November 5, 2001 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Contrary to what many are saying, the Muslim religion is not inherently peaceful, tolerant, and harmless. As a rule, wherever Islam is in control of the government, there is persecution and intolerance toward other religions. To this very hour, Christians are being persecuted and even killed in many Muslim lands around the world. Even in Pakistan, a Christian was recently sentenced to death for allegedly speaking against Mohammed. The Pakistani supreme court upheld the death sentence.

The intolerance and violence of even mainstream Islamic leaders was witnessed by statements made recently by Syed Bukhari, the religious leader of the largest mosque in India. He warned America not to retaliate for the terrorists attacks and threatened that any retaliation "will be treated as an attack on the entire Muslim world" ("India's Involvement a risk to America?" WorldNetDaily Sept. 19, 2001). This prominent Muslim leader therefore rejects the notion that bin Laden and other vicious terrorists are some sort of aberration who are out of Islam's mainstream. He sees Islam as a unified force that includes the most extreme of terrorists. This influential mainstream Muslim leader justified the vicious terrorist attacks against civilian men, women, and children, lightly dismissing them as "just a reaction to the actions of the United States." He is saying that America deserved what it got.

Not every Muslim is violent, of course, but one has to shut his eyes to the facts to claim that the Muslim religion itself is not part of the terrorist problem.

"Islam's earnest goal, set forth in the Koran (references given herein are from three versions) and hadith (Islamic written tradition), remains the same: to bring all mankind into submission (that's what 'Islam' means) and to kill or enslave all 'infidels' (i.e., unbelievers in Allah and Muhammad his prophet--Surah 2:190-192; 4:76; 5:33; 9:5, 29,41; 47:4, etc.). Islam (in obedience to the Koran and Muhammad's example) is the driving force behind most terrorism today. Muhammad declared, 'The last hour will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them.' ... Allah tells Muslims, 'Take not the Jews and Christians for friends...slay the idolaters [infidels] wherever ye find them. ...Fight against those who...believe not in Allah nor the Last Day' (5:51; 9:5, 29, 41)" (Dave Hunt, "Islam and the Gospel, The Berean Call, April 1999, http://www.thebereancall.org/newsletters/april99.htm).

"Osama bin Laden merely acts as an agent for several Islamic states who all hate America especially Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Sudan, along with militant groups in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and elsewhere in the sprawling Muslim world" (David Dolan, "Jihad in America and Islamic glee," http://www.ddolan.com).

"'It is true that many individual Muslims are peace-loving and law-abiding,' agrees The Barnabas Fund News. 'But it is not true that peace is the main characteristic of Islam. It is not even true that the word 'Islam' means 'peace.' In fact it means 'submission.' Islam as a faith emphasizes submission of Muslims to God and, by a logical extension, the submission of non-Muslims to Muslims" (Barnabus Fund News).

"Muslims also radically claim exclusivity -- not just theologically, but linguistically. Muslims believe that the sole, sufficient and consummate miracle of Islam is the Koran. I know of no Christianized country where your life is in danger because you are from another faith. But today there are many countries in the world -- such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran - where to become a follower of Christ is to put your life and your family at risk" (Ravi Zacharias, interviewed by Lee Strobel in "A Case for Faith").