ISLAM has been an important part of American life going back at least to the 1940’s, although history indicates Muslims have actually been a part of our country’s founding from the eighteenth century. However, since what is now called “radical Islam” has made its debut on to the world stage, it has become even more important, but in a way all of us wish did not exist . . . terrorism — domestic and international. One doesn’t have to look very far to see its impact; just take a trip, starting with the arrival at your local airport. The impact can be seen from the time one arrives at the drop,-off point where security urges us all to speed things up and move along, information required at check in – picture ID and boarding pass – going through the security lines – take off your shoes, remove your belt, take off your jacket, empty your pockets, oh, and take off your hat – right up to the time of boarding . . . show your ID and boarding pass . . . again. Then, when one arrives at their destination, it continues right up to the time one gets in a vehicle under the departure signs at curbside – mind the gap, no standing, and hurry along again.
It is important for American Christians to understand Islam now, more than ever; but Islam is also more confusing now than ever. Just as there are hundreds of forms of Christianity around the world, so there are many forms of Islam. Most are only familiar with the Sunni and Shi’a branches of Islam, but there are actually nearly 40 islamic denominations (you can learn about them and other religions of the Middle East by clicking here). By watching the news, it would be easy to believe all Muslims are terrorists. Then when your child comes home with a new Muslim friend and tells you he is the nicest boy in class, and the only one who does not drink, smoke, or look at pornography you get confused. When you probe a little deeper, you find out that he knows about Jesus but not quite the same things you know. He reads the Old Testament, but not quite the one you read. You may be a bit muddled by all of this. So, where can you go to find answers to your questions and other concerns? Try discerning-Islam.org. If you don’t find what you are looking for, you can submit your question(s) here. I’ll do my best to supply an answer as quickly as possible, because I know — as a parent myself — how urgently questions need answers when it comes to our children.
I have spent much of my life studying Muslims and their religion. The Middle East has become one of my favorite places in the world, and its peoples some of my favorite in the world as well, though I also understand some can be extremely dangerous. On this website (discerning-islam.org) I hope to help Christians understand Islam more clearly, by removing the mystery that see s to surround this religion. I hope to help you engage your Islamic neighbors in a way that could be evangelistic. I also hope to warn you about the dangers of what has become “radical Islam.”
Below, you will find links to numerous topics, information, some of the world’s leading intelligence agencies, news organizations, and Christian missions working to interact with Muslims around the world, making friends, sharing Christ, and working to build the Kingdom.
In the last several decades, there has been a mass migration of people coming out of North Africa and the Middle East, many going through and coming from Turkey and into Greece, which has the largest coastline in the Mediterranean of about 16,000 kilometers, and very difficult to patrol with some 6,000 islands. These Muslim migrants are not just radicals — many of them are trying to escape the oppression of the countries they have left. They are lost, wandering in the wilderness, so-to-speak. Many are in need of Christ. Surprisingly, there are numerous small Christian groups working in Greece. Some have come together, sharing their expertise and experiences with others. These groups range from one person who may be sharing Christ, to two, three, and even more — again, working on their own and/or working together, with one focus, that of sharing the love of Christ.
One thing should be kept in mind, as we discuss “Radical Muslims.” They are very much in the minority, when considering the entire Muslim population. With a total world populatiom of two billion Muslims, if one million believed as such groups like Boko Haram, the Islamic State, or Al Qaeda, that would still be only .0005 percent of all Muslims. The actual number who believe this way is more likly under 500,000 or .00025 percent of the total Muslim population.
THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD along with several dozen other organizations (i.e., Hezbollah, Hamas, ISIS, AQAP, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and others) known collectively as ‘radical Islamists” have a stated goal of establishing a “GLOBAL CALIPHATE.” They do not see the world in terms of boundaries as and / or governments. They do not bring Islam to compete with others religions. They bring Islam to be the sole religion with Shari’a (Islamic law) the standard by which to live.
But, what is Islam? Is it a religion? Is it a political movement? Is it an economic system? Is it all three or more . . . or less?
DISCERNING ISLAM hopes to help you answer these questions and others as well. This will be done in several ways: first, start with a visit to the FOREWORD (this page) which will introduce you to all the other pages. Next, is the ABOUT page – here you will find our Mission Statement, purpose and beliefs. Following that is the BIO section. Next, is a section called ANNUAL REPORTS, where we will post various news-worthy items detailing finances, global reach, statistics and logistical information.
