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Ramadan 2013 – Day 11 – Western Rape Victims – Criminals in the Middle East?

2013 Ramadan PrayerIn February of 2011 during the Arab Spring protests in Egypt, Lara Logan, an American reporter from CBS, was brutally assaulted as she was in Tahrir Square covering the protest. Although not raped, she was groped by a mob of men and all of her clothes were ripped from her body. As she lay naked, the mob took pictures with their cell phones and beat her with flagpoles and sticks. “What really struck me was how merciless they were. They really enjoyed my pain and suffering. It incited them to more violence,” she said. Eventually a group of Muslim women accompanied by Egyptian soldiers rescued her from the attack.

In October of 2012 a similar attempt in Tahrir Square was caught on tape as journalist, Sonia Dridi from France 24 was attacked and groped as she was giving a live report. In video footage of her report, you can see her being pushed off the screen as the mob moves in. Her colleague, Ashraf Khalil was able to help her escape. And last month, a female Dutch journalist was attacked and gang raped by 5 men in Tahrir Square. She had to have surgery for severe injuries.

Ahmad Mahmoud Abdullah, an Egyptian Salafist (a member of a literal, strict, fundamental sect of Islam) said the women protesting in Tahrir Square were not going to protest but rather they were there because they wanted to be raped.

A vigilante group tracking the incidents in Egypt recorded 46 cases of sexual assault and harassment against women in one night, and the UN Entity for Gender Equality reported that 99.3% of Egyptian women that they interviewed had been victims of some form of sexual violence. In Egypt and other nations operating under Islamic sharia law, rape victims do not go to the hospital or the police. The police treat the female victims of rape as criminals, because under sharia law in order to prove rape the rapist must confess or four adult Muslim men must witness the crime and testify that the sex was not consensual.

Two young western women learned this difficult lesson after being raped in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While on a business trip to Dubai a 25-year-old Norwegian woman was raped.  She reported the rape to the police, but the Dubai authorities confiscated her passport and charged her.  Yesterday, she was sentenced to serve 16 months for illicit sex outside of marriage.

In a similar case, Australian Alicia Gali was hired as the spa and beauty salon manager at a beach resort in the UAE. One evening her room began to flood from the bathroom drain. Maintenance came and fixed it, but it began to flood again. She left her room and was using her laptop in the hotel’s staff bar where her drink was spiked. She woke up the next afternoon in her room to discover three men had raped her. She was in pain with multiple bruises and broken ribs so she went to the hospital. Later it was discovered her drain had been intentionally blocked with a man’s shirt and a plastic bag. After going to the hospital she reported the rape to the police. She gave her statement and then after signing a document written in Arabic that she thought was her statement, she was taken to an Islamic court. In actuality she signed a confession. She was sentenced to 11 months in prison for sex outside of marriage and one month for drinking alcohol. The three rapists received similar sentences.

Prayer Points:

It is vital we educate our children and grandchildren, especially those who may travel to an Islamic nation. Pray that western youth will be open to hear the truth about Islamic sharia law. Pray that they will understand that uncovering the teachings of Islam is wisdom and is not a condemnation on any of the Muslim people.

Pray that leaders in western nations will realize that Islamic sharia law is in total opposition to freedom and democracy and take their stand against the advancement of this type of law that it is being promoted in our democracies.

Pray for protection for women in nations such as Egypt and the UAE – Muslim and non-Muslim. Thank God for people like the Muslim women and members of the Egyptian military who helped to rescue western women from attacks.

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Ramadan 2013 – Day 3 – The Root of “No-Go” Zones

2013 Ramadan PrayerIslam divides the world into two parts, Dar al-Islam (House of Islam) and Dar al-Harb (House of War). Early Islamic jurists used these terms to denote legal rulings for ongoing Islamic conquests about a century after Muhammad’s death. Dar al-Islam refers to Muslim ruled lands, and Dar al-Harb refers to lands ruled by non-Muslims. The ultimate goal of Islam is to bring the entire world into the house of Islam by establishing a worldwide Islamic caliphate (Islamic state).

