MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

Isaiah 5:20a, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness …”

By Michael Carl – “A Muslim group has released its plan to ‘wipe Christianity from the face of the earth,’ Islamize the West and establish an Islamic system of world government – placing those who resist ‘under a police state.’

The 23-page booklet, ‘The Global Islamic Civilization: The Power of a Nation Revived,’ is the brainchild of the United Muslim Nations International, a group led by Sheik Farook al-Mohammedi. The document outlines a plan for Muslim world domination and the re-establishment of the Caliphate.

Al-Mohammedi leaves no doubt about his view of Christianity.

‘Christianity should be destroyed and wiped from the face of the earth,’ al-Mohammedi said. ‘It is an evil demonic and Anti-Christ system, all Christians are in complete Ignorance.’

The sheik includes a veiled threat in his remarks.

‘Islamic Power has returned upon the face of the earth and the Revived Global Caliphate has set eyes on the West to once and for all rid the world of Christianity and there is nothing you can do about it,’ al-Mohammedi said.

He makes his objective clear.

‘I have pledged and made a firm promise to the Caliphate of the United Muslim Nations International organization that I will do my utmost to Islamize all of the West within a short period of time,’ al-Mohammedi said.

Al-Mohammedi’s views are reflected in the book, which calls on all Muslims to, ‘listen attentively (to the teaching in the booklet) so they may be able to feel the spirituality of an Islamic revival within themselves and they will be able to achieve the much needed upliftment and also a means in gaining the closeness of Allah Subahanhu wa-ta’ ala.’

The document is a clear statement on the organization’s objective. Page 2 explains that the emergence of an Islamic Caliphate is the ultimate goal of all Muslims.” Read more.

Flashback: Rising Islamic Leader Declares ‘We Will Launch a Campaign of Islamic Conquest Throughout the World’, ‘Exterminate’ Christians Who Get In the Way of Sharia – “A rising leader in the radical Islamic movement in Egypt that has become a major political player since the demise of Hosni Mubarak’s regime says Christian churches may need to be blown up and Christians exterminated to allow the advance of Islamic law, or Shariah. The comments come from Sheik ‘Adel Shehato, a senior leader with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad terrorist group… The sheik, a senior jihadist leader, responded to a question about using violence against Christians, who make up a substantial minority in Egypt.” Read more.

Revelation 13:12a, 15b, “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast … and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”

Food for thought. Although most translations render Revelation 13:12 and other relevant portions of this chapter to say that “he” exercises all the power of the first Beast before “him”, the Greek text does not necessitate an anthropomorphic “he” or “him.”  The Greek text could also be understood as saying that “it” exercises all the power of the first Beast before “it” …

KBC News – “Somalia militia group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s twin attacks on two churches in Garissa County that left 17 people dead.

The latest development came even as muslim leaders in Kenya agreed to form self-defence groups to protect churches following the deadly attacks.

In a tweet on Wednesday morning, the insurgents said they carried out the attacks in retaliation for Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)’s incursion in Somalia.

An Al-Shabaab loyalist Sheikh Hassan Takar said that the militia killed people who did not profess allegiance to Allah.

‘The mujahedeen (holy warriors) punished with their hands those believing and worshipping other than Allah,’ he said.

‘The militants will continue until such practice is eliminated.’ He added

They urged the Kenyan government to pull its troops out of Somalia, warning that they will target major buildings in Nairobi if they continue fighting the insurgents.

At the same time, Adan Wachu, head of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims, told the BBC the attacks were acts of terrorism.

‘There are people out there who are determined to make Kenya another Nigeria,’ Mr Wachu, who also chairs the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, told the BBC Network Africa programme.” Read more.

Revelation 13: A Commentary – “For the second Beast I see two possibilities. One, it may be referring to a reawakening as it were of all radical Islamic terrorist organizations rising up from within this new Islamic Empire with a massive upswing in their ‘membership numbers’. Since both the Shiite and Sunni branches of Islam are actively seeking the implementation of the Caliphate or, essentially, an Islamic Empire akin to a neo-Ottoman Caliphate where Sharia is the law of the land, the two horns here could be representing the extremist organizations within both the Shia and Sunni branches of radical Islam …” Read more.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 — A Rebuilt Jewish Temple, or Something Else? – “We should not discount the possibility that the ‘man of sin’ may not be pointing to one single person as it were, though the general consensus is precisely that, but could instead be pointing to one single entity.  The ekklesia of God is comprised of a great multitude of believing Jews and Gentiles created as ‘one new man’ in Christ who are marked by God (Eph. 2:15, Rev. 14:1) and described by John in Revelation 7 as the ‘multitude of the lamb‘, ie, the multitude of Christ. Conversely, the ‘man of sin’ (2 Thess 2:3) could therefore be its direct antithesis comprised of those who have the Mark of the Beast and described by John in Revelation 13 as the ‘multitude of a man’, ie, the multitude of Mohammed.” Read more.

