Showing posts with label Allah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Allah. Show all posts

Tuesday 4 April 2017

The language of Jesus and the title of God

English: psalms in Aramaic
English: psalms in Aramaic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The last few days I had some heavy discussions with Americans who found that Allah is a demon and could not believe that Jesus would ever have used that word. Though Allah is not only used by Arabs. This word is also used in many more languages to denote the singular God. Remarkable, to notice, is that the word has no plural from, like English, where you have God, god and gods.

Jesus is not the real name of the Messiah, like lots of English speaking believe and do not want to accept the Biblical characters had not the English names they are used to.

Lots of people either do not know or do not want to know, that by the beginning of the Common Era, Aramaic had replaced Hebrew as the spoken language of Palestinian Jews. The Essene Jew born in Bethlehem also was a Palestinian who spoke, like his worldly parents Aramaic.

We should remember that the causes of Hebrew’s decline could be hastened by the Babylonian exile in 587 B.C.E. and the continued foreign rule of Palestine during the Second Temple period. Though we must see and hear that there are many similarities between the two, both being a Semitic language.

Lots of people also do forget that for a long time it has been the second most important Jewish language — though it was spoken by non-Jews as well. The Talmud is written in Aramaic, as is the Zohar, the great medieval mystical text. One of the best-known Jewish prayers, the Kaddish, also is written in Aramaic. During the talmudic era, Hebrew illiteracy was so high that the Torah reading was recited along with a verse-by-verse translation into Aramaic.
We even find a conjugation of the word "Allah" when rabbi Jeshua cries unto his heavenly Father asking Him why He has abandoned him.

To the dismay of many English-speaking and Muslim haters, the world must realize that Allah is a title used by several people and even by Jesus to describe the only true God.

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Find also

A 1st reply to the 4th Question Who is God 1 A Creating Being to be worshipped

More on Aramaic and other languages spoken by Jews, like the in Belgium often heard Yiddish:

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Thursday 7 January 2016

Charlie Hebdo plaatst godsfiguur op omslag

Een jaar na de dodelijke aanslagen bij Charlie Hebdo

Charlie Hebdo plaatst godsfiguur op omslag -  Bloemen bij de redactie van Charlie Hebdo, na de aanslagen in januari 2015. beeld AFP
Bloemen bij de redactie van Charlie Hebdo, na de aanslagen in januari 2015. beeld AFP

Deze week herdenkt het Franse satirische blad Charlie Hebdo de aanslag op de redactie, vandaag een jaar geleden, met een speciale editie.

Op de omslag staat ‘god’ met de driehoek van het 'goddelijk oog'. Men kan er de god der christenen in zien of de God = Allah van de Islamieten zien. Zoals vroeger was het satirische blad niet voor hen die in de Goddelijke Kracht geloofden en spotte het regelmatig met het geloof in een God.

In het huidge herdenkingsnummer met cartoons van de doogeschoten redactieleden staat de God afgebeeld met een baard, bebloede kleren en een kalasjnikov op zijn rug. Boven de cartoon staat de tekst ”1 an après, l’assassin court toujours”, oftewel: Eén jaar later is de moordenaar nog steeds op vrije voeten.

Op 7 januari 2015 overvielen twee moslimterroristen de redactie van het weekblad in Parijs. Er vielen twaalf doden, onder wie acht journalisten. Tien anderen raakten gewond. De daders, twee broers van respectievelijk 32 en 34 jaar, kwamen later in het plaatsje Dammartin-en-Goële tijdens een vuurgevecht met de politie om het leven.

Charlie Hebdo heeft een jaar na de aanslag een oplage van circa 200.000 exemplaren. Het huidige nummer komt in een veel grotere oplage uit, ongeveer 1 miljoen exemplaren. Een week na de aanslag vorig jaar gingen er zelfs 7,5 miljoen exemplaren over de toonbank.

Van het herdenkingseditie met tekeningen van de vermoorde cartoonisten gaat een deel van de oplage naar het buitenland, waar al grote belangstelling is voor de speciale uitgave van de Charlie Hebdo.

Hoofdredacteur Riss, die de aanslag overleefde, veroordeelt in het jongste nummer het extremisme.
Het satirische weekblad was vier jaar voor de aanslagen van 2015 ook doelwit van een aanslag: in 2011 werd er een molotovcocktail gegooid naar het redactiekantoor.

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Wednesday 23 December 2015

Government school classroom assignment on world religions in discussion and Islamophobia gone wild

The Shahadah (first part ašhadu 'al-lā ilāha i...
The Shahadah (first part ašhadu 'al-lā ilāha illā-llāh - I testify that there is no god (ilah) but God (Allah)), the creed of Islam. The letter Alif is highlighted in red to demonstrate its different usage in Arabic scripture. This illustration was designed in order to teach the letter Alif, but not the creed itself! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
At a Virginia high school (Riverheads High School in Staunton) understandably a lesson in calligraphy for ninth-graders has caused an uproar among some parents. But the Virginia school district is defending the classroom assignment that required students to practice calligraphy by writing the Muslim statement of faith,
 “There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
For the first part the Christian Americans should not be afraid because they too should believe that there is only One God, only Allah the Elohim Adonai, Hashem Jehovah. the God of Abraham should be the only One true God for Jews, Christians and Muslims.