Following the Hijra (Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina), Islam began to evolve from primarily a religious system to a more political and militaristic system. Muhammad arrived in Medina as an immigrant with only 150 followers and made a treaty with the pagans and three Jewish tribes already residing in Medina. Likewise in the modern world, Islamic supremacists have been arriving in western nations in small numbers since World War II.

When Muhammad arrived in Medina, the Jewish tribes made up about half of the population of the town. Within a year, Muhammad had become a politician, gaining more followers and within three years after he arrived, all the Jews had been driven out of Medina, killed or sold into slavery.

We see a similar pattern in Muslim immigration today. Unlike Christian churches, mosques are more political and militaristic in nature than religious. As more Muslims arrive in a given area, oftentimes a more fundamental version of Islam is taught in the mosques. The overall Muslim population of an area becomes more political and as you will see in some areas more violent. The native western populations of the now Muslim majority neighborhoods are driven out just as the Jews were driven out of Medina in Muhammad’s day.

In the hadith Muhammad says, “I charge you with five of what Allah has charged me with: to assemble, to listen, to obey, to immigrate and to wage Jihad for the sake of Allah” (Modern Day Trojan Horse, p. 10).

There are minorities of Muslims that believe migration to a non-Islamic land is obligatory for the advancement of Islam. In many western nations, Islamic supremacist immigrants have established their own enclaves and overtaken portions of western cities. These areas become “no-go” zones where western law and ruling authorities no longer have control– they are in fact as Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum observed, “Dar al-Islam” in the middle of western cities. These areas function as their own microstates ruled by Islamic Sharia law, and are too dangerous for non-Muslims to enter. Western governments are unable to provide even basic services such as police, fire and ambulance services to some of these areas because of the threat of violence. These “no-go” zones exist in many European nations including Britain, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

France, the nation with the highest percentage of Muslims in Europe, has 751 “sensitive urban zones,” the French equivalent for “no-go” zones with approximately 5 million Muslims living in these areas. The Netherlands has forty “no-go” zones, and in Brussels, Belgium (20% Muslim) police have been ordered not to drink coffee or eat in public places during Ramadan in order to not offend Muslims.

A group calling itself the “Muslim Patrol” was filmed patrolling London streets accosting women who they considered inappropriately dressed and approaching others announcing “Alcohol banned. This is a Muslim area. Muslims patrol the area.” An Islamist group called Muslims Against the Crusades had launched a campaign to turn twelve British cities into independent Islamic states until it was banned in 2011.

The trend is certainly not limited to European nations. A report from the Australian government on multiculturalism stated, “references were made to Muslim ‘enclaves’ in Sydney and Melbourne and the riots in Cronulla in 2005 to suggest a lack of willingness on the part of Muslims to embrace the Australian lifestyle, values and behaviours.”

There are Muslim enclaves across the United States, including Muslim of Americas’ compounds in New York, Virginia, South Carolina and California. The Clarion Project identified Dearborn, Michigan as a “no-go” zone following the attack on Christian street preachers in June of 2012. It is certainly no surprise these enclaves exist, Muhammad himself demonstrated the use of immigration as a technique to spread his religion.

Most Muslims that immigrate to western nations are simply trying to better their lives and the lives of their families. In fact many left their Islamic nations to escape the rigid arm of Islamic Sharia law. “No-go” zones imprison these Muslims seeking a better life back into the very culture they tried to escape.

Prayer Points:

Romans 8 declares that “neither death nor life, nor angel nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Although man may not be able to penetrate “no-go” zones, God’s love cannot be stopped. Pray that He will pour out His Spirit and His love in these areas.

Pray that as Muslims immigrate to western nations, Christians will reach out to them with the love of God so they will resist the pull to live in areas controlled by sharia and will be drawn to the freedom found only in Jesus Christ.

