Guilt By Association?

**Warning** May be offensive to some readers, so let me know where I’m wrong**

Here we go again with yet another attack in Manchester by a muslim attacker shouting “god is great” in Arabic. Yes, ‘muslim’ and ‘god’ are in lower case because they should not be honoured with a capital letter which indicates a proper noun. This terrorist almost claimed the lives of three people were it not for the vigilance of the Transport Police and the public. These lives were not taken this time and are being treated in hospital, but let’s be clear, murder was his intention. This was a short distance from the 2017 attack in Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert where dozens of innocents were killed or maimed. It’s not as though this is an isolated instance. This kind of attack happens on our streets regularly, and by no other faith group.

It would be dishonest and irresponsible to suggest this extremism is representative of all muslims, but… I can’t help asking the obvious questions, and they go something like this:

> What makes him different from the other muslims he ‘worships’ with at his mosque?

> Where are the many muslims who want to publicly distance themselves from terrorism?

> Will we ever see a protest march by muslims against muslim terrorists?

> Why do our politicians not take a harder line with the muslim community as a whole?

> Why do we accept there are so few stop-and-searches for this obvious risk group?

I accept that not all muslims are terrorists, but where is the backlash from their own opposing and embarrassed kinsfolk? All muslims believe in the ultimate world domination of Islam (it’s plain to see in the koran, as is the persecution and death of all infidels [us] ) who do not convert, so perhaps terrorism is an acceptable means to an end even for the ‘ordinary’ muslim believer. To think or say otherwise would go against their core belief and that will not happen.

Based on all this, whether we like it or not, we will just have to get used to the extremist muslim terrorists because they will always be seen as necessary for the ultimate conversion of all other infidel peoples and nations. Or perhaps you disagree and think I have it all wrong!

Asia Bibi

**Alert: Some may be upset with the following post**

In the highly majority Muslim, Islamic country of Pakistan, a young Christian woman has been sentenced to death, held in death row for eight years, and her alleged crime was one of blasphemy against Islam. Happily her sentence has been overturned by Pakistan’s top court, but sadly her life is probably in more danger than ever before, and to top it off she has been barred from leaving the country where there are riots boiling over, demanding her death.

We are often told not to judge one bad incidence on all members of a faith group like the Islamic/Muslim believers. But when there are tens of thousands of people taking to the streets insisting that the death penalty is enforced on one woman, if not by the courts, then by their own hands, then that’s the same thing. Let me get this right. One slight Christian woman in jail for 8 years, and under the order of capital punishment, versus several thousands of marauding Muslims baying for her blood. Now tell me again why I shouldn’t judge the false religion of Islam when the odds against her are 50,000+ to 1, and believe they are all basically and fundamentally the same?

Asia’s husband is asking for asylum, and since they are not allowed to leave the country what do you think will happen? Yes, trial by mob rule when they get their hands on this innocent woman. They are already protesting carrying placards, showing her head in a noose. All the government needs to do now…. is nothing, and their little problem woman conveniently will ‘go away’. To Asia Bibi’s credit, in spite of all that has been happening to her, and around her, she has not renounced her faith. Doesn’t that strong, unwavering faith put you and me to shame? It should!

I am left wondering what the so called Christian countries are doing to help this woman and her husband. Probably not very much, and almost certainly the same as the Pakistani government. Not very much. It goes to confirm that we’re not much of a Christian country any more.

Inconvenient Truth

Our news outlets have been filled with reporting of many injuries and deaths as a terrorist blew himself up, killing and injuring many others in the Manchester Arena. You will also recall the terrorist who drove straight into pedestrians at Westminster Bridge near to the mother of all parliaments. Do you also remember the killed and injured when a lorry was deliberately driven straight into Israeli soldiers, and the crowds enjoying a Christmas Market in Berlin when a vehicle was driven straight into them? These are not isolated occurrences but I feel we are becoming numbed to the attacks. What about the recent Turkey and Paris club attacks, the hijacked plane forced to land in Malta and the Tunisian beach shootings to name just a few? There are many, many more.

