Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Seagoon on April 24, 2007, 09:56:51 AM
-
Hi All,
I'm posting the following as an appeal to the Christians in the AH2 community who pray, because the tiny (less than 0.2%) Christian population in Turkey desperately needs your prayers. Of late a wave of Islamic extremism has been rolling through that country, and Jihadis are becoming more and more active in their efforts to eliminate all Christian witness in that country. National feeling has turned decidedly against them, and pastors I know are saying simply holding church services on Sunday or finding a place to worship is becoming increasingly difficult.
With the shootings at VA Tech understandably grabbing the headlines, most people missed the story of the brutal torture and slaying of three Christians at a bible publishing house (1 German and 2 Turks) by Jihadis in Malatya, Turkey. But it has shaken the Christian community there to the core. I'm posting the following email I received from Fikret Bocek, a Turkish fellow Pastor who graduated from the sister seminary of the one I went to. While I've never met him personally, we have a lot of friends in common.
I'd urge those members of the board who refuse to believe there is a worldwide Jihad going on, or who feel that Islam and Christianity are "equally bad" to please not read the following, I'm posting it simply to encourage prayer. Unlike the Jihadis who brutally tortured and killed his friends, Fikret does not hate these Jihadis, nor does he want revenge: In fact this is the core of his request:
Please pray for the Church of Christ in Turkey. Don't pray against persecution, pray for perseverence. ... Pray that we stand strong against external opposition and especially pray that we stand strong against internal struggles with sin, our true weakness.
...
But we pray- and urge you to pray- that someday one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilman Geske, who gave his life as a missionary to the beloved Turks...
I've removed the descriptions of the torture of these men for the sake of the BB and young eyes, an Agence France Presse article should explain why: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=81616
Anyway, here is Fikret's letter:
A Letter to the Churches in America from The Protestant Church of Smyrna
Dear friends,
This past week has been filled with much sorrow. We send our condolences for the slaying of all those university students in Virginia. May the Lord comfort the families and friends of the victims and all those impacted by the tragedy.
Many of you have heard by now of our devastating loss here.
On Wednesday morning, 46 year old German missionary and father of three Tilman Geske kissed his wife goodbye as he left to go to the Turkish church office, which was also the location of the church's ministry Zirve Publishing. Zirve prints and distributes Christian literature to Malatya and nearby cities in Eastern Turkey. In another area of town, 35 year old Pastor Necati Aydin, father of two, said goodbye to his wife leaving for the office as well. They had a morning Bible Study and prayer meeting that some other believers in town would also be attending. Ugur Yuksel also made his way to the Bible study.
None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown of righteousness from Christ and honor from all the saints awaiting them in the Lord's presence.
On the other side of town, ten young men all under 20 years old put into place final arrangements for their ultimate act of faith, living out their love for Allah and hatred of infidels who undermined their religion.
On Resurrection Sunday, five of these men had been to a by-invitation-only evangelistic service that Pastor Necati and his men had arranged at a hotel conference room in the city. The men were known to the believers as "seekers." No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they listened to the gospel.
These men, one of whom is the son of a mayor in the provence of Malatya, are part of a tarikat, or a group of "faithful believers" in Islam. Tarikat membership is highly respected here; it's like a fraternity membership. In fact, it is said that no one can get into public office without membership in a tarikat. These men all lived in the same dorm, possibly owned by that tarikat.
The men got guns and knives ready for their final act of service to Allah. They arrived in time for the Bible Study, around 11.
They arrived, tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilman's hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on their cellphones, they tortured our brothers for two hours
Tilman was stabbed 156 times, Necati 99 times and Ugur's stabs were too numerous to count (i.e. over 200). They were disemboweled, emasculated, while they were still alive Possibly the worst part was watching as their brothers were likewise tortured. Finally, their throats were cut
Neighbors in workplaces near the printhouse said later they had heard yelling, but assumed the owners were having a domestic argument so they did not respond.
