Facing Islamic Hostility with Gentleness
July 21, 2016
He had come out of Islam, but he felt he still had to face Islam, the man known as Brother Rachid said at a recent conference on persecution in Washington, D.C. After settling in their new country, he asked his wife, then pregnant for the first time after eight years of trying to conceive, why they weren't still proclaiming Christ to Muslims.
He answered his own question: "'Because we are cowards.' I opened the Book of Acts and asked, 'Didn't these people preaching Christ also have families? If we don't do it, who's going to do it?'"
Having begun in radio, in 2006 he began a program on satellite TV in which Muslims and others call in to ask questions about Islam and Christianity. Friends and relatives advised against doing the program, saying it was too dangerous. Rachid pushed ahead, and the broadcast has helped bring thousands of Muslims to Christ.
"Every Thursday at 9 p.m., people will call us up, some to curse us, some to give their lives to Christ - we're fishing for all kinds of fish," he said.
As a high-profile Christian in the Muslim world, he now has a target on his back, which is nothing new for him. After hearing the gospel through a radio ministry at age 12, followed by four years of correspondence courses, Rachid found himself homeless when his family kicked him out because of his newfound faith. He lived on the streets for two years, and for three more he lived with a missionary family.
"If communism were a religion, should we stop
criticizing it?" he said. "No one calls critics of Christianity a
Christianophobe."
The son of an imam, he learned early on the opposition that converts
face. Relatives of those who leave Islam in the Middle East and North
Africa, he said, initially try to bargain with them, offering or
withdrawing things to persuade them to return to the fold. Failing that,
rejection follows, sometimes violently. In one country in the region,
the father-in-law of a Muslim woman who recently came to faith in Christ
stabbed her to death after discovering her conversion through a text
message she had sent. The father-in-law was convicted but sentenced to
only a few months in prison because it was an "honor killing," Rachid
said.Socially, a kafir ("infidel") loses all status in Muslim culture, he said; they cannot marry or claim inheritance, for example. Rachid said he lost 90 percent of his friends when he converted.
In the legal realm, authorities will tend to believe that any crime befalling converts came about because "they brought it upon themselves," he said. Governments will deny or deprive them of official papers so that they cannot obtain a bank account or work. They will receive threats from unknown persons.
Rachid said the more Muslims learn about Islam, the more likely they'll be to leave it.
"As people find out what Islam really is, there are lots of people in Egypt and Saudi Arabia becoming atheists," he said.
Though religion should be subject to critique in free societies, he recommended deflecting accusations of being an "Islamophobe" by describing Islam as an ideology, more than a religion.
"If communism were a religion, should we stop criticizing it?" he said, adding that Islam is an ideology that encompasses every aspect of life, including political and social structures. "Islam preaches violence and hatred. Besides, no one calls critics of Christianity a Christianophobe."
Though forthright in his assertions, Rachid has a kind, gentle demeanor. The same gentleness helps a pastor in Turkey to earn Christianity a good name amid a hostile culture. At a recent court hearing for Islamists who on Feb. 25 damaged windows and a security camera of his rented church building in Samsun, Pastor Matta (full name withheld for security reasons) surprised the judge.
"During the trial, the judge asked me whether I am pressing charges or not," he said. "I replied, 'I'm not pressing charges because the Lord asked me to forgive.' The judge waited for some seconds and asked again, saying, "You're not even asking for the damages they caused with the broken windows and the camera?' I replied, 'No, I don't want to; the only thing I want is it to be known that we are not bad people.'"
The magistrate smiled and said that the pastor may not have wanted to press charges, but that he as judge was going to try them for causing harm to a place of worship.
After the suspects were released from jail the day after the attack, some of them had yelled the jihadist slogan, "Allahu Akbar [God is greater]." That same slogan is invoked in jihadist movements such as that of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq, where Christians are targeted for their faith. Pastor Matta recently met a Christian refugee from Iraq who fled with his family to Turkey when ISIS began to approach their area after burning neighboring villages.
"As we were Christians, we had no chance of survival," the refugee told Pastor Matta. "So we left everything behind and came to Turkey."
A smuggler offered to take them to Greece by boat, and his son agreed to take family members against his father's advice. The refugee stayed behind as his wife, two of his sons, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren undertook the voyage.
"Seven people from the family of this man lost their lives when the boat in which they were crossing the Mediterranean to reach Greece from Turkey capsized and sunk," Pastor Matta said. "He told us his sad story with tears in his eyes. There are many stories like this, of those whose lives are broken by the ugliness of the deeds of ISIS and then come to a church and hear the words of Jesus Christ, 'You shall even love your enemies.'"
Those who hear such preaching are impressed, want to know more about Jesus, and gladly accept a New Testament, he said. To help indigenous missionaries to meet the needs of persecuted Christians, you may contribute online using the form below, or call (434) 977-5650. If you prefer to mail your gift, please mail to Christian Aid Mission, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906. Please use Gift Code: 400PERS.
WASHINGTON, DC (ANS -- July 21, 2016)
– Over 140 members and guests of Luis Palau Association’s Next
Generation Alliance (NGA) gathered for the Connect Conference in
Washington, DC., July 14-16, 2016.
Of
the Connect Conference event, one participant commented, “I met
incredible brothers and sisters in Christ and I was encouraged by what
they shared and imparted as well as the time for me to discuss the
ministry where I advance Jesus’ name.”
