PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
2015 Vol 1
tel: 021 689 4481
fax: 021 685 5884
info@christianaction.org.za
www.christianaction.org.za
The FAILURE of ATHEISM
and the TRIUMPH of FAITH in RUSSIA
Atheism was the official doctrine of the Soviet Union. Throughout the history of the Soviet Union, Communist authorities vigorously enforced the ideology of Marxism / Leninism and violently persecuted Christianity.
The Gulag Archipelago Over 49,000 churches were destroyed and over 66 million people died in the massacres, man-made famines and in the over 1,800 communist concentration camps, which Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described as the Gulag Archipelago. Aggressive Atheism The Soviet Union was committed to the complete annihilation of all religious institutions and ideas. Militant atheism was central to the ideology
of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The state established atheism as their only “scientific truth”. Any criticism of atheism, or of the state’s anti-religious policies, was forbidden and could lead to forced retirement, arrest and imprisonment.
Annihilation of Christianity Lenin declared that religion is an obstacle to the construction of a communist society and therefore the annihilation of all religion, and replacement with atheism, was the most important ideological goal of the state.
Continued on page 2
UNDERSTANDING the CRUSADES
US President Barack Hussein Obama has raised the issue of the Crusades as “evil done in the Name of Jesus Christ” as some kind of justification, or distraction, from Islamic Jihad today. It is impossible to understand the Crusades without first understanding the five centuries of Islamic Jihad that preceded it. A Reaction to Jihad The crusades were a reaction to centuries of Islamic Jihad. Muslim armies had conquered most of the
Byzantine Empire. The enemy was literally at the gates of the greatest Christian city in the world at the time, Constantinople. Muslims had conquered Spain, Sicily, Southern Italy and many of the islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Persecution and Piracy Vast territories which had once belonged to Christians were now under the rule of Islamic rulers who abused the Christians, looted churches, kidnapped, tortured and ransomed Christian pilgrims. Millions
Continued on page 5
Continued from page 1 Failure of Atheism, Triumph of Faith in Russia
Solovetski Island In 1922, at the first prototype Russian concentration camp, in the former Orthodox monastery of Solovetski, established on the Solovetski Island in the White Sea, 8 metropolitans, 20 archbishops and 47 bishops of the Orthodox Church were killed. 95,000 believers were executed by firing squad on Solovetski Island. Murdering Ministers In the first 5 years of the Bolshevik Revolution, 28 bishops and 1,215 priests were executed. In 1922, another 8,000 priests were killed. All of this was carried out under Vladimir Lenin, before the accession to power of Joseph Stalin. During the purges of 1937 to 1938, 168,300 Russian Orthodox clergy were arrested. Of these ministers, over 100,000 were shot by KGB, in less than two years.
Houses of Atheism The League of the Militant Godless (LMG) failed to receive widespread support from the public despite vast state resources to promote it. In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev closed 12,000 churches in a new wave of communist persecution. The communist attempt to establish a state church with Houses of scientific Atheism in Russian cities proved a dismal failure. By the end of the Khrushchev era, it was estimated that another 50,000 clergy had been executed by the KGB in the Soviet Union. Eradicating Christianity At the time of the Bolshevik Revolution, 1917, there were 50,000 Orthodox parishes, 1,000 monasteries and 60 Theological colleges in the Russian Empire. By 1941, less than 200 congregations remained in the Soviet Union and not one single monastery, or seminary, remained.
A Resurgence of Faith Yet today, the Orthodox Church in Russia has over 30,000 parishes, 8,000 monasteries and 100 Theological seminaries. This is not even counting the other denominations in the Russian Federation. (Operation World identifies 74 Protestant denominations in Russia with almost two million affiliates, 13 Independent denominations, 22 Orthodox denominations, as well as Anglicans and Catholics.) Christ the Saviour Cathedral Symbolic of the failure of atheism and the triumph of faith in Russia is Christ the Saviour Cathedral. This cathedral was destroyed in 1931 by the order of Communist dictator, Joseph Stalin. The cathedral of Christ the Saviour, on the Northern bank of the Moskva River, in Moscow, was built during the 19th century. It took more than 40 years to construct. In
Christ the Saviour Cathedral was destroyed in 1931 by order of Joseph Stalin to make way for a palace of Soviets.