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Ramadan Prayer Day 29 – Government: Incompatible – U.S. Constitution and Shariah

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, famous for his plans to build Park51 (also known as the Ground Zero Mosque) two blocks from Ground Zero, stated, “I call America a shariah compliant state.” Perhaps Imam Rauf does not realize the U.S. Constitution was designed to keep government limited and restrained while shariah is designed to regulate every aspect of a Muslim’s life from the moment he is born until he dies. They are polar opposites in intent and execution.

Despite what Islamists want you to believe, the contrast is clear as you examine the U.S. Constitution and compare it with the dictates of shariah law. Shariah law is explained and documented in the Reliance of the Traveller, A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law. The Reliance of the Traveller is endorsed by Al-Azhar University, the premier Islamic university in the world and the Fiqh Council of North America. The Fiqh Council is an affiliate of the Islamic Society of North America and advises and educates its members on matters related to the application of shariah in the North American environment. Let’s compare a few examples.

Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution states, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.” Shariah law states, “…the source of legal rulings for all the acts of those who are morally responsible is Allah.” (Reliance, a1.1, p. 2)

Article II, Section 1 gives the qualifications of the President. To serve as President of the United States you must be a natural born Citizen, at least 35 years old and a resident for 14 years. Article VI states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a Qualification for any Office or public trust under the United States.” Under shariah, the caliph (leader) must be a Muslim, a non-slave, male and from the Quraysh tribe. (Reliance o25.3, p.640)

The Constitution is declared the supreme law of the land in Article VI, yet shariah demands Allah is the source of legal rulings for all acts.

The Bill of Rights, containing the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution further restricts government. Amendment 1 of the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press…” Shariah dictates laws for “non-Muslim subjects.” Non-Muslims must follow the rules of Islam and pay the non-Muslim poll tax (jizya). Non-Muslims are prohibited from openly displaying wine or pork, reciting their scriptures, or entering Mecca. Non-Muslims may not build new churches or enter a mosque without permission. Non-Muslims will lose their “protection” by the Islamic state if they commit adultery or marry a Muslim woman, lead a Muslim away from Islam or say anything impermissible about Allah, Muhammad or Islam. (Reliance o11.0-11.10, p. 607-609).

The right of the people to keep and bear arms is guaranteed by the second amendment, but in Islam, anyone buying weapons cannot be at war with Muslims. (Reliance k1.2f, p. 380)

There are certainly more examples including the inequitable treatment of women and cruel punishments for crimes including stoning, scourging, cutting off hands and feet for stealing and death for apostasy from Islam. Islamists attempt to argue that those types of punishments would never be implemented in a modern country like the United States, however those punishments do occur in modern day shariah adherent nations such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. If current trends continue, it is possible that this could occur in our nation.

Those who wish to see legislation such as American Laws for American Courts are not trying to infringe upon Muslims right to worship, they are however trying to declare the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Unlike other religious laws such as Jewish religious laws and Christian canonical laws, shariah law attempts to control the behavior of non-believers and therefore is in direct violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENT:

  • There is much deception and misunderstanding surrounding shariah law in our nation. Pray that hidden agendas will be exposed and God’s Truth will prevail.
  • Because shariah law is totally different than our U.S. Constitution, pray that our judges will have wisdom, insight and the courage to always align with the laws of our land.
  • Pray that our President, members of Congress, U.S. Supreme Court, governors and state government leaders will become enlightened to the differences between the U.S. Constitution and shariah law and fight the advancement of shariah across our nation.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 28 – Business: “Congratulations U.S. Taxpayer – You Are the Proud Owner of Shariah Compliant Products”

The American International Group better known as AIG is a massive insurance company that was considered “too big to fail” during the 2008 U.S. Financial Crisis. The U.S. government decided that if AIG declared bankruptcy, it would trigger the bankruptcy of many other financial institutions that had conducted business with the insurance giant. Beginning in September of 2008, the U.S. Government used more than $180 billion of taxpayer money to buy 79.9 % of American International Group (AIG) preferred shares in order to keep the company afloat.

