In Depth:  Islam

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‘Islamophobia’ acceptance plea

‘Islamophobia’ acceptance plea
en staff
en staff

A Muslim member of the House of Lords is urging the government to adopt a new definition of “Islamophobia” after a working group submitted its proposals.

Islamic website hyphenonline.com, which says it is the “leading media platform on Muslim life in the UK and Europe”, reports that the plea comes from Baroness Shaista Gohir, who leads the Muslim Women’s Network UK.

Christianity & Islam answer: 'What is wrong with the world?'

Christianity & Islam answer: 'What is wrong with the world?'
Andrew Marsay
Andrew Marsay

This is the second in a short series of articles looking at Islam from a more theological perspective.

In the last article I looked at what Yahweh and Allah are really like based on the structure of the Bible and the Qur’an. In other words, what is God’s character like?

Beyond debate: Pointing Muslims to the gospel
sharing Christ with Muslims

Beyond debate: Pointing Muslims to the gospel
E.M. Hicham

When we share our Christian faith with Muslims, we don’t do it out of obligation, so that one more box is ticked on our to-do list. Your Muslim friend may ask you for information in order to test or even attack your faith. Fine, that’s his business. But what is your aim?

I’m hoping that you would like to introduce him to Christ. So keep this goal in mind. Questions and objections must be answered, but you don’t have to let your friend lead the whole discussion. You also have the right to steer the conversation in the direction that you would like it to go.

Abergavenny Mosque challenged by councillors

Abergavenny Mosque challenged by councillors
Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

A local authority is facing legal action by three Christian councillors after it approved the use of a former Abergavenny library as a mosque, allegedly without proper scrutiny.

Monmouthshire County Council agreed to grant a 30-year lease of the former Carnegie library to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association (MMCA) for use as a mosque and Islamic centre earlier this year.

Political Islam
editorial

Political Islam
Editorial
Editorial

There are 3.9 million Muslims in England and Wales – 6.5% of the population, up from 4.9% in 2011. The Pew Research Centre suggests this could reach between 12.7% and 17.2% in 2050, depending on migration.

As the Muslim population grows, so do political consequences. One councillor elected this year in Lancashire has called for “segregated areas, segregated gyms” to avoid “free mixing” in public. The new political party being formed by Jeremy Corbyn is likely to attract large numbers of Muslims because of Gaza.

Fears over restrictive ‘Islamophobia’ definition grow

Fears over restrictive ‘Islamophobia’ definition grow
en staff
en staff

A decision on an official definition of Islamophobia – which it is feared could hinder free speech – is being awaited by Christians and other concerned groups.

Earlier this year, the government set up a Working Group to produce an “official definition” of the word. A short consultation period has ended, and a decision is expected by the end of September.

Bill aims to protect freedom to criticise Islam

Bill aims to protect freedom to criticise Islam
Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

A bill aimed at preventing the Public Order Act 1986 from being used to prosecute legitimate criticism of Islam is due for its second reading in the Commons on 12 September.

The Freedom of Expression (Religion or Belief System) Bill was introduced in June by Nick Timothy MP and co-signed by another 11 MPs. It would extend the scope of section 29J of the Act – which protects the freedom to criticise religion in specific circumstances – to the whole of the Act.

Islam growing faster than Christianity worldwide

Islam growing faster than Christianity worldwide
Luke Randall
Luke Randall

Christianity remains the world’s largest religion but is not growing as fast as Islam, and its main home is now Sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research.

An extensive new study by Pew Research found that Islam grew at almost three times the rate of Christianity but remained in second place, just above those with no religious affiliation.

Home Office accused of ‘pro-Islam’ bias

Home Office accused of ‘pro-Islam’ bias
Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

The Home Office has been accused of pro-Islam bias after a Christian woman was granted asylum following a lengthy legal battle.

The Christian Legal Centre said ‘Maria’ fled Islamic persecution to seek asylum in the UK but faced Home Office resistance. According to the CLC, she risked abduction, forced conversion to Islam and possible death if she returned to her country of origin.

How can comparing Bible and Qur’an help with our evangelism?

How can comparing Bible and Qur’an help with our evangelism?
Andrew Marsay
Andrew Marsay

The July 2023 edition of en ran my article "How can we think deeply about Islam?", a precis of a book that I am working on called Thinking Theologically About Islam.

It is my response of amazement that a religion with as little theological substance as Islam has can enthral the minds and hearts of so many millions of people. But to understand why I am convinced that a much more deliberately theological approach to Islam is needed, you will need to know something of my religious background.

Urgent: Syrian Christians need prayer

Urgent: Syrian Christians need prayer
Chris Sugden

'Every Christian is afraid of what will happen in the coming weeks,' said a Syrian Christian leader recently.