2
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015
The planned Palace of Soviets tower failed to be built.
1931 it was demolished by order of the communist dictator Joseph Stalin. The demolition was supposed to make way for a colossal Palace of the Soviets, that was never built. Commemorating 1812 The original church was the scene of the 1882 world premiere of the world famous 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. Christ the Saviour Cathedral had been constructed on the initiative of Tsar Alexander I upon the Russian victory over Napoleon Bonaparte when he retreated from Moscow, 25 December 1812. The Tsar declared: “To signify our gratitude to Divine providence for saving Russia from the doom that overshadowed her...” the cathedral was to be constructed as a memorial and a testimony to God’s saving grace and answer to prayer. The church was modelled on the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The cathedral was consecrated 26 May 1883, the day before Alexander III was crowned. The Gates of Hell Joseph Stalin determined to demolish this iconic church. On 5 December 1931 the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was dynamited and reduced
to rubble. It took more than a year to clear the debris from the site. Joseph Stalin determined to erect a Palace of the Soviets in modernistic buttressed tiers on the site, supporting a gigantic statue of Lenin perched on top of the dome with his arm defiantly raised in the air. Lack of funds, problems with flooding from the nearby Moscow River, and the outbreak of war in 1941, prevented this project from succeeding. Under Nikita Khrushcev it was transformed into the world’s largest open air swimming pool.
Reconstruction In February 1990, the Russian Orthodox Church received permission from Boris Yeltsin’s government to rebuild the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Donations were collected from one million Russian citizens and the cathedral was consecrated on 19 August 2000. In 2000, the cathedral was the venue for the canonization of the Romanovs when the murdered Tsar Nicholas II and his family were recognised as saints. From Atheism to Christianity The Orthodox Church is now Russia’s largest and most important non-governmental organisation. Church symbols, rituals, moral values and teachings are playing a leading role in shaping national society. Up to 80% of Russians claim to be Orthodox members and to have been baptized. The Russian Orthodox
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, in Moscow.
3
Church is building 200 new churches in Moscow alone. Sretensky Monastery Another example of the failure of atheism and the triumph of faith in Russia is the Sretensky Monastery, in Moscow, founded in 1397 to commemorate the miraculous deliverance of Russia from Tamerlane and the Mongol invasion. It was closed by the Soviets in 1925 and used by the Secret Police for imprisonment and executions. Today Sretensky Monastery has been re-opened and its outstanding choir is world famous, having sung at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Everyday Saints Bestseller The Archimandrite Tikhom, head of Sretensky Monastery, is the author of Everyday Saints, a 600-page book which gives the testimony of his journey from Marxist atheism to Christianity. Over 1.5 million copies of this book have been sold in Russia and millions more in other languages worldwide. Tikhom is a man that President Vladimir Putin turns to for counsel.
Up to 80% of Russians claim to be Orthodox members and have been baptized. Family Conference With the Russian government hosting an International Conference on Family and Christian values, appointing chaplains in the
military, printing Bibles for hotels and attending services in the cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the failure of the atheist experiment in Russia is complete. 70 Years of Atheist propaganda and violent communist persecution failed to exterminate the vibrant Christian Faith of the Russian people. “On this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt 16:18
The Defeat of Atheism in Russia is complete.
Dr. Peter Hammond
Today the Russian government respects the Church, prints Bibles, appoints Chaplains in the military, hosts pro-family conferences and opposes the homosexual agenda.
4
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015
Continued from page 1 Understanding the Crusades
the Arab defenders left huge gaping holes in the defences of Syria. During key battles, the defection of Arab mercenaries, who were meant to be fighting for Byzantine, was decisive in turning the tide of battle against the Christians. Soon the Muslim Caliph established Damascus as the capital of the growing Islamic Empire.