AIG is considered a world leader in promoting shariah compliant financial products. Shariah compliant financing follows the dictates of Islamic law. 2.5% of the assets of a shariah compliant financial instrument (insurance, mortgage, investments, etc.) must be donated as “zakat”. Islamic scholars, serving on the advisory boards of shariah compliant companies determine how to distribute this money including giving the money for jihad.

In December of 2008, The Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) filed a lawsuit against the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Board. The lawsuit alleged that because the U.S. Government owned a majority portion of AIG, they were in violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment clause since shariah compliant products promote Islam over other religions.  The Establishment clause states, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.” The clause is typically interpreted to prohibit the establishment of a national religion and preference by the U.S. government of one religion over another.

The American Freedom Law Center reports additional information obtained during the discovery process for the lawsuit, which includes:

  • AIG has five wholly owned subsidiaries that promote and practice shariah.
  • The government places absolutely no controls on how its billions of taxpayer dollars are used by the shariah-compliant companies or to whom they support with their “zakat” (“charitable”) dollars.  Moreover, these companies all accept the mandate of shariah law to support jihad with zakat as long as they abide by the authoritative rulings of the world’s leading shariah authorities.
  • Over one billion taxpayer dollars have flowed through AIG’s headquarters into supporting AIG’s shariah businesses worldwide.
  • The Treasury Department has published, edited, and updated articles about shariah-compliant finance, which essentially promote Islamic law uncritically.
  • The Treasury Department has created and staffed a position called the Islamic Finance Scholar-in Residence.  No other religious law is so honored.
  • After the AIG bailout, in December, 2008 the Treasury Department co-sponsored a half-day conference called “Islamic Finance 101” for government policy makers, which was in effect a cheerleading program to promote shariah and shariah-compliant finance.

In January of 2011, a federal district court judge dismissed the constitutional challenge, and in June of 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the taxpayer who first brought the suit lacked standing to challenge the government’s use of taxpayer funds. The decision will be appealed.

PRAYER FOR BUSINESS:

  • Pray the American taxpayers will awaken to the “creeping shariah” that is taking place in our large financial corporations.
  • The subject of shariah-compliant finance is complicated. Pray that there will be a simplistic way for this to be explained to the average taxpayer so they will have wisdom and understanding to not become involved.
  • Ask God to bring revelation to our government leaders of the dangers of shariah-compliant finance, especially when taxpayer funds are supporting this (as with AIG).
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Ramadan Prayer Day 26 – Media: “A Self-Censored Press Is Not Free”

The Society of Professional Journalists, considered the trade guild of the U.S. press corps, states their mission is “dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty.” On the website the Society lists eight goals including, “To maintain constant vigilance in protection of the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press.”

Pertaining to the press, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech or of the press;” This means our government cannot censor or control the press, however, when it comes to Islam, it is not our government, but self-censorship by the press that has whitewashed the threat of Islamic fundamentalism.

Following the 9-11 attacks by Muslim jihadists on our nation, The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) passed a resolution in October 2001 urging members to avoid racial, ethnic and religious profiling in covering the “War on Terror.” As part of this resolution, the Society published guidelines for journalists including the following:

  • When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacists, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity.
  • Avoid using word combinations such as “Islamic terrorist” or “Muslim extremist” that are misleading because they link whole religions to criminal activity. Be specific: Alternate choices, depending on context, include “Al Qaeda terrorists” or, to describe the broad range of groups involved in Islamic politics, “political Islamists.” Do not use religious characterizations as shorthand when geographic, political, socioeconomic or other distinctions might be more accurate.
  • Avoid using terms such as “jihad” unless you are certain of their precise meaning and include the context when they are used in quotations. The basic meaning of “jihad” is to exert oneself for the good of Islam and to better oneself.
  • Ask men and women from within targeted communities to review your coverage and make suggestions.