Have you noticed the trend adopted by the media as they report these atrocities? First of all, they don’t like to call them terrorist attacks. Then slowly, they will say it was an isolated incident, followed up by the statements that they are perpetrated by the insane, deranged who don’t represent the majority of good people. Eventually, when there is no other way to tell the inconvenient truth, it will be reported as the work of Islamists. The tag ‘extremists’ is added to have you think these are very out of the ordinary occurrences by a mad few.

Do yourself a favour. Take a Google search on Islamist terrorist attacks, and when you have done that, tell me these attacks are isolated or only the work of a few extremists. While you are at it you will be able to compare terrorism from non Islamic sources, only to find there are hardly any. We are told frequently that we must not blame the many for the wrongs of the few. Can I ask how many ‘few’ terrorist attacks it will take before we stop saying they are a form of extreme Islam, and we should not make the obvious link from Islam the so called religion of peace, to its troops who are all called Muslims (like it or not)?

If you know anything about Islam, you will know that it is certainly NOT a religion of peace. It was born out of conflict, and jihad is a recognised, basic, and fundamental part of its faith. Their terrorism strikes out at any infidel who should disagree with their form of Islam. Can we make it clear that ALL of the Muslim-ist attacks are carried out in the name of their God Allah (and it’s NOT the same God of the Christian faith), and in their stated quest to establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate with Sharia Law in any way they can. There is a fear that the Christian church has been sleepwalking into oblivion, afraid to speak out should we be called intolerant. Our ‘free’ governments do not help the situation. We need to ask ourselves, who are the ones who are intolerant? It would be a step in the right direction if we woke up and became honest, and less politically correct. There is a war going on, and it was not started by any other people of faith but the muslims of Islam.

Final thoughts. Have you noticed a mass uprising of ‘ordinary muslims’ marching against these atrocities? The occasional cleric or academic speaking platitudes do not count. Did you know that Islam allows lies to be told and used on its behalf as long as they are for the greater good of their religion? Secondly, has there been any report of droves of muslims who know all this and leave Islam for any other faith, or none at all, effectively saying ‘not in my name’? No, me neither. It’s time to wake up!

I am getting tired of hearing that steps are being taken to find the source of the terrorist’s radicalisation. Spare me that fake news, because we all know without a doubt where the source lies, and it is with Islam, and the blind allegiance of the Muslim believers, who all use the same ‘holy book’ as the reason for their actions. And anyway, the suicide bomber or anyone who dies in the quest, is told they will go straight to their heaven, and the family left on earth will be granted a pension for life because of the sacrifice paid by their hero. Get the picture? Good. Now we need to wake up to the truth and light of the only Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Yes, everything is made clear by the light. This is why we say, “Wake up, you who are sleeping! Rise from death, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14

9/11/01 and 7/7/05

As Christian people and nations, let us never forget that the message of love, forgiveness and hope is not reflected in other faiths in quite the same way, and certainly not by the Islamic religion. The evidence of the differences are clearly seen on many occasions, but for the USA and the UK, particularly on these dates.

Some apologists would have us distinguish between those who have been radicalised, and the ordinary peaceful Muslims, and we must be careful how we speak because the Christian voice is the one which is labelled as racist and intolerant, and that is in spite of the clear evidence to the contrary. Can we please be done with this media misinterpretation and injustice now?

Whatever label you want to put on the people who carried out these, and almost every terrorist act, they are Muslims. They read and study the same Quran. They revere the name of their prophet, and venerate their false god. They all want Sharia Law. They all believe in an Islamic world state. Meanwhile we seem to have conveniently forgotten who the real enemy of religious freedom is, and it is clearly not Christianity. I think it is time we stopped putting ourselves down and making excuses for the guilty. After all, we already have been given the truth.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Peter 2:1

Now that we know this, how did Jesus say we should react? No one said it would be easy, but this is the way of Christian love, and love conquers all, as we also read in 1 Corinthians 13.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:43-45

Why?

