Reflections From a Murky Pond

It’s things like this video that may explain the existence of Islamaphobics like the Netherlands’ MP Geert Wilder. The words of the British Imam, Anjem Choudary during a recent interview on BBC’s Hard Talk certainly lends a certain creditability to Wilder’s views of Islam.

Listening to Mr. Choudary’s statements defending the terrorist bombing of the London Public Transport System on July 7, 2005, which killed 52 people and injured 700 others, is enough to incite rage and fear in most people.

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Below is the English version of Geert Wilders’ highly controversial film about the Qu’ran. It directly links passages from the Qu’ran to various and sundry heinous acts of savagery, brutality, oppression, and terrorism that have been committed by Islamists in the name of Islam across the globe.

I’m posting it here, not as an attack on Muslims or the religion of Islam, but as a starting point for discussion.

My first thought on this video was that it is a classic example of “cherry picking” individual passages out of a text in order to use those passages out of context to change people’s overall opinion of a text as a whole. This tactic has been used time and time again, yet never seems to fall out favor through overuse.

The English translations of the referenced sura from the Qu’ran are linked to below in their entirety. Read as part of each whole passage they convey a somewhat different meaning.

• Sura 4
• Sura 6
• Sura 8
• Sura 47

My second and sadder thought was that the extremists - a small minority among Muslims, as it is with any religion or ideology - are probably doing the exact same sort of “cherry picking”, down to sura and verse in order to justify their own agendas.

I think that Wilder’s video will appeal to many people who are already afraid of Muslims. I also think it will enrage many Muslims who already hate the West. I doubt this level of bigotry will change anyone’s opinion though; it’s too unsubtle to be good propaganda. I am force to conclude that Geert Wilder is hoping for a violent reaction from Muslims since such would only further support his world view.

Christianity seems to claim to be rooted in compassion and in your God’s boundless capacity for mercy and forgiveness. No transgression seems so great that God will not turn aside his wrath and accept the sinner back into the fold. The prayers of others even seem enough to stay His hand and His judgment as the three Biblical passage below seem to clearly say:

Moses’ Prayer, interceding for Israel…again

So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin-but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.

– Exodus 32:31-32 NIV

Stephen’s prayer for his murderers

Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

– Acts 7:60 NIV

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance…. in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

– Colossians 1:9-17 NIV

In the light of these passages and a great many others like them, it seems that the God of the Christians is very forgiving indeed. It also seems that another can intercede with God on behalf of a sinner or indeed an entire city or race of sinners. Therefor I have a question for any and all Christians who find this post:

Have you offered even a single prayer for Satan, the first and direst sinner who Fell so far due to his sin? Have you prayed once that God forgive Satan’s pride or prayed once that Satan might repent his sin and be brought back into your God’s grace?