BosNewsLife Middle East Service – “DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)– Thousands of Christians have fled their homes in Syria where news emerged Tuesday, July 3, that intelligence agencies run dozens of torture centers where detainees are beaten with batons and cables, burned with acid, sexually assaulted, and have fingernails torn out.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) group said it identified 27 abuse centers which have been used since President Bashar al-Assad’s government began a crackdown in March 2011 on pro-democracy protesters trying to oust him.

HRW added that it conducted over 200 interviews with people who were tortured, including a 31-year-old man who was detained in the Idlib area in June and made to undress.

‘Then they started squeezing my fingers with pliers. They put staples in my fingers, chest and ears. I was only allowed to take them out if I spoke. The staples in the ears were the most painful,’ the man was quoted as saying in the report.

‘They used two wires hooked up to a car battery to give me electric shocks. They used electric stun-guns on my genitals twice. I thought I would never see my family again. They tortured me like this three times over three days,’ he added…

Christians have also suffered abuse, including from rebels who accuse them of supporting the regime or observing a ‘Western religion’ and some believers have been killed, according to church groups.

Among those recently killed was Atallah Ibrahim Bitar, who was shot dead while reportedly taking food to people forced into hiding by a week-long bombardment, Christian aid workers said.” Read more.

Associated Press – “LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s army says suspected sect members have gruesomely killed nine builders in a northeastern city.

Spokesman Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said Monday that the assailants cut their victims’ throats in a late Sunday night attack in the city of Maiduguri. He said one man was found Monday still breathing even as he bled from the neck.

The army has blamed the attack on ‘terrorists,’ which is how they often refer to a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram.

Matthew Okoye, a neighbor, said he saw 14 bodies. He said some of the victims were from Nigeria’s predominantly Christian south.

Officials have underreported casualties before for fear of reprisals, especially when attacks involve people of differing religions.

Authorities have blamed Boko Haram for more than 620 deaths this year alone.” Source – The Washington Post.

Flashback: Boko Haram: Our Goal is to Eliminate Followers of Christ – “Terrorist organisation Boko Haram has issued a statement making clear that its goal is to eliminate followers of Christ from Nigeria and establish an Islamic state. ‘The Nigerian state and Christians are our enemies and we will be launching attacks on the Nigerian state and its security apparatus as well as churches until we achieve our goal of establishing an Islamic state in place of the secular state … We are responsible for the suicide attack on a church in Jos and also another attack on another church in Biu,’ a spokesman for the group, Abul Qaqa, is said to have told reporters in the northeastern city of Maiduguri over the phone.” Read more.

Matthew 10:22, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

By Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute – “Unlike those nations, such as Saudi Arabia, that have eliminated Christianity altogether, Muslim countries with significant Christian minorities saw much persecution during the month of May: in Egypt, Christians were openly discriminated against in law courts, even as some accused the nation’s new president of declaring that he will ‘achieve the Islamic conquest of Egypt for the second time, and make all Christians convert to Islam;’ in Indonesia, Muslims threw bags of urine on Christians during worship; in Kashmir and Zanzibar, churches were set on fire; and in Mali, Christianity ‘faces being eradicated.’

Elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa—in Nigeria, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, the Ivory Coast—wherever Islam and Christianity meet, Christians are being killed, slaughtered, beheaded and even crucified.

Categorized by theme, May’s assemblage of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes, but is not limited to, the following accounts, listed in alphabetical order by country, not severity. Note: As Pakistan had the lion’s share of persecuted Christians last month, it has its own section below, covering the entire gamut of persecution—from apostasy and blasphemy to rape and forced conversions.

