Egyptian Christian

Submitted by jennifer solis (United States), Sep 26, 2007 at 16:35

Let me express my reverence for all who, despite the extreme persecution in their homeland, convert to Christianity.

Regarding "Too Many Mosques" - quite the balancing act, isn't it? In this country we don't want even a hint of the suppression or persecution, experienced in Muslim dominated countries, to be applied towards anyone's choice of religion. The fact that we are a nation of laws, not Shari'a, but laws that include freedom, seemingly is very often taken for granted by native-born Americans. When I hear of some of the struggles people around the world go through to reach the U.S.A., I feel admiration for their determination. When I hear of someone who came to this country after converting to Christianity in a Muslim country, I feel not only admiration but great reverence. Not only towards them, but also, towards God.

Egyptian Christian has a nice ring to it. A shot in the dark - by any chance you're not Dr. Mark A. Gabriel, are you? He was an Egyptian who was able to quote the entire Quran by the time he was twelve years old. Raised in Egypt, in the midst of a breeding ground of Islamic terrorists, he spent his formative years deep inside the confines of Muslim influence. His own family disowned him after he converted to Chritianity and tried to kill him several times. He now resides in the U.S.A. As a reflection of his new life in Christ, he chose a Christian name to replace his Muslim name.

His book, Islam and Terrorism, is fascinating and informative; how Muhammad practiced holy war and why it continues today; why the verses about jihad cancel out the verses about tolerance, causing contradictions in the Quran. Even more interesting is the illustration of his own personnal struggle. Again, this guy is no slouch; he is a former professor of Islamic history at Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

I hope this letter is not too-off-topic. All this points again towards why the debate over "Too Many Mosques" is such an important one; one that has many sides to it. We do not in any way, shape or form EVER want to emulate suppresive, harsh and cruel regimes. Don't want to even head in that direction. At what point does a religion, here on our home soil, become no longer a religion but a regime, albeit an "under-ground" one?

This is THE question, in my opinion. Thank you Egyptian Christian for an important reminder. -JS

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