Egypt: Muslims threatened Christians near Aswan for  fixing a dilapidated church, even though the repairs had been authorized. They demanded that the church not have a cross, dome, bells, or even be called a “church”; weeks later, after Friday prayers, thousands of Muslims attacked the church, burning it to the ground, and demolishing its domes, as Egyptian security watched.
Indonesia: A Muslim suicide bomber  attacked a packed church, killing himself and wounding at least 27 worshippers, some critically. Security received advance warning but, asoften happens  in Muslim majority countries,  left their post atthe time of the attack.
Tunisia: Around 20 Muslims attempted to  transform a Christian church into a mosque  “in an ominous sign of the growing threat to the country’s small Church in the wake of the revolution.” The police dispersed them, but “they have been invited to make an official request to the faith ministry” to transform the church into a mosque.

Indonesia: Under accusations of encouraging Muslims to convert to Christianity, an  American family  (husband and wife, two sons) were attacked by a Muslim mob who set fire to their property and vehicle. “Only the intervention of police saved the[ir] lives” from “an enraged mob spurred by a local religious leader.”
Iran: A Christian pastor remains incarcerated awaiting execution for refusing to renounce Christianity. The government of Iran, under international criticism,  now claims  that he is getting the death penalty, not because of religion, but because he is a “Zionist,” a “rapist,” and other new charges, even though its own court documents clearly assert his crime is apostasy.
Somalia: A Muslim convert to Christianity was  abducted and decapitated, his body dumped in the road, by Muslims from al-Shabaab, “a militant group with ties to al Qaeda” that has “vowed to rid Somalia of Christianity.” According to a leader of the underground church: “It is usual for the al-Shabaab to decapitate those they suspect to have embraced the Christian faith, or sympathizers of Western ideals.”
Sudan: 129 people in southern Sudan were arrested andcharged with apostasy, which “carries a maximum sentence of death.” The plaintiff maintains that while the defendants may be familiar with the Koran, they are not upholding the “Sunna ]path] of Muhammad”: “Given the track record of the Government of Sudan, it is possible that Article 126 [which outlaws apostasy] is being used to suppress ethnic minorities and those who the state perceives as potential sources of opposition.”

Egypt: A 14-year-old Christian girl was prevented from entering school because she  refused to wear a veil: “The school management described her as a ‘flaunt’ for not covering her hair” ¢â‚¬ ¦. Coptic students were forced to obey for fear of the school management’s threats” except the girl and her parents, who “refused this decision because it is inconsistent with religious freedom and a blatant Islamization of education.”
Iraq: Three  Christians were kidnapped: According to police sources, “Gunmen in a modern vehicle blocked the Christians’ way, set their white Landrover [car] on fire, killed their hunting dogs and led them to an unknown destination.” This abduction comes “after several other anti-Christian attacks in recent weeks, including a car bomb that exploded in August near a church in central Kirkuk…”
Iran: Along with the aforementioned Christian pastor awaiting execution, five Christians, including a “heavily pregnant woman,” were ordered to “report to prison immediately  to serve a one year prison sentence,” after being convicted of “crimes against the Islamic Order.” Also, an adopted  child was confiscated from its Christian parents, as a way to pressure them to testify against fellow Christians: “If you want your child back, you must file a complaint against your fellow Christians in prison.”
Kazakhstan: “Lawmakers in Kazakhstan have voted for ‘controversial legislation‘ that Christians and rights activists say will further limit religious freedom in the mainly Muslim Central Asian state.” Among other things, the new law “makes[s] it more difficult for churches to worship freely,” and bans “house churches.”
Philippines: In Mindanao, “the Christian minority issuffering harassment and pressure  from the Muslim population. Government officials are forcing Christians to sell their land to make room for Chinese industries. According to sources, the climate of impunity, the abductions, the continuing clashes between the army and extremist Islamic groups and the economic crisis have created an unbearable atmosphere for the Christian population, who are afraid to express their faith in public.”
Sudan: A  Catholic priest was beaten  for allegedly “preaching against [the] Islamic government and opposing its teaching and rules.” Likewise, Muslims sent text messages to at least 10 church leaders in Khartoum saying they are planning to target Christian leaders, buildings, and institutions: “We want this country to be purely an Islamic state, so we mustkill the infidels and destroy their churches  all over Sudan,” said one recent text message circulating in Khartoum.

