The Agenda of Islam
By: Professor Moshe Sharon
Focus
on Jerusalem, in its continuing endeavor to make available interesting and
doctrinally sound articles associated with Bible Prophecy offers this very
insightful article on “The Agenda of Islam” by Professor Moshe Sharon of the
Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The Christian world is facing a devious threat
from the forces of Islam today through the threat of Islamic inspired terrorism.
FOJ hopes that this presentation will inspire your further interest in the
wonderful study of the amazing prophetic world of the Holy Bible, and the
prophetic plan of God for the nation of Israel, and His blessings upon the whole
world through that tiny nation. (10-11-2006)
FOJ
- Most people think the war of terrorism began on September 11, 2001. In
reality, the terrorists and anti-American, anti-Christian forces have waged war
on the United States ever since 1979, 22 years prior to September 2001, with the
following attacks on us:
-
Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979;
-
Beirut, Lebanon Embassy 1983;
-
Beirut, Lebanon Marine Barracks 1983;
-
Lockerbie, Scotland Pan-Am flight to New York 1988;
-
First New York World Trade Center attack 1993;
-
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Khobar Towers Military complex 1996;
-
Nairobi, Kenya US Embassy 1998;
-
Dares Salaam, Tanzania US Embassy 1998;
-
Aden, Yemen USS Cole 2000;
-
New York World Trade Center 2001;
-
Pentagon 2001.
-
(Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581
terrorist attacks worldwide).
So who are we at war with? There is
no way that we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim
terrorists, and the states that sponsor them. The enemy of Christianity,
ultimately is Satan of course, and he is using many forces in this world to
isolate Christian nations so that he can bring the world against Israel. Trying
to be politically correct and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be
fatal. There is no way to win if you don't clearly recognize and articulate who
you are fighting. And one thing is for certain, America is the last bastion of
defense for Christianity in this world.
The Agenda of Islam - A War Between
Civilizations
By Professor Moshe Sharon
The war has started a long time ago between two civilizations - between the
civilization based on the Bible and between the civilization based on the Koran.
And this must be clear.
There is no fundamental Islam
Fundamentalism is a word that came from the heart of the Christian religion. It
means faith that goes by the word of the Bible. Fundamental Christianity, or
going with the Bible, does not mean going around and killing people. There is no
fundamental Islam. There is only Islam full stop. The question is how the Koran
is interpreted. All of a sudden we see that the greatest interpreters of Islam
are politicians in the western world. They know better than all the speakers in
the mosques, all those who deliver terrible sermons against anything that is
either Christian or Jewish. These western politicians know that there is good
Islam and bad Islam. They know even how to differentiate between the two, except
that none of them know how to read a word of Arabic.
The
Language of Islam
You
see, so much is covered by politically correct language that, in fact, the truth
has been lost. For example, when we speak about Islam in the west, we try to use
our own language and terminology. We speak about Islam in terms of democracy and
fundamentalism, in terms of parliamentarism and all kinds of terms, which we
take from our own dictionary. One of my professors and one of the greatest
orientalists in the world says that doing this is like a cricket reporter
describing a cricket game in baseball terms. We cannot use for one culture or
civilization the language of another. For Islam, you've got to use the language
of Islam.
Driving Principles of Islam
Let me
explain the principles that are driving the religion of Islam. Of course, every
Moslem has to acknowledge the fact that there is only one God.
But it's not enough to say that there is only one God. A Moslem has to
acknowledge the fact that there is one God and Mohammed is his prophet. These
are the fundamentals of the religion that without them, one cannot be a Moslem.
But beyond that, Islam is a civilization. It is a religion that gave first and
foremost a wide and unique legal system that engulfs the individual, society and
nations with rules of behavior. If you are Moslem, you have to behave according
to the rules of Islam which are set down in the Koran and which are very
different than the teachings of the Bible.
The
Bible
Let me
explain the difference. The Bible is the creation of the spirit of a nation over
a very, very long period, if we talk from the point of view of the scholar, and
let me remain scholarly. But there is one thing that is important in the Bible.
