The ÿfollowing ÿcommentary was taken from the Christian_Net ÿecho
(an international Fidonet bulletin board echo)
SUBJECT: GROWTH OF ISLAM IN UK
Greetings ÿKevin. ÿÿI ÿÿwanted to contribute a response ÿto ÿyour
inquiry concerning the growth of Islam in Britain.
I am an American, currently resident in the UK, with professional
research ÿexperience ÿin ÿmatters ÿinvolving ÿthe ÿMiddle ÿÿEast.
Statistics ÿclearly infer that over the past 20 ÿyears Islam ÿhas
been the fastest growing religion in Britain.
The ÿlargest ÿmosque in Western Europe is ÿsituated ÿin ÿLondon's
Regent ÿPark, ÿand there is an Islamic university alongside. ÿÿIn
1945 ÿthere was one mosque in England, in 1950 there were 25, ÿin
1960 ÿthere were 80, in 1976 there were 200, etc. Muslims here in
Oxford were finally given permission to establish a mosque a ÿfew
years ago, and it is located near where I live.
Within the past couple of years in one part of Birmingham one has
been able to hear above the urban din the electrically ÿamplified
calls ÿto prayer of a Muslim muezzin, ÿjust like in cities in ÿN.
Africa and the Middle East.
In ÿone ÿsense these facts are terribly disconcerting. ÿWhen ÿone
passes ÿthrough the English countryside it is the spires ÿof ÿthe
parish ÿchurches which are most prominent above all the villages,
yet ÿin recent years the abandonment of church buildings ÿbecause
of ÿdisuse ÿhas ÿbeen ÿa topic of much concern. ÿÿOne ÿthinks ÿof
England, ÿand one thinks of a *Christian* nation. ÿThe imprint of
Christianity ÿis everywhere. ÿLast Saturday I attended a memorial
service in the University Church for a don who died last ÿsummer,
and ÿthe ÿparticular congregation was predominantly ÿagnostic ÿor
atheistic, ÿÿbut ÿthe service itself was ÿChristian ÿthrough ÿand
through...a tradition.
England ÿis an Islamic target. ÿDuring an ÿinternational ÿIslamic
conference ÿin Longon in the late 1970s the keynote speaker said,
'If ÿwe ÿcan win London for Islam, ÿit won't be hard to ÿwin ÿthe
whole Western world.' ÿBut all this evidence is only part of ÿthe
picture. ÿMuslims are not noticed proselytising here...but, then,
Muslims ÿÿdo ÿnot ÿgenerally ÿproselytise ÿthe ÿway ÿÿevangelical
Christians do. ÿ*Jihad* means 'struggle' ÿrather more than 'war',
and *influence* can be part of it.
If ÿMuslims ÿare able to induce ecumenical attitudes ÿin ÿWestern
Christians, ÿit can prove advantageous for them. ÿYou may be sure
you ÿwill ÿnot encounter any reciprocal fair-mindedness in ÿSaudi
Arabia, ÿmuch less in Iran. ÿThe influence of the oil and markets
of ÿMuslim countries has been awesome. ÿThis has however ÿshifted
with ÿdevelopments in international affairs. ÿOil lost its ÿsway.
Terrorism went too far. ÿBritain and the rest of the West shifted
their ÿperspectives considerably. ÿIt must also be said that ÿthe
growth ÿof Islam in Britain has mainly been due to large ÿnumbers
of ÿÿÿMuslims ÿÿmoving ÿÿhere, ÿÿÿrather ÿÿthan ÿÿthrough ÿÿmany
converts...though there have been, ÿunhappily, ÿconversions ÿ(Cat
Stevens, the singer and composer, is a devout Muslim now).
Finally, ÿif you are in Washington, ÿDC, ÿyou should take note of
the 160 ÿft. ÿhigh minaret above the mosque of the Islamic Center
on ÿMassachusetts Ave. ÿAnd consider also the alarming growth ÿof
the Black Muslims in our country, the USA, and their links to the
most radical Islamic nations.