Muhammad launches Jihad. of Christians were being enslaved by the Muslim world. Muslim Pirates were threatening Christian shipping. Christian lands were threatened by Islamic raids and full scale invasion. Exploiting Exhaustion Even before the death of Muhammad in 632, Muslim forces were already raiding the Byzantine Empire and Persia. Both Byzantium and Persia were weakened by incessant wars against one another. The Arabs were able to exploit the exhaustion of the Persians and the Byzantines, not only by hit and run raids for plunder and loot, but also by sustained military campaigns to wrest substantial territory away from these vast empires. The Invasion of Syria Syria was the first Arab conquest. At that time Syria was a province of the Byzantine Empire. The capital of Syria, Damascus, was the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. The land of Syria was far more fertile than the land of Arabia. After centuries of Byzantine rule Syria had fallen to the Persians in 611 and was retaken by Byzantine in 630. As the Persians had destroyed the institutions of Byzantine rule, a leadership vacuum had developed. Betrayed from Within As the Byzantine Empire employed many Arab mercenaries to guard against their raiding kinsmen from the south, the defection of most of
Crucifying Christians in Jerusalem. Targeting Persia The next target was Persia, which at that time included Mesopotamia, what is today known as Iraq. Here as well, whole units of the Persian cavalry consisted exclusively of Arab mercenaries. The Muslims managed to exploit the conflict of loyalties by persuading whole units of Arab mercenaries to turn traitor and join the Muslim side. Soon even the heartland of Persia, what is today known as Iran, was conquered by the Muslims. Yet, the Persians continued to rebel against Muslim rule for at least another century. Invading India Caliph Al-Mansur moved the capital of the Muslim Empire from Damascus to Baghdad. From this base, Muslim armies moved out to conquer the Indus valley of India (what today is known as Pakistan). The Betrayal of Jerusalem As Palestine was part of the Byzantine province of Syria, the decisive defeat of the Greek forces at the Battle of Yarmuk left Jerusalem vulnerable to attack. Many Jews, hostile to the Greek Christians of the Byzan-
tine Empire, welcomed the invading Muslim forces and opened the gates of Jerusalem to the Caliph in 638. Despite this, the Caliph prohibited all Jews from living in Jerusalem. Massacres in Egypt Egypt was a province of the Byzantine Empire. The abandonment of Syria and Palestine by the Greek forces left Egypt particularly vulnerable and isolated. The first invasion of Egypt in 639 by the forces of Caliph Umar was unsuccessful. In 640 a force of 12,000 Muslims attacked and succeeded in luring the Byzantine army out from their secured walled cities, whereupon they were ambushed and slaughtered in great numbers. The Muslim invaders then massacred the inhabitants of the undefended cities. The Betrayal of Alexandria Alexandria was the second largest city in the Christian world at that time. When the Arabs attacked the city they were repulsed with great losses. The Arabs withdrew out of range of the catapult shots and arrows of the walls and began what should have been a hopeless siege. As Alexandria was a port and the Byzantine navy had supremacy of the Mediterranean they could have easily resupplied and reinforced Alexandria for as long as necessary. However, inexplicably, the new governor of Egypt, Cyrus, betrayed Alexandria, and all of Egypt, by handing it over, without a fight, to the Muslim invaders.
Richard the Lionheart at the Battle of Arsuf. Continued on page 12
5
CONFRONTING COMRADES WITH THE GOSPEL Cape Town Stadium Saturday, 10 January 2015, we distributed thousands of anti-communist leaflets and Gospel tracts, such as The World’s Greatest Revolutionary, Where Will You Spend Eternity? etc., to the comrades attending the ANC’s 103rd year celebrations at Cape Town Stadium. Free I asked several of the comrades what was going on in there. Their responses were: “Free! Free! Everything is for free!” “What is free?” I asked: “Everything! Free food! Free drinks! Free clothes! We pay nothing! They are giving everything away free!” The Looting Continues Sure enough, throughout the whole song-and-a-dance extravaganza that was noisily taking place inside the Cape Town Stadium, there was a continual stream of comrades wearing ANC T-shirts, pouring out of the Stadium with boxes, crates, bags heavily laden, full trays of drinks balanced on their heads, shoulders sagging under the weight as they carried away the loot. Extravagant Spending Evidently, many did not come to stay and hear the speeches and songs, but to load up with as much free goodies as possible and head back to the free busses, free trains and other transport laid on so generously by the ANC.