Church Attacks

Indonesia encountered several church-related attacks:

• A mob of 600 Muslims threw bags of urine, stones, and rotten eggs at the congregation of a Protestant church at the start of Ascension Day service; they shouted profanities and threatened to kill the pastor. No arrests were made. The church had applied for a permit to construct its house of worship five years ago. Pressured by local Muslims, the local administration ordered the church shut down in December 2009, even though the Supreme Court recently overruled its decision, saying that the church was eligible for a permit. Local Muslims and officials are nevertheless demanding that the church shut down.
• After protests ‘by hard-line groups including the Islamic Defenders Front,’ nearly 20 Christian houses of worship were sealed off by authorities on the pretext of ‘not having permits.’ The authorities added that, to accommodate the region’s 20,000 Christians, only one church may be built in the district in question.
• The Muslim mayor who illegally sealed the beleaguered GKI Yasmin church, forcing congregants to worship in the streets, has agreed to reopen it—but only if a mosque is built next door, to ensure that the church ‘stays in line.’ ‘As well as opposition from the mayor, the church has faced hostility from local Muslims, who have rallied against them [the Christians], blocked them from accessing the street where the church is situated and disrupted their outdoor services. It is unlikely that they will suddenly embrace the Christians,’ according to the report. Read more…

By Stefan J. Bos, BosNewLife – “CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)– Native Christian missionaries in Egypt remained concerned Saturday, June 30, saying at least two fellow believers were killed by suspected Islamists since Mohammed Morsi was declared the country’s president.

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood ‘announced they would destroy the country if Morsi didn’t win, but they also said they will take revenge from all those who voted for [his opponent Ahmed] Shafiq, especially the Christians as they are sure we did vote for Shafiq,’ am Egyptian missionary leader said in a letter distributed by Christian Aid Mission (CAM) group.

‘Yesterday they began by killing two believers in [the area of] el Sharqiya because of this,’ the missionary added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The names of the two Christians known to the missionaries were not immediately released.

These latest reported killings came just weeks after video footage of a convert from Islam to Christianity being murdered by Muslims was shown on on Egyptian television…

Native missionaries and other Christians said the footage of the brutal beheading was the latest indication of what they called ‘the violent threat to religious freedom’ in the post-Arab Spring revolution-era.

‘Native missionary families are deeply disturbed and even fearful because of recent developments in Egypt,’ CAM Africa Director Rae Burnett told BosNewsLife.” Read more.

Egypt’s Mursi defies military in fiery speech, ‘I fear no one but Allah’ – “Egypt’s newly elected President Mohammed Mursi on Friday took a symbolic oath of office during a rousing speech at the iconic Tahrir Square, defying military rulers by saying he does not fear anyone and will not give up on any of the powers given to the president. Mursi, Egypt’s first freely-elected civilian president, who was speaking on the eve of his swearing-in, took the symbolic oath after many protesters called on him to do so to defy the ruling army who took power after Hosni Mubarak’s ouster… ‘I promise you that I will not give up on any of the powers given to the president,’ Mursi said, in a veiled reference to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces’ recent decrees. ‘I fear no one but [Allah],’ he said.” Read more.

“There’s no end to Christian martyrdom in Africa. After Nigeria, now the Christian community in Kenya are under attack. The death toll following the attacks on two churches in Garissa, in north-eastern Kenya is 17, with another 50 people injured and 10 seriously injured.

Garissa is located in north-eastern Kenya, approximately 140 kilometres from the border with Somalia. The city is 70 kilometres away from the vast refugee camp in Dadaab, which is currently sheltering 465 thousand Somali refugees. Four foreign humanitarian aid workers were kidnapped from here Friday.

The attacks, which took place almost simultaneously, targeted the city’s Catholic cathedral and a church owned by the African Inland Independent Church (AIC) congregation, as Sunday mass was being celebrated.

Kenyan authorities have pointed the finger at Islamist al-Shabab militia operating in Somalia, whose border lies 140 kilometres away from the city.

A group of hooded terrorists launched two grenades inside the cathedral, but only one went off. The dead and many of those wounded were registered as members of the AIC congregation’s church, where another five militiamen opened fire on faithful: 10 of them died instantly and another six passed away as they were being taken to hospital.” Read more.