Meanwhile, another believer Gokhan and his wife had a leisurely morning, he slept in till 10, ate a long breakfast and finally around 1 he and his wife arrived at the office. The door was locked from the inside, and his key would not work. He phoned and though it had connection on his end he did not hear the phone ringing inside. He called cell phones of his brothers and finally Ugur answered his phone. "We are not at the office. Go to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there," he said cryptically. Meanwhile in the background Gokhan heard weeping and a strange snarling sound.
He phoned the police, and the nearest officer arrived in about five minutes. He pounded on the door, "Police, open up!" Initially he thought it was a domestic disturbance. At that point they heard another snarl and a gurgling moan. The police understood that sound as human sufferening, prepared the clip in his gun and burst through the door, to find a grisly scene.
Tilman and Necati had been slaughtered....Necati and Ugur's throats were slit in the previous minutes before the door was kicked in. Ugur was barely alive.
Four assailants dropped their weapons.
Meanwhile Gokhan heard a sound of yelling in the street. Someone had jumped out of the third story window from the office. Running down, he found a man he recognized named Emre. He had massive head trauma and strangely, was snarling. It turns out that he was the main leader of the attacks.
What follows is almost as disturbing as the act itself. Amidst public outcry against the event, public officials from the Prime Minister to the local government and mayors of Malatya, Ankara, Izmir. Media and Muslim leaders alike, judges, prosecutors. All the leaders blame the Christians for the act. Interviews with these leaders are filled with the same idea, "We hope you've learned your lesson. You shouldn't be doing these things." Even the Public Prosecutor of Malatya, who will prosecute these murderers shares the view that these "young men" are not to blame for their savagery. The Malatya Governor smirked as he spoke of the attacks.
The church of Christ in Turkey responded in a way that honored God, hundreds of believers and dozens of pastors flew in as fast as they could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the media.
When Suzanna Tilman expressed her wish to bury her husband in Malatya, the Governor tried to stop it, and when he realized he could not stop it, he told all people that "it is a sin to dig a grave for a Christian." In the end, the believers who had come up from Adana grabbed shovels and dug a grave for him in an untended hundred year old Armenian graveyard.
Yesterday was Necati's funeral. It took place here in Izmir since he was initially from here. The darkness does not understand the light. Though the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the plane, it went through two separate xray exams to make sure it was not loaded with explosives.
Though it took a lot of late-into-the hour planning, the funeral was a beautiful event. Thousands of Turkish Christians and missionaries came to show their love for Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ. Like a piece of heaven. It took place outside at Buca Baptist church. Two assistant Governors of Izmir were there solemnly watching the event from the front row. Dozens of news agencies were there documenting the events with live news and photographs. Who knows the impact the funeral had on those watching? This is the beginning of their story as well. Pray for them.
Please pray for the Church of Christ in Turkey. Don't pray against persecution, pray for perseverence. The church is better having lost our brothers, the fruit in our lives, the renewed faith, the burning desire to spread the gospel to quench more darkness in Malatya …all these are not to be regretted. Pray that we stand strong against external opposition and especially pray that we stand strong against internal struggles with sin, our true weakness.
This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving their lives for Him. He was there, like he was when Stephen was being stoned in Saul of Tarsus's sight.
Cont'd
-
Letter Cont'd
Someday the video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross, about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for their beloved Savior. But we know he did not leave their side. We know their minds were full of Scripture strengthening them to endure, as darkness tried to subdue the unsubduable Light of the Gospel. We know they knew they would soon be with Christ.
We don't know the details. We don't know the kind of justice that will or will not be served on this earth.
But we pray- and urge you to pray- that someday one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilman Geske, who gave his life as a missionary to the beloved Turks and the testimony in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church.
~Fikret Bocek
-
For a Christian to go into a Muslim country and try and convert Muslims is just asking for a brutal death. Leave those people be, they are not worth it. My condolences to the deceased.
-
What are the Turkish authorities doing about it. If they want EU membership as bad as they seem they better clean up this mess.
-
Originally posted by Viking
What are the Turkish authorities doing about it. If they want EU membership as bad as they seem they better clean up this mess.
With the way Europe has been going lately, I expect that this surge in extremist Islamists will streamline the process to get them into the EU.
