woke” culture of today’s social media is quite successful in operating within the parameters of a shame-based culture. Freedom of speech and facts have little effect on public opinion once the social media overlords have determined the woke position. Countless people have been publicly shamed for simply daring to express an opinion contrary to the group thought. Often this public shaming has led to the loss of jobs and, in a couple of cases, even the loss of life. Much like Islam, “wokeness” also insists on conformity to the point of submission. 

Understanding this difference in worldview helps Western Christians understand and reach out to Muslims. But perhaps it will also help us understand and learn how to reach the “woke” generation, which is now threatening to reshape our own culture. 

Prayer Point:

Lord, the sense of guilt, shame, and fear are strongholds in the lives of those who are followers of Islam, and they need the teaching of the truth of the Word of God to bring deliverance. We pray that You will reveal to the hearts of Muslims that by becoming a follower of Jesus they can receive the emotional freedom and liberty that will be life changing.

bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

Thank You for Praying

God’s love for the Muslim people is immeasurable, and we are honored to live in a time when many Muslims worldwide are joyfully and gratefully coming to know Jesus as the Son of God and their Savior. 

We firmly believe that your prayers, joined with the prayers of God’s people worldwide, are not just petitions but powerful instruments that bring many former Muslims into eternity. Your prayers are making a significant difference, and they will be so grateful for all He has done for us.

As Ramadan ends, let us continue this commitment throughout the year, bringing Muslims to the throne of God for His grace and mercy, knowing that our prayers are making a difference. Thank you!

bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

Fasting…Without Grace

There is often a debate in Western nations regarding celebrating Christian holidays. For instance, should one wish a stranger “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” since you do not know if that individual celebrates Christmas? Although you could offend someone by failing to guess their preferred greeting somehow, you do not have to fear punishment. The same is not true for non-Muslims and even moderate Muslims during Ramadan in some Islamic nations.

Pakistan enacted the Ehtram-e-Ramazan ordinance in 1981, prohibiting anyone from eating in public places during fasting hours. If someone breaks the law, they can be fined and/or jailed for three months. In addition, the person serving someone breaking the Ramadan fast can also be fined and/or jailed. Keep in mind Muslims must abstain from both food and water during daylight hours, even when Ramadan occurs during hot weather. In 2013, a man who violated the ordinance for selling the food “paan” was sentenced to five days in prison, but it took him six years to finally get out of jail.

In July 2014, two Iranian men were flogged in public for eating during the fasting hours. The police chief of Iran’s Fars Province said that eating in public is a crime forbidden by Islamic law and that police will act against violators. Each of the men received 80 lashes.

This year, in Nigeria, the Islamic police, known as Hisbah, arrested eleven Muslims for eating during the fasting hours. Other nations that have penalties against eating or drinking during the day in Ramadan include Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Punishments in those nations range from flogging in Saudi Arabia to fines and imprisonment. Some laws apply only to Muslims, but others apply to everyone.

Azad, an anonymous Pakistani ex-Muslim, writes, “Over the past few years, religious intolerance has grown in Pakistan. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is an Islamist extremist political party founded in 2015 that has become more and more prominent. This party openly calls for the murder of apostates and even for the execution of Muslims who commit acts deemed by the TLP as unIslamic. Ex-Muslims and religious minorities like Ahmadi Muslims and Hindus are all living in a state of constant fear as the Islamists grow in numbers and influence. During Ramadan, even non-Muslims are forced to remain hungry and thirsty because they fear Muslim majoritarianism.”

PRAYER

Muslims are ending this 30-day fast on Tuesday evening, April 9. Imagine fasting for 30 days during daylight hours without food and water, and in many places in the world, eating a morsel of food during daylight hours could bring severe punishment. This past week, a boy was beaten in a Chicago, Illinois, mosque because he was eating food in the bathroom. Muslims live under a strict law, with no grace given.

Thank God, as believers in Christ, we have been saved by grace and serve a God of grace and mercy. As we pray for Muslims:

  • Ask our Lord to give the Muslim people a revelation of His grace in the months to come, an understanding that Jesus longs to pour out His grace in every area of their lives, and give them a revelation of the wonders of His eternal love, bringing them to salvation in Christ!
bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

Immigration in Islam

Nearly 2.6 million people legally immigrated to the U.S. in 2022. AFPI (America First Policy Institute) reports, “A record-setting 3.2 million illegal aliens were “encountered” nationwide by the Department of Homeland Security in fiscal year (F.Y.) 2023, surpassing the previous high of 2.7 million illegal alien encounters nationwide in F.Y. 2022.”

