Joy Junction -

MUSLIMS: FRIENDS OR FOES? TERRORISTS OR PEACEMAKERS?

By Jeremy Reynalds
ALBUQUERQUE, NM (ANS) -- While a spring 2000 visit to an Islamic mosque in Los Angeles was relatively interesting, it wasn't anything about which I spent much time reflecting. Admittedly, there were a couple of things that concerned me-albeit minimally at the time. While our hosts that night were very gracious to us, they nonetheless projected an almost overwhelming aura of hostility toward the rest of life in general.

Shortly after the terrible terrorist attacks of 9-11, and the ongoing debate about whether this onslaught against America was the work of a few Islamic fundamentalist fanatics or whether such thinking represented the core of Islam thinking, I was reminded again of the hostility-laden atmosphere I had felt that night in that mosque.

I asked Campus Crusade for Christ staff member Tom Terry, who has a flourishing on- line ministry to Muslims, whether he thought Islam really is a peaceful faith (as we have been told recently by some politicians).

In an e-mail response, Terry said that's a difficult question to answer. There are parts of the Quran that teach violent opposition to anyone who opposes Islam. For example, in Surah 4:89, the Quran reads "But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever you find them, and take no helpers from their ranks." But then there are also parts of the Quran that advocate leaving alone those who are opposed to Islam. Because of that, probably the best barometer to consider is the Muslim world itself, where there is no such thing as a free Islamic nation, Terry said.

He added, "Even in some of these countries where a more moderate form of cultural Islam is the norm, there is no real freedom of conscience. I think that's pretty telling. I've spent time in three Islamic countries, with friends in many others. I've lived in what may be considered the most liberal' Islamic country, and yet, we still had to be very careful about Christians meeting privately in a home for a private Bible study. That's certainly not true in the so-called Christian' countries (and I apply the term very loosely)like the United States, Britain, Australia, etc., where Muslims may congregate and worship freely, and proselytize without repercussion."

Terry added, " ... Muslims ... differ on the issue of when' physical violence is permitted in the Quran, but clearly, there are some pretty big allowances for it."

While the issue of terrorism is what has led to the outpouring of interest about Islamic beliefs, Terry said a better perspective can be gained on Islamic philosophy by using the family, rather than terrorism, as an example. Terry said that Muslims living in a Muslim country and attempting to convert to Christianity quite literally take their life in their hands.

"Your own family may try to kill you, depending upon where you live. At the least you may lose your livelihood and relationships. The point here is that when someone leaves Islam, there is cause for violence. Thus, Islam attempts to hold some of its own in place by the threat of violence," Terry explained.

Terry recently heard from a girl in Egypt who wanted to obtain a copy of the Injeel, (the New Testament). Campus Crusade, Terry said, regularly sends an Injeel, the Jesus Video and other helpful Christian materials to Muslims.

Terry said, "She really wanted them, and wanted to see for herself what the Injeel says, but ended up refusing out of fear. She said, and I quote, My parents are VERY devout Muslims, if you know that I mean.'"

Terry told me that he knew exactly what she meant. "If the materials came to her house, she might be in danger. That kind of thing is not uncommon. In the Muslim world, there are millions of Muslims who want to read the Injeel for themselves, but family, government, and peer relationships keep them, in fear, from having that chance. So much for a system that says there should be no compulsion in religion.'"

Having known Terry from some years back when he worked with as an air personality with KLYT (a Christian rock- and- roll station based in Albuquerque), I was curious as to how he obtained his current position.

He told me that while working for KLYT, the Lord had opened a door for him to join the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ working on radio projects. However, this was not a real surprise for Terry. He said, "The Lord had told me some years before that he was going to open that door, so when the opportunity came, I took it." Knowing what lay ahead sometime in the future, Terry had studied the Islam faith even while he was still at KLYT. While his work was initially slow going, Terry said that the Lord has given much fruit as a result of his efforts.

Even though engaged in a very serious ministry, Terry hasn't lost his sense of humor. When I asked him to describe a typical day's work, he responded  "I get up.... Take a shower. Then I commute to work, about 20 feet from my bedroom to the PC. I sit down ... at my computer all day playing Star Trek: Elite Force Holomatch and kill people online."

