Rare is the American who does not remember where he or she was on the mornings of 9/11/01. We were in a strongly Muslim city, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Our team had worship that night (Makassar time is 12 hours ahead of New York). When we arrived home, Jason Thornton called us to tell what he was learning of the events from chatting with friends online. We were up most of the night trying to get any news we could from online sources through a less-than-ideal dial-up connection. What would this mean for efforts to share God’s love with Muslims?
At the time, street corners in our town were often occupied by men sporting beards, wearing Arab-looking robes and combat boot, raising money for the Jihad in Ambon and Poso. The city was already tense as many public mini-buses had been stopped by angry Muslim youths. Those who could not recite the Islam confession of faith in Arabic were often abused.
Soon the slow-to-act Indonesian government, removed the fund-raisers from street corners as public order was given a higher priority. For about 3 weeks students who were attending our English discussion groups expressed sympathy for America. Then after America, invaded Afghanistan, the attitudes changed abruptly. Anti-American feelings surfaced. We had students attend, proudly sporting “Osama bin Laden is my hero” t-shirts. After news of he oppressive nature of he Taliban, their attitudes moderated a bit.
I was often teaching English in those days for an identity and to make contacts. I specifically remember one young lady who had made the painful decision not to travel to Boston University on the scholarship she had been granted. For her, this was the dream of a life time, but America was just to dangerous for a head-scarf-wearing Muslim. Hearing stories of the abuse even many non-Muslim mid-East looking people had suffered at the hands of the angry and confused in America, I had no words to reassure her.
In 2003 with the invasion of Iraq the anti-American hatred and fear were amplified. Even before then the terrorist I have now adopted for prayer, Abu Bakar Bashir, had orchestrated bombings of night clubs in Bali. He still declares this terrorism on 10/12/12 (a day and a year) after 9/11 was “in defense” of Islam.
The land of my citizenship (Indonesia) birthed more and more radical Islamists, recruited from among the dis-enfranchised and mostly hopeless young men. A lot of he recruiting spiel was based on the American threat.
As I feared, Ministry to Muslims, had new challenges!
In spite of this God has been at work in the “House of Islam”. I would encourage you to read of the costly victories the Gospel is gaining around the world in “A Wind in the House of Islam”, by Dr. David Garrison. This book is now available in electronic and paper formats from amazon.com.
I am not capable of advising political and military leaders how to respond to Islamists or ISIS, ISIL. I do ask that we do our part to pray for the SUCCESS OF ISIS/ISIL. Please hear me out before you write me off!
ISLAMISTS
SURRENDER TO
ISA (ARABIC NAME FOR JESUS) AS
SAVIOR
ISLAMISTS
SURRENDER TO
ISA (ARABIC NAME FOR JESUS) AS
LORD
Please consider joining me in adopting a terrorist for prayer. Go to www.atfp.org/ By the way I have adopted Abu Bakar Bashir.
Thank you for hearing me out! Keep seeking Jesus.