Political Idolatry We got into quite a few heavy discussions. Some of the cadres were in an argumentative mood. One declared to me that he was not interested in God or Jesus. “The ANC is everything to me!” he declared.
Wholesale Looting Others were in a jovial, festive frame of mind and happily took the literature as they rushed off with their arms heavily laden with the loot. One organiser even handed me a free ANC T-shirt! Another invited our people to help themselves to free bottled water from piles of boxes by the gate. Our taxes at work! Racist Hostility Others were hostile and openly expressing their hatred for all whites and coloureds.
Where Will You Spend Eternity? So I asked him: “But what about eternity? What about your eternal soul?” “My soul belongs to the ANC.” He declared. “I am with the ANC for all eternity!” “Yes.” I responded. “But wouldn’t you rather go to Heaven?”
Load Up and Leave The officials said that 95,000 came to the rally. Sunday World and AOL News reported 40,000 attended. The stadium can only accommodate 55,000. Yet it was evident that most of the stands were empty most of the time. This could be because many just came to load up and leave. Evidently the ANC thinks that they can buy votes, or at least rent votes. Targeting the Cape From what I could tell, the main theme of this ANC 103 Years Rally, was to re-organise and re-structure to seize control of the Western Cape in the 2016 Municipal elections. However, I did notice that there were very few whites and coloureds in the stadium. Bussed in from Transkei I did see a few Muslims, but it struck me that most of the black people that we interacted with were not
6
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015
even resident in the Cape. Many said that they had been flown or bussed in from the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Limpopo Province, and that their accommodation had been arranged by the ANC - free of course! According to AOL News, more than 1,000 taxis, 800 buses and thousands of train tickets were paid for by the ANC to provide free transport to their birthday bash. Intimidation and Corruption In the days following the ANC’s 103rd year Rally at Cape Town stadium, there were news reports of commuters on trains being intimidated, threatened and terrorised by gangs wearing ANC T-shirts and accusations that free food and drinks were sold by party members. There was a disgraceful amount of litter strewn around the stadium and access roads to it.
Alcohol Free Stadium There were some interesting contradictions in the statements from the podium. After instructing the participants not to consume any alcohol in the stadium, the leadership then popped champagne corks and made a ceremony of drinking champagne!
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19
Exorcising Jan Van Riebeek A “Praise Singer” in the traditional antelope skins and porcupine quill hat of a sangoma (witchdoctor) opened up the ANC 103rd anniversary rally, which started two hours late, declaring that he needed to exorcise the spirit of Jan Van Riebeeck from the stadium. A remarkable gesture as Jan Van Riebeeck died in
Jakarta, in what is today Indonesia, 338 years ago. Perhaps it was the Christian prayer prayed by the Dutch governor upon arriving in Table Bay, 6 April 1652, that the sangoma was objecting to, because none of the participants seem to have objected to the technological advances introduced to the Cape by the Dutch, including the wheel, medicines, literacy and judicial codes all of which doubled, then trebled, life expectancy in the sub-continent. Pray For Those We Witnessed To Please continue to pray for the comrades we gave Gospel tracts to, engaged in Evangelistic discussions and prayed with. “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 Dr. Peter Hammond
Corruption Contradictions After categorically stating that there is no corruption in the ANC, President Zuma then went on to discuss some of the problems they have with corruption in the ANC. With disgraced ex-Police Chief, Cele, on the platform, it was hard to take their protestations of fighting corruption seriously.