The drop-down menu labeled INTELLIGENCE brings you to Charts & Graphs (which is chock full of information comparing all sorts of statistics and other relevant data); Country Profiles (where you will locate profiles on various Islamic countries and countries where Muslims represent a significant portion of the population, either in number or sphere of influence. These profiles will be linked to the CIA’s World Factbook and/or the State Department’s List Of Countries along with more maps of the world, regions, and countries); Intel Agencies (links to nearly fifteen of the best intelligence agencies in the world . . . CIA, MI-6, Interpol, MOSSAD and many others); Islamic News Media (this section’s links will take you to over twenty different news organizations, government agencies, and non-profits, many providing updates on a daily basis from sources around the world on the activities, aggressions, and atrocities committed by the jihadists of Radical Islamists), and Maps (the world, regions, countries and what is known as the 10/40 window).
The INTELLIGENCE and MASS MEDIA sections can also be used to provide you, your families, church parishioners, and others a jumping off place, either for news gathering or furtherance of studies you may be involved with. If you have other links you believe would be helpful to this section, please see our CONTACT & SUPPORT page (see below).
Following this section, is the MASS MEDIA drop-down menu, which is chock full of information providing lists of Books (will list relevant book topics and will be a growing document as will the other two sections. Please feel free to offer your own selections to be added to these topics). Movies (will provide a list of movies which take place in the Middle-East or have an Islamic theme. The list will include a synopsis of the movie, a rating according to Amazon.com or the International Movie Database [IMDB.com], parental guidance rating, and other relevant information), Videos, (with links to mostly YouTube pieces on various topics of Islam or in some way representative of Islam), and Downloads (where you will find presentations available in MS PowerPoint. New topics will be added from time to time, and you should feel free to suggest topics), all on Islam, the Middle East, countries with Islamic governments or countries with significant Muslim populations, no matter the size.
If the above does not tell you what you want to know, you can ask away in the CONTACT & SUPPORT box where you may ask any questions you have on Islam, the website, etc. You can request a topic to be covered, submit any difficulties you may be having with downloads, links improperly matched, or just make comments. l’ll do my best to provide the answers and respond in a timely manner.
SUBSCRIBE you may be familiar with. Simply type in your email address so that we can stay in touch with our two newsletters, Tips Of The Iceberg (which contains news from around the world that you probably will not see elsewhere along with updates to existing content and/or new articles) and, Perspectives (bringing you news of Muslims who have made a decision to follow Christ).
DONATE – The Institute for the Study of Islam is a non-profit corporation, recognized by the Secretary of State of Oklahoma. We received our determination letter from the IRS, dated February 25, 2021, on March 17, 2021 which designates the Institute for the Study of Islam (ISI) as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. A copy will be made available upon request. ISI is able to receive gifts, bequests, devices and transfers for tax purposes and issue receipts for your records. In addition, you may receive our newsletter or other correspondence which shares current projects and other news items. We also provide the convenience of using credit/debit cards for donation transactions.
Our only major expense is paying for the continued existence of our website, along with related software and apps.
The Institute for the Study of Islam, Discerning Islam, Commentaries On Islam, Tips Of The Iceberg, Perspectives, Special Report, and Values In The Marketplace are all copyright © and considered “Trade Marks and Trade Names” by the Oklahoma Secretary of State.
Next, is OUR TEAM – YOUR FUTURE. Every business, every organization needs people. Right now, we’re new and we’re small, and staffed by volunteers. We’re also hoping others will catch the vision – learning about Islam, and ways of sharing Christ.
Last, is our PRIVACY POLICY. The personal information you provide is solely for the private use of Discerning Islam. Your information is not shared with anyone, not even other members unless you give permission to do so. In short:
WE PROMISE:
- Never to disclose, sell or otherwise make email addresses available to anyone, EVER.
- Not to disclose the subscribers of our mailing list, even to other subscribers on the list, unless authorized to do so.
WHAT IS ISLAM?
Wherever you see the four horonzontal lines, usually in the upper right- or left-hand corner of your device (PC, laptop, desktop, phone, tablet, etc.), you will find a drop-down menu labeled WHAT IS ISLAM?. This is the area where all documents and content are located. This is the LEARNING CENTER. Click on the four horonzoral lines, then click on the downward-looking arrow – 🔽. (Do not click on the words, “LEARNING CENTER,’ as that will only take you to an inactive page.) Once there, yo`ou will find course-like text similar to the headings you would find for college or university courses, as outlined below:
SECTION 100: An Introduction To Islam;
SECTION 200: Myths Of Islam, Fables Of Muhammad (NEW!!!)