-
It's gonna be hard to follow this story.I'm wondering what the Turkish courts are gonna do with this...
-
Originally posted by Yeager
For a Christian to go into a Muslim country and try and convert Muslims is just asking for a brutal death. Leave those people be, they are not worth it. My condolences to the deceased.
I think you meant "My condolences to the bereaved". ;)
Thought this thread was going to be about an earthquake. As it's about religion, I shall tiptoe away quietly.
-
do you think thats what I meant?
-
It's incredible that this kind of beastly savagery could be even remotely excused or tolerated in any society worthy of the name.
-
Completely agreed.
-
Seagoon I will say a prayer for them and their families and friends.
It is truly a shame how utterly barbaric some people in this world can be.
-
Seagoon I will pray, I will include all of the requests.
-
Originally posted by Elfie
Seagoon I will pray, I will include all of the requests.
Roger That , and I'm agnostic.
Wake up free world, the **** is going to hit the fan soon (soon being relative, of course).
-
Originally posted by lasersailor184
With the way Europe has been going lately, I expect that this surge in extremist Islamists will streamline the process to get them into the EU.
Holy stinky bait, Batman!
-
Originally posted by Viking
Holy stinky bait, Batman!
Bait?
-
Originally posted by Halo
It's incredible that this kind of beastly savagery could be even remotely excused or tolerated in any society worthy of the name.
ROFL - coming from America!
Three people were killed, and were clearly sticking their necks out looking for trouble, and became victims of "beastly savagery".
But last week, 32 people were killed by a crazed gunman. OK, it was a tragedy, and it was all over the papers. Flags flew at half mast, the president flew in, and even the gun lobby shed the usual crocodile tears.
But then what? The gun lobby strengthens its resolve and announces to a bemused world that "more guns are the answer".
In other words, NOTHING will change, which means that this kind of atrocity WILL happen again - it's only a matter of time.
Personally, I think it's incredible that this kind of beastly savagery could be even remotely excused or tolerated in any society worthy of the name.
-
Very sorry to hear of this Seagoon. My prayers are forthcoming.
-
Originally posted by lasersailor184
With the way Europe has been going lately, I expect that this surge in extremist Islamists will streamline the process to get them into the EU.
EU may try to give them the Sudatenland - to ensure peace.
All the best to the Christians in Turkey, a formerly very western-friendly nation... We ARE in a world war folks.
-
A few comments come to mind:
If they were prosthetizing, or judged to be doing so, it is punishable by death among the more fundamental Islamics.
If a Muslim turns away from Islam to take up another faith, it is punishable by death among the more fundamental Islamics.
Islam is growing among poor nations and populations around the world. It is the new communism, for those with nothing to lose. Fundamentalists, fanatics, and terrorists tap into the desperation: blow yourself up = go to paradise. What does a guy in a mud hut with a goat, and ugly wife, and eating 3 times a week have to lose?
Of note: in 2004, in one night across Baghdad (and I was on sight at one of them), 4 Christian Churches were bombed. Under Saddam's regime, Christians were more or less unmolested in Iraq. Since 2004, most Christians in Iraq have fled the country or changed faith to survive. Under Saddam, Iraq was probably the most secular Arab country you could find --- under a "free Iraq", there is very little tolerance or acceptance. I never bought those links between al Qaida and Iraq before we invaded (religious polar opposites), but it is certainly headed that direction now.
I'll stay with being agnostic. Organized religion is the worst invention man ever came up with.
-
Folks let's keep this one on topic please. Seagoon started this thread as a call to prayer for those of us on this board who follow Christ's teachings, not as an opportunity to belittle the fallen.
3 men, 1 German and 2 Turks were martyred for their faith in God. In the Western nations we have the right to follow whatever religion we wish without fear of reprisal. As we all know that isn't the case in some parts of the rest of the world. Those who follow a religion without fear of reprisal should be thankful that you live in a country that allows you to do so.