7
Action Items MARCH for LIFE 2015
8
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015
STANDING for LIFE
9
THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Movie Glamorizes Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Ster Kinekor is advertising Fifty Shades of Grey as “the hottest cinema experience this Valentine’s Day” to which you can “treat your date”. But what is the truth? What is 50 Shades of Grey really about? Fifty Shades of Grey is one of the worst pornographic glamorisations of sexual violence to be released on the big screen. Why You Should Not Watch Fifty Shades of Grey – Christian Grey (the main male character in the book/movie) uses manipulation, jealousy, intimidation and violence to control naive Ana. – Ana is depicted as being young and innocent. Although her given age is 21, her true emotional age is much younger. 50 Shades thus subtly promotes paedophilia. – The movie markets rape as romance. It glamorises rape and the abuse of women and says women should enjoy it. – If you take away the glamour, Fifty Shades is a sensationalized lie, telling women that they can, and should, fix violent and controlling men by being obedient and devoted, and that, somehow, abuse is romantic. – Hold up a mirror to Christian Grey and you’ll see the reflection of a culture saturated in exposure to violent pornography. This is the porn that has, and continues to, groom the next generation of men to believe that they are entitled to violent sexual behaviour, and that women should enjoy it.
10
– The popularity of Fifty Shades among women also sends a message to men that unrestrained domination is what women want. And, educated by porn, they know how to do it. A majority of men have been getting a regular diet of this kind of violent sex and degradation through porn for years. In it, women are tied up and treated like animals and sex objects. Much of it is rape-themed. Pornography is marketing for a rape culture. – While millions of women are fantasizing about the controlling and abusive Christian Grey of fiction, there are many other women dealing with the horrors of actually living with males like him. – Devotion to an aggressor who inflicts violence is not sexy. Violence is destructive. Sexual violence is worse. Women such as Ana end up in a shelter for abused women, or even dead. –Remove the glamour and facade of the Christian-Ana relationship and ask yourself if this is the twisted lie you want to tell yourself, your daughter and your friends? If you are in an abusive relationship, get out! Call for help! Don’t excuse his behaviour andtry to ‘fix’ him. Contact the following shelters for help: Salvation Army Care Haven 021- 638 5511, Cape Town.
Sisters Incorporated 021 797 4190, sistersinc@telkomsa.net, Kenilworth, Cape Town. STOP Trafficking 082 456 2459 info@stoptrafficking.org.za www.stoptrafficking.org.za S-Cape Home 021 788 6691 www.s-cape-home.org. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” Proverbs 31:8 Visit www.fiftyshadesisabuse.com for more info. What You Can Do • Inform and warn friends and family. Urge them to boycott the film and not to purchase the novel. On your social media, share the article “The Truth About 50 Shades of Grey” and other info-graphics from the Africa Christian Action Facebook page. Encourage them to rather donate R50 to a Christian shelter for abused women, than to waste R50 on a movie ticket. See contact details above. • Post a polite, factual but firm comment on the Ster Kinekor Theatres and Nu Metro Facebook pages to
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015
protest this 50 Shades of Abuse! Use points made above. • Copy your complaint in an email to Ster Kinekor: info@sterkinekor.com • Ask Exclusive Books to remove the 50 Shades of Grey book from their shelves: The General Manager: info@ exclusivebooks.co.za, 011 – 798 0166. • Complain about the low age restriction given to this film (16LNS). At the least, 50 Shades should receive an X18 rating – i.e. only allowed to be sold from a porn shop. Contact the Film and Publications Board: Clientsupport@fpb.org.za. Recommended Resource This is a winnable war. Is there hope for the porn addict? What is the
Biblical antidote to the porndemic? And what can you do to protect yourself and your family? How can we take back the culture from the pimps and pornographers? Africa Christian Action’s book Porndemic will equip you, with the help of God, to begin to transform your community. Available from Africa Christian Action. This 256-page book (with 22 infographics and 23 pro-family action pictures) is available from Africa Christian Action for R85 (plus R10 for postage within SA, therefore the Total is R95. Postage is R30 if you want it sent as a parcel, with tracking number. Total would be R115.). Contact 021 - 689 4480 or info@ christianaction.org.za to order.
