submit or die

Fox news journalists Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were recently released from their captivity. It seems that Fox was the only network that continued to have a team in Gaza after Israel withdrew not only its armed forces but also abandoned its settlements and forced their people to move to other locations. Centanni wanted to continue to “tell the story of the Palestinians” whom he praised as a very lovable people—right up until the time he was released and found safety within Israel’s borders.

Centanni and Wiig were also forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint as a condition of their freedom. At first glance, the conversion appears to be coerced rather than voluntary, and thus of obvious fraudulent value. But I have been watching and waiting for the newsmen to renounce their “conversion” and state their true beliefs. So far, interviews with them avoid the subject like the plague, preferring to talk about the kind and gentle treatment afforded by their captors, or the efforts of the brave Fox News production staff in compelling the Palestinians to procure the hostages’ release.

On the one hand, any sane person with a sense of self-preservation can understand and sympathize with Centanni and Wiig. Many western hostages have been coerced into reading a statement condemning the US or something similar, and everyone is fully aware that those are not the true sentiments of the prisoner. If they are not Christians, it hardly seems to be a big deal to them to say “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet” in order to avoid beheading.

On the other hand, what if they are (were) Christians? Peter denied knowing Christ and it grieved his Lord and Savior. Yes, Peter was restored and called to apostleship, but suffered a martyr’s death rather than deny Jesus ever again. Because Jesus said “Whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies before men, him will I deny before my Father in heaven,” Christians have risked and suffered death rather than deny their faith. One church historian spoke of how “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” a commentary on the unexpected result of persecution. Christianity increased in numbers as people saw how brave souls went to death for their faith. Such persecution and martyrdom is not just a thing of the long-ago past. Consider this article from 2002, which reports that the 20th century saw the deaths of 65% of the total number of Christian numbers in all of recorded history. If Centanni and Wiig were Christians who renounced their faith and truly became Muslims, they are lost. If their conversion was phony, let them boldly say so. If it was the act of the frightened and the weak, may God have mercy even as he had on Peter and lead them to repentance. As Jesus himself prayed, “ Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

UPDATE: Read this column by Mark Steyn. In it, he makes the salient point that, although a gunpoint "conversion" may be "no big deal" to Americans, the jihadists view it as evidence that Westerners have no core convictions worthy dying for. Couple that with the propensity toward cutting and running from Iraq as displayed by the liberal side of America, and his case is well made.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In a new tape released by Al Qaeda number 2 al-Zawahiri, Americans are extended the “invitation” to submit to Allah or suffer the consequences. Read the whole tale of how American Adam Yehiye Gadahn refers to Christianity as a

“hollow shell of a religion, whose followers cling to an empty faith and a false conviction in their own salvation."
"It is time for the unbelievers to discard these incoherent and illogical beliefs," he said. "We invite all Americans and other unbelievers to Islam, wherever they are."

Christians invite unbelievers to believe and trust in Jesus for salvation all the time. What is different about the invitation from Al-Qaeda? The difference is found in Mohammed’s directives to his forces:

Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war…When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them….If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya [the tax on non-Muslims specified in Qur’an 9:29]. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them. (Sahih Muslim 4294)

So there are the three options: Submit to Islam, become a tribute-paying dhimmi and agree that you will never publicly express your faith, or die. When Al-Qaeda “invites” America to submit to Allah, they are merely following the steps demanded by the prophet. Obviously free Americans are not going to give up our cherished freedoms in order to live in a Muslim theocracy. Therefore, according to the principles of jihad, there must be war. Read this whole article that demonstrates, from history, how this was exactly the approach taken by Muslims over against the Byzantine (Eastern Roman empire after 476) Christians and anyone else who would not submit. This has vital ramifications for the security of the civilized world. Islamic fascists, including those who currently rule the nation of Iran, are not interested in sitting down and making nice and singing Kum-ba-yah. Islam is a religion of “peace” only for those who submit to Allah, for the name of the religion itself means “submission.”

Michigan has a significant Arab population, particularly in the city of Dearborn. In this story from Sunday’s paper, many of the subjects complain how they are the targets of prejudice. I think I read the story pretty carefully, and I fail to see how anecdotal evidence of people muttering under their breath indicates widespread abridgment of civil liberties. It’s like somebody screaming “racism” because a passerby withheld eye contact. Moderate Muslims such as those described in the story ought to vocally and visibly condemn every act of murder perpetrated in the name of jihad. Rarely, if ever, does that occur. Apologists (defenders) for Muslim evil abound. Even this Saudi man convicted of sexually abusing his Indonesian housekeeper defended and exonerated his actions, saying that he was being persecuted for basic, traditional Muslim behaviors. How are non-Muslims able to recognize the “moderate, peaceful” person and differentiate from the jihadist? To me, if you defend or exonerate or justify evil, you are an accomplice to it.

Having said that, evangelical Christians ought to welcome the opportunity to witness our faith to Muslims. Yes, they are enemies of Christ. But so is each and every unbeliever up until the moment the Holy Spirit works in his heart and he is led to believe and accept Christ as Savior. But in order to reach them with the Gospel, we need to be open to building respectful relationships, even as a global war on terror rages. As a clever person once put it, “People don’t know care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Welcome back to school. I’m looking forward to being your guide once again in this fantastic journey called “His-story!”