Buried deep down into the Google pages is the terrible news about author Salman Rushdie being stabbed while on stage during a speaker’s forum in New York. Rushdie is a world renown author who was most famous for publishing “Satanic Verses” which caused an uproar from the Muslim world. So great was this uproar that he went into hiding in Great Britain for 9 years! The publishing of the book caused Muslims to riot all around the world and resulted in 38 deaths, according to author Dr. Konrad Elst (“Afterword: The Rushdie Affairs Legacy”). The stabbing today was violent and brutal. The physicians stated that he lost one eye due to being stabbed and his situation was critical (at the time of this blog).

More details about the attack on Rushdie come from an article from the bbc.com, where the following was reported:

Several people were killed in anti-Rushdie riots in India and in Iran the British embassy in the capital, Tehran, was stoned.

In 1991 a Japanese translator of the book was stabbed to death, while a few months later, an Italian translator was also stabbed and the book’s Norwegian publisher, William Nygaard, was shot – but both survived.

A year after the book’s release, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini called for Mr Rushdie’s execution. He offered a $3m (£2.5m) reward in a fatwa – a legal decree issued by an Islamic religious leader.

The bounty over Mr Rushdie’s head remains active, and although Iran’s government has distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, a quasi-official Iranian religious foundation added a further $500,000 to the reward in 2012.

There has been no reaction from the Iranian government to Mr Rushdie’s stabbing. Iranian media were describing Mr Rushdie as an apostate – someone who has abandoned or denied his faith – in their coverage.

The British-American citizen – who was born to non-practising Muslims and is an atheist himself – has become a vocal advocate for freedom of expression, defending his work on several occasions.”

Cabral, S. & Murphy, M. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62528689

There are many examples of how speaking out against Islam can denote a slur against the whole Muslim world. Most notable is the attack on the satire newspaper called “Charlie Hebdo” in Paris, where gunmen attacked and killed cartoonists, along with several other attacks over the next few days. Gunmen (two brothers named Cherif and Said Kouachi) were heard saying “Witnesses said they had heard the gunmen shouting “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad” and “God is Great” in Arabic while calling out the names of the journalists.” There is a full article titled “Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror” from January 14, 2015 here that has video footage and detailed maps of where terror struck areas of Paris — all to defend the name of Allah.

So is this an abnormality or is this something Islam stands behind?

The answer can be found in the Quran itself:

It is a criminal offense in Islam to speak ill of the faith, its Prophet Muhammad, and its holy Scriptures (Qur’an and Hadith). To do so is considered blasphemy, and blasphemy is punishable by death. If a Muslim is doing the criticizing, their actions would constitute apostasy, therefore they too would be liable for the death penalty. Contrary to what some may suggest, this is not the result of a latter-day innovation of Islam, but something that is deeply rooted within Islamic scripture and the Sunnah of Muhammad. The Qur’anic verse 5:33 calls for the execution, mutilation, or imprisonment, of those who make “Mischief (fasad)” in the land, and Muhammad himself had asked his Muslim followers to kill several individuals who were guilty of blaspheming Islam and its Prophet. Muhammad asked Muslims to kill someone named ‘Abdullah bin Ubai (bin Salul) for making “evil” statements about him.^[45] He asked Muslims to kill Abu `Afak for making negative remarks about him and Islam.^[46] He asked Muslims to kill both Ka’b bin Ashraf^[47] and Asma Bint Marwan^[48] for writing inflammatory poetry about him and Muslims.

https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Shari%27ah_(Islamic_Law)#Free_Speech.2FBlasphemy

Here are direct citations to quotes from the Quran:

In today’s climate, we are going back to the Book of Judges where “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”  Postmodernism rejects universal moral and spiritual values and accepts the relativity of all values in all areas. Therefore, no specific value preference exists. Everyone should order their own values, value preferences, and approaches (Tajik, 2005; Rahnama, 2009).

We cannot exist in a world that does not have a measuring stick or refuses to see that a standard has to be set by someone. For us as Christians, we know what is the TRUTH and now is the time to be clear about it. If you are a Christian and you do not know what God says is truth, you will be mislead by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). Jesus Himself prayed to the Father on our behalf and He asked “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

I pray that we pray this together that we may recognize the TRUTH that is only in Christ Jesus. That in Him alone is our peace. That we can love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit is that possible — we cannot do it without God.

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers,ⁱ what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5: 43-48).

May it be!