Egypt: In a circulated video, the grand mufti of Al Azhar,  Ali Goma’a, referred to Christians as “infidels”; in the same vein,Wagdi Ghoneim, a popular cleric and former U.S. imam, called Copts “Crusaders” on Al Jazeera television, insisting that they do not deserve equal rights with the Muslims in Egypt;  Abu Shadi, a representative of the Salafis, told Tahrir News that the Copts must either convert to Islam, pay  jizya[an increased tax for not being a Muslim], and assume an inferior status, or die.
Nigeria: Over  100 Christians have been killed  by Muslim militants, many hacked to death, aided by the military; “among them was a pregnant woman who died with a child in her womb.” Similarly, Muslim militants “went to shops owned by Christians at a market at about 8 p.m., ordering them to  recite verses from the Quran.” If they were unable to recite anything, the gunmen shot and killed them.
Syria: An anti-Assad Muslim preacher urged Muslims through sermons televised in Syria to “tear apart, chop up and feed” the meat of Christians and others who support the regime “to the dogs.”

Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is endemic, on its way to reaching epidemic proportions, “Muslim Persecution of Christians” was developed in to collate some ¢â‚¬”by no means all ¢â‚¬”of the most offensive instances of Muslim persecution of Christians that surface each month. It serves two purposes:

mypeace.com.au  is an Australian  dawah  (i.e. missionary) website.   It is designed to invite people to convert to Islam.   Disingenuously it states that it exists to “address the many misconceptions about Islam”.

MyPeace is unashamed in declaring the superiority of its beliefs.   For example  mypeace.com.au  characterizes Christian beliefs as ‘blasphemous’, ‘distorted’ and ‘extreme’.   It also speaks of the Islamic Christ, who when he returns will, by military force destroy all other religions, and usher in a utopia of Muhammadan sharia law across the earth.   Furthermore, ‘only Muslims today actually follow Jesus and his true teachings. Their way of life is much more in tune with the way of life Jesus practiced than any of the modern day  ¢â‚¬Å“Christians.”‘   In order words, Islam is the true Christianity.

This is an example of how MyPeace ‘addresses misconceptions’ about Islam.

MyPeace grabbed national attention with a series of billboards in Sydney earlier this year.

This week it is about to launch a TV add campaign.   The add can be viewed  here.

The text of the add is:

  [Qur’an:]
“To save one life is as though you have saved all of humanity”. [Sura 5:32]
“Show kindness to your parents, just as they cherished you in childhood.” [Sura 17:23-24]
[Muhammad:]
“Give in charity of the good things you earn”
“Even a smile is charity”

“Explore the real values of Islam atmypeace.com.au“

The text is read by a man with a broad Australian accent over scenes of:

• a lifesaver saving a young boy in the Australian surf,
• an elderly (unveiled) woman who has a shawl put around her shoulders to warm her, and
• someone giving charity to a destitute young man.

Islam is based upon the Quran and the teachings and actions of Muhammad.   The add neatly reflects this.   Australians should be more aware of both the Quran and Muhammad’s life and witness.

In the interests of ‘addressing misconceptions’ about Islam, I offer the full text of Sura 5:32-34, which is the first passage from which the TV advertisement quotes:

For this reason [i.e. Cain killing Abel] did We prescribe to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land.

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement.

Except those who repent before you have them in your power; so know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (Sura 5:32-34)

This cheery text  quotes from the Talmud (in bold above).

There is multiple irony in MyPeace’s add.   First the ‘life-saver’ verse   is in fact a Jewish text.   Second this verse is followed by and conjoined to a verse which calls for killing, crucifying, and chopping off fingers and limbs of those who oppose Allah and Muhammad ‘in the land’.

In reality verse 32 aims its message against the Jews (and perhaps also Christians), of whom it is said ‘apostles came to them with clear arguments’.   What then should happen to such as these who ‘act extravagantly in the land’? (v.32).   The answer is found in the next verse: those who behave badly ‘in the land’   should be killed, mutilated or crucified.   Well, except for those who convert to Islam (i.e. those who ‘repent’ see  Ibn Kathir  on verse 34):   it is acceptable to let those who convert keep their fingers, arms, legs and lives.

Ibn Kathir  goes on to report the view that this verse is in fact a warning against taking the life of a  Muslim  (but not of non-Muslims, because their lives are not protected in Islam like the lives of Muslims):

He who allows himself to shed  the blood of a Muslim, is like he who allows shedding the blood of all people. He who forbids shedding the blood of one Muslim, is like he who forbids shedding the blood of all people