World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

Article for St. Catharines Standard newspaper by Peter Youngren.

The brutal killing last week of Pakistan’s only Christian government minister, Shahbaz Bhatti, for which the Pakistan Taliban has claimed responsibility, hit close to home. Bhatti, the Federal Minister for Minorities, was a friend and on several occasions he helped World Impact Ministries, the organization I lead, to obtain permission for Gospel Campaigns in a country where 97% are Muslims. A co-worker emailed, “This is the darkest day for freedom of religion in the history of Pakistan”.

I knew Terry Jones 15 years ago. At the time, he was pastor of a large church in Germany; and for a couple of years, he invited me as the guest speaker for their summer convention. He was a pretty radical man back then.  I didn’t feel entirely comfortable, and when he invited me for a third time, I didn’t go. Still, I never expected Terry Jones to cause so much fury. This week, just about every news site in the world has reported on his “Burn the Koran” day, scheduled for September 11th. Jones claims to want to honor those who died nine years ago, and send a warning to radical Islam at the same time. 

Two weeks ago the Vatican reported that Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world. According to the Vatican 2008 yearbook, Muslims make us 19.2% of the world’s population, compared with Catholics at 17.4%. Roman Catholic statistician Monsignor Vittorio Formentti said, “For the first time in history we are no longer at the top: the Muslims have overtaken us”

When I wrote my latest book, “My Muslim Friends,” I anticipated some backlash. We Christians often view Muslims as aggressive, but we don’t always realize that we can be pretty aggressive ourselves.  Well, my expectations have been realized.

God loves Muslims! Do you believe that?

When you read my new book, “My Muslim Friends” (yes it arrived from the printer this week), you’ll see another side in the current debate about Islam and Christianity. Here is an excerpt from page 62

It is starting to sound familiar. Muslims are up in arms and the Vatican is defending Benedict XVI and his speech quoting 14th Century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologis. The issue in question is whether or not Islam is an inherently violent religion? The Pope’s claim is that Islamic extremists convert by violence, an argument he claims to make in an attitude of “not trying to offend Muslims”. To the Muslim Brotherhood Chairman Mohamed Madhi Akef the Pope’s speech only adds fuel to the fire and shows the west’s “hostility to Islam”.

Have you noticed how unfriendly many Christians are towards Muslims? After September 11 I have known Muslims and traveled in Muslim countries for over 20 years and I can tell you that Islamic nations, just like Christian nations, have their share of violence.
However most Muslims, just like most people in all countries, are peace loving, hardworking people. Most importantly, Jesus died for the world – for everyone.