Most of us who grow up in Malaysia have come to reject the idea that a Muslim cannot become a Christian.
The recent Malaysian Bar Council forum on issues related to this came under fire and drew the ire of a rowdy bunch of demonstrators allegedly instigated by certain political figures. The mainstream newspapers did not seem to provide information the public could get hold of online, thus casting doubts on the reliability of our media.
Foxnews.com recently posted an exclusive interview with the son of an influential Hamas leader and even provided the transcript of the discourse detailing at length his thoughts on leaving his Muslim faith and embracing Christianity.
Mosab Hassan Yousef, 30, attends an evangelical Christian church, Barabbas Road in San Diego, California. He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and is seeking asylum in the United States.
Did he have to flee his homeland after he became a Christian? Like Lina Joy, could he not remain and impact his family and friends and community? Could and did the church provide him moral, spiritual, and physical support?
Mosab told the media that unlike the past, the generation today can seek the truth about their faith. He being the product of this search, concluded that more than 95 percent of Muslims don't understand their own religion and know little about the faith of other people.
Does this apply to the Muslims in Malaysia? Most Malaysian think that a Muslim is a Malay and when you converted to Islam, you also become a Malay, and enjoy the rights and privileges of a Malay. Is this true?
Would a Malay cease to become one when he choose to NOT become a Muslim?
Are the indigenous "sons of the soil" in Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia Malay? Does the Malaysian constitution say that a Muslim who speaks Bahasa Melayu is a Malay? Does someone who embraces Islam and eventually speaks fluent Bahasa Melayu qualify to become a Malay?
Is there such a thing as a Christian Malay? Does that person cease to be a Malay when he stops becoming a Muslim?
Mosab explained to FoxNews.com that embarrassing stuff like the Prophet Muhammad's wives are not mentioned in mosques, saying that most Muslims are not aware of other such information that go against the grain of today's free thinking generation.
He said Islam try to destroy Christianity distorting the truth of Jesus's crucifixion and the redemptive plan of God. When he asked these among many other difficult questions from young, he was told off.
Mosab described Islam as his father. "I grew up for (one) father — 22 years for that father — and another father came to me and told me, 'I'm sorry, I'm your father.' And I was like, 'What are you talking about? Like, I have my own father, and it's Islam!' And the father of Christianity told me, 'No, I'm your father."
Mosab discovered all these on his own. But he did say in the interview that if a Christian tells the truth to a Muslim, it will definitely increase the vacuum between both religions. But with the help of Christians, he can reach his people.
However, there had to be a starting point. Mosab left everything behind: culture, civilization, traditions, society, family, religion, his Islam God. He went on to make his decision public by announcing to the world.
And now, Mosab is calling all Muslims to open their minds to read the Bible and study the religion of the Christians.
Can Mosab succeed on his solo mission? Is there any one like him who has gone ahead this path to preach the Gospel? I'm sure there are many.
Perhaps this is the season that we will find a gathering a believers and disciples of Jesus Christ from the four corners of the world to preach the Gospel of Truth beyond the walls of the physical church.
A random search brings up the site of Photios Michael Burkland, a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer who is an Orthodox Christian, seeking to express himself writing what is true.Someone can verify this report perhaps?
Hundreds of thousands of Malay Muslims have filed for apostasyTue Feb 14, 06 06:15:44 By Oleh Ekmal Yusof IPOH, 14 Feb: Head of the Malaysian State of Perak Mufti (religious head) Dato' Seri Haji Harussani Haji Zakaria announced that there are close to 250,000 Muslim apostates in Malaysia .This figure includes about 100,000 Malay Muslims who have declared themselves Christians.This announcement was made on a TV Forum entitled "Pekerti Islam" in the Malaysian State of Kedah recently which was aired by RTM (Malaysian TV & Radio Department) at 2 pm this evening.Another 100,000 Muslims are in the process of filing for apostasy while the rest are filing to have their Muslim name changed to "other religion name""This figure does not include individuals who don't do salat, doesn't fast and breaks all the tenets of Islam" he said.According to the Perak Mufti he has personally received a letter from the American Christian Missionary Association which accuses the Malaysian (?) / Perak (?) religious authorities of being cruel (or mean) for not allowing about 30,000 Malay Muslims to convert out to Christianity.Even in a religion where the penalty for apostasy is death, and in a predominately Muslim country where one must publicly file with the government to apostasize, Christianity is growing.
A small school of Cardinal fish....
Hiyo silver.... the kind of underwater horse you find here...
A frog fish that crawls underwater.... one of the sights to behold and capture on video!
Not a very sharp picture.... but you can imagine the dazzling beauty of sunset after a full day's diving in Lembeh Straits.
Not a tangled bunch of banded sea snakes. Just the friendy mimic octopus in the area...
Hmmm, a pretty shot of a wise Napolean Wrasse humming along the depths in North Sulawesi.
Nothing like the black-tip shark to zap your adrenalin level up on a typical dive here.
