Islam Not Anti-Christian

By Letters To The Editor

Published: June 25, 2008

An evangelist from our region, Mike Jenkins, is going on a missionary trip to Pakistan’s third largest city of 3 million, over 98 percent of which are Muslim. He is unfortunately starting out by saying: “I know that Christians and Americans are disliked in Pakistan.”

To give Christians and Americans a truthful view of Pakistan, I want to remind them that Pakistan has always been a staunch friend of the U.S.A. even through the most risky and dangerous times. Remember the U-2 Gary Powers crisis? It was Pakistan, not the United States, that the Soviets threatened to bomb to smithereens for helping America fly her spy planes from Pakistan’s soil. Even on civilian level, for instance, the Ophthalmological Society of Pakistan publicly named over 20 years ago its prestigious gold medal after Dr. Narval Christy, an ardent American Christian missionary who spent many years in Pakistan.

I wish Jenkins were not starting his mission on such an inflammatory footing, particually when he calls it a “crusade” (Jihad in Arabic) and the symbol of his evangelistic association carries a huge sword and the word “WARRIOR” in caps on it.

For any Christian wanting to speak on religion in Pakistan without getting into trouble wth her people, it is important to keep in mind the following Islamic belief about God: “He is God, the One and Only, the Everlasting Refuge, he begets not, nor is he begotten, and there is none like unto Him” (Holy Qor’aan 112:1-4). Muslims love Jesus, peace be upon him, and hold him in similar regard as they do Muhammed Sull-Allaaho Alaehe wa sulum, but they do not consider him “Son of God,” and also do not believe that he was crucified for the sins of others, not because they want to rile up Christians, but because to them it goes against God’s attributes of being Most-Just and Most-Forgiving.

Dr. K.J. Awan
Norton, Va.