{"id":10647,"date":"2017-05-26T14:25:35","date_gmt":"2017-05-26T13:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=10647"},"modified":"2017-05-29T13:28:38","modified_gmt":"2017-05-29T12:28:38","slug":"andy-burnham-wrong-islam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/andy-burnham-wrong-islam\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Andy Burnham is wrong about Islam"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Andy<\/a>
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester, claims Salman Abedi is not a Muslim.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just after the Manchester Arena bombing, the Mayor of Manchester, Labour\u2019s Andy Burnham, spoke on LBC Radio.<\/p>\n

Andy Burnham: Abedi ‘not a Muslim’<\/h2>\n

Accrding to LBC, Mr Burnham said<\/a><\/strong>: “The message that I would want to get over – and this is how the vast majority of people feel – this man was a terrorist, not a Muslim.<\/p>\n

“He does not represent the Muslim community. We’ve got to keep that distinction in mind all the time. This was an unspeakable act. The worst thing that can happen is that people use this to blame an entire community, the Muslim community.<\/p>\n

“In my view, the man who committed this atrocity no more represents the Muslim community than the individual who murdered my friend Jo Cox represents the white, Christian community.”<\/p>\n

Now of course that is propaganda. \u00a0It is even more than Mr Burnham’s personal opinion. \u00a0It is the constant mantra of the political class and the mainstream media. \u00a0And it is merely their hope, not a polled fact, that ‘this is how the vast majority of people feel’.<\/p>\n

Writing in the Independent, respected journalist Patrick Cockburn said<\/a><\/strong>: ‘Downplaying the religious motivation and saying the killers \u201chave nothing to do with real Islam\u201d may have benign intentions, but has the disadvantage of being glaringly untrue.’<\/p>\n

In an earlier post I said<\/a><\/strong> Mr Burnham ‘devalues political discourse by claiming bomber Abedi was \u2018a terrorist not a Muslim\u2019<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0If he was not a Muslim, what was he?\u00a0 A Buddhist?\u00a0 If they can\u2019t face the truth, how will our leaders ever protect the public?’<\/p>\n

\"Jeremy<\/a>
Jeremy Corbyn says foreign wars have put us at risk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Foreign wars have put us at risk<\/h2>\n

Today, Jeremy Corbyn said<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0British military adventures in the Middle East have put us all at greater risk than we would have been without them. \u00a0On Newsnight last night, Charles Clarke, not a Corbyn fan, said it all started long ago. \u00a0He specifically mentioned the\u00a07\/11 attack. \u00a0Indeed, that was the most\u00a0dramatic example of a festering grievance between\u00a0Islam and the West.<\/p>\n

Both Mr Corbyn and Mr Clarke are clearly right. \u00a0The\u00a0attacks put us at risk firstly by fueling hatred of ‘crusaders’ or infidels trampling over Muslim land such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. \u00a0Secondly our politicians have endangered us by destabilising the entire Middle East. \u00a0Jeremy Corbyn was one of only thirteen MPs who voted against bombing Libya on 21st March 2011<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Those ‘Noes’ have been proved right. \u00a0Andy Burnham voted in favour.<\/p>\n

Ben Wallace, the Conservative security minister, said the timing of the comments<\/a><\/strong> was ‘crass.’ No, the timing is just embarrassing for those supposed to be keeping the people secure. \u00a0And it highlights the urgent need for politicians such as\u00a0Messrs Corbyn, Clarke and Wallace actually to tell us what they are going to do – starting from the uncomfortable place we are in.<\/p>\n

‘Tell a tree by its fruit’ is from a Christian world-view<\/h2>\n
\"Salman<\/a>
Salman Abedi – devout, and, actually, Muslim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But let us return to Mr Burnham. \u00a0Firstly because his comment about Thomas Mair is truly crass. \u00a0There is no evidence that\u00a0Jo Cox’s murderer was or is a Christian. Not one report about his murky associations with US white supremacists mentions the possibility that he ever darkened the doors of a church, let alone gave his life to Christ. So leave us Christians, whatever colour we are, out of discussions about the murder of Jo Cox, will you, Mr Burnham?<\/p>\n

Secondly, Mr Burnham’s musing that Salman Abedi’s terrorism somehow disqualifies him from being regarded as a Muslim is based, paradoxically, on a Christian world-view. \u00a0In that view, you can tell a tree by its fruit. \u00a0Christians are supposed to do good works. \u00a0They are not allowed by their religion to sin. \u00a0So if you see a unrepentant rapist or a thief or a murderer that person is not a Christian. \u00a0Is Islam like that?<\/p>\n

‘You ain\u2019t no Muslim, bruv’<\/h2>\n
\"The<\/a>
The stabbing at Leytonstone led to the ‘You’re no Muslim, bruv’ meme.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The same sentiment behind Andy Burnham’s comment was voiced by the man who shouted at a suspected terrorist during a stabbing<\/a><\/strong> at Leytonstone tube station in December 2015, ‘You ain\u2019t no Muslim, bruv’.<\/p>\n

