Ediblog.com
Debra Rae
Women in the Fray of Clashing Worldviews,
Part 4 of 4
©2008 Debra Rae
Fatalism is at the heart of Islam. It’s as if some Muslims reason: “If I live, I live;
if I die, I die. Whether or not I conduct my affairs carefully, according to laws of
physics, and in harmony with universally a c c epted mores, my plight in life rests
solely in the hands of Fate. So be it.” Given this faulty thinking, every event—
big or small, spiritual or mundane, sober or foolhardy—is pun c tuated with Insh’Allah, “God willing.”
The faith’s global charge, as summarized in the creed of Iraq ’s Baath party, is this:
“One Arab nation with an eternal mission.” Following the principle of dhimmitude,
Christians and Jews may be permitted to live, but only under Islamic domination.
From Islamic perspective, the monotheistic faiths are typified in a three- camel caravan—the first going “just so far” in truth before stopping. That camel
represents Judaism. The next (Christianity) takes truth farther still, but the final
one (Islam) goes the distan c e. While this analogy presents an appearance of tolerance, the reality is far from it. According to Muslim belief, every human is
born Muslim and, if ne cessary, even “People of the Book” (Jews and Christians)
must be for c ed into submission—or die.
No wonder the most destabilizing conflict in the world today is between Islam and
the West, but then the line between East and West is fast blurring. Significantly,
the dominant religion in Great Britain is fast becoming Islam. Whereas in 1945 there
was only one mosque in England , the number rose to 200 when, in 1976, the Queen
of England wel c omed Islam into her country. Today, there are thousands, and Islamic
influence in Parliament and British so c iety c ontinues to grow. Had the late Princess
Diana and her Muslim lover married, England ’s conquering by Islam would have been
viewed as complete. Stunningly, the heart if not the soul of extremists is largely in the
United States. Here, Muslim radicals have set up many of their fund-raising and political
headquarters. This allegation is not mine; rather it was given in testimony to the Near
East and South Asia Sub c ommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (19 March 1996).
Radical Wahhabis from Saudi Arabia have financed some ninety percent of mosques and Islami c s c hools called
madrassahs. A grassroots c oalition (Stop the Madrassa)exposes Islamization even in our public schools nationwide. One su c h example is
the Tarek ibn Zayad A c ademy (TIZA), c harter s c hool in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. At TIZA, students (K-8) pray daily in the s c hool’s mosque, eat
Halal food (permissible under Islami c law), fast during Ramadan and observe Muslim
holidays—all compliments of Minnesota tax payers.
Unlike sync retistic religions, Islam allows no compromise; therefore, its most ardent
followers are fanati c s. Ten-to-fifteen per c ent are willing to engage in terrorism
which is guaranteed by Arab rage over U.S. support of Israel . For de cades, Russians
have finan c ed the PLO and other Middle-Eastern based terrorist groups. Communist
China and North Korea also supply munitions and training to radi c al Islami c fundamentalists.
Understand that Islam properly pervades every aspect of daily life. In fact, the word “secularism”
does not exist in classic al Arabic . To the Muslim, Allah is great, but not ne c essarily personal.
He is nonetheless invariably on the Muslim’s side. The “Grand Design” is to unite Islami c nations
under the leadership of a c oalition led by Iran and Syria . The West, first, must be driven from out
of the Middle East, thus “liberating” Palestine . Next, the Judeo-Christian world view must be supplanted
with an Islami c one. Simple as that.
So where are the good guys? As pointed out in Obsession, the Movie: Radi c al Islam’s War Against the
West, the West needs to step up, support and empower liberal, demo c rati c Muslims brave enough to
speak out against injusti c e in the name of religion (www.obsessionthemovie.com). It stands to reason
that international law is a good pla c e to start.
Both Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan have ratified an international treaty promising women “the exercise and
enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms on a basis of equality with men.” While the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Dis c rimination against Women (CEDAW) sounds promising, reality flies in the
face of its hollow pre c epts and vague language. For example, in Saudi Arabia , women still may not vote, drive
a car or travel alone; and some women in Afghanistan continue to set themselves ablaze in order to es c ape forced
marriages.