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35, and then John continues his theme.....Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 NKJV

I am puzzled, and not for the first time. Maybe you can help me to understand, so here is my confusion: The overriding theme of the New Testament of the Christian Gospel is love. Love for God, and the supreme love of dying for a friend. Occasionally, the news media carries the story of the extremes of the Christian faith, and the result is that we wring our hands, confess our sins and repent. We usually try to put our failings right, and we use the example of Christ to make ourselves better Christians. the problem is that church attendance in the UK is falling, and people are less likely to believe in God, as they once did. We have sad and unacceptable extremes in the Christian religion, but these are usually well reported and repentance offered.

Then the news media is also filled almost daily on Islamic extremists, or jihadists who have no scruples in taking hostages and life: that is any life (usually ‘western’) who can be used to further their cause. The ongoing situation in Africa where Muslim Islamists openly attack Christian churches, and then say that the loss of any infidel's life is worth it, and within their religious rights. All in the quest for a perfect Islamic state like Iran. You may also be familiar with the recent atrocities in Mali and Algeria where Muslim Islamist jihadists took hostages and their lives to further their aim. These people are truly terrorists in every sense of the word.

Now here is my puzzle. Why is it that the Christian faith of love, repentance and forgiveness is failing, with church numbers in decline, but the active and involved Muslim Mosque population is on the increase? I would have thought that the good base of that religion would desert in droves, so as not to be associated with terrorist activities. After all, these extremists are a very significant part of the Muslim faith group. This much I know (as far as anything can be known) if anything even close to the level of murderous activity was levelled at the door of the Christian Church, there would be very few Christians left to attend any church of any denomination.

So in a nutshell: Why does a barbaric religion grow, but a loving religion fail?

NHS Muslim Medics and MRSA

Muslim doctors and nurses have been allowed to opt-out of NHS hygiene rules in a move that has been blasted by critics as double standards. Critics compared the opt-out given to Muslims to cases of Christians being marginalised by the NHS. NHS guidance to curb the spread of superbugs in hospitals states that staff must be “bare below the elbow”. But Muslim staff have been given an exemption to the rule and will be allowed to wear disposable over sleeves instead.

Sikh doctors and nurses have also been told they can wear a bangle around their arm, as long as they push it up when treating a patient.

Former Conservative Minister Ann Widdecombe said: “Minority groups are unquestionably getting more sensitive treatment than Christians and this is yet more proof.” And Dr Andrew Fergusson of the Christian Medical Fellowship, which represents 4,000 doctors, said that “Christians in health care seem to be particularly vulnerable at the moment”. The move was also slammed by an anti-superbug campaign group. MRSA Action UK’s chairman said: “My worry is that allowing some medics to use disposable sleeves you compromise patient safety because unless you change the sleeves between each patient, you spread bacteria. “Scrubbing bare arms is far more effective”, he added. Since 2007 many hospitals have insisted that staff involved in patient care wear short sleeves at all times. The move came in an attempt to combat superbugs, such as MRSA.

The special treatment given to NHS Muslim medics treating patients with the superbug MRSA surprises me. Yes, the Muslims are certainly being treated very differently to their Christian counterparts, but it is more than that. I know these superbugs are smart, but it appears that they can tell the difference between Muslims, and all nurses of other faiths! It's as though the risk must be lessened when you are being treated by a Muslim. After all, it stands to simple logic that our NHS wouldn't put patients at risk, now would they?

Now the serious part. These are deadly superbugs, and not to be treated lightly. The NHS has been trying to improve hospital cleanliness, and insisting on a policy of the staff being bare below the elbows, especially when dealing with superbugs, so that it reduces the risk of transferring infection from sleeves. It also makes the washing of arms and hands easier, and isn't that a key to keeping MRSA under control? That seems reasonable. Why, why, why then it is ok for some nurses to have to adhere to the strict hygiene rules, but not others? The answer is really very obvious.

We don't want to upset our minority groups. It's as simple as that. Patients will live or die with the risk while the NHS bosses play the PC game. Ann Widdicombe got it right when she said above,  “Minority groups are unquestionably getting more sensitive treatment than Christians and this is yet more proof.”  

I suppose the key question is, "will the superbugs give preferrential treatment to the Muslim medical staff?". Answer, absolutely not, so why allow it? Know what? I think the NHS (like lots of government bodies) are 'feart' to tackle the obvious problem! Apparently, equality is not enough!