An Open Letter to Rush Limbaugh

Greetings Rush from the People's Republic of Canada.

I love what you do and I am really enjoying the speech by President Bush. He is right on the money and if I could become an American citizen today, I would immediately enlist in the Marine Corps and do my own part to stop global terrorism.

I just want to make an observation about comments made by Conservatives pertaining to the nature and focus of Islam including you. In Bush's speech he made the comment that Islam is a "noble religion". It has been stated by others that Islam is a religion of peace. Others still use the phrase "radical" or "fanatical" to describe those of the Muslim! faith that engage in homicide bombings and beheadings. Implying therefore, that those who refrain from militant and violent activities are in the main.

There is a huge problem with this line of thinking. I don't wish to sound like a racist or a bigot, but Islam, at its core, is a faith of violence and conquest. Historically, it has never sought to propagate its tenets through peaceful proselytization. By and large, conversion to Islam has been through the sword and military activity.

A mutual acquaintance of ours, Dr. George Grant, is an expert on Islamic studies. I believe he met you about 12 years ago. The two of you were scheduled to appear on a TV show. He mentioned something of the conversation that he had with you. I had an extended conversation with Dr. Grant about the nature of Islam.

According to Dr. Grant, we in the west have an eschewed outlook on Islam. We call peaceful Muslims "good" and homicide bombers as "bad". He makes the claim that! t these are western categories. When you look at the Koran and examine current activities against Islamic writings, Muslims have it the other way around. A violent Muslim, according to the Koran, is a "good Muslim". Those who would seek to live in peace with the Infidel is a "bad Muslim" or an apostate from the faith. In other words, there is ample justification in the Koran for homicide bombers to perpetrate their atrocities. They are in fact conservative ideologues that are consistent with their belief system.

Dr. Grant is not alone in his assessment. Dr. Abdul Saleeb who is a good friend of Ligonier Ministries in Orlando, Florida has written a poignant analysis of Islam called, "The Dark Side of Islam". As a convert from Islam to Christianity he points out that there are over 400 references within the Koran that justify violence, murder, persecution against Infidels. Where the Koran gives instruction for so-called peaceful coexistence, this coexistence is seen as a grudging toleration provided the Infidel, especially Jews and Christians, pay a taxed premium to the governing Islamic authorities. Even after paying this Infidel tax, peaceful coexistence is tenuous concession at best that can evaporate in a heartbeat. Democracy does not exist in the Islamic worldview. Church and State are inextricably intertwined to ensure that Islam rules the day.

I guess what we I am getting at is that, when we discuss Islam we are using labels and categories that come out of a Western worldview. In order to fully grasp the threat Islam represents, we need to see the world through their eyes.

Islam is the highest expression of God's revelation to mankind. Jews were the first revelation of God to man. Christianity provides greater detail about God's will, but Islam and Mohammed the prophet are the highest and final revelation. All else is inferior and subservient. Here in lies part of the problem of their own schizophrenia. If Islam is the highest and purest expression of God's will, then why do natives of Muslim countries enjoy some of the lowest standards of living in the world. They look upon the west with a certain degree of envy of material prosperity mixed with a hatred of some of our libertine decadence. Only when Islam rules can these disparities evaporate.

It is interesting to note, from a Western perspective, that if this is indeed the highest and purest expression of God's will, then why is it that those countries that are rampantly Islamic have the lowest standard of living; practice religious persecution ( in many countries it is illegal to practice Christianity. I have friends who have been killed in the Sudan for teaching the Bible); denigrate women; fear any form of political dissent and can only hold power by terror.

There are other resources that I can point you to. I just wish that many of my conservative friends would not try and white wash Islam as this peaceful movement that has been hi-jacked by radical extremists. They are neither radical nor extreme but perfectly consistent with Islamic teachings.