They were speaking to the TBF Trust, a Christian organisation supporting persecuted believers.

Sharing Jesus with Muslims: The key is relationship
sharing Christ with Muslims

Sharing Jesus with Muslims: The key is relationship
Hisham E.M.

Have you ever had the opportunity to share your testimony or explain the gospel to a Muslim? If so, you have probably realised that simply presenting the essential points of the gospel is not enough to win them over.

Booklets such as The Bridge, The Four Spiritual Laws, Two Ways of Living and Knowing God Personally are very effective tools for explaining the gospel to Muslims. However, be prepared. Once you’ve explained using these materials, you’ve just begun. The Lord is sovereign, He can do anything. But I have rarely heard of a Muslim praying to receive Christ immediately after hearing about the Four Laws. There are important questions about the very nature of God, about Christ and about the Bible that require serious reflection and that a Muslim needs to understand.

Letter

7th October anniversary
Date posted: 23 Oct 2024

Dear Editor,

On the anniversary of the Israel/Gaza slaughter of Jews [by Hamas] and, learning that 9% of the 18–24 year olds in the UK are sympathetic to the Gaza/Hamas/ Hezbollah regimes, I am surprised how quiet pulpits have been on the topic, explaining why [some] Muslims turn to the cruellest of violence.

Employing the ‘Columbo’ tactic in conversation
sharing Christ with Muslims

Employing the ‘Columbo’ tactic in conversation
E.M. Hicham

If we want to be ambassadors for Christ, having the right answers will not be enough.

We need to do it in such a way that it creates an environment conducive to respectful conversations and allows them to be maintained through difficult moments of disagreement and debate. The best way to achieve that is to ask questions.

Muslim impact on vote is analysed

Muslim impact on vote is analysed
Iain Taylor
Iain Taylor

Christian polling experts have been commenting on the strength of the UK’s Muslim vote after it played a key part in the election of maverick MP George Galloway.

Peter Brierley told en: ‘Under the UK’s political system a candidate must pay a deposit of £500 to enter an election, which will be lost if they fail to gain 5% of the vote. Muslims are now above that 5% marker, and their voice is therefore democratically allowed to be heard, even if the other 95% disagree!’

Ex-Islamic teacher: ‘Jesus as sweet as pineapple’

Ex-Islamic teacher: ‘Jesus as sweet as pineapple’
Iain Taylor
Iain Taylor

An Islamic teacher who has come to faith in Christ is now selling pineapples – and telling customers: ‘Jesus is as sweet as a pineapple.’

‘Abdu’, who grew up wanting to be an Islamic scholar in Ethiopia, attended Qu’ranic schools and after 15 years became an Islamic teacher. But last year he met an old friend who had become a Christian. The friend frequently shared the gospel with Abdu, to the extent that Abdu started to rethink his beliefs.

Islamophobia definition threatens free speech – claim

Islamophobia definition threatens free speech – claim
Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

It has emerged that senior Labour Party members have instructed Labour council leaders to adopt a wide-ranging definition of Islamophobia – a definition likened to an ‘Islamic blasphemy code’. Christian Concern has claimed that if Labour takes power, discussion and criticism of Islam would be prohibited across the UK.

The July 2021 letter reveals Labour’s determination to implement recommendations set out in a report from the Labour Muslim Network. This included the adoption, by all Labour councils, of the definition of Islamophobia proposed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims.

Letter

Islam in the UK
Date posted: 1 Sep 2023

Dear Editor,

Just a quick note to thank you for Andrew Marsay’s piece ‘How can we think deeply about Islam?’ in the July issue of en. I thought this was an excellent article and Andrew did a great job packing so much into a short space.

How can we think deeply about Islam?

How can we think deeply about Islam?
Andrew Marsay
Andrew Marsay

In September 2018, en featured a review of Ida Glaser and Hannah Kay’s: Thinking Biblically About Islam.

The book shows how the God of the Bible engages with peoples of other religions. But the equally Biblical emphasis that God confronts the gods of other religions is largely absent. Provoked by en’s headline ‘Can you do better?’ I perhaps rashly decided to respond with a book that would simply state the Bible’s and the Qur’an’s teachings about God, in six basic theological categories.

Understanding Islam

Understanding Islam
Ron George

Book Review THE RELIGIOUS OTHER:

Read review

Islam and magic increase?
Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

The latest census results on religion will show Christianity continuing to decline, while the reach of Islam – and magic – are growing, an academic has predicted.

These particular 2021 census results are due to be released this autumn onwards, but religious studies professor Linda Woodhead anticipates a drop in those identifying as ‘Christian’ to below 50% – and a rise of up to 8% in Muslims.