Read the Koran. ÿ'Allah' ÿis demonic, ÿand has NOTHING to do with
God. ÿBut Muslims in our midst are not to be feared or hated. ÿWe
must prayerfully, confidently, show them the Love of Christ, ÿand
speak the Truth to them without compromise.
David Canfil
Trinity 3 (Reading), UK
SUBJECT: Re: GROWTH OF ISLAM IN UK
Greetings, ÿDavid. I ÿappreciated your words of encouragement and
faith.
Islam ÿis a formidable seducing spirit and a murderous one in the
world ÿtoday...and ÿno evidence is lacking in ÿsupport ÿof ÿthese
conclusions. ÿI empathize with some of the testimonials of others
which ÿpreceded my words about the threat of Islam to the UK; ÿÿI
would ÿagree ÿwith ÿthem that encounters with ÿunbelievers ÿ(i.e.
people who have no faith in any religion) ÿoften seem more common
and ÿproblematic ÿthan confrontations with Muslim ÿproselytising,
etc. ÿÿBut whatever Muslims may seem to have in common with us is
attributable ÿto the fact that Muhammed selectively borrowed ÿhis
values from Judeo-Christian revelation.
This ÿinfers ÿwhat it is that makes Islam one of ÿhistory's ÿmost
evil systems: ÿmost of the other so-called 'great religions' ÿare
not ÿknown to have originated amongst peoples who 'exchanged ÿthe
truth ÿof ÿGod ÿfor a lie'; ÿthere's no evidence that ÿBuddha ÿor
Confucius, ÿfor instance, ÿever knew the truth of God; ÿprimitive
tribes around the planet have variously created and developed all
manner of unusual and imaginative religious systems; but Muhammed
KNEW Christians and Jews, ÿhe was also exposed to the Old and New
Testaments, ÿand the religion satan spawned through him was, ÿÿin
other words, a Judeo-Christian heresy from its inception.
The ÿspiritual ÿbondage ÿof Islam is ÿtremendously ÿsinister ÿand
strong. ÿÿIslam ÿis ÿno ÿless ÿdevoted ÿto ÿworld ÿconquest ÿthan
Communism. ÿÿAnd ÿIslam is very, ÿvery cruel. ÿAs ÿthe ÿhistorian
Toynbee ÿonce ÿput it, ÿwhile believers in Jesus and Buddha ÿhave
sometimes ÿwaged ÿmurderous, ÿunjust wars in the names ÿof ÿtheir
religions, ÿwhen they did it they were not following the examples
of the founders of their respective faiths; ÿbut, ÿhe said, ÿwhen
Muslims ÿdo ÿit they follow the example of Muhammed ÿhimself...he
wiped out whole communities of peoples who resisted him, allowing
debased ÿsensuality, ÿpillage and slave-taking as enticements ÿto
his followers.
All unbelievers are equally dead in their sins while they ÿremain
unbelievers, ÿÿÿbut ÿIslam ÿBEGAN ÿas ÿa ÿheresy. ÿÿMuslims ÿÿare
consistently ÿthe most difficult of peoples to convert to Christ,
and this explains why.
David Canfil
THE MUSLIMS WAY TO ALLAH
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5 4 3 2 1 (1) Belief [Shahada]
(2) Alms [Zakat]
(3) Fast [Ramadan]
(4) Pilgrimage [Mecca]
(5) Prayer [5 x a day]
The ÿritual prohibitions together with the 5 pillars and as ÿmany
good deeds as is possible do not guarentee that paradise will ÿbe
attained.
The ÿKoran ÿhas no assurance of a 'heaven'. ÿIt relies ÿon ÿman's
doing and all the failures associated with it.
How like the nominal christian who believes in a creed(1), ÿgives
to charity(2), ÿgoes to church, birth, ÿmarriage and death , with
the odd christmas and easter thrown in(4), ÿand prayer, ÿwell yes
if pushed or maybe every now and then at bedtime(5).