It can not be called bad to have during a world geography class to have the students to feel how it is to live in a certain area and to dress like the people who live in such area.  I would call that a very good integrated lesson.
The lesson of the day focused on world religions, among them Islam. As part of the assignment, social studies teacher Cheryl LaPorte had her ninth-grade students copy a piece of Arabic text known as the shahada, which is the most common Islamic creed. 
Recitation of the shahada in public is the first formal step in conversion to Islam. However, according to school officials, the ninth-graders were not asked to translate the statement or read it aloud.
Students were also shown copies of the Koran, and female students were invited to try on a scarf as part of a lesson about the Islamic concept of modest dress.
Parents being infuriated to see that their children learned Arabic should know that it is a language spoken in many countries and in case Westerners would be able to read and understand it they could understand much more what is written on slogans and in books and could answer the right way to those speaking about the Arabic books or saying something wrong what would so called be written in those books.

It is also totally wrong to think a teacher would indoctrinate her pupils by talking about the Islam faith or any other faith and to have their kids reading the books of that faith.

Parent Kimberly Herndon was infuriated when her son came home with the assignment sheet from Mrs LaPorte’s world geography class.
‘When I saw the language, the Arabic language, immediately I had a bad feeling come over me,’ the mother of six told NBC29.
Herndon, who is a devout Christian, accused the teacher of indoctrinating unsuspecting students into the Islamic faith. The mother has not sent her son back to school since the incident and said she would be willing to take this case all the way to the US Supreme Court if she must.
‘She [LaPorte] gave up the Lord’s time,’ Herndon said of the religious lesson when speaking to the Staunton News Leader. ‘She gave it up and gave it to Mohammed.’
The Augusta County parent on Tuesday organized a meeting attended by more than 100 people at Good New Ministries to discuss the controversial calligraphy lesson.
Debbie Ballew, a former English teacher who was present up at the public forum, said had she asked her students to copy a passage from the Bible, she would have lost her job.
Strange that the teacher would have lost  her job when she would have asked to copy a passage from the Bible. Even more strange that such an exclusion would take place in the United
States of America which always shouts it is so proud about her constitution including 'Freedom'.

‘Out of an abundance of caution’
after consulting with law enforcement Augusta County School Board President Eric Bond noted that there was no specific threat to students but announced Thursday that schools would be closed Friday over security concerns sparked by parents’ outrage in response to an Arabic calligraphy lesson.

Recitation of the shahada in public is for many considered the first formal step in conversion to Islam. However, according to school officials, the ninth-graders were not asked to translate the statement or read it aloud.

 Bond said
It’s a sad state of affairs when we’ve reached the point where children can’t even learn what Arabic or Islam is without offending someone’s fragile sensibilities.
 Arabic calligraphy

There are countries, like Belgium where religious education is obligatory and children have to learn about all major religions of the world. As such they learn about the monotheist faiths and about several heathen religions. Having to read the Torah, Nevim, Kethuvim Aleph, Kethuvim Bet (or Messianic Scriptures or New Testament), the Koran and certain Buddhist and Hindy sacred scriptures they can get a pretty idea what the believers of those faiths should follow.

In lots of faiths we do see that fundamentalist can get so strong because many followers of them do not get to know their Holy Scriptures very well.

In many countries we also see that lots of people do not know their own Sacred Scriptures, and that is why we see lots of them not living according to the faith rules of the books they are so called to follow.

Having children to know the other culture can best be done by dumpling them under in such a culture.

This is a very good way to have children getting an idea about a culture and about how people who live in a certain area can feel themselves or how they have to live.

Ideal would be to have them dress, eat and having to do the same activities as others would have to do in the region studied or when it would be about camps and torturing to have a sort of experience what it would be in such a camps and under such interrogation. In Latvia (Letland) people can have such an experience how it was under Soviet regime. In the Riga camp special tours are organised to 'undergo' one day or 'a day and a night' a similar experience the prisoners would have had. Many people eyes are opened by such experiences and come to appreciate the values of the democratic free countries much more.

Congratulations for the teacher who dared to tackle the difficult subject and has done a lot of preparation to work out her class.

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Wednesday 23 September 2015

ISIS cannot be presenters of the real Islam

The Islamic State (IS) Sunni radical group continues to show videos of their brutal crimes and terrorise residents of several villages.
The jihadist chant 'Allahu Akbar', but we should question of they are not misusing the name of God like it is written in the Holy Scriptures, because we can only call onto god for the right things. They who seem to be so proud with their killing for "Allah" to guarantee themselves a place in "paradise"could be very surprised at the end of their race. They want people to believe  "Allah" is giving them permission, but there is no God who allows such terror in His Name. The image of the Beast (Daniel 7:11) is truly speaking loud and clear these days. Fortunately, these days are numbered ...

