Encroaching Demands from a "Religion of Peace"
Religion Marie Jon'
August 4, 2007

http://newmediajournal.us/guest/jon/08042007.htm

America and the world at large are facing a threat that could impact our ways of life in many aspects. In America, the freedoms we enjoy — and our very lives — could well become just a memory in the near future.

Our Judeo-Christian beliefs are up against the tyrannical mindset of extremists within Islam. Some call it radical Islam. However, that is up for debate in the minds of many. Could it be that Islam itself is the inherent problem?

Islam's holy book, the Koran, it can be argued, puts forth a message of hate and intolerance. Those who are partakers of the faith of Islam are taught that all people who are not Muslim are infidels. Some within their differing Islamic faith often suffer at the hands of other practicing Muslims. All one has to do is witness Iraq to see the death toll of citizens at the hands of Islamic people who kill their own — other Muslims — in the name of Jihad.

Who are the people who practice this faith living within our cities and towns? Are we in a state of dangerously naïve denial?

Excerpts from The Christian Science Monitor:

"In Europe, skylines reflect the rise of Islam"
By Isabelle de Pommereau, Correspondent

"After decades of worshiping in basements and courtyards, Muslims are building hundreds of new mosques across the continent.

"Where steeples once reigned: In Germany alone, 184 new mosques are under construction, including this one in Berlin's Kreuzberg district.

"Wiesbaden, Germany — In the Rhine Valley city of Mannheim, the glittering minaret of Germany's biggest mosque overshadows what was once the region's most vibrant church, testifying to Muslims' new confidence as Christian churches are closing down.

"Years ago, 180 sisters of the Catholic order of the Sisters of the Divine Savior were the pulse of the city. Today, eight remain. Every weekend, roughly 150 Roman Catholics attend mass at the Liebfrauen Church, while up to 3,000 Muslims throng the Yavuz-Sultan-Selim mosque. Since the mosque was opened in 1995, Muslim shops and youth centers have become a magnet for the Muslim community.

"Mannheim is not unique. Across Europe, the Continent's fastest-growing religion is establishing its public presence after decades in basements and courtyards, changing not only the architectural look of cities, but also their social fabrics.

"Hailed by many as a sign of Muslim integration, the phenomenon is also feared as evidence of a parallel Islamic world threatening Europe's Christian culture.

"'Muslims have come out ... and have become visible,' says Claus Leggewie, a political scientist at Germany's University of Giessen who wrote a study on the evolution of the mosque landscape in Germany. 'By building expensive, representative mosques, they're sending a message: we want to take part in the symbolic landscape of Germany. We are here and we'll stay here.â€