Flashback: East Africa: Growing Appeal Of Radical Islam Could Have Major Ramifications For Christianity, Stable Democracies – “Al Shabaab has been waging an insurgency against Somalia’s fragile interim government since 2007 and formally became part of al Qaeda earlier this year. Abdullahi’s account is part of a mounting body of evidence – including intelligence picked up by security agencies, research by the United Nations and accounts by Muslim Kenyans interviewed for this story – that suggests al Shabaab is mentoring a new and increasingly multi-ethnic generation of militants in the region. That could have major ramifications not just for Somalia, which has been without a working government for two decades, but also for countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, relatively stable democracies whose economies are among the steadiest in Africa.” Read more.

Mohabat News – “Gelareh Bagherzadeh was an Iranian-born woman, newly converted to Christianity. She volunteered as a Persian-language translator at church and was about to graduate from university and had already found a job.

Why on earth would someone want to kill her?

That question has befuddled family, friends and police for five months, ever since Bagherzadeh, 30, was found in mid-January slumped over the steering wheel of her Nissan Altima steps from her home with a single gunshot wound to the head.

‘It’s a unique case,’ says Houston Police Sgt. J.C. Padilla, the lead investigator on the case. ‘It’s a senseless crime that happened to a young, intelligent female who had her future taken away from her. Someone out there knows what happened.’

The facts that nothing was stolen from her car and that Bagherzadeh was an outspoken activist against Iran’s Islamic theocracy, championed women’s rights in the Middle East and had recently converted from Islam to Christianity have spawned a host of theories about her murder (everything from an Iranian intelligence agency hit to claims of other foreign government involvement).

Police say they have found no evidence linking the killing to foreign assassins but are still investigating. In fact, they have no leads or suspects. Her family says that’s not enough, and they would like to see participation by federal investigators.

‘We believe she was targeted,’ says her father, Ebrahim Bagherzadeh. ‘Why or by whom? We don’t know.’…

Foreign-sanctioned assassinations — or attempts — on U.S. soil are rare but do happen, says Juan Zarate, a senior adviser with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies and former deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush. He says Iran has been implicated in a number of them, but he does not know all the details of the Houston case to suggest Iranian involvement.” Read more.

Flashback: Islamic Militants Calling Themselves ‘The Unknown Soldiers of The Hidden Imam’ Threaten to Hunt Down and Execute Christians Who Flee Iran – “Islamic militants with suspected ties to Iranian security forces have been terrorizing evangelical Christians with threats to ‘repent’ or die, it was reported Sunday. Christian Solidarity Worldwide has reported that 11 Iranian Christians who fled Iran in the wake of a government campaign against Christianity have received threats via email to ‘repent’ or face extrajudicial execution, from a group identifying itself as the ‘The Unknown Soldiers of The Hidden Imam.’ The threatening emails that were sent to each individual on Sept. 14 aspired to extend the arm of Iranian Islamic militancy beyond the borders of Iran by implying that, although the recipients have left Iran, they have not escaped the ‘acute eyes of the unknown soldiers.’” Read more.

And, yet again, the police do absolutely nothing …

By Raymond Ibrahim – “According to a story in yesterday’s Mideast Christian News, Muslims in the village of Basra in Alexandria, Egypt, surrounded the local Coptic church, St. Lyons, during divine liturgy, ‘demanding that visiting Copts leave the church before the completion of prayers, and threatening to burn down the church if their demand was not met.’ The priest, Father Severus, hurriedly contacted police by phone asking for aid only to be told to comply with their demands, ‘and do not let buses with visitors to come to the church anymore.’ In [the] face of such threats, Christian worshippers exited the church halfway through liturgy to jeers outside. As they drove away, Muslims hurled stones at their buses, and the priest was warned by ‘salafis and extremists’ never again to allow visitors to the church, otherwise they would ‘destroy it.'” Source – Jihad Watch.

Flashback: Egypt: ‘Conquest Is Coming’: Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi Says Christians Must Convert To Islam, Pay ‘Jizya’, Or Leave – “According to the popular Egyptian website, El Bashayer, Muhammad Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate, just declared that he will ‘achieve the Islamic conquest (fath) of Egypt for the second time, and make all Christians convert to Islam, or else pay the jizya,’ the additional Islamic tax, or financial tribute, required of non-Muslims, or financial tribute… ‘They need to know that conquest is coming, and Egypt will be Islamic, and that they must pay jizya or emigrate.’” Read more.