It leads to salvation. It leads to salvation in two ways. In Judaism, it leads
to national salvation - not just a nation that wants to have a state, but a
nation that wants to serve God. That's the idea behind the Hebrew text of the
Bible. The New Testament that took the Hebrew Bible moves us toward personal
salvation. So we have got these two kinds of salvation, which, from time to
time, meet each other. But the key word is salvation. Personal salvation means
that each individual is looked after by God, Himself, who leads a person through
His word to salvation. This is the idea in the Bible, whether we are talking
about the Old or the New Testament. All of the laws in the Bible, even to the
minutest ones, are, in fact directed toward this fact of salvation.
Secondly, there is another point in the Bible, which is highly important. This
is the idea that man was created in the image of God. Therefore, you don't just
walk around and obliterate the image of God. Many people, of course, used
Biblical rules and turned them upside down. History has seen a lot of massacres
in the name of God and in the name of Jesus. But as religions, both Judaism and
Christianity in their fundamentals speak about honoring the image of God and the
hope of salvation. These are the two basic fundamentals.
The
Essence of Islam
Islam
was born with the idea that it should rule the world. Let's look, then, at the
difference between these three religions. Judaism speaks about national
salvation, namely that at the end of the story, when the world becomes a better
place, Israel will be in its own land, ruled by its own king and serving God.
Christianity speaks about the idea that every single person in the world can be
saved from his sings, while Islam speaks about ruling the world. I can quote
here in Arabic, but there is no point in quoting Arabic, so let me quote a verse
in English. Allah sent Mohammed with the true religion so that it should rule
over all the religions. The idea, then, is not that the whole world would become
a Moslem world at this time, but that the whole world would be subdued under the
rule of Islam. When the Islamic empire was established in 634 AD, within seven
years - 640 - the core of the empire was created. The rules that were taken from
the Koran and from the tradition that was ascribed to the prophet Mohammed, were
translated into a real legal system. Jews and Christians could live under Islam
provided they paid poll tax and accepted Islamic superiority. Of course, they
had to be humiliated. And Jews and Christians living under Islam are humiliated
to this very day.
Mohammed Held That All the Biblical Prophets Were Moslems
Mohammed did accept the existence of all the Biblical prophets before him.
However he also said that all these prophets were Moslems. Abraham was a Moslem.
In fact, Adam himself was the first Moslem. Isaac and Jacob and David and
Solomon and Moses and Jesus were all Moslems, and all of them had writings
similar to the Koran. Therefore, world history is Islamic history because all
the heroes of history were Moslems. Furthermore, Moslems accept the fact that
each of these prophets brought with him some kind of a revelation. Moses,
brought the Taurat, which is the Torah, and Jesus brought the Ingeel, which is
the Evangelion or Gospel - namely the New Testament.
The Bible vs. the Koran
Why
then is the Bible not similar to the Koran? Mohammed explains that the Jews and
Christians forged their books. Had they not been changed and forged, they would
have been identical to the Koran. But because Christians and Jews do have some
truth, Islam concedes that they cannot be completely destroyed by war [for now].
Nevertheless, the laws a very clear - Jews and Christians have no rights
whatsoever to independent existence. They can live under Islamic rule provided
they keep to the rules that Islam promulgates for them.
Islamic Rule and Jihad
What
happens if Jews and Christians don't want to live under the rules of Islam? Then
Islam has to fight them and this fighting is called Jihad. Jihad means war
against those people who don't want to accept the Islamic superior rule. That's
jihad. They may be Jews; they may be Christians; they may be Polytheists. But
since we don't have too many Polytheists left, at least not in the Middle East -
their war is against the Jews and Christians. A few days ago, I received a
pamphlet that was distributed in the world by bin Laden. He calls for jihad
against America as the leader of the Christian world, not because America is the
supporter of Israel, but because Americans are desecrating Arabia with their
filthy feet. There are Americans in Arabia were no Christians should be. In this
pamphlet there is not a single word about Israel. Only that Americans are
desecrating the home of the prophet.
Two
Houses of Islam
The
Koran sees the world as divided into two - one part which has come under Islamic
rule and one part which is supposed to come under Islamic rule in the future.
