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RE: [microsound] war & religious fanatism



Hello Dagmar and spw;

I need to chime in on this one as it bothers me what I'm reading here.
I don't have a major problem with Christians evangelizing in Iraq.  I
have a problem with Protestants evangelizing with handouts.  Iraq had
many Christians before Islam cut a great deal of them down or forced
them to convert.  Thankfully, there are some remnants in the Assyrian
and Chaldean communities, but thanks mainly to economic pressures,
they've gone from 25% of the population to about 2-3% today.  Something
like Greek Orthodox or Roman Catholic Christians should keep their
presence there.  If people want to hear it, and have a choice, there
shouldn't be a problem.  If people are happy being Muslim, then may they
continue on their path to God, fair enough.

But there should be a choice.  It strikes me as being a horribly wrong
set of circumstances when Rome and Athens have mosques, but Saudi Arabia
has not a single Christian Church in the whole of their land.  Until
there is some sort of religious freedom out there (including the right
to not believe in anything, if one so desires), they deserve to have
Christians ministering to them.

Regards,

Rudy

spw wrote:
> 

> Are American troops marching into Iraq with holding a bible and cross
trying
> to convert Iraqi's?
> No.

Not really, but there is simply a division of tasks:

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http://www.newsobserver.com/nc24hour/ncnews/story/2399003p-2234245c.html

Tuesday, April 1, 2003 4:10PM EST

More Muslim controversy for Graham with Iraq relief plan 

By PAUL NOWELL, , Associated Press Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Franklin Graham, who enraged many Muslims when he
called Islam an "evil and wicked" religion, is stirring more controversy
with a plan to send
relief workers into Iraq "in the Name of Jesus Christ" when the war
ends. 

Samaritan's Purse, the Boone-based relief agency headed by Graham, is
poised to provide shelter, water and medical assistance inside Iraq as
soon as military clearance is
available.
Workers can provide drinking water for up to 20,000 people, materials to
build temporary shelters for more than 4,000 families, and household
items and medical kits to
meet the needs of up to 100,000 people for three months, Graham has
said. 

Some Muslim groups believe Graham has ulterior motives. 

"Given his past viewpoints, people are suspicious about his real aim,
which could be to take advantage of a situation in which people are
desperate," said Hodan Hassan, a
spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington,
D.C. "They will have food in one hand and the Bible in the other." 

A spokesman for Graham said Tuesday that he will respond to the concerns
in an op-ed piece expected to appear Wednesday in the Los Angeles Times.

Hassan said Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, is familiar to
the Iraqi people. 

"The world is getting smaller and smaller every day," she said last
week. "His comments about Islam being a wicked and evil religion were
broadcast around the world.
With that in mind, people will be worried about presence of his
organization in Iraq." 

Graham has never recanted his statements regarding Islam, "which put a
lot of American Muslims in danger," Hassan said. 

Graham's post-Sept. 11 comments on Islam made him a controversial figure
at home and abroad. In a TV interview, he called Islam "a very evil and
wicked religion." 

In a subsequent radio interview, Graham criticized Muslim clerics for
not apologizing for the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Samaritan's Purse, which Graham founded a quarter-century ago, has
conducted Christian relief and aid missions in more than 100 countries
and has an annual budget of
more than $150 million. 

Samaritan's Purse has worked closely with Christians in Iraq since 1991,
said Graham, who first visited Baghdad 30 years ago. 

A Temple University professor of Islamic studies and comparative
religion said he believes that, in this case, Graham should raise money
for a non-religious aid group like
the Red Cross or Red Crescent rather than provide aid through
Samaritan's Purse. 

"This is kind of condescending and foolish, to call the religion of some
people wicked and then go to help them," Professor Mahmoud Ayoub said
Monday. 

He argued that any attempt to evangelize Islamic Iraqis is likely to be
unsuccessful. 

"Mr. Graham thinks he wants to go and convert the Muslims. But
historically, the Muslims have not been easily convertible," he said. 

Graham has said Samaritan's Purse has been invited by Christians in Iraq
to perform relief work. 

"As Christians, we love the Iraqi people, and we are poised and ready to
help meet their needs," he said in a statement announcing the Iraq
initiative. "Our prayers are with
the innocent families of Iraq, just as they are with our brave soldiers
and leaders." 

Graham has made it clear he supports President Bush's use of the U.S.
military to try to force the removal of Saddam Hussein from power. 

--- 

On the Net: 

Samaritan's Purse: www.samaritanspurse.org

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