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
11
Massacre in Alexandria Four years later a Byzantine fleet of 300 vessels arrived at Alexandria and re-conquered the city of Alexandria with ease. So the Greeks once again had an impregnable position behind the formidable walls of the city. However, a foolish and arrogant commander led his soldiers out, in a very ill advised move, and was ambushed. Even so, the Arabs had no chance of conquering Alexandria. It was at this time that a traitor opened the gates of the city to the Arabs and the Muslims poured into the city massacrering, plundering and burning until more than half of the great city was destroyed. Arming their Enemies Recognising their great naval weakness, the Muslims turned to the Egyptian shipyards and commissioned Christian workmen to build them a fleet. They hired Christian mercenaries to do their navigation and sailing. In 649 this entirely mercenary fleet enabled the Muslims to invade Cyprus, Sicily and the island of Rhodes. Civil War At this point an opportunity arose that would have enabled the Christian Byzantine Empire to regain all their losses as the Muslim world erupted in a vicious civil war. Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali, waged war against Muawiyah, the cousin of the murdered Caliph Uthman. Ali was murdered and Muawiyah became Caliph. From this point Islam was divided into the Sunnis and the Shiites. However, the Christian world failed to take advantage of this opportunity to regain their lost territories. Conquering North Africa At this time, with the exception of conquered Egypt, the entire north coast of Africa was still under rule of the Byzantine Empire. The Arabs targeted the desert dwelling Berber tribe, many of whom had converted to Judaism. After much bloodshed
12
The greatest city in the world at that time, Constantinople, was subjected to many attacks. and bitter resistance, the Berbers were subjugated and enlisted as allies of the Arabs. In 698 a combined Arab and Berber Muslim army of 40,000 swept over the coastal cities taking Carthage, which in 705 was razed to the ground and most of its inhabitants massacred. Invading Spain In 711 an army of 10,000 Muslims from Morocco crossed the Mediterranean at its narrowest western point to land at Gibraltar on the southern coast of Spain. Within 7 years the Moors (as the Spanish called the Muslim invaders from Morocco) had brought most of Spain, which they called Al-Andalus, under their control. The Muslims called Spain the Emirate of Cordoba. The moors built a large mosque on the site of a Christian cathedral. Subjugating Sicily There were numerous Muslim invasions of Sicily, in 652, 667 and 720 - each of which were defeated. In 827 the Muslims invaded again with 10,000 troops. The local Christians fought back furiously and it took more than 70 years for the Muslims to conquer Sicily, after “much fighting and many massacres.” Invading Italy From Sicily the Muslims invaded southern Italy, conquering Taranto and Bari in 840. The historic city of Rome was looted in 843 and all the famous churches were looted in 846. The Muslim occupation of Sicily and southern Italy lasted for 200 years.
Islands Invaded Cyprus was invaded and conquered by the Muslims in 653. Rhodes in 672. Sardinia in 809. Majorca was conquered in 818. The island of Crete was invaded by the Muslims in 824. Malta fell in 835. Plainly, the popular propaganda line that Islam only advanced peacefully, and that Jihad was only a defensive concept is fiction. What were Saudi Arabians defending in Spain and Cyprus? Overstretched and Undertrained At that time, most of the armies of Persia and the Byzantine Empire were poorly trained. Most were used for static defence of garrisons and walled cities. Very few were trained in manouvres for battle. The Byzantine Empire was particularly overstretched with insufficient soldiers to maintain their vast empire. Most of the soldiers employed by both Byzantine and Persia were foreigners who served mainly for pay, and many of these were Arabs, most of whom ended up deserting to the Muslims. Mobility The use of camels provided the Arab invaders with superior mobility, particularly across the deserts. The camels enabled the Muslims to outflank imperial forces by using desert routes. When confronted by superior forces the Arabs withdrew into the desert to avoid battle. This much greater mobility allowed the Arabs to select and attack smaller forces and destroy them before reinforcements could be sent. The imperial forces of Byzantine made themselves vulner-
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015
able by spreading out and trying to defend everywhere at once, or wore themselves out marching in fruitless pursuit of a battle. These battles the Arabs normally avoided until they greatly outnumbered their enemies. The immensity of the Byzantine Empire stretched the Byzantine forces far too thin. However, the Arabs concentrated their forces to attack specific areas at a time. The Myth of Islamic Tolerance Muslim propaganda makes great claims as to the tremendous tolerance which was meant to have been shown by Muslim rulers to Christian subjects. Actually, these claims began with Voltaire and other 18th century humanists who continually tried to cast Christians in the worst possible light and in this case invented the fiction of Islamic tolerance. From the very beginning Muslim authorities went to great lengths to humiliate and punish Dhimmis, Jews and Christians who refused to convert to Islam. Dhimmitude Official Islamic policy was that Dhimmis must feel “inferior” and subjugated. Laws were passed that Christians and Jews were not allowed to ride horses. Jews and Christians were compelled to wear marks of their religion when they were amongst Muslims. Non-Muslims were prohibited from wearing clothing similar to that of Muslims. Non-Muslims were forbidden to be armed. Non-Muslims were severely taxed (Jizya). No new churches of synagogues were allowed to be built. Jews and Christians were prohibited from praying aloud, or even reading the Scriptures aloud, not even in their homes or churches – lest a Muslim accidently hear them. Massacres of Christians In 705 the Muslim invaders of Armenia assembled all Christian nobles in a church and burned them to death. Massacres of Jews and Christians were common.