Jesus says "I AM THE WAY" "I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU"
"TODAY YOU SHALL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE"
"NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME"
Christianity does not rely on MAN, ÿGod sent HIS SON an ÿatoining
sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10)
The ÿGULF has been crossed by Jesus himself at Calvary and we can
have eternal life here and now, recieve it and be sure of it, ÿno
one can take it away Jesus promise "none shall pluck them from my
hand"
The KEYS may look the same but only JESUS fits, only JESUS is the
sinless, ÿÿspotless SON OF GOD. ÿTHE GOD-MAN, ÿGod incarnate ÿin
human flesh, JESUS is the only way.
I pray this Lord Jesus is your Saviour and your Lord now.
David Rance
ISLAM
"It ÿis commonplace today to speak of the battle of the ÿeighties
to be between Islam, Marxism and Third World Christianity.
Western ÿChristianity is on the whole too flabby to ÿdo ÿanything
about it. One of the clearest symptoms of this is the sad decline
in true spirituality amongst the majority of Western Christians.
We have neglected our prayer life; ÿwe have stopped listening ÿto
God; ÿwe have been caught by the covetous spirit of our ÿaffluent
society, ÿÿand worshipped the false god of materialism. ÿWe ÿhave
exchanged our knowledge of *Theos* (God) for heady disputes about
theological words, ÿor for religious or social activism. ÿWe have
forgotten how to be still before God, how to meditate, trapped as
we ÿare in the vortex of modern life. ÿWe have lost our sense ÿof
direction; ÿand, ÿconfused and bewildered, ÿwe know little of the
exhuberant ÿjoy ÿof celebration enjoyed by God's people down ÿthe
centuries, even in tough and depressing situations.
There ÿis ÿlittle to attract the unbeliever in ÿthe ÿtraditional,
organized ÿChurch. ÿÿThe tragedy is that most people outside ÿthe
Church ÿtoday are hungry and thirsty for God or for some form ÿof
spiritual reality, but the Church as an institution has little to
offer in terms of living bread or the wine of the Spirit.
It ÿis hardly surprising, ÿtherefore, ÿthat a growing number ÿare
turning ÿto ÿthe ÿcults, ÿÿto eastern mysticism, ÿÿor ÿto ÿoccult
practices ÿin ÿpursuit of a basic spirituality that ÿthe ÿWestern
Church no longer seems to provoke.
From ÿDavid Watson's foreword to 'Celebration of Discipline', ÿby
R. Foster
David Canfil
Dear ÿAnton - Just a note here: ÿMuslims most emphatically do not
believe the same things as Christians, ÿthough they share some of
the same moral values...along with many other religions.
And even more emphatically, the Koran does NOT contain ANY of the
same books as the Bible.
Some of the historical figures from Scripture are mentioned in the
Koran, ÿÿbut ÿtheir characters and ÿsignificances ÿare ÿradically
altered, particularly the Person of Jesus Christ.
Islam is an anti-Christ system, ÿplainly and simply. Jesus is the
Son ÿof God. ÿIslam explicitly denies the fact, ÿand many ÿothers
which are absolutely essential. The question here is not what you
or ÿI ÿor ÿanyone think about Jesus or about ÿMuhammed ÿor ÿabout
anything. ÿÿIt has to do with what God has revealed. ÿThere is no
way that one can be a Christian and admit the relative merit of a
seductive, satanic deception... which is precisely what Islam is.
If there are any doubts, read the Koran.
I ÿtoo ÿknow ÿmany Muslims personally, ÿfrom a ÿwide ÿvariety ÿof
backgrounds. Many are warm, hospital folks on personal terms.
But ÿdon't be deceived by that which has deceived generations ÿof
their people. ÿStand firm under the Banner of Christ. ÿJesus died
on the Cross for YOU! Muhammed didn't.
The ÿsimplest ÿway ÿto ÿdeal with this, ÿÿfor ÿanyone ÿwho ÿfeels
confused, ÿis to personally submit the matter to God, ÿthe God of
the Bible, ÿin prayer. ÿHe is Lord! ÿHe will clarify these points
very ÿsatisfactorily, ÿand in a personal, ÿloving, ÿÿand ÿutterly
convincing way, I assure you.