White supremacists and anti-abortionists have never murdered over 2,700 people in the name of their god. Al-Qaeda’s leader, Osama bin Laden made it quite clear in fatwas (Islamic religious rulings) through the years that it was the duty of all Muslims, not just members of al-Qaeda to attack America. Proof that other Islamist groups were involved in the 9-11 attacks has since emerged. A federal district court judge ruled in December of 2011 that Iran and Hezbollah materially and directly supported al-Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Jihad can be a personal struggle, but it is also a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty. Dr. Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti, Al-Azhar University Islamic scholar, in the book Jurisprudence in Muhammad’s Biography wrote, “The Holy War (Jihad), as it is known in Islamic Jurisprudence, is basically an offensive war.  This is the duty of Muslims in every age when the needed military power becomes available to them.  This is the phase in which the meaning of Holy war has taken its final form.  Thus the apostle of God said: ‘I was commanded to fight the people until they believe in Allah and his messages…”

Finally, groups with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood such as the Islamic Circle of North America and the Council for American Islamic Relations were the ones asked by our media to review their coverage and make suggestions. In an attempt to be “politically correct” and adhere to these guidelines, our media has allowed Islamists to control the information regarding radical Islam.

These guidelines have allowed Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood to keep average Americans ignorant of the agenda and the threat of shariah adherent Islam to our nation.

PRAY FOR MEDIA:

  • Pray for the media – that those who do not understand the truth about Islam will receive revelation and the self-censored media coverage of Islam will cease and truth will be revealed to the American people.
  • Pray for journalists to be courageous and bold in their coverage and to uncover the “doublespeak”.
  • Just as communism keeps people in bondage to the system, Islamic shariah law keeps Muslims in bondage.  The Muslim people are not the enemy to our form of government – rather the enemy is the system of shariah (Islamic) law.  Ask God to expose the truth of shariah law to our government, educators, media, and the citizens of our nation.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 25 – Religion: “Is a Mosque the Same as a Church?”

FrontPage Magazine recently reported about “The Mega Mosque Boom” currently taking place. Mosques with proposed capacities from 7,000 seats to the more modest 2,000 proposed for the Ground Zero mosque are being built in western nations around the world. Foreign Muslim governments fund many of these mega mosques – especially in areas where the local Muslim population is not large enough to justify a mega mosque.

Many Americans, familiar with houses of worship such as churches and synagogues, believe a mosque is simply a place for Muslims to go and worship. They think of a mosque as an “Islamic church.” In reality, a mosque is much more than a place of worship for Muslims.

Because Muslims believe Muhammad is their perfect example, mosques are modeled after the very first mosque Muhammad established in Medina.  Dr. Sam Solomon, a former Muslim professor and shariah law expert, explains in the New English Review, “A mosque, totally unlike a church or a synagogue, serves the function of orchestrating and mandating every aspect of ‘life’ in a Muslim community from the religious, to the political, to the economic, to the social, to the military.”

Muhammad’s mosque was the seat of power – the place and symbol of Islamic rule. American Thinker describes it, as “a seat of government, a command center, a court, a school, and a military training center and depot for arms.” The mosque is considered the command center of Islam.

The number of mosques in the United States has increased by 74% since the year 2000. Many mega mosques are being built in areas with small Islamic populations. This tactic in Islam serves to show non-Muslims the superiority of Islam, and to encourage Muslims to migrate to an area. In the book, The Mosque Exposed, Dr. Solomon says, “Migration is legally obligatory on a Muslim as preparatory to other forms of jihad for the victory of Islam and Muslim in other countries.”

In addition to building large mosques and encouraging Muslims to migrate to an area, radical Islamic groups control the literature in the majority of American mosques. A 2005 study conducted by Freedom House called “Saudi Publications on Hate Ideology Invade American Mosques” gathered samples of over 200 hate texts sponsored or generated by Saudi Arabia and found in 80% of American mosques. These books include instructions for American Muslims such as, “Be dissociated from the infidels, hate them for their religion, leave them, never rely on them for support, do not admire them, and always oppose them in every way according to Islamic law”

PRAYER FOR RELIGION:

  • Pray that our political leaders, our citizens and the media will realize many mosques are not “Islamic churches,” but rather command centers for a system that desires the overthrow of the western governments.
  • Pray that Muslims who are not radical and do not desire to live under shariah law will expose those within their community who are attempting to force Islam on western nations.
  • Based upon Mark 4:22, Ask God to reveal anything of darkness that may be hidden (in the mosques).
  • Ask God to open the eyes of those who worship in the mosque and reveal the One who is Truth, Jesus Christ.
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Ramadan Day 22 – Family: “Saudi Arabia and the Olympics”

News outlets around the world reported today about Saudi Arabian runner Sarah Attar at the Olympics.  Sarah, with dual U.S. and Saudi Arabian citizenship, competed in the women’s 800-meter race for Saudi Arabia. She received a standing ovation as she crossed the finish line, finishing more than a half-minute slower than her nearest competitor.

Sarah has reportedly has spent little time in Saudi Arabia. She was born and raised in California, graduated from an American high school and attends Pepperdine University where she is a member of their track team. She and another young woman named Wojdan Shaherkani were the first women to ever represent Saudi Arabia in the Olympics.

After several months of pressure by the International Olympic Committee including the threat of banning Saudi Arabia from the games if they did not allow women participants, the Saudi Olympic Committee overturned a ban on women athletes. They demanded however that all female competitors be dressed “to preserve their dignity” which meant both competitors wore long-sleeved garments and a hijab to cover their hair. The rules regarding headscarves had to be revised to allow Shaherkani to participate because they had been previously banned in judo. Prior to Attar’s Olympic debut, Pepperdine University received a request to remove photos of Attar from an online biography because they showed her in shorts, a tank top and without the Saudi required hijab.

Some reported the presence of the women athletes as a win in the “war for women in their home country,” but others do not believe the presence of the two women will change anything in the strict shariah adherent nation.

The presence of the women at the games brought condemnation from Saudi religious scholars and others. The state owned press barely mentioned their participation, and the Twitter conversations about them has been quite hostile referring to them as “prostitutes.”

Sarah Attar is fortunate in that she will return to the United States, but Wojdan Shaherkani returns to a nation that according to a Human Rights Watch report has one of the worst records regarding women’s rights in the world.

She returns to a nation where women are not allowed to play in official sports clubs or even go to a stadium and watch matches. Only private schools are allowed to provide physical education for women.

Every Saudi woman must have a male guardian, typically her father or husband who makes decisions on her behalf. This places women in a permanent state of being treated like a legal minor who is entitled to little authority over her own life. Women must have her guardian’s permission to leave her home, seek medical care and even make decisions regarding her own children.  As adults,  women are not allowed to drive a car and have been arrested and jailed for defying a ban on driving.

At a time when politicians and lobbying groups are debating the prohibition of foreign laws in American courts, the lives of these two women clearly show why it is necessary for the protection of future generations of women to preserve the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.

PRAYER FOR FAMILY:

  • Pray for Sarah Attar and Wojdan Shaherkani. There have been comments made on social media disassociating Wojdan from being Muslim. Pray that there is no backlash against either woman after the Olympics.
  • Pray for those in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic nations who have spoken out in support of these young women and for reforms in nations such as Saudi Arabia.
  • Pray that men and women around the world will see the stark contrast between the lives of these two young women – one born in a nation of western culture and laws and another born in bondage to shariah law.
  • Pray that Muslim women around the world suffering under the oppressive system of shariah laws will be set free physically, mentally and spiritually.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 17 – Media: “Lawfare” – A New Weapon of War

There are two equally destructive arms of the Islamist movement that seek to impose shariah law on Muslim and Western societies. One is violent calling for activities such as suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism. The other arm operates lawfully, but yet effectively conducting what is termed as “soft jihad”.  Both divisions have the same goal and work apart separately, but their work reinforces each others.

For example under shariah law it is blasphemy to criticize Islam or the prophet Muhammad. The violent arm of the Islamist movement would react to something critical of Islam by rioting in the streets, burning cars and killing innocents. The soft jihad side would hire lawyers and sue westerners to silence the critics.