There is a division of the world which is very clear. Every single person who
starts studying Islam knows it. The world is described as Dar al-Islam (the
house of Islam) - that's the place where Islam rules - and the other part which
is called Dar al-Harb - the house of war. Not the house of non-Muslims, but the
house of war. It is this house of war which as to be, at the end of time,
conquered. The world will continue to be in the house of war until it comes
under Islamic rule. This is the norm. Why? Because Allah says it's so in the
Koran. God has sent Mohammed with the true religion in order that the truth will
overcome all other religions.
Islamic Law
Within
the Islamic vision of this world, there are rules that govern the lives of the
Moslems themselves, and these rules are very strict. In fundamentals, there are
no differences between schools of law. However, there are four streams of
factions within Islam with differences between them concerning the minutiae of
the laws. All over the Islamic world, countries have favored one or another of
these schools of laws.
The strictest school of law is called Hanbali, mainly coming out of Saudi
Arabia. There are no games there, no playing around with the meanings of words.
If the Koran speaks about war, then it's war. There are various perspectives in
Islam with different interpretations over the centuries. There were good people
that were very enlightened in Islam that tried to understand things differently.
They even brought traditions from the mouth of the prophet that women and
children should not be killed in war. These more liberal streams do exist, but
there is one thing that is very important for us to remember. The Hanbali school
of law is extremely strict, and today this is the school that is behind most of
the terrorist powers. Even if we talk about the existence of other schools of
Islamic law, when we're talking about fighting against the Jews, or fighting
against the Christian world led by America, it is the Hanbali school of law that
is being followed.
Islam and Territory
This
civilization created one very important, fundamental rule about territory. Any
territory that comes under Islamic rule cannot be de-Islamized. Even if at one
time or another, the [non-Moslem] enemy takes over the territory that was under
Islamic rule, it is considered to be perpetually Islamic. This is why whenever
you hear about the Arab/Israeli conflict, you hear - territory, territory,
territory. There are other aspects to the conflict, but territory is highly
important. The Christian civilization has not only been seen as a religious
opponent, but as a dam stopping Islam from achieving its final goal for which it
was created. Islam was created to be the army of God, the army of Allah. Every
single Moslem is a soldier in this army. Every single Moslem that dies in
fighting for the spread of Islam is a shaheed (martyr) no matter how he dies,
because - and this is very important - this is an eternal word between the two
civilizations. It's not a war that stops. This was is there because it was
created by Allah. Islam must be the ruler. This is a war that will not end.
Islam and Peace
Peace
in Islam can exist only within the Islamic world; peace can only be between
Moslem and Moslem. With the non-Moslem world or non-Moslem opponents, there can
be only one solution - a cease fire until Moslems can gain more power. It is an
eternal war until the end of days. Peace can only come if the Islamic side wins.
The two civilizations can only have periods of cease-fires. And this idea of
cease-fire is based on a very important historical precedent, which,
incidentally, Yasser Arafat referred to when he spoke in Johannesburg after he
signed the Oslo agreement with Israel. Let me remind you that the document
speaks of peace - you wouldn't believe what you are reading! You would think
that you were reading some science fiction piece. I mean when you read it, you
can't believe that this was signed by Israelis who are actually acquainted with
Islamic policies and civilization.
A few
weeks after the Oslo agreement was signed, Arafat went to Johannesburg, and in a
mosque there he made a speech in which he apologized, saying, Do you think I
signed something with the Jews which is contrary to the rules of Islam? (I have
obtained a copy of Arafat's recorded speech so I heard it from his own mouth.)
Arafat continued, That's not so. I'm doing exactly what the prophet Mohammed
did. Whatever the prophet is supposed have done becomes a precedent. What Arafat
was saying was, Remember the story of Hudaybiya. The prophet had made an
agreement there with the tribe of Kuraish for 10 years. But then he trained
10,000 soldiers and within two years marched on their city of Mecca. He, of
course, found some kind of pretext. Thus, in Islamic jurisdiction, it became a
legal precedent which states that you are only allowed to make peace for a
maximum of 10 years. Secondly, at the first instance that you are able, you must
renew the jihad [thus breaking the peace agreement].
In Israel, it has taken over 50 years in this country for our people to
understand that they cannot speak about [permanent] peace with Moslems. It will
take another 50 years for the western world to understand that they have got a
state of war with the Islamic civilization that is virile and strong. This
should be understood: When we talk about war and peace, we are not talking in
Belgium, French, English, or German terms. We are talking about war and peace in
Islamic terms.