The man, a security guard called ‘John’, said he was upset by generalisations linking Muslims to extremism. \u00a0\u00a0He said: \u201cPeople look at Muslims, and look at Isis, and think they\u2019re all the same. But obviously they\u2019re not.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsis should be wiped out, because they\u2019re not Muslims, because Muslims don\u2019t do that. For people to be like that, they\u2019ve obviously got stone hearts, they don\u2019t care about society. They don\u2019t care about anyone. They\u2019re evil, pure evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘John’ of course is not a Muslim. \u00a0Nor does he actually know what a Muslim is. \u00a0No Muslim would ever say what ‘John’ said. \u00a0In fact, local Muslim leaders condemned the actions, but did not once claim the perpetrator,\u00a0Muhaydin Mire, was not a Muslim. \u00a0All one of them managed was the\u00a0‘he had no links to the local mosque’.<\/p>\n

Security Guard ‘John’ was making the same mistake as Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. \u00a0He too believes\u00a0the commission of deeds which he thinks are evil stop the perpetrator from enjoying, if that is the right expression, the designation ‘Muslim’.<\/p>\n

How to become a Muslim<\/h2>\n

But in Islam it doesn’t work like that. \u00a0Every Islamic website says the same. \u00a0Here is ‘IslamReligion.com’<\/a><\/strong>: \u00a0‘<\/p>\n

‘Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process.\u00a0 All that a person has to do is to say a sentence called the Testimony of Faith (Shahada).’<\/p>\n

The same website goes on: \u00a0‘To be a Muslim, one should also believe that the Holy Quran is the literal word of God, revealed by Him and\u00a0that the Judgment Day (Resurrection Day) is true and will come. \u00a0Believe in the prophets that God sent and the books He revealed, and in His angels, accept Islam as his\/her religion.’ \u00a0 Finally, ‘Not worship anything nor anyone except God.’<\/p>\n

It concludes: \u00a0‘It is that easy! ‘<\/p>\n

Five – or six – pillars of Islam<\/h2>\n
\"Muslims<\/a>
Muslims at prayer – in the street<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Indeed it is. \u00a0You become a Muslim just like that. \u00a0Having become a Muslim, the convert must observe the five pillars of Islam. \u00a0These are obligatory for Muslims and regarded as the core of pious Islamic life.<\/p>\n

The Five Pillars are the\u00a0Shahada, the five daily prayers\u00a0(Salat), fasting during\u00a0Ramadan (Sawm),\u00a0giving 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor (Zakat) and doing\u00a0a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).<\/p>\n

The sixth pillar of ‘jihad’ is often added. \u00a0Jihad can be either an inner conflict to live a better life of the external conflict with the kaffir (unbelievers). \u00a0Studying the Quran is pretty much obligatory as well.<\/p>\n

Whenever Muslims are discussing whether someone is a good Muslim of not, these are the things they mention. \u00a0It follows one can be a drug-dealer, or run a prostitution ring or\u00a0an election fraud and still be a good, observant Muslim. \u00a0Muslim gangs in prisons are not repenting, they are radicalising.<\/p>\n

Repentance in Islam<\/h2>\n

None of Islam\u00a0is based on repentance. \u00a0Muslims believe that when someone becomes a Muslim, all his past bad deeds are forgiven. \u00a0But there is no act of repentance as there would be prior to a Christian baptism.<\/p>\n

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Repentance only applies to life as a Muslim. \u00a0In future, when the believer does something contrary to Islam, ‘he\/she can always repent to God who forgives the sins of those who repent to Him sincerely’.<\/p>\n

But equally, good deeds can cancel out bad deeds in Islam<\/a><\/strong>, unlike in Christianity. \u00a0No saviour is necessary. So to think that Islam is even a bit like Christianity is severely to misunderstand it. \u00a0And the Andy Burnham’s of this world do not understand it, how can\u00a0they defend us against it? \u00a0(Or do they just trot out the ‘religion of peace’ stuff for the masses and think and speak differently in their Cobra meetings and conferences with the police?)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Pitcher Plant – once inside, there is no escape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Pitcher Plant\u00a0of religions<\/h2>\n

It is important to note that although Muslims are expected by their faith to do good works as we should uSnderstand them, these are not obligatory works of Islam in the say way as the daily prayers, for example. \u00a0Moreover, some Muslims, jihadists, might regard blowing up 22 infidels as a good deed.<\/p>\n

There is actually nothing which anyone can do which will\u00a0stop him being a Muslim. \u00a0You can be expelled from a mosque, but you can never be expelled from Islam. \u00a0In fact, leaving Islam is apostasy, which is punishable by death.<\/p>\n

Not only can no-one be ex-communicated from Islam, no-one is ever even allowed to leave.<\/p>\n

Islam is the Pitcher Plant\u00a0of religions. \u00a0Once someone is enticed in (or born in), there is no escape.<\/p>\n

Proverbs 14:12 (& 16:25) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Click on the links below to share this article:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Just after the Manchester Arena bombing, the Mayor of Manchester, Labour\u2019s Andy Burnham, spoke on LBC Radio. Andy Burnham: Abedi ‘not a Muslim’ Accrding to LBC, Mr Burnham said: “The message that I would want to get over – and this is how the vast majority of people feel – this man was a terrorist, 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