MUSLIM EVANGELISM IN MINNESOTA

Maranatha Christian Fellowship again organized a series of public meetings for me in three universities in Minnesota, this time on 'The Crusades and Jihad'.
Previously I’d been invited to speak at the universities in Minnesota on Sudan, and on 'Slavery – The Rest of The Story'. These presentations had engendered a lot of controversy and attention, particularly from Muslim students. This year’s university meetings on The Crusades and Jihad received even more opposition from Muslim and Atheist students.

Minstering to Muslims
The first meeting at Minnesota State University in Mankato was packed out, with standing room only, and with people sitting on the floor. Many Muslims came and participated in the question and answer session afterwards. The discussion time was lively, often highly emotional and volatile. Students who identified themselves as from Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Sudan participated in the often tumultuous discussion time.

Terrorism Defended
After numerous students claiming that Islam was always peaceful and tolerant, that no Muslims take these Jihad verses literally, and that no one who participates in terrorism or violence could possible be a true Muslim, I asked one student whether she regarded Osama Bin Laden as a true Muslim or not. “Of course he is a Muslim!” came her response. “Even though Osama Bin Laden has planned and organized terrorist attacks which have led to the death of thousands of American civilians, do you recognize Osama Bin Laden as a Muslim?”“Yes, of course, he is a Muslim.” She asserted. “We cannot judge him!”agreed other Muslim students. Uniformly, the large group of Muslim students nodded their heads and agreed and verbally asserted that of course Osama Bin Laden was a true Muslim.

Suicide Bombing Justified
Then I questioned them concerning the Al Queda suicide bombers: “Are the suicide bombers true Muslims?” Incredibly, these Muslim students defended the suicide bombers, not only in Israel, but in England as well! They claimed that because of what Israel had done in occupying the West Bank, and Gaza, the suicide bombers were justified in blowing themselves up in order to kill as many Jews as possible.

“But what about the civilians in London?” I asked. “Surely you cannot support suicide bombing in London?”Yet, the Muslim students persisted in defending the suicide bombers, even in London, asserting that England was “a Crusader state!” and that I deserve to die because I was “a white male!”

After so many passionate assertions of how Islam is only peaceful, and always tolerant, and that they never support violence or terrorism, it was shocking to those present to hear those very same Muslims passionately defend Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda’s terrorism and suicide bombers, including those who attacked the commuters in the London underground.

Firsthand From Sudan
After many Muslim had insulted and threatened me, numerous black Christian students from Sudan stood up and defended my presentation, with personal testimonies of their experiences suffering under Islamic Jihad in Sudan. “What our brother has said, is true. We have seen it. This is the truth. Jihad is a reality in Sudan. Many black Christian men and women have been murdered in Sudan in the name of Jihad, in the name of Allah and Muhammad, and many children enslaved in Sudan.”

A Testimony of Salvation in Christ
Then a young woman from Azerbaijan presented her dynamic testimony. Vera had been raised a Muslim in this 99% Islamic state. She testified how the Lord had saved her and healed her and brought 20 other Muslims to Christ through her testimony in Azerbaijan. She testified of persecution, and being imprisoned and threatened for her faith.

The tension in the lecture hall was absolutely electric. You could have heard a pin drop after Vera’s radiant testimony. When the meeting closed, numerous evangelistic discussions ensued, with Christian students, including the Sudanese believers, interacting with the Muslim visitors and sharing the Gospel with them most passionately.
Only a Muslim Can Quote From The QuranAt the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, the venue was also packed out with large numbers of Muslims coming in throughout the presentation. The discussion time at the end was vibrant and volatile. Numerous members of the local Atheist Society participated, along with the Muslims, in challenging, insulting and threatening me. When I responded by quoting from both the Quran and the Bible, and clearly presenting the facts of history, numerous of the Muslims asserted that I had no right to quote from the Quran as I wasn’t a Muslim. There are many more emotional outbursts and some extreme hatred for Christianity expressed by some of the students in attendance at these meetings

The Atheist Holocaust
The question and answer time became explosive. There was lots of screaming and shouting, and wildly insane comments. One student stood up and declared: “Look at what Christians like Joseph Stalin have done in Russia!” I had to respond: “Excuse me, do I understand you correctly? Are you suggesting that Joseph Stalin, the Dictator of Russia, was a Christian?!” When the Muslim confirmed that yes, that was exactly what he was saying, I had to remind him: “But Joseph Stalin was an Atheist who destroyed over 48,000 churches and murdered millions of Christians. Communism is inherently Atheistic. Atheism, materialism and economic determinism are the three pillars of communism. Stalin declared that evolution prepares the way for revolution.”

The head of the Atheist Society exploded that it was outrageous for me to suggest that millions of people had been killed in the name of Atheism. I responded: “But, of course, that is the fact. Over 160 million people were killed in the 20th Century alone, in the name of Atheism. Secular Humanist governments, such as in the Soviet Union, Red China, Cambodia, North Korea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Angola, Cuba and Zimbabwe, in the name of Atheism, have killed millions of their own citizens, in the name of Atheism and Darwinian social theory.”

Evangelising Muslims
As on every other occasion, when the meeting officially ended, the ministry continued with the Maranatha Christian Fellowship students well placed throughout the room to engage in effective evangelistic conversations with the visiting Muslims, Atheists and assorted pagans. These discussions went on for hours.

Specially prepared evangelistic DVDs with the testimonies of Muslims converted to Christ were distributed to interested students. There was much interest in our evangelistic and missions literature and CDs and numerous of the Muslim students requested Bibles and Christian films such as theJesus film in their own languages.

After each meeting I had opportunities to personally share the Gospel with students from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. (The Crusades and Jihad presentation, with PowerPoint is available on audio and data CDs along with the question and answer sessions on separate CDs.)

Cush Will Submit To God
I also had the opportunity of meeting with Sudanese students at Minnesota State University, and presenting to them a PowerPoint slide presentation on the situation in Sudan. I urged these Sudanese students, many of whom have concluded post-graduate studies, to return to their country, which is now at peace, and help rebuild Sudan on Biblical principles. Their training and skills are desperately needed in the reconstruction of Sudan.

Dr Peter Hammond 

Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 
Newlands, 7725 
Cape Town 
South Africa 
Tel:(021) 689-4480       
Fax: (021) 685-5884 
Email:  [email protected]