Returning to a more serious note, Terry told me that he spends his day working on Internet development for various Campus Crusade web sites or chatting on line with Muslims. Depending on the day, Terry told me that he gets between three and 10 chat requests via Instant Messaging, in addition to regular e mail. While typical conversations last at least 20 minutes, some last much longer.

Terry said, "Many begin with Muslims who are very threatening, very belligerent. But I have found that within a few minutes, if you ignore the threats, and treat them with gentleness and respect, they start to have a normal conversation and you can talk about Isa (Jesus)."

With Islamic philosophy currently being such a hotly debated topic, I asked Terry what he thought of the theory taught by some that the Allah of the Quran is the same deity as the God of the Bible--just going by different names.

Terry said that's a hotly debated issue. "Some say no, that the characteristics of Allah in the Quran are very different from God in the Bible, thus, we should define Allah as another God,' much like Paul talked about in Galatians ... In my view, it's all immaterial."

Terry said, "When you read the Quran, even though the character of Allah is different from the Bible (not a God of Love and so forth), it is very clear that Allah is being discussed in historical terms as being the same God of the Jews, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Jesus, etc."

However, according to Terry, there's a problem in that the "Quran has classically tried to correct' the history - thus, Ishmael is the son of promise and not Isaac; and so on. Clearly, the Quran appeals to the previous scriptures (Torah, Injeel, etc.) for proof and authority.'  (For example, in Surah 7: 157, "Those who follow the apostle, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own Scriptures-in the Law and the Gospels..." ) So when talking to a Muslim, it's important to understand that common frame of reference."

When Terry talks to Muslims, he approaches them from the standpoint that they are talking about the same God; it's just that they are talking with different perspectives about His nature and history.

"I think that's more respectful to the Muslim. Besides, what are you going to do, go to the Muslim and say, Hey, did you know your God is a tribal moon-god and you don't even know what you believe?' That kind of stuff rarely works," Terry said.

There's nothing wrong with discussing the origins of Islam and the name of Allah when talking to Christians who want to understand the differences, Terry said. "But when you are talking to Muslims, all of that is immaterial. What changes lives is the love of God, expressed through Christ."

Terry said there's a very important part of his ministry that could easily be glossed over. He said that recently he was with a Muslim from the United States who was initially very angry. "He kept stressing that Christians could get away with any sin since all we have to do is believe.' But he has to obey' to get to Heaven. We talked for quite some time on this issue. And you know what? When you get right down to it, it's a love issue. At the end of the conversation he realized that Christians who obey' do so out of love for God, not out of a need to obey or else' syndrome. (Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Rom. 6:1). In a flash, his eyes began to open a little. God was at work!"

Terry said that when you get down to it, that while there are innumerable ways in which Islam is different from Christianity there are only a couple of key differences about which he focuses on when he talks to Muslims: God's love in the Injeel vs. the Quran and the fact that Jesus provided evidence for who he was whereas Mohammad provided nothing.

Terry was also "doing" his ministry while answering questions from me for this story. He told me, "The guy ... that I'm chatting with right now, turned out to be a Christian, living in a Muslim country, and he's thinking about abandoning Christ and becoming a Muslim. He's very confused."

And what does Terry's family think about his unique--and maybe dangerous-ministry to Moslems? Terry said, "We have had some minor concerns in the past, but are convinced that God is at work. We are seeing thousands of Muslims view our presentation, with so many contacting us for help."

And if that wasn't enough, there's even more to Terry's busy life. While ministering the love of Jesus Christ to those of the Islamic faith not surprisingly takes up a lot of Terry's day, he also spends time working on Internet development for Campus Crusade. With that part of his ministry, he's managed to create several web sites for Campus Crusade that include billbright.com, the official web site for Campus Crusade web site for Crusade Founder Dr. Bill Bright; todayspromise.com, Dr. Bright's daily online devotional and womentoday.org, Vonette Bright's daily radio program site.

You may contact Terry at mail@aboutisa.com or find out additional information by going to www.aboutisa.com.