-
Originally posted by Elfie
Folks let's keep this one on topic please. Seagoon started this thread as a call to prayer for those of us on this board who follow Christ's teachings, not as an opportunity to belittle the fallen.
3 men, 1 German and 2 Turks were martyred for their faith in God. In the Western nations we have the right to follow whatever religion we wish without fear of reprisal. As we all know that isn't the case in some parts of the rest of the world. Those who follow a religion without fear of reprisal should be thankful that you live in a country that allows you to do so.
please fellas, this is not fodder for some to poo-poo on.
-
please fellas, this is not fodder for some to poo-poo on.
====
If its posted on this board, its game.
-
If its posted on this board, its game.
My previous post and JB73's are polite requests to remain respectful of the fallen and to please stay on topic.
Coming in to poo poo (in JB73's words) on this thread, just because it's here on this board, would not be respectful.
-
Originally posted by Mr No Name
EU may try to give them the Sudatenland - to ensure peace.
All the best to the Christians in Turkey, a formerly very western-friendly nation... We ARE in a world war folks.
Unfortunately Viking, I am not posting stinky bait. I could be wrong, but from my outsider's perspective, I see radical muslims emigrating into western european nations and then imposing their will.
I see it happening in Paris, Denmark, Germany, Spain (though I do admit I could be off on this one) and more.
My conservative side is telling me that a hard line needs to be drawn against muslims immigrating into once great countries (yes, france used to be great). Or soon all those values and cultures they had once valued (sorry for repetition) will take a back seat to appeasing a violent extremist culture that has imposed itself.
-
200 were killed in Iraqi car bombing last week, another 40+ in bombings this week...anyone praying for them?
Tronsky
-
Originally posted by -tronski-
200 were killed in Iraqi car bombing last week, another 40+ in bombings this week...anyone praying for them?
Tronsky
According to the sign on the bathroom stall at my school, 1200 people died today from Tobacco related illnesses. How many people prayed for them?
-
Hi All,
I want to sincerely thank those of you who have committed to pray, I'll be sending an email tomorrow to friends of Pastor Bocek, and I'll definitely make mention that they are receiving prayer as well as expressions of condolence and support.
While I don't want to turn this into a debate thread, I did want to deal with a couple of misapprehensions if I might.
Originally posted by Yeager
For a Christian to go into a Muslim country and try and convert Muslims is just asking for a brutal death. Leave those people be, they are not worth it. My condolences to the deceased.
While it is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, Turkey is one of the few majority Muslim nations that actually has a secular constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion, specifically article 25 of their constitution states in part:
"ARTICLE 24. Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religious belief and conviction.
Acts of worship, religious services, and ceremonies shall be conducted freely, provided that they do not violate the provisions of Article 14.
No one shall be compelled to worship, or to participate in religious ceremonies and rites, to reveal religious beliefs and convictions, or be blamed or accused because of his religious beliefs and convictions. ... "
Although Turkey is currently ruled by a pro-Islamist party (AKP) they have not adopted the Sharia Laws that would make apostasy from Islam or non-Islamic worship illegal. Additionally the majority of employees of Zirve are Turkish Christians, so it wasn't a case of "going into a Muslim country" these were mostly native Turks simply attempting to exercise one of the fundamental freedoms we hold so dear.
The problem for these Christians isn't that they are "provoking persecution" by the distribution of free bibles - or statements to the effect of "We hope you've learned your lesson" (as if the punishment for giving someone a bible should be being gradually cut into little pieces). The problem is the ongoing radicalization of Turkish Islam, much of which can be traced to the various Muslim Brotherhood organizations and the main sponsors of the spread of Wahabbism, or good friends, the Saudis. Do we really want to encourage the idea that if someone in Turkey converts to Christianity and feels a calling to be a pastor, the only way they can do that is by fleeing from their native country?
Also, where does that fleeing end and is the dichotomy really just? America currently has 6 million Muslims (a greater number than Presbyterians) and that number is increasing by 100,000 per year. There are currently 1,200 Mosques with 80% established in the last 16 years. And the Wahabbis are pouring in proselytizers at a rate which absolutely dwarfs the meager attempts of Christians to do missions in the Muslim world. Do we really want to capitulate to Sharia and say, "you may come here and proselytize at will, but we'll encourage Christians to stay out of the Islamic world or flee if they have the misfortune to be born there so you don't have to hunt them down and persecute them one by one."