Lawfare is a relatively new term referring to the use of the law as a weapon of war. It actually is an abuse of Western laws and judicial systems to achieve military or political goals. It is often used to silence and punish free speech.

Islamists (states, organizations and individuals) file lawsuits oftentimes they know they cannot win designed to silence critics of militant Islam. The purpose of the suits is to discourage, intimidate and place a financial burden on those who are speaking out against the Islamists such as counterterrorism experts, politicians, law enforcement members – basically anyone who is attempting to sound the alarm about the threat of militant Islam.

For example, the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) sued former U.S. Congressman Cass Ballenger for $2 million for saying in a 2003 interview that CAIR was a “fundraising arm for Hezbollah”. The judge in the case ruled Congressman Ballenger’s statements were protected speech because they were made in the scope of his public duties.

Andrew Whitehead, the founder of a website called Anti-CAIR-net.org was sued by CAIR for $1.3 million for listing CAIR as an Islamist group with terrorists ties on his website. The lawsuit was eventually dropped.

Joe Kaufman from Americans Against Hate was sued by the Muslim American Society for leading a protest against the Muslim Family Day at Six Flags Over Texas. The Texas Court of Appeals eventually dismissed the case although it took a financial toll on Mr. Kaufman.

Bruce Tefft, a retired case officer from the CIA and founding member of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center was sued along with the NYPD by a Muslim police officer for workplace harassment. The police officer had joined Tefft’s e-mail group of terror related news items and commentary. The group is voluntary so the Muslim officer had to subscribe in order to receive the e-mails. The legal bills for Mr. Tefft had exceeded $65,000 before the case even went to trial.

The list of lawsuits is not limited to individuals; Islamic organizations have also sued the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Boston Herald.

These lawsuits are a threat not only to those who are sued, but also to our Constitutional right of free speech. Publishers have cancelled books and many who would speak out have been silenced by the threat of expensive legal battles.

PRAYER FOR MEDIA:

  • Pray for protection from unnecessary lawfare for those in our nation who are speaking out against the threat of radical Islam.
  • Even those who are presenting the truth are being sued — which drains them of their financial resources. Pray for finances for those involved in costly legal battles and pray that the court system will legislate justly.
  • Pray that this type of “soft jihad”, Lawfare, will be exposed and recognized as a serious threat.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 14 – Religion: “Interfaith Pawns”

Last week, Interfaith Alliance brought together a coalition of 42 groups who participated in writing a letter to the five members of Congress who had called for an investigation into the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S. government. The letter said the actions of the legislators “have serious implications for religious freedom and the health of our democracy.”

It was signed by Jewish, Hindu and secular groups, along with several Christian groups including the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, United Church of Christ, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, and the American Baptist Churches USA.

The letter condemning the Congressmen for raising concerns says, “Those you accuse…leaders of the Islamic Society of North America, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and Muslim Advocates have long-standing histories of positive and committed work to strengthen the United States of America.”

It is true there are long-standing histories, but most would doubt how positive their work in our nation has been. For example, a look at the history of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is quite revealing. ISNA not only was designated by the United States federal government as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism funding trial, but it also attempted to have the designation removed and failed. U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Solis said the government had produced ample evidence to establish their association with Hamas. Some of the evidence included a Muslim Brotherhood document that listed ISNA as an “apparatus” of the Brotherhood along with proof ISNA raised money and supported Hamas through a joint bank account with the Holy Land Foundation. According to the Investigative Project on Terrorism, “ISNA checks deposited into the account were often payable to ‘the Palestinian Mujahiden’”.

ISNA’s ties to Hamas were proven in U.S. federal court. Hamas’ name is an acronym of Harakat al Mawqawama al Islamiyya meaning “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Article 2 of the Hamas charter states “The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

The spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Youssef Qaradawi wrote a book called Priorities of the Islamic Movement in which he gives some reasons for Muslims to participate in interfaith dialogue including “the Church stop supporting Christians against Muslims in every battle that erupts between the two sides, such as those in southern Sudan and the Philippines and in other regions.”

