September 18, 2021

Subject: Christianity and Islam Part 19 – Understanding Radical Islam

Psalm 139:19 “Oh, that you would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, you bloodthirsty men.”

“If we’re going to prevent people from being susceptible to the false promises of extremism, countries have to truly invest in the education and skills and job training that our extraordinary young people need.” This was former US President Barack Obama on how to end Islamic terrorism at the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism (February 18, 2015). Obama believes the answer to eliminating the evil of radical Islam is education and job opportunities. More education and job training means fewer violent extremists.

This was after the August 2014 report from the Clarion Project entitled ‘Teaching to Kill: The Islamic State’s Jihad Camps for Kids’, where they interviewed ISIS members on how children are being indoctrinated at special Jihad Camps to kill the ‘infidels’: “We believe that this generation of children is the generation of the caliphate. This generation will fight the infidels and apostates, the Americans and their allies, God willing. The right doctrine has been implanted in these children. All of them love to fight for the building of the Islamic State and for the sake of God… Beautiful virgins are calling, enroll me as a martyr.”

In April 2016, the ISIS Brussels attack murdered 31 people and injured 340. Fathima Imra Nazeer, Assistant Prof. at Mount Ida College, issued this stern warning: “It’s time we take our blinders off and started openly talking about the connection between ISIS’s brutality and Quranic literalism. It has become far too dangerous to be polite and leave religion out of the discussion. It is clear that a significant number of Muslims consider the ideology of ISIS legitimate, honorable and worthy enough to give up their lives for.”

At the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 radical Islam terrorist attack on American soil, President Biden has given the Taliban total control of Afghanistan with 1,000’s of Americans still there and 13 American soldiers murdered during the evacuation by an ISIS suicide bomber. Do we understand with whom we are at war?

While Biden claims to be “working with the Taliban” to get our Americans back whom we left behind, we need to realize the Islamic terrorists are fighting a religious war. They will never give up. We only need to look back at the letters found in the luggage of the terrorists who hijacked American Airlines Flights 11 and 77 and United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. Here are selected excerpts from that letter:

“Read al-Tawba and Anfal (war chapters from the Qu’ran) and remember all of the things God promised for the good believers and the martyrs… You should feel complete tranquility, because the time between you and your marriage (in heaven) is very short. After begins the happy life, where God is satisfied with you.

Do not seem confused or show signs of nervous tension. Be happy, optimistic, calm because you are heading for a deed that God loves and will accept. It will be the day, God willing, you spend with the women of paradise. Smile in the face of hardship young man. For you are heading toward eternal paradise.

So, remember God, as He said in His book: ‘Oh Lord, pour your patience upon us and make our feet steadfast and give us victory over the infidels. Pray for yourself and all your brothers that they may be victorious and hit their targets and ask God to grant you martyrdom facing the enemy… Know that the gardens of paradise are waiting for you in all their beauty, and the women of paradise are waiting, calling out, ‘Come hither, friend of God.’ They have dressed in their most beautiful clothing.

When the hour of reality approaches, wholeheartedly welcome death for the sake of God. Either end your life while praying, seconds before the target, or make your last words: ‘There is no God but God, Muhammad is His messenger’. Afterwards, we will all meet in the highest heaven, God willing.”

A core tenet in the Qu’ran is earning the favor of Allah through the “good work” of killing infidels (those who reject the core beliefs of the Qu’ran). For these 9/11 suicide bombers, and the suicide bomber who murdered our 13 soldiers at the Kabul airport in August, their ‘good work’ was murdering Americans.

Compare this ideology to Christianity, where good works cannot cover your offenses since justice demands your sins be punished. But unlike Islam, in Christianity it is Jesus Christ who satisfied God’s justice for you by paying the penalty for your sin, whether you are Muslim or Christian or anyone else. It is called grace.

The Christian God maintains His standard of justice while solving our sin problem through the sacrificial death of His only Son on the cross. And He does this for one reason: because He loves you.

Ed Croteau is a resident of Lee’s Summit and hosts a weekly study in Lees Summit called “Faith: Substance and Evidence.” He can be reached with your questions through the Lee’s Summit Tribune at [email protected].