DULUTH, GEORGIA (ANS - Sept. 26, 2016)
-- After a year of planning and prayer, more than 200 churches
throughout Atlanta and North Georgia united in faith this past weekend,
Sept. 23 – 25, 2016, to host Harvest Georgia 2016 at Infinite Energy
Arena in Duluth, Georgia, located just minutes outside of Atlanta.
Pastors
from the area participated in the three-day Harvest Georgia outreach by
leading times of prayer, including Dr. James Merritt of Cross Pointe
Church, Sandy Adams of Calvary Chapel Stone Mountain, and Dr. Johnny
Hunt of First Baptist Church of Woodstock.
Laurie
continued, “I’ve been up close and personal with death and if I didn’t
have Christ in my life, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it.
But I know I will see my son and others on the other side of heaven. I
hope you have that hope, as well. Heaven is not the default destination
of every person, it is the destination of those who know Christ.”
All
nights of the 2016 SoCal Harvest were broadcast on the Internet, and
11,966 people watched live from 138 countries and all 50 states. In
addition, 51,305 viewers participated through Facebook Live. The 2016
SoCal Harvest is archived and available for viewing at www.harvest.org.
In
addition to founding the Harvest Crusades -- the longest-running annual
evangelistic outreach in U.S. history -- Laurie also serves as senior
pastor of one of the largest churches in America, Harvest Christian
Fellowship, which has campuses in Riverside and Irvine, Calif., and
Maui, Hawaii. He serves on the board of directors for the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association (BGEA).
About
the writer: Dan Wooding, 75, is an award-winning winning author,
broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary
parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma,
to whom he has been married for more than 53 years. They have two sons,
Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren, who all live in the UK. Dan is
the founder and international director of the ASSIST News Service (ANS).
He is the author of some 45 books, and has been a full-time journalist
since 1968. Dan also has a weekly radio show and two TV shows all based
in Southern California. Wooding became a full-time journalist in 1968,
working for the Billy Graham-owned UK newspaper, The Christian,
and later worked as a writer for Mr. Graham during his overseas
crusades in Moscow, Russia; Essen, Germany; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
LAGUNA BEACH, CA (ANS - September 26, 2016)
-- A hideous violation by her second husband left her wondering if she
could every trust a man again. Then her best friend died from cancer,
and a series of prophetic words and dreams opened her heart to love
again.
Elizabeth
found a small church in Laguna Beach, California known as Church by the
Sea, which she found to be a healing place. Slowly, God began to fill
Elizabeth’s heart with peace and contentment. “I would get up each day
and God would show me what to do and how to do it. I would be on my face
at night. He would give me what I needed,” she recounts.
“Okay,
I promise,” Elizabeth said half-heartedly. At that moment, she couldn’t
imagine trusting a man and allowing him into her life.
About the writer: Mark Ellis is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service (
In
the midst of her deep distress, Sapna heard about three Women’s
Fellowship team members in her area who regularly gathered with ladies
for times of prayer, worship and discipleship. What’s more, she heard
that when these women prayed to Jesus, He answered their prayers and
healed many people from their problems.
LA MIRADA, CA (ANS – September 27, 2016)
– One-time Hollywood film and TV actor, Bob Turnbull, who was featured
in such shows as “Hawaii 5-0,” “Petticoat Junction,” “Ironside,” and “My
Three Sons,” thought he had a glamorous marriage that was made in both
Hollywood and Waikiki Beach.
Their
life together began on the golden sands of the Hilton Hawaiian Village
in Waikiki Beach, where he and his wife, Yvonne, met at the “Sun and
Soul Talk” beach service that Bob started there in the 70’s.
Yvonne
replied, “Nothing is wrong. Actually it is right. I was looking through
the Bible and a verse in the New Testament caught my eye and one I am
sure will give us hope for all of our marital struggles. Before I could
tell Bob what it was he asked me, ‘Was it Romans 15:13?’ and that
stunned me. I told him it was and then we both knew that was the Lord
talking to both of us, giving us hope. We held each other and thankful
tears filled our eyes. From that moment on it wasn't just two steps
forward and one back, but around four or five steps forward and one
back. That was a turning point in our relationship.”
“Both
of us are looking forward to presenting our ‘Communication: The Key to
an Intimate Relationship” at the La Mirada Christian Church in La
Mirada, on Saturday, October 8th,” said Bob.
“Having
cut way back our national/international traveling, and now settled in
the Palm Springs area, we are now enjoying being Relationship Coaches
together, plus I am a certified personal trainer and Yvonne is a
certified health coach, and just as of September 1st she is now
full-time as the House Manager of the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert,
which is the Coachella Valley's premiere performing arts center. Busy
doing what our passions are and not just loving it but thankful for it.”
About
the writer: Dan Wooding, 75, is an award-winning winning author,
broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary
parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma,
to whom he has been married for more than 53 years. They have two sons,
Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren, who all live in the UK. Dan is
the founder and international director of the ASSIST News Service (ANS).
He is the author of some 45 books, and has been a full-time journalist
since 1968. Dan also has a weekly radio show and two TV shows all based
in Southern California. Wooding became a full-time journalist in 1968,
working for the Billy Graham-owned UK newspaper, The Christian, and
later worked as a writer for Mr. Graham during his overseas crusades in
Moscow, Russia; Essen, Germany; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
NEW YORK (ANS -- September 27, 2016)
-- The Iranian-American Christian Pastor, Saaed Abedini, held in prison
in Iran for over three years due to his underground church activities,
shared the Gospel as he waited at the airport for his release.
About the writer: Mark Ellis is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service (