Understanding Ramadan

Understanding Ramadan
Alan Hallmart

The UK has become much more multicultural in past 60 years. In 1961, Muslims made up approximately 0.1% of the UK population, today it stands at approximately 5.2% or around 3.4 million, increasing the likelihood that they will become our friends, neighbours and colleagues.

Ramadan is a time of increased focus on growing spiritually closer to Allah and as such is a great opportunity to start a faith conversation with our Muslim friends.

Relationship or religion: what do we really want for our Muslim friends and neighbours?

Relationship or religion: what do we really want for our Muslim friends and neighbours?
By Alan Hallmart

I have written before about what it looks like to share Christ with your Muslim friends and neighbours, to invite them to follow Jesus. But what happens next?

What does it mean for someone from a Muslim background to choose to follow Christ? The answer to that question starts with what they have been invited to. Have they been invited into a relationship or a religion?

Loving your Muslim neighbour

Loving your Muslim neighbour
Alan Hallmart

Many of us in the UK function individualistically.

The intense loneliness many have suffered through the pandemic speaks to the dangers of this, even as we value our freedom to make personal decisions and take individual responsibility for ourselves.

How to talk to Muslims?

How to talk to Muslims?
Gordon Robertson

Book Review WHERE TO START WITH ISLAM: A new approach to engaging with Muslim friends

Read review
Christian foreboding as Islamic hardliner returns home to Indonesia

Christian foreboding as Islamic hardliner returns home to Indonesia
Peter Riddell

Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, hardline leader of Indonesia’s notorious Islamic Defenders Front, is no friend of Christians and Christianity.

So when he returned in November to the world’s most populous Muslim nation after a three year self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia, there was a sense of foreboding among Indonesia’s 30 million Christians of what was to come.

Genocide: the plight of Muslim and Christian Uighurs

Genocide: the plight of Muslim and Christian Uighurs

A missionary, writing under the pseudonym Peter Morrison, issues a wake-up call

Genocide. The Armenians. The Jews. Rwanda. And more recently the Bosnian Muslims of Srebrenica and the Muslim Rohingya of Burma. And now many fear… the Muslim Uighurs of China – more than 1 million of whom have been imprisoned in ‘re-education’ camps.

Malaysia: Muslim – Christian clash in Parliament

Malaysia: Muslim – Christian clash in Parliament
Peter Riddell

An inaccurate reference to ‘Biblical corruption’ has sparked a storm of protest in Malaysia’s Parliament.

The dispute erupted after comments by Muslim MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Nik Salleh during a debate about increasing fines for drink-driving offenders.

Saudis tell UN that Muslim prejudice is ‘racism’

Saudis tell UN that Muslim prejudice is ‘racism’
Barnabas Fund

Saudi Arabia has called the United Nations to focus on ‘eliminating Islamophobia’ as an outworking of tackling online racism and xenophobia.

Meshaal Bin Ali Al Balawi, Saudi’s Head of Human Rights at the United Nations Mission in Geneva, addressed the Human Rights Council, flagging the internet as a ‘space for practicing racism’ as he called for the UN to work towards finding a ‘solution’. The Saudi leader stated that the world needs to ‘prohibit racial discrimination in all its forms’.

Sudan: death penalty for leaving Islam abolished

Sudan: death penalty for leaving Islam abolished
CSW

The Sovereignty Council of Sudan has now officially abolished the death penalty for apostasy after the Chairman of the Council, Lieutenant General Abdelfattah El Burhan, signed several new laws and amendments.

The cancellation of Article 126 of Sudan’s 1991 Criminal Code, which stipulated that those found guilty of apostasy are to be sentenced to death, was announced in a press statement by the Ministry of Justice. The article has historically been used to target religious minorities. For example, in May 2014, Meriam Ibrahim was sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy by the Public Order Court in El Haj Yousif, Khartoum (although a court of appeal overturned the original ruling in June 2014).

Bible, Islam and the British Museum
Lisbet Diers

While calm and reasoned dialogue is always the preferred mode of debate, some on both sides have a tendency to throw out unsubstantiated, even incorrect claims in their efforts to discredit the other side.

One such claim being made by certain sectors of the Islamic community is that the Bible is a collection of distortions and that 'Christians do not possess any authentic records or acceptable arguments for the authenticity of the books of either the Old Testament or the New Testament'. This view is currently being expressed openly by Muslim speakers at a range of venues such as Speakers Corner and Trafalgar Square, and was to have been the subject for a debate organised by the radical Muslim group Al-Muhajiroun at the Royal Albert Hall a few weeks ago. As evangelical Chris-tians, we need to know how to respond to such claims. We may not all be involved in active polemic, but certainly anyone trying to talk with Muslims about the Christian faith will be better equipped for the task if they can respond calmly and authoritatively to attacks on the authenticity and accuracy of the Bible.

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