There are many reasons people migrate from one place to another. However, non-Muslim communities need to be aware that migration or immigration by Muslims can be a form of jihad to spread Islam. Jihad, a duty for all Muslims, does not necessarily have to be violent. It can range from sacrificing comfort by immigration to supporting someone involved in violent jihad.

Muhammad himself set this example when he and a group of his early followers migrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD. The migration, known as the Hijra, was a turning point for Islam, transforming Muhammad’s followers from a weak group to a powerful political group. It turned the religion into a political system and began the spread of Islam around the world.

Immigration becomes jihad when it is a stepping stone for transforming the existing community into an Islamic one. The Quran says, “Those who believed and emigrated and strove hard and fought in Allah’s cause with their wealth and their lives are far higher in degree with Allah. They are successful” (Sura 9:20).

Freedom of religion is non-existent within Islam. A non-Muslim is free to become Muslim, but not the other way around. The Islamization of a society happens gradually through techniques such as making demands for the rights of the Muslim community, conditioning the host community to the supremacy of Islam, and intermarriage. 

In a December 2023 statement, U.S. House Committee of Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green said, “The number of individuals apprehended illegally crossing the Southwest border and found to be on the terrorist watchlist has increased 2,500 percent from Fiscal Years 2017-2020 to Fiscal Year 2023. And those are only who we’ve caught.”

Although our attention will undoubtedly be drawn to the possibility of violent jihad, both types of jihad are a threat to Christians and our Western way of life.

PRAYER

Many Muslims immigrate to Western nations for freedom. However, in contrast, in 2009, Dr. Sam Solomon released a book on “Al-Hijra, The Islamic Doctrine of Immigration” that reveals Islamic immigration is meant to spread and strengthen Islam to achieve a worldwide caliphate.

  • Ask God to touch the hearts of those who have immigrated and cause them to recognize their need for spiritual freedom through Christ. 
  • Pray, according to Matthew 9:38, that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into His harvest,” resulting in many Muslims receiving salvation through Jesus Christ.
bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

Christian Persecution

Each year, we typically write at least one article during Ramadan to address Christian persecution worldwide. Why address Christian persecution during Ramadan? This is because approximately 84% of the absolute worst persecution of Christians takes place in the name of Islam.

Open Doors maintains a World Watch List ranking the top 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. More than 365 million Christians around the world suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, 295,120 Christians were forced to leave their homes, and 14,766 churches and Christian properties were attacked.

Worldwide, one in seven Christians (14%) is persecuted. On the continent of Africa, that number rises to one in five (20%), and in Asia, two in five or 40% of Christians are persecuted. 

Nine of the top ten nations where Christians face severe persecution are Muslim nations where believers in Christ are a small minority. Christians are falsely accused of blasphemy, young Christian girls are often abducted and forced to convert to Islam, and displaying their faith could cost them their lives. 

The top Islamic nations for Christian persecution are Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Pakistan, and Nigeria (where more Christians are killed for their faith than all the other countries combined). The remaining countries include Yemen, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia. 

The number one nation for Christian persecution that is not Muslim is North Korea. It is a secular country where the punishment of Christians is severe and where having a Bible will send you to a prison work camp, or you will be killed.

PRAYER

All of us who live in nations where we practice our faith freely are truly blessed! Thank God!

Muslim persecution is done by those who have believed the lie about Christians, and they think they are doing their god’s will. 

  • Pray for the Christians who are daily faced with fear and persecution, asking God to send forth His angels to strengthen, protect, and deliver them.
  • Pray for the persecutors (individual Muslims, Islamic leaders, and nations) who are deceived, and just as our Lord did with Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, bring them a dramatic encounter with the living Christ, resulting in their salvation.
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Cultural Displacement

This weekend marked a rare intersection of Easter, Passover, and Ramadan holidays. Although Easter and Passover often fall on the same weekend, they only coincide with Ramadan about once every thirty years. 

The intersection of the three holidays has caused a stir in Britain due to the presence of Ramadan lights wishing Muslims a “Happy Ramadan,” while nothing was displayed for Easter. Along with Britons expressing their displeasure on social media, Alex Phillips of TalkTV said, “This (London) is the capital city of the United Kingdom, a Christian country. That is still our state religion, whether you follow it or not – and we’ve got a big Islamic festival being celebrated on the main, most important thoroughfares … it’s insane. [In places like Syria and Afghanistan,] they don’t let us put our Christmas lights up, do they? Christianity makes us the country we are today; it underpins our cultural values. This is insane. It is insulting.”