Finally, I would disagree that they are "not worth it," they are. I was once absolutely hostile to the Christian faith myself, but in retrospect I am glad that there were Christian men and women who persevered in obeying Christ's command to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28:18) and who persevered with me and responded to my abuse with "gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15) rather than repaying evil for evil. If you believe, as these Turkish Christians did , that there really is a heaven and a hell, and that by spreading the message of Gospel of Christ men might have peace with God and man, and eternal life hereafter then you will want to do all you can to share that gift with others whatever the cost to yourself.
-
Good luck going to Turkey looking for Muslims to convert Seagoon. For me it would be right up there with committing suicide, but you go get em, tiger ;)
and may the force, err.......God, be with you :aok
-
Hi Tronski,
Originally posted by -tronski-
200 were killed in Iraqi car bombing last week, another 40+ in bombings this week...anyone praying for them?
Tronsky
For the record, I am opposed to Muslims killing Muslims as well, I pray daily for that killing to cease.
I also pray for the peaceful efforts of groups like Zirve publishing to succeed in bringing permanent change to that region.
G'night.
- SEAGOON
-
Seagon, I am sorry and embarrassed I have posted in this thread, please accept my apologies, and if you'd like to speak about the matter PM me.
Why some people must derail a decent and respectful thing is beyond me.
Oh and P.s. I also do pray for those fallen in the Iraqi conflict, along with all Christians in the world.
-
... a formerly very western-friendly nation... We ARE in a world war folks.
Wow, that is warped.
My condolences to the fallen.
-
Interestingly enough, I did a search for these killings on Yahoo, and the only mention of this was on Christian news sites. How odd, that major news organizations don't seem to be considering this a newsworthy event...
I'm not even Christian, and I'm offended. Well, just more disgusted with the media, if that were possible.
-
I dont like this development even if im not a christian. I will get worse.
-
Hello Engine,
Originally posted by Engine
Interestingly enough, I did a search for these killings on Yahoo, and the only mention of this was on Christian news sites. How odd, that major news organizations don't seem to be considering this a newsworthy event...
I'm not even Christian, and I'm offended. Well, just more disgusted with the media, if that were possible.
There was a little bit of media attention in the US press, but not much, which isn't surprising. The same thing happened when three teenage Christian girls were decapitated in Poso, Indonesia and when their confessed killers received relatively light jail terms.
I could speculate on why this is the case, but I'm not sure it would be profitable. Let's just say it doesn't fit any of the templates or the agendas that Western media is inclined to pursue, so they have no incentive to give it much air time.
However, the murders have ignited a firestorm in Turkey where even secularists are becoming uncomfortable at the spread of Islamic extremism and rallies are being held against the Muslim governing party (the Turkish supreme court today anulled the election of an Islamist president) and there is widening acceptance that the murders were in no small part due to years of propaganda in the national press against Christians as this article in the Turkish Daily News (http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=71850) points out:
"Here is the real issue which has been kept away from the eyes: For the last five years in Malatya, a heavy propaganda was carried out against Christians. Three out of five local television channels in the province and two out of four high-circulation local newspapers run massive propaganda against “missionary” activities in Malatya. The headlines in the said papers literally pointed at fingers to the old office of Zirve Publications (Kayra Publications), the scene of the murders. The owner of the publishing company was exposed and the activities of the company were announced as criminal activities and people in Malatya, who are mostly pious and conservatives, were instigated. “We are losing our religion,” “Christianity spreads in Malatya” and similar discourses have been fabricated and emotions of locals were embezzled. It was the atmosphere created that murdering Christians in this city was not a religious sin. Anti missionary demonstrations by some political youth organizations also fomented this hatred."