Defending Constantinople from Islamic attack with “Greek Fire”. In Morocco over 6,000 Jews were killed in 1033. Even more were murdered in Grenada. Tens of thousands of Christian civilians were massacred by the Muslim invaders of Cyprus in 1570. Any Muslim who converted to any other faith was condemned to death. Those today who attempt to portray Muslims through the ages as enlightened supporters of multi-cultural tolerance are either ignorant or dishonest. Islamic Defeats Despite Muhammad’s assurance that it was impossible for Islamic armies to ever be defeated by “infidels”, Muslim armies suffered numerous defeats throughout the centuries. In 672, the Caliph Muawiyah attempted to conquer the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople. With the massive fleet he had built up by the Egyptians, he transported 50,000 fighting men through the Dardanelles, (the narrow straight linking the Mediterranean with the Black Sea). Clash of Civilizations The Islamic assault on Constantinople in 672 was described as “the fiercest, which had ever been launched by the infidels against a Christian stronghold…” Numerous historians hailed the Christian victory over the Muslims assailing Constantinople as “a turning point in the history of mankind.” “The fact that it held saved not only the Byzantine Empire, but the whole of European civilisation.” As another historian put it: “Had the Muslims captured Constantinople in the 7th century, rather than the 15th,
all Europe – and America, might be Muslim today.” Supreme Technologies Despite modern myths about the supposed superiority of Islamic culture and technology, the fact is that the Christians possessed superior technology and used it to defeat the Muslim invaders on numerous occasions. The walls of Constantinople were an engineering marvel, a massive outer wall with towers and superb battlements, and behind it an even stronger inner wall, 40 feet high and 15 feet thick. Greek Fire The Christians also had what was called “Greek fire”. The Greek engineer Kallinikos of Heliopolis had developed an incendiary weapon which literally destroyed the Muslim fleet. Greek fire was effectively a primitive flame thrower which included a pump that discharged a stream of flaming liquid through a tube projected from the bow of a galley. They could also use their catapults to hurtle pottery containing Greek fire over 400 to 500 meters away. When it struck, it shattered, burst into flame, splashing its blazing liquid over large areas of the enemy. On several occasions the Byzantines rode out and incinerated the Muslim navy. Defeats at Constantinople With their fleet burned to a cinder the Arab invaders were soon stranded and starving. Discouraged and demoralised Muawiyah surrendered and agreed to pay an annual tribute of 300 pounds of gold to Byzantine. In 717, the Muslims once again tried
13
to conquer Constantinople. A massive fleet of 1,800 galleys attacked Constantinople. The Greek Christians rode out and with their Greek fire pumps destroyed virtually the entire fleet. Most of the Muslim attackers were either burned up or downed. The next year, 718, the Muslims tried again with a new fleet and this was again defeated by Greek fire. Most of those galleys that managed to flee were destroyed in a devastating storm. Only five Muslim galleys survived the attack of 718. Defeat at Toulouse While the Muslim ambitions of conquering South Eastern Europe were frustrated by the apparently impregnable Constantinople, Muslim armies had attained far greater success on the Western edge of the Mediterranean, subjugating Spain. In 721, Al-Samah Ibn-Malik al-Khawlani the Caliph of Aldover (Spain), led his forces north of the Pyrenees Mountains to sack the city of Toulouse. For three months the city resisted his siege. Then Duke Odo of Aquitaine mobilised an army of Franks to lift the siege of Toulouse. The Muslims were taken by surprise and most were slaughtered as they fled before the Christian cavalry. Islamic Invasion of France In 732, Abd-al-Rahman mobilised a massive army of 80,000 fighting men to invade Gaul (present day France). As they moved north from Spain the Muslims plundered cities and laid waste to the countryside. Muslim historians recorded that Al-Rahman “burned churches and imagined
The Battle of Tours 732AD.