SECTION 300: Shari’a (Islamic Law) And Schools Of Jurisprudence;
SECTION 400: The Five Pillars Of Islam, Other Rituals;
SECTION 500: Religions Of The Middle East;
SECTION 600: Theology & Eschatology;
SECTION 700: Miscellaneous Topics;
SECTION 800: The Crusades & and Medieval Times;
SECTION 900: Of Empires And Caliphates, Country Reports And City States;
SECTION 1000: People & Organizations Of Political Islam;
SECTION 1100: Legal Documents Of Radical Islam (Pages From The Islamic Playbook);
SECTION 1200: Other Documents Of Radical Islam;
SECTION 1300: Propaganda Of Radical Islam;
SECTION 1400: Terrorism and Links; Groups & Individuals;
SECTION 1500: Answering Muslims (NEW!!! Coming in 2024);
SECTION 1600: Internal Operations Information;
SECTION 1700: Special Reports;
SECTION 1800: (Coming Soon);
SECTION 1900: Perspectives (e-newsletter);
SECTION 2000: Tips Of The Iceberg (e-newsletter):
OUR NEWSLETTERS
This is a section that has continually evolved over the past two years. Newsletters are now provided on a weekly basis, available for viewing between Friday and Monday each week. Newsletters are not distributed, but an announcement is provided on several platforms (Facebook, mail list, several church congregations, etc) when the newsletters have been posted and ready for viewing.
Our first newsletter, Tips of the Iceberg, has expanded and now covers the following topics:
Perspectives — Muslims coming to Christ;
@ home — Islamic activity on the home shores of America;
Abraham Accords – Announcing new agreements as well as news on existing partnerships;
Axis of Power – The world today is on warp speed, and only posting about Islam leaves a wide margin that is unaddressed. For example, China is linking itself with Russia who is making ties with Turkey; China is also making inroads with Iran, as is Russia. Then, there is Saudi Arabia, a long-time ally of the United States opening their doors to China; attacks on the U.S. financial system are being made in an effort to bring down the United States.
Collections – This last topic is where everything else goes — single topics, odd topics, etc., just a whole collection of things.
Lone Wolf – Highlights attacks made by single attackers, a growing element;
Political – Everything in Islam is political;
Ramadan – The ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection, and community.
Shari’a – Just as everything is political, it is also rooted in Shari’a — Islamic Law;
Terrorism – The topic that seems to drive this whole engine and which never seems to run out of information;
SECTION 3000: Mini-Courses are offered from time-to-time on various topics of Islam and Muslims.
SECTION 5000: Values In The Maeketplace — A Guide to Operating a Business According to Scripture (3rd printing, now online / in process).
NEW!!! NEW!!! Content is now available in other languages. The tab in the upper right corner will allow you to change the language to one of your choice. Don’t see one you like, let us know by going to the CONTACT & SUPPORT page and send a message.
Please don’t overlook the “rating section” located within each topic selection of the above and all articles. Here, you may rate each topic reviewed by *star,* leave comments, and your contact information (similar to what is seen on Amazon.com). We look forward to your input as it will help improve the content for all. This is important to us, because we want to know how you think we’re doing. These are available for all to see and may be of help to others who wish to provide comments and rate material. There is no charge to access materials and all content is free of charge.
Links don’t work or take you to the wrong place? Other problems? Please go to the CONTACT & SUPPORT section and report any problems you are encountering.
One last thing to note is that at the bottom of every page, in the right-hand corner, is an arrow pointing up and the word “TOP” which, when clicked, will do just that . . . take you back to the top of the page.
There are many to thank for their involvement and contributions to this site. Some are individuals who were with us from the start, others have joined along the way, and we hope others who will join us in the future. We all strive to bring the truth about Islam and make it known to the public everywhere.
To honor the requests of individuals, names will not be mentioned for security reasons. Other information comes from corporate contributors, media outlets, and other non-profits, etc.
For a complate list of corporate contributors, media outlets, and non-profits, please submit your request here, and allow four to six weeks for delivery.
Beginning in December, 2020 Discernimg Islam made a major transition, moving from one web host to another . . . and finally to where we are now. This meant moving hundreds of files / posts, selecting a new shell and theme, and reformatting the above files. It is now April, 2022; the foundation is complete and Sections 100-800 are complete. Once all files have been transferred, work on new topics will begin. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have a specific need, please use Contact & Support page to begin discussions. When the above has been completed work will also begin to link various posts in an effort to make it easier to move around and connect with likeminded posts and other content.
Rather than using the word “God” when referring to the deity worshiped by Muslims, the name of their deity, Allah, is used instead.
Thank you for your help!!!
Introduction
https://discerning-Islam.org
Last Update: 08/2022
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