The political narrative has been that Islamic terrorists are not real Muslims. Rather they are just criminals. The 9/11 terrorists were inspired by the Koran. They were jihadis. Politicians cannot bring themselves to admit that Islam is responsible for much of the violence and carnage in the world today. The media also will not draw this conclusion and articulate it. Why? Out of fear of upsetting Muslims. Not wanting to recognise the ‘religious’ nature of the confrontation between Islam and the West. Not having any ‘religious’ conviction to match that of Muslims. Thinking that ‘religion’ is irrelevant and infantile. Being largely godless.
On the BBC News at Ten on 31st August, two members of the Taliban special forces in charge of Kabul airport said ‘Americans should not have any plans to attack Muslims again’ and ‘these infidels have destroyed the entire airport’. For Muslims this is a religious war. It is so in other places also. In the Palestinian Authority, in Sudan, Mozambique, Congo, Cameroon, Mauritania, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Northern Nigeria. Al Qaeda, Al Shabbab, ISIS, Boko Haram and ISAWP (Islamic State Africa West Province) are carrying out carnage, murder, kidnapping of children and further mayhem throughout the Sahel region of Africa and beyond. They identify themselves as Muslims. Christians are their particular target for cruelty and eradication.
The Americans, British and others did not get involved in Afghanistan to convert its population to Christianity. But the world mission of Muslims is to convert every Christian to Islam, by force if necessary. Indonesia and Malaysia are now Muslim countries. In Africa, there is growing number of Muslim majority countries some of which were previously partially Christianised by European colonisation. These include Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Sudan. Muslims feel called to establish Islam throughout the whole human population, to create one Nation of Islam. The defeat of America, Britain and their allies in Afghanistan adds to this narrative. Muslims consider each conquest as a step forward to the inevitable victory of Islam. The Taliban’s bloodless walk-in taking of Kabul is evidence for them of Allah’s will and providence.
Muslims throughout the world are celebrating, some noisily in street parades and others quietly at home. Mullahs will broadcast the victory of Afghanistan in mosques everywhere. British Muslims will be giving restrained thanks to Allah. But they will present a different face to society and the public. Muslims in parliaments will keep quiet while inwardly rejoicing. They are biding their time. They think that the West may implode like Afghanistan. The West is decadent and without reason or will to withstand Islam’s advance. All the pockets and ghettoes of Muslims in European countries will rise up when the time is right. They expect a miracle of mass conversion to Islam to be enacted.
Christian leadership is lacking, absent during the pandemic, unwilling to engage with and confront the claims of Islam. The Church of Scotland and the Church of England are miserably flaccid. We are ashamed of Jesus. We are cowardly in our professions of faith. We do not challenge the false gods of the day. It might be a hate crime to do so. We are paralysed by minority interest groups, by critical race theories and by microagression activism. If God is one, why is Allah fighting against the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the Father of Jesus Christ? Why is there endemic doctrinal Islamic hatred of Jews? Why are Christians being murdered wholesale in Africa?
We are more concerned about global warming than we are about God. We have learned nothing about our lifestyles from the Covid-19 pandemic. We have not voluntarily returned to Christianity. Here is a possible scenario. Atheism and agnosticism will not withstand the force of jihad. Islam may fill the void of values and purpose. This will be a punishment, a rougher, more primitive throwback far from the forgiving love of God in Jesus Christ. There will be no coincidence, no approximation, no rapprochement possible between Christianity and Islam. Burkas and beards all round. Yet more failed Islamic states.
It does not have to be like this. We can expose the falsehoods of Islam. We can stand up to the threats of jihadis. We can call on the Name of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can return good for evil, truth for lies, love for hate. We are however a long way from living the Christianity that inspires such beauty in human life.