14
he could pillage the Basilica of St. Martin of Tours.” An Arab historian noted: “The hearts of Abd-al-Rahman, his captains and his men were filled with wrath and pride”. Charles Martel He was to meet his match in Charles Martel, the Hammer. Martel, the son of King Pippin of the Franks, was an unusually tall and powerfully built man. Charles Martel was already famous for his great military exploits. The Battle of Tours The Muslims were taken by surprise when they found their path to Tours blocked by dense lines of well-armoured infantry on the crest of a hill. With forests on both flanks, Martel had chosen his battleground well, forcing the Muslims to charge uphill. For seven days skirmishes were fought, before Al-Rahman ordered his cavalry to charge the Christians. Charles Martel had his men closely packed forming a solid shield wall, and their long spears thrust into the ground to deter cavalry. “Firmly they stood, one close to another, forming as it were a bulwark of ice.” Six times the Muslim cavalry charged the Frankish line and each time they were repulsed with severe casualties. The repeated furious charges of Muslims seemed to have absolutely no effect on the steadfast Christians who stood resolute in their ranks. Decisive Victory When the Muslims heard that some Franks had broken into their camp, they fled from the battlefield to protect their loot. At this the Franks unleashed their cavalry and inflicted even more severe casualties on the fleeing Muslims. At least 10,000 more died that afternoon, fleeing from the field. Among the dead lay the Caliph Abd-al-Rahman. The invaders fled back beyond the Pyrenees to Spain. Liberating France When the Muslims tried to invade Gaul again in 735, Charles Martel and the Franks gave them
another severe beating. Many historians recognise the decisive victory at the Battle of Tours, or Poitiers, as one of the most important battles in world history, a turning point, absolutely essential to the survival of Western civilisation. In 759, the last foothold of Islam in South Eastern France was retaken. The Muslim armies never crossed the Pyrenees after that. They began to be defeated even in Spain. Liberating Italy and Sicily In 873, the Byzantine Emperor, Basil I, defeated the Muslims throughout Dalmatia and liberated much of Southern Italy from the Muslim invaders. In 1038, the Byzantines determined to put an end to Muslim piracy by liberating the island of Sicily. Their invasion was well timed, as the Muslim Emirs in Sicily had turned on one another and were involved in one of the many internal conflicts and betrayals that frequently erupt in the Muslim world. George Maniakes employed Lombardian mercenaries and Norman knights to help liberate Sicily. Within two years over a dozen major fortresses had been taken, major battles had been won and Messina and Syracuse were in Christian hands. Muslim Navy Annihilated In 747, a huge Arab armada, of a thousand galleys, was annihilated by a vastly smaller Byzantine fleet off the island of Cyprus. Only three Arab ships survived the engagement. Christian Victories over Islam These are but a few examples of Christian victories and Muslim defeats before the Crusades even began. The myth of Islamic invincibility was plainly propaganda. Before the Knights of Europe marched, or sailed, to the Holy Land, they already knew a lot about their Muslim enemies. Most importantly, they knew how to beat them. Dr. Peter Hammond www.ReformationSA.org
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015
Upcoming Events
KwaSizabantu Ministers’ Conference Good Friday Resurrection Sunday Ascension Day Pentecost Sunday National Women’s Day Outreaches National Alliance for Life Conference International Life Chain Sunday Reformation Day
9-11 March 2015 3 April 2015 5 April 2015 14 May 2015 24 May 2015 10 August 2015 3 October 2015 4 October 2015 31 October 2015
15
16
CHRISTIAN ACTION – FOR REFORMATION AND REVIVAL 2015