Over several trips to
Uganda we had noticed a growing presence of Islam. On our last short term mission trip to the
Diocese of Kinkiizi we led two conferences; one for the clergy and one for the
lay pastors. Our theme was the doctrine
of the Trinity and how we relate to the three Persons of the Trinity in our
lives and experience. Preparing the
basic outline for the course I had no idea of its relevance to the spread of
Islam in Uganda.
We westerners are naïve
about the doctrines, teaching, and customs of Islam. Inscribed around the inside of the dome of
the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem in Arabic is the following exhortation
directed to the People of the Book, to Jews and Christians, “O People of the
Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning God save
the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His
Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and
His messengers, and say not 'Three' - Cease! (it is) better for you! - God is
only One God. Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should
have a son. ... Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of God (will find that) lo!
God is swift at reckoning!”
Islam is in militant
opposition to the doctrine of the Trinity, and to the Incarnation of the Son of
God. Did you know that lying is
permissible in Islam? That is known as
Taqiyya. The Quran says that a man may
lie to his wife to please her, or he may lie to spread Islam. Unfortunately Muslims will lie about the
history and traditions of Islam and their intention to spread Islam throughout
the world. Jihad is their equivalent of evangelism, and will include violence
as well as other means.
As part of the
Muslim outreach Idi Amin started the building of a huge Mosque in the middle of
Kampala. It is known as the Gaddafi
Mosque because Muammar al-Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator provided the funds for
its completion. They broadcast their
prayers on loud speakers from their mosques and believe that wherever the sound
of their prayer is heard belongs to Islam.
The position of women in
Islam is degrading. Muhammad had twelve
wives, one of them was nine when the marriage was consummated. Islam now allows for four wives, including
child wives. A woman is property, and
has fewer rights than a man. In some
Muslim communities, men can marry, even for an hour, a prostitute, then divorce
her. That is not considered
adultery.
Islam buys and lies its
way as is spreads its doctrine and Sharia law. As Sharia law spreads,
persecution of Christians spread. There
are numerous accounts of persecution from Northern Nigeria and other
places. We are already seeing the
effects in the United States in cities like Detroit where many of the taxi
drivers are Muslim and a single woman may have to wait for a non-Muslim driver
in order to get a ride.
Uganda, like other places
in Africa, is a spiritual battleground; and it is coming our way. America with its dry as dust religion may
well go up in flames as it comes our way.
In Uganda Islam encounters an intensely personal faith and there are
many instances of people won to Christian faith through dreams, visions, and
people hearing the voice of God; but what of us with our pseudo-sophistication
and cultural humanism?
The best media news available in Uganda is Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera’s coverage of world events is much
more comprehensive than our American media news, but it comes at a price. That price is an undercurrent, not of
anti-Americanism, so much as anti-Christianity.
The problem that Islam has with Christianity is simply that we believe
in the Trinity, and that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
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