Revealing more of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates’ purpose for interfaith dialogue, a Qatari newspaper reported Qaradawi’s instructions. “We do not engage in dialogue with them so that they may be pleased with our religion. They will not be satisfied with us unless we follow their form of religion. This is a fact. We only converse with them to find common grounds on which to stand together against atheism, obscenity, and grievances…. We try to rally the Christians with us to stand together, especially for the cause of Palestine, since Palestine has both Muslims and Christians. We have to rally the Muslims and Christians of Jerusalem to stand up together against Zionism and the Israeli arrogance and tyranny. There is no objection to that.”

According to the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the purpose for interfaith dialogue is to convince Christians to stop supporting other Christians and Israel.

The Interfaith Alliance website states, “We believe that religious and political extremists are a threat to individual liberty and democracy.” The problem is the Alliance is clearly unaware that by coming against these legislators and defending groups such as ISNA they are actually aiding those religious extremists. If the Muslim Brotherhood succeeds in creating their goal of a worldwide Islamic caliphate there will be no liberty, democracy or freedom.

PRAYER FOR RELIGION

  • Open the eyes, ears, and hearts of those that love You in the Church to understand the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood in our nation.
  • Wake up Your Church across this nation to stand for Israel and for Christians suffering around the world. Help them realize that standing against fellow Christians and Israel is actually part of the plan of the Muslim Brotherhood.
bestcurrentnews Ramadan Prayer

Ramadan Prayer Day 13 – Education: “Islam in our Schools”

“He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.” – Adolf Hitler

As children across the nation soon return to the classroom after the summer break, it is an excellent time for parents, grandparents and other loved ones to become aware of what our children are learning. This is especially critical regarding the religion of Islam.

It is certainly valuable in our increasingly global economy to understand the dynamics and culture of other parts of the world and learning about religions as part of that study is an integral part.  As Christians we must insist however that any study of other religions is done in a way to fairly and truthfully educate students and make sure it is indeed education instead of indoctrination.

ACT for America has done an excellent, extensive review of the treatment of Islam in American textbooks. They reviewed and analyzed the treatment of Islam in thirty-eight American textbooks ranging from the 6th to 12th grade level. These are textbooks currently in use in public schools across the nation.

Their findings are alarming and need to be addressed by individual schools, school boards and states across the nation. Overall the amount of information in textbooks about Islam has increased while the amount about Christianity has decreased.

One example of a completely false statement is from the text, World History – Patterns of Interaction. The text says, “Shari’a law requires Muslim leaders to extend religious tolerance to Christians and Jews.” Another text, World Explorer – Medieval Times to Today, says, “Christians and Jews had full religious freedom. They built churches and synagogues, and several were financed by the state. The state did not ask Christians and Jews to perform military service, but it required them to pay a head tax called jizya…”

Both of these statements are false. Shariah law imposes many burdens and restrictions on Christians and Jews. Under shariah law Christians and Jews cannot build new houses of worship or even make repairs to existing ones. They cannot bear arms, ride horses, pray (if the prayer can be heard by a Muslim) or give testimony in Islamic courts. During certain periods of history, Christians and Jews were required to wear clothing or a badge signifying their non-Muslim status.

Unfortunately, American textbooks are full of examples like this. In our society where Christianity is continually attacked for being “intolerant”, children across our nation are being taught inaccurate, and sometimes blatantly misleading information about a religion, which truly is intolerant of other religions. If you have a child in school, take the time and investigate the information regarding Islam in their textbook. ACT for America’s report can be downloaded at this address.

PRAYER FOR EDUCATION

  • Pray that our schools will be used solely for the purpose of education and not indoctrination.
  • Pray that parents around the nation will begin to demand an accurate portrayal of Islam and other religions in our schools.
  • Pray that students across the nation will begin to see that there is a difference between the teachings of the world’s major religions and will be drawn to Truth.