That this was not merely a problem with the Turkish media is underscored by some of the horrendous statements made by Turkish government officials following the murders along the lines of those made by Niyazi Guney, the Turkish Director General of Laws, “Missionaries are more dangerous than terror organizations,”
Anyway, so while the murders may not have generated much press here, they are at the center of a growing crisis in Turkey over the question of whether Turkey will continue to be a secular republic or whether it will be swept away in the international Islamic resurgence. Obviously that is a question that should concern us. A country more concerned by a tiny Christian community handing out free bibles than movements willing to spend hours torturing people to death is not exactly the kind of nation you want to encourage open borders and free travel with.
Hopefully, one of the good results of these murders will be to cause many Turks to question or resist the direction their government, media, and large sections of the society have been moving in over the past few years.
-
The NAZI learned very well from Turkey, nothing has changed. Our own government stopped a movie that was being made, back in the 1930's, about the Armenian Holocaust because Turkey lodged a complaint.
The man who coined the word Holocaust specified what happened to the Armenians as a definition for the word.
-
Originally posted by Nilsen
I will get worse.
How bad will you get?
-
The headline of this story:
"Horrific sectarian violence happens to Christians too"
Subtitled: "It's not just the Muslims who suffer"
As horrible as the story is, its one of many, many examples of barbarity that has happened for time immemorial and will continue to happen ad infinitum.
Against the background of Iraq and its phenomenal loss of life on a weekly if not daily basis, it is difficult to find any particular outrage. Condolensces to their families; I'm sure the trio understood the risks they were taking.
-
GODSPEED
-
Originally posted by Dowding
The headline of this story:
"Horrific sectarian violence happens to Christians too"
Subtitled: "It's not just the Muslims who suffer"
As horrible as the story is, its one of many, many examples of barbarity that has happened for time immemorial and will continue to happen ad infinitum.
Against the background of Iraq and its phenomenal loss of life on a weekly if not daily basis, it is difficult to find any particular outrage. Condolensces to their families; I'm sure the trio understood the risks they were taking.
So.... "Not just Christians are dying, but Muslims are too! Our societies are both equally depraved!"?
-
Originally posted by Viking
How bad will you get?
woops.. typo :D
-
Originally posted by Seagoon
Hi Tronski,
For the record, I am opposed to Muslims killing Muslims as well, I pray daily for that killing to cease.
- SEAGOON
As soon as Mohammed died they started killing each other, starting with Mohammeds family...and still are today.
your wishing is useless, all this is about POWER, not religion or faith or whatever you folks believe in...
what I find funny is Mohammed brought a message of peace and TOLERANCE for others, but it seems to me 1 billion muslims forgot all about it...yet it is written somewhere.
-
Hello Catalyst,
Originally posted by Catalyst
As soon as Mohammed died they started killing each other, starting with Mohammeds family...and still are today.
your wishing is useless, all this is about POWER, not religion or faith or whatever you folks believe in...
what I find funny is Mohammed brought a message of peace and TOLERANCE for others, but it seems to me 1 billion muslims forgot all about it...yet it is written somewhere.
The last thing I really wanted to do was to turn this into a debate thread, especially because there will be plenty of other opportunities to do that, but I do want to answer this simply because it betrays a common but fundamental misunderstanding amongst Westerners of Islam and Muslims.
When we here in the modern West think of religion, we tend to conceive of it as fundamentally private and personal, and concerned with almost purely ethical and spiritual matters. Even in the nations of Europe that still have state supported churches, we generally think of religion and government as separate spheres, we are appalled by the idea that anyone would be compelled by violence, intimidation, or economic pressure to convert to one religion or continue to profess a faith they do not actually believe. When we think of the foundational tenets of religion, we tend to think exclusively in terms of what we might call the noble and hopeful virtues. Love, peace, compassion, mercy, truth, happiness, self-control, self-sacrifice, self-denial, wisdom, etc. To a great extent, this religious grid we use has been shaped by Western history, by ecumenism, by the ever changing theology of liberal Christianity, by science and philosophy, discourse in the media and the academy and so on. We make a critical mistake, however, when we simply assume that all of our categories apply equally to all religions and in particular, Islam.