For good reason the United States has yet to ratify CEDAW. What this treaty really proposes is social engineering
albeit in the name of “human rights.” Already, CEDAW has been used to eliminate Mothers’ Day, its practice purportedly
responsible for perpetuating “unhealthy stereotypes.” More disturbingly, CEDAW has potential to shape the abortion debate,
make way for “gay marriage,” promote voluntary legalized prostitution and require government-funded universal day care.
CEDAW usurps the rightful role of parents in their c hildren’s upbringing, and it c ould mandate gender
re-edu c ation in all textbooks and s c hool programs. If ratified, CEDAW would supersede all federal and state laws.
Although international law is no real friend to women and children, mounting international pressure to halt injustice within the
Islamic community is helpful. In the c ase of Mehdi Dibaj, for example, Dibaj’s c onversion from Islam to Christianity landed him
in prison for ten years before an offi c ial exe c ution order was issued. Leader of Evangeli c al Christians in Iran Haik Hovseplan
launched an international c ampaign to end c ivil rights violations of Iranian Islami c courts. At the eleventh hour, the government
was forced to release Dibaj; but in ex c hange for his courage, Haik Hovsepian suffered martyrdom.
In yet another case, the Shiite c ourt ruled Kuwaiti Muslim-turned-Christian, Robert Hussein, an apostate who must be killed. The court
ruled further that his wife should be divor c ed from him, and all his possessions distributed to heirs. These harsh religious c ourt rulings
violated even Kuwaiti c ivil law. When no help was to be found for him, the Charlottesville, Virginia-based Rutherford Institute intervened
on behalf of Hussein.
Founded in 1993, Women for Women International (WWI) is a non-profit organization dedi c ated to female survivors of abuse, war and poverty.
It helps women rebuild their lives, families and communities. A c c ording to the memoirs of Queen Noor, Jordan ’s Institute for Children’s Health
and Development share similar goals.
The Faith Community More often then not, it is the Judeo-Christian faith c ommunity that steps up to the plate. Vi c tor Khalil, Th. D., is director
of Ministries International, In c ., whi c h is mainly an evangelism ministry to the Muslim world. With oppressed and abused women of the Middle East
at heart, Victor and Deborah Khalil produ c e a 30-minute television talk show c reated by and for Arabi c women c alled Diwaniya for Women. The program
reaches over 120 million homes in North America, the Middle East, North Afri c a and Europe . It airs on fifty Publi c A c c ess channels, as well as satellite.
The Internet allows twenty-four hour a c c ess to shows that address numbers of topi c s vital to women. First aired only in Egypt , it is now available weekly
to thousands of Arabic speaking women living in San Diego County . Almost all of the women featured on the show have c ome to the saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ. It is from this worldview that Dr. Khalil offers counsel, prayer and guidan c e; and women are given voi c e to address marriage problems, depression, health
concerns, their c hildren and even wit c h c raft in the home.
Evangelicals, as the Khalils, represent less than one per c ent of the entire population of the Islami c Middle East; and, as we’ve noted, Muslims who c onvert to
Christianity risk their lives to “speak truth.” Clearly, Ministries International, Women for Women International and Rutherford Institute, among others, need our financial
and prayer support.
It is heart conversion—one heart at a time—that will curb injusti c e under the iron fist of oppression leveled against men, women and c hildren of the world. This alone can
introduce hope into the four-thousand-year-old blood feud still raging. No matter the c ost in life, limb and reputation, brave souls must c ontinue to “speak truth”; and freedom-loving
Christians everywhere must back them. Lives depend on it.
Debra Rae is an author and educator who has traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad. Having authored two books—the ABCs of Globalism and ABCs of Cultural-Isms (the latter highlighted at the 55th Annual CBA International Convention, 2004)—Debra contributing columnist for News With Views. Debra has been a speaker on numerous radio shows aired across the nation, the Western Hemisphere, Russia, and the Middle East. This past year, she co-launched and now co-hosts WOMANTalk, a special edition of Changing Worldviews TALK Radio, for which she writes weekly commentaries.
www.debraraebooks.com, www.womantalk.us,
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