In Him, David Canfil
From: David Canfil
To: All Msg #301, 25-Nov-87 03:59pm
Subject: THE KORAN V.S. THE BIBLE
Some quotes from the KORAN concerning Jesus and Christianity:
"Those who say: ÿ'The Lord of Mercy has begotten a son,' preach a
monstrous falsehood, ÿat which the very heavens might crack, ÿthe
earth break asunder, and the mountains crumble to dust. That they
should ascribe a son to the Merciful, when it does not become Him
to beget one!" 19:88.
"...of Jesus, who said to the Israelites: 'I am sent forth to you
by ÿAllah to confirm the Torah already revealed and to give ÿnews
of an apostle that will come after me whose name is Ahmed'" ÿ61:6
(Note: ÿÿ"Ahmed" ÿÿis another name of Muhammed's, ÿÿmeaning ÿ"The
Praised One").
"The Jews say Ezra is the son of Allah, ÿwhile the Christians say
the Messiah is the son of Allah. ÿSuch are their assertions, ÿÿby
which they imitate the infidels of old. ÿAllah confound them! How
perverse they are! They worship their rabbis and their monks, and
the Messiah the son of Mary, ÿas gods besides Allah; ÿthough they
were ordered to serve one God only. There is no god but Him" 9:30
(Note: ÿÿThe charge that Jews say Ezra is the son of Allah has no
known basis in Jewish religious tradition).
"To ÿMoses ÿWe gave the Scriptures and after him ÿWe ÿsent ÿother
apostles. ÿÿWe ÿgave Jesus the son of Mary ÿveritable ÿsigns ÿand
strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. ÿWill you then scorn ÿeach
apostle whose message does not suit your fancies, ÿcharging ÿsome
with ÿimposture ÿand slaying others? ÿThey say: ÿ'Our hearts ÿare
sealed.' But Allah has cursed them for their unbelief. ÿThey have
but ÿlittle faith. ÿAnd now that a Book confirming their own ÿhas
come to them from Allah, ÿthey deny it, ÿalthough they know it to
be ÿthe ÿtruth ÿand ÿhave ÿlong ÿprayed ÿfor ÿhelp ÿagainst ÿÿthe
unbelievers. May Allah's curse be upon the infidels!" 2:86.
"With ÿthose ÿwho ÿsaid they were Christians We made ÿa ÿcovenant
also, ÿÿbut ÿthey ÿtoo ÿhave forgotten much ÿof ÿwhat ÿthey ÿwere
enjoined...People of the Book! ÿOur apostle has come to reveal to
you ÿmuch ÿof ÿwhat you have hidden of the ÿScriptures, ÿÿand ÿto
forgive ÿyou ÿmuch. ÿÿA ÿlight has come to you from Allah ÿand ÿa
glorious ÿBook...Unbelivers are those who declare: ÿ'Allah is the
Messiah, the son of Mary'" 5:14-17
"Believers, ÿÿtake neither Jews nor Christians for your ÿfriends.
They ÿare friends with one another. ÿWhoever of you ÿseeks ÿtheir
friendship shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide
the wrongdoers" 5:51.
"Unbelievers are those who say: 'Allah is the Messiah, the son of
Mary.' ÿFor the Messiah himself said: 'Children of Israel, ÿserve
Allah, ÿÿmy ÿLord ÿand your Lord.' ÿHe that worships ÿother ÿgods
besides Allah shall be forbidden Paradise and shall be cast ÿinto
the fire of Hell. ÿNone shall help the evildoers. Unbelievers are
those that say: 'Allah is one of three.' There is but one God. If
they do not desist from so saying, ÿthose of them that disbelieve
shall ÿbe ÿsternly ÿpunished. ÿÿWill they not turn ÿto ÿAllah ÿin
repentance ÿand ÿseek ÿforgiveness of Him? ÿHe is ÿforgiving ÿand
merciful. ÿÿThe ÿMessiah, ÿthe son of Mary, ÿwas no more than ÿan
apostle..." 5:72-75.
* Origin: Trinity 2 - Faringdon, Oxfordshire (511/113)
ine', ÿby
R. Foster