Ghaddafi: Bible Fake

Earlier this month the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) has issued the initiative to legally persecute those who “slight their religion or its religious symbols”

According to the numerous sources it was a key issue during the OICsummit in Dakar, Senegal. Another key issue was, of course, the usualcondemnation of Israel for its activities in Gaza and a threat to seeklegal actions against the Jewish Democratic State on the internationallegal arena, but let’s focus on the former “key-issue”.

Of course, the OIC does not regard the problems of the Islamicnations, especially those in Africa to be the key issue. Never mind thepoverty, the status of women, the endless local and“between-the-neighbors” skirmishes in their countries. Darfur isdefinitely not a key issue, according to OIC. Draught and lack ofinfrastructures, as well as poor or almost non existent medicalservices, food shortages and illiteracy are not key issues as well.Everything is hunky dory. But defaming Islam - that’s something worthyof chatting about during the two-day summit in Senegal.

“I don’t think freedom of expression should mean freedomfrom blasphemy,” said Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairmanof the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. “There can beno freedom without limits.”

The saying goes, “You should practice what you preach”

Apparently this (among other widely acceptable things) doesn’t applyto Muslims. They are allowed to slam and slander every non-Muslimsymbol and value they find fit (or unfit).

Here is the latest example:

The World got used to the controversial figure named “ColonelMuammad Ghaddafi”. Some of his remarks and views of internationalpolitics are very precise (gotta give him that), some just a sheerfantasy, and some are simply laughable. His latest rant, however, wasanything but funny, especially to the Christians of Sub Saharan Africain general and Uganda in particular.

Colonel Ghaddafi arrived in Uganda to attend the Afro-Arab youthsummit and to inaugurate a new mosque he helped to build in Kampala,the capital.

Uganda is a beautiful East African country – The Pearl Of Africa,named by Churchill – predominantly Christian (84%) with a small Muslimminority (12%). Uganda is one of these rare places where the people ofdifferent faiths live in peace and harmony. Uganda is also a home totiny Jewish and Baha’i communities.

Ugandan people are known for their outstanding and outreachinghospitality. They are also known for their deep faith in God. Thisfaith carried their nation through turbulent times; this faith andtheir endless patience and endurance lifted them up from the abyss theywere cast into by the murderous dictator Idi Amin, who later convertedto Islam and died in exile in Jeddah Saudi Arabia …and finally, theirfaith was behind the unprecedented victory of Uganda in fightingHIV/AIDS and turning this country into one of the most successful andfast-growing economy and society on the African continent.

Uganda has always welcomed its neighbors, like the refugees fromRwanda after the 1994 genocide – the genocide Uganda played a key rolein stopping of - or like Colonel Ghaddafi who’s been a very dear guestof Uganda. But apparently, the Colonel reserves very little regard forreligious feelings of the people of Uganda: earlier this week he cameto their country, he stood on their soil in front of the crowd ofthousands of Muslims who gathered at Nakivubo Stadium in Kampalachanting “Allahu Akbar”,he said

Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was the only messenger of God to mankind and the seal of all prophets
…
The current Bible was not the one revealed to Jesus and the current Old Testament is not the one Allah gave to Moses
…
Reference to Prophet Mohammed in the Bible could have been deleted
…
Moses predicted the coming of Mohammed and that Jesus, too, talked of a prophet that would come after him
…
Any book that doesn’t mention Mohammed isn’t true and is forged.

So much for respect…And all this has been said in the presence ofthe President of Uganda who is known for being a welcoming host, a goodChristian and a true believer in God.

Now, let’s imagine the leader of Christian faith coming to theMuslim country and saying, “Koran is forged”. The flags and effigieswould be burnt, the apology would be demanded, the diplomatic tieswould be threatened, the churches would be attacked and Christianswould get killed. And yet, nobody in the main stream media even daresmentioning Ghaddafi’s slur, and no pseudo-liberal pundit rushes toprotect the feelings of the Christians of Uganda.

The Christian leaders of Uganda, however, condemned Ghaddafi’s rant. Here are few quotes:

A statement from the Church of Uganda called Col. Gadaffi’s remarks “divisive” and “unfortunate.”

“God has blessed Uganda in recent years with very good relations between Christians and Muslims,” the statement said.
“One example is the Inter-Religious Council, which works very welltogether for the common good of the country. It is unfortunate that avisitor should come and try to divide our country, and to ridicule thefoundation of the faith of 85 per cent of the country he is visiting.”
…
Pastor Martin Sempa of Makerere Community Church referred to Col. Gadaffi’s comments as “an insult for which he must apologise.”

“His insensitive comments are scientifically inaccurate. Hiscomments are very embarrassing to historians,” Pastor Sempa saidyesterday.

The outspoken pastor also observed that Col. Gadaffi’s comments are borne out of his ambition to create an Islamic state for Africa. “We completely reject this idea,” he said. “Let him continue building mosques for Muslims.”

Somebody’s over there got that right…

Here is more:

“Assistant Bishop of Kampala Diocese who doubles as theChairperson of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, Northern UgandaTaskforce, the Rt Rev Zac Niringiye was cautious, appealing forrestraint from Christians.

Everyone should remain calm. Jesus loves everyone including Christians, Muslims and pagans,” he said. TheSpokesperson of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Hajji NserekoMutumba could not comment. He said the council was not in charge of theColonel’s visit. Pastor Joseph Sserwadda of the VictoryChristian Centre said, “Gadaffi is ignorant of the Bible. He made sucha statement because he lacks information and we are not amused at all”.

All of a sudden, Muslims have nothing to say? This is sopredictable, isn’t it? I bet if some Christian coming to Uganda saidsomething offensive about Islam, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council theywould be running their mouth off despite the fact that they are not incharge of the visit.

And more reactions:

The Church of Uganda Provincial Secretary, the Rev.Aaron Mwesigye, added that Uganda had good relations between Christiansand Muslims and that it was unfortunate that a visitor should try todivide the country, and to ridicule the faith of 85% of its population.

“We do not understand African hospitality in that way.” He said the remarks were “an oversight, a personal and political attack on Christianity.”
…
The overseer of the National Fellowship for Born Again Christians inUganda, Apostle Alex Mitala said: “How can the Bible which came firstcorrupt the Koran? Mohammed is said to have come 700 years after JesusChrist.

“We are not scared of what Gadaffi said and we won’t be intimidated,we are however going to continue preaching the gospel and worship Godwith help of the bible.”

I wonder if Western religious clergy had guts to rebuff the attackof Ghaddafi, as their Ugandan brothers in faith have. Somehow I doubtit. I also doubt that OIC will draw any lesson of this offensive andinsensitive attack by Ghaddafi. They’ll continue calling for punishingthose who “insult Islam” through complete disregard of their ownrepresentatives’ and communities’ wrong-doings.

You should practice what you preach, remember?