Islam was founded by an Arabian tribesman named Muhammad in the early 7th century. He claimed to have received secret revelation from the Angel Gabriel in a cave outside Mecca. In this revelation he was told he was the final prophet sent by Allah to establish his religion throughout the earth. All other religions were to be swept away - the “religions of the book” Christianity and Judaism had supposedly been corrupted by their followers, and the tribal polytheistic religions were simply an abomination. All men must abandon them and surrender their obedience to the one god Allah and to his prophet, Muhammad. It is from this act of surrendering to god’s will that we get the Arabic word “Islam.” All other things were subordinate to this end, and all means might be used to accomplish it. Allah’s instructions to Muhammad were not merely to set up a private spiritual religion, but to put into place a comprehensive system that dealt with all the different elements of life including government, laws, economics, social order and so on. For instance, the only legitimate government under Islam is the Caliphate (Allah’s messenger on earth enforcing his divine laws) and the only legitimate law is Sharia.
At first, Muhammad tried to get his fellow Meccans to become Muslims by preaching and encouragement, this was the origin of the “Meccan” early sections of the Quran that are usually trotted out for Westerners because they aren’t violent and are filled with encouraging praise for those they wish to convert. During this period Muhammad’s followers were few. Eventually resistance to Muhammad stiffened, and he was eventually forced to flee from Mecca to Medina. There he consolidated his power and had a number of his critics, including the poetess Asama bint Marwan assassinated. At this point in history, the Quran changes its tone. Now those failing to convert are not encouraged, but threatened and the earlier encouraging verses are abrogated. Moreover the verses encouraging followers to fight in order to establish Islam begin to pile up: "fight and slay the idolaters wherever you find them" (9:5), "smite at their necks" (47:4), "make war on the unbeliever in Allah, until they pay tribute" (9:29), "Fight until the religion be all of it Allah's" (8:39) or "announce painful punishment to those who disbelieve" (9:3) In Medina, the Muslims began attacking and pillaging the caravans of the Meccans, raids that Muhammad himself took part in. Also, after an early defeat the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza which had refused to convert was accused of conspiracy and the 600-900 males beheaded and the females made wives and slaves. Muhammad himself taking a 5th part of the booty and the wife of one of the slain.
Eventually the Muslims became strong enough to overcome the Meccans by force. From that point on, under Muhammad’s leadership, the surrounding tribes and peoples were offered Islam, and if they refused, were fought against and subdued and forced to convert. This Jihad continued throughout the lifetime of the prophet and technically must continue on till the nations of the Dar-El-Harb are subdued and the rule of Islam is complete. War is the natural state of resistance to Islam, peace the result of surrender and obedience to it. Jihad is simply this process of expansion and is not always achieved by violence as European Author Wolfgang Bruno explains:
Jihad as Holy War is the geographical expansion of Islamic rule by force of arms. It does not always mean killing those who are conquered, but it does mean the acknowledgment of Islam's supremacy. However, if that is not yet possible, then jihad should be with one's tongue, by speaking out. Simply put, jihad is anything undertaken to advance the spread of Islam, peaceful or not. Which means that jihad is always present, even if there should be an absence of violence. Da’wah, missionary work and calling to Islam, is also part of jihad, and is utilized until such a time that physical jihad is made possible through greater numbers. Until then, it is important to make sure that non-Muslims are not fully aware of the real Islamic agenda. This is where deception comes in.
So the ideas of peace and tolerance as we conceive of them are not what Muhammad taught or practiced. Neither are they considered virtues. To promote them as anything other than taqiya would be to betray the cause of Islam. And yes, it is about power, but it always has been.
My “wishing” as you put it might indeed be useless if I accepted that Islam will simply continue on and eventually achieve its aims, but actually what I’m doing is praying in faith that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven and trusting His promises that Muhammad’s ideology will not ultimately prevail. I accept that neither politics, nor all the guns and bombs in the world will change the Middle East, which is why I’m also doing all I can to support people like those at Zirve who are working to peacefully end the hegemony of Islam and bring the good news of real peace with God and man to that section of the world.