London is not the only major European city marking Ramadan. In Germany, Frankfort and Cologne put up Ramadan lights, and in Norway, the city of Oslo decorated a central street with crescent moons. In the U.S., Brooklyn, New York, has a 20-block Ramadan display in Bay Ridge, and Nassau Community College hosted the “first ever Muslim Lights Fest on Long Island.”

Perhaps another Briton best summed up this new trend in Western nations when he wrote, “Ramadan lights at Easter. This is cultural displacement.”

PRAYER

It is reported that a past leader made this observation: “When Muslims are the minority they are concerned with minority rights, when they are in the majority there are no minority rights.” Secularism creates a spiritual vacuum that Islam fills in Western nations.

Often leaders in Western nations will compromise because they want to prevent any religious violence and therefore they will permit things taking place by and for Muslims that they would never permit the promotion of it by Jews or Christians. Leaders and citizens need the wisdom of God in decisions they face regarding Islam, rather than responding to the situations with fear. 

  • Pray for leaders to respond in a Christ-centered way and in the best interest of their nation. 
  • Pray for Muslims in Western nations to be drawn to sound, Bible-believing churches to hear the gospel’s truth and hunger to know more about Jesus Christ and His love for them.
bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

Choose Life

Since 9-11-2001, there have been over 44,900 deadly terror attacks perpetrated by Islamic terrorists around the world. The vast majority of these attacks are never reported by Western media often because they do not occur in a Western nation. For instance, in the last 30 days, there have been 141 Islamic attacks in 22 countries, in which 689 people were killed and 714 were injured, according to thereligionofpeace.com. Chances are the only attack that Western readers are familiar with is the one that occurred in Russia on March 22, where ISIS killed 139 concertgoers.   

The governments of the U.S. and other Western nations often refuse to address the danger of Islamic terrorism to avoid being labeled Islamophobic. According to the Daily Wire, many U.S. intelligence agencies received instructions to avoid using terms such as “jihadist” in a newsletter called “The Dive.” One of the stated goals is “disentangling Islam from words and phrases used to discuss terrorism and extremist violence.” This type of policy keeps those who are entrusted with the safety of Westerners from understanding or identifying the potential threat of Islamic terrorists.

However, Robert Spencer, in an article published on frontpagemag.com, perhaps gave a most optimistic attitude, saying, “Each of us must decide, as surely as God offered the choice to the Israelites: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore, choose life, that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Spencer continued, “Jihadis love to proclaim how much they “love death.” Let us, in turn, love life all the more and stand to counter them and their inhuman totalitarian leftist allies, secure in the knowledge that in the end, life conquers death.”

PRAYER

Kamal Saleem, a former radical terrorist from the Middle East, is an anointed man of God today. In his recent book, “Ishmael Redeemed,” Kamal stated that of the nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide, more than 4 out of 5 are not radical.” Apparently they want to live a peaceful life. 

“Heavenly Father, we recognize that Jesus died for the sins of Muslims and longed for them to be in the kingdom of God. Draw them, Lord (John 6:44), giving them a desire for truth and revealing the heart of Jesus to them, to bring them to salvation. In Christ’s name, we pray, Amen!”

bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

Sharia: A Violation of Women’s Human Rights

On March 8, 2024, International Women’s Day, a group of Muslim and non-Muslim people from many nations lodged a formal complaint before the UN Human Rights Council on the violation of women’s human rights caused by Sharia (Islamic) law. This group includes victims of Sharia, human rights defenders, journalists, activists, and other concerned professionals from around the world. 

The complaint names the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), “the collective voice of the Muslim world,” as the violators. The OIC has 57 member nations, 56 of which are also members of the UN. 

This complaint addresses three different areas: violence against women, Sharia, and aspects of Islamic culture, which include practices such as unequal educational opportunities, female genital mutilation, and head coverings for women. According to the press release of the complaint, 71% of the Quran and 91% of the Hadith give women a lower status than men. In addition, the press release highlights Sharia-linked violence:

“Sharia-linked violence is inflicted upon women in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, and includes the recent extreme sexual violence committed against Israeli women in October 2023 by Hamas, proven by the UN. 

