Regarding “Reawaken Muhammed’s words,” Sept. 4: I agree with the doctor that the Muslims should adopt the peaceful teachings found in the Achtiname. However, it seems obvious that the Achtiname is not well known enough, or no prominent Muslim leaders care about it. It seems more Muslims care about the hadiths that are “contaminating” Islam. But even in sura No. 2, which the doctor quotes, there are verses validating warring and paying violence with violence. If you continue to sura five, you read that those who war against Allah will be slain, crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off. And that is what we are seeing.
This text is not from a hadith or obscure scroll. It is the Koran.
Now people who say, “Well, the Christian Bible talks about stoning people for adultery and practicing an eye for an eye, so don’t bag on the Koran” don’t understand that Christians are under a new covenant with Jesus. They are not bound to the old covenantal laws (laws of Moses), which were civil and ceremonial ordinances for Israel of that day. Even orthodox Jews aren’t stoning people.
Christians are taught in the New Testament to have the same mindset, humility, and submission as Christ, even if it leads them to be crucified (Phil. 2). Our weapon is the sword of the spirit, which is the word (Eph. 6). We proclaim that we do not war according to the flesh (2 Cor. 10) and to turn the other cheek (Matt. 5). Christians seeking lasting solutions through carnal means don’t have a true understanding of a Lord/kurios (Jesus) and slave/dulous (Christian) relationship.
If you look at the parallels between the 12th Imam, or Mahdi, and the Antichrist, if you watch the videos of people getting hacked apart, and if you read Revelation 20:4 about those who had been beheaded for witnessing to Jesus, then it’s not hard to figure out where this is going and who’s doing the executing. I guess time will tell.
This article appears in Sep 11-18, 2014.