Cease-fire as a Tactical Choice
What
makes Islam accept cease-fire? Only one thing - when the enemy is too strong. It
is a tactical choice. Sometimes, he may have to agree to a cease-fire in the
most humiliating conditions. It's allowed because Mohammed accepted a cease-fire
under humiliating conditions. That's what Arafat said to them in Johannesburg.
When western policy makers hear these things, they answer, What are you talking
about? You are in the Middle Ages. You don't understand the mechanisms of
politics. Which mechanisms of politics? There are no mechanisms of politics
where power is. And I want to tell you one thing - we haven't seen the end of
it, because the minute a radical Moslem power has atomic, chemical or biological
weapons, they will use it. I have no doubt about that.
Now,
since we face war and we know that we cannot get more than an impermanent
cease-fire, one has to ask himself what is the major component of an
Israeli/Arab cease-fire. It is that the Islamic side is weak and your side is
strong. The relations between Israel and the Arab world in the last 50 years
since the establishment of our State has been based only on this idea, the
deterrent power.
Wherever You Have Islam, You Will Have War
The
reason that we have what we have in Yugoslavia and other places is because Islam
succeeded into entering these countries. Wherever you have Islam, you will have
war. It grows out of the attitude of Islamic civilization. What are the poor
people in the Philippines being killed for? What's happening between Pakistan
and India?
Islamic Infiltration
Furthermore, there is another fact that must be remembered. The Islamic world
has not only the attitude of open war, but there's also war by infiltration. One
of the things which the western world is not paying enough attention to is the
tremendous growth of Islamic power in the western world. What happened in
America and the Twin Towers is not something that came from the outside. And if
America doesn't wake up, one day the Americans will find themselves in a
chemical war and most likely in an atomic war - inside the U.S.
End
of Days
It is
highly important to understand how a civilization sees the end of days. In
Christianity and in Judaism, we know exactly what is the vision of the end of
days.
In Judaism, it is going to be as in Isaiah - peace between nations, not just one
nation, but between all nations. People will not have any more need for weapons
and nature will be changed - a beautiful end of days and the kingdom of God on
earth. Christianity goes as far as Revelation to see a day that Satan himself is
obliterated. There are no more powers of evil. That's the vision. I'm speaking
now as a historian. I try to understand how Islam sees the end of days. In the
end of days, Islam sees a world that is totally Moslem, completely Moslem under
the rule of Islam. Complete and final victory. Christians will not exist,
because according to many Islamic traditions, the Moslems who are in hell will
have to be replaced by somebody and they'll be replaced by the Christians.
The
Jews will no longer exist, because before the coming of the end of days, there
is going to be a war against the Jews where all Jews should be killed. I'm
quoting now from the heart of Islamic tradition, from the books that are read by
every child in school. They Jews will all be killed. They'll be running away and
they'll be hiding behind trees and rocks, and on that day Allah will give mouths
to the rocks and trees and they will say, Oh Moslem come here, there is a Jew
behind me, kill him. Without this, the end of days cannot come. This is a
fundamental of Islam.
Is
There a Possibility to End This Dance of War?
The
question which we in Israel are asking ourselves is what will happen to our
country? Is there a possibility to end this dance of war? The answer is, No. Not
in the foreseeable future. What we can do is reach a situation where for a few
years we may have relative quiet. But for Islam, the establishment of the state
of Israel was a reverse of Islamic history. First, Islamic territory was taken
away from Islam by Jews. You know by now that this can never be accepted, not
even one meter. So everyone who thinks Tel Aviv is safe is making a grave
mistake. Territory, which at one time was dominated by Islamic rule, now has
become non-Moslem. Non-Moslems are independent of Islamic rule; Jews have
created their own independent state. It is anathema. And (this is the worse)
Israel, a non-Moslem state, is ruling over Moslems. It is unthinkable that
non-Moslems should rule over Moslems.
I
believe that Western civilization should hold together and support each other.
Whether this will happen or not, I don't know. Israel finds itself on the front
lines of this war. It needs the help of its sister civilization. It needs the
help of America and Europe. It needs the help of the Christian world. One thing
I am sure about, this help can be given by individual Christians who see this as
the road to salvation.
|