The complaint continues regarding the violation of women with the infliction of sexual slavery on Yazidi women by the Islamic State (IS); the killing of Iranian women for not wearing the hijab; the trafficking, kidnapping, and forced conversion of Coptic Christian girls in Egypt; and abduction of girls and women in Nigeria by Boko Haram. It also includes the mass attacks on women in Germany in 2015; the rape of girls in the UK by the so-called ‘grooming gangs’; the forced conversion, kidnapping, and murder of Hindu girls in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, to name a few.”

PRAYER

It is encouraging to see that an awareness of Sharia-linked violence against women has been presented at the UN Human Rights Council. Our concern is that some of the 47 nations that presently sit on this Council may allow this violence against women. 

  • Ask God to open the eyes of those nations who allow this violence and bring His conviction, causing them to change their mindset against women. 
  • Pray for an outpouring of healing, hope, comfort, and courage for all the women who have experienced this Sharia-linked violence, asking for visions and dreams of Jesus to appear in their midst, bringing them to salvation in Christ.
bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

Islam’s Works: Shahada

Islam is a works-based religion. To go to paradise, Muslims need to adhere to all of the five pillars, and even then, their ultimate fate is up to the will of Allah.

Ramadan is only one of the five pillars of Islam. These pillars are five basic acts considered mandatory by Muslims. A list of the pillars is found in the hadith, (Sahih al-Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 8):

Allah’s Messenger said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles):

  1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger.
  2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
  3. To pay Zakat (i.e., obligatory charity).
  4. To perform Hajj. (i.e., Pilgrimage to Mecca)
  5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

The first pillar is a confession of faith called the shahada. The confession must be declared in Arabic and be said with conviction and an understanding of its meaning. The first part, “there is no god but Allah,” declares that only Allah can be worshipped, and that Allah has no partner or son. The second part declares that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. It should be noted that you do not become a Muslim by simply pronouncing the words in Arabic. The oral declaration is a reflection of belief that is held in one’s heart.

The complete “shahada” does not appear in the Qur’an. It is actually found in Sura 9:31 and in Sura 33:40. As soon as a baby is born into a Muslim family, these words are whispered into his ears, and if possible, a Muslim is encouraged to repeat the words as he is dying.

PRAYER

It is helpful for us to be reminded that they become Muslims by their works, Thank God,  Christians receive salvation through faith in Christ. 

The Islamic religion requires Muslims to pray five times a day. In an Islamic nation (and even in a few American cities), they hear the call to pray from loudspeakers at the mosque five times a day. A man 50 years old has listened to this piercing call 90,000 times. The power of repetition is deceptive. Repeating a doctrine that many times becomes ingrained in the mind and is perceived as truth. Even with all this, they still feel empty and alone! Muslims need a relationship with Jesus to fill that void. 

God says to take every thought captive to the light and obedience of Christ. Pray for Muslims that the truth of Christ will prevail over this deception.

bestcurrentnews 2024 Ramadan Prayer

A Global Look at FGM

In observance of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, UNICEF released a report entitled Female Genital Mutilation: A Global Concern. The report provides new global statistics on the practice. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to the practice of partially or totally removing the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

Compared to data from 2016, there is a 15% increase in the number of girls and women who have undergone the procedure. This means the total number of girls and women worldwide affected by FGM is now over 230 million, 30 million more than in 2016.

The majority of FGM victims are in Africa, with over 144 million cases, followed by over 80 million in Asia and over 6 million in the Middle East. The type of FGM varies, but most girls experience cutting with the removal of flesh. The most severe form of FGM is a procedure in which the genital area is sown closed. Each year, over half a million girls experience this extreme form of FGM, primarily in the nations of Sudan and Somalia. 

In most nations, the procedure is frequently performed without anesthesia by people without medical training; however, Sudan and Egypt are the exceptions. In those nations, medical workers (doctors, nurses, and midwives) perform the majority of procedures. 

Although FGM predates Islam and is practiced by people from different religious backgrounds, some Islamic scholars support and encourage FGM. Many Muslims believe that the failure to perform the procedure on their daughters will bring shame to the family. 

PRAYER

Many of us live in nations where this would never be practiced and recognize it as a   violent and invasive practice in a young girl’s life, causing permanent damage and ruining any future intimate enjoyment in marriage. The cultures have a spiritual stronghold where this is approved and practiced. Based upon II Corinthians 10:4-5, God has declared that “our weapons in God are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought (of those who are blinded) into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Take a moment to pray for the perpetrators, using the authority Christ has given us! Your prayers will make a difference in the lives of these young girls and women.