Jamie Schram, New York Post wrote in September 2014:
– “Islamic State barbarians are raping thousands of women in Iraq and Syria to mass-produce spawn who’ll follow in their vile footsteps, The Post has learned.
Young militants are running wild to the chagrin of their more sophisticated and p.r.-savvy commanders, an Iraqi official told The Post.
The motivation of the rapists is twofold: They want to make ISIS babies — and they are just plain out for twisted thrills.

ISIS continues to misuse children and women. For many this should be a signal that they cannot be presenters of the real Islam.

In Islam, protecting the rights of an orphan, is one of the greatest acts of mercy. Islam forbids all kind of abuses against children especially female child including usurping an orphan's property.

Read more here.

Read also:
Wrong ideas about religious terrorism
The Qur'an, The Bible, And The Islamic Dilemma
Do Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, ISIS and ISIL belong to true Islam
Religion, fundamentalism and murder
Condemning QSIS or the self-claimed Islamic state ruler, al- Baghdadi their extremist ideologies and to clarify the true teachings of Islam 
ISIL will find no safe haven

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Monday 6 October 2014

Malaysia requires sole use of God's title for Muslims

In June Malaysia authorities ruled that non-Muslims cannot refer to God as 'Allah'.


Allah in Arabic
Allah in Arabic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A Muslim-majority country, many Malays believe that the national conscience must be firmly rooted in Islam, therefore they are happy that Putrajaya’s persistence in refusing non-Muslim Malaysians the right to use the word “Allah” so that their faith can be honoured by having the only right to use that title.

The Malaysian people and government forget that God belongs to the whole world. I would have thought the court ruling will soon be made unfinished, but it did not. Holding strong to this court ruling it is not only tantamount to the systematic destruction of the language and culture of the Bumiputera community in Sabah and Sarawak,but also does damage to all other languages where they use "Allah" as title for the the Divine Creator.

Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok said the word “Allah” has been part and parcel of the community’s language for generations and has become “embedded” in every aspect of their culture, including for the Bumiputera Christians, who make up the majority of Malaysia’s Christian population.

The government’s prohibition and the Federal Court’s denial for the Catholic Church to appeal for the right to publish the “Allah” in its weekly newspaper, had made the Bumiputera Christians feel they had been wronged, said the Sarawakian senior clergyman.
“We feel there has been a miscarriage of justice. It is insidious. It is tantamount to an act of language and culture genocide,” said Bolly, who also chairs the Association of Churches in Sarawak.
Malaysia’s Bumiputera Christians are accustomed to praying in their native tongues and the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Their bibles, scriptures and hymns too have been translated into their respective indigenous languages, many of which contain the controversial “Allah” word as reference to God.
In its landmark ruling on June 23, a seven-judge panel at the top court had in a majority decision dismissed the Catholic Church’s bid to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision last year, which held that the word of Arabic origin was not “integral” to the religious practice of Malaysia’s Christians.
The Federal Court has however noted that the “integral” comment in the Court of Appeal was non-binding on other cases as it was just a remark made in passing.

The Catholic Church recently applied for a review of the Federal Court’s June decision while a Sabah evangelical church, Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), succeeded in clearing the first hurdle for its “Allah” challenge to be retried at the High Court, providing a glimmer of hope for Malaysia’s native Christians.

Those people should know that all people who speak Arabic or do have words in their language which came from Arabic, will have "Allah" for the title of "God", be it atheists, Hindus, Jews, Christians or Muslims. It is not a word which Muslims can claim only for themselves. In case such a thing happens all sorts of groups could claim singular words in any language claim for their own use, and forbidding others to use it in their own daily language.

Syed Putra Jamalull writes:
This whole problem can be traced to the home ministry directive way back in 1986 prohibiting non muslims from using certain arabic terms that snowballed malay intolerance. Who was the home minister then? It could either be Musa Hitam or Dr M. Just like books and ideas, words should never be prohibited from being used as its the foundation.
Mark Beaumont, senior lecturer in Islam and mission at the London School of Theology, says that while there is controversy regarding the way that God and Allah are referred in Malaysia, in other parts of the world it's considered far less of a contentious issue.
"In the Arab speaking world there's no difficulty in calling God 'Allah' – they've been doing it in the Christian church and in the Bible for hundreds of years,"
he explains. Which is logical, because it is a word like any other word in the Arabic language and is in that language also used to indicate other gods that the Most High Divine Creator of heaven and earth form the Abrahamic faiths. In the early days of Egypt Pharao was also called Allah.

Muslims also should be aware that in many countries is spoken about "Allah" in respect, presenting the Divine Supreme Being, Whose Name was also given to His People, the Israelites and should come to be known all over the world as Jehovah.

In several churches not always is used the Name, but more often the title of the Elohim, as such
"In the Coptic Church in Egypt, the church in Syria, Jordan, Iraq and even Iran, it's always been the practice to call God 'Allah' using the Arabic form. Although the Arabic Bible wasn't translated fully before Islam came, it's obvious that people were reading the Gospels using 'Allah' before the rise of Islam.
Whatever people want to believe about creation and all that, accepting or not believing in a Divine Creator, they should know that in the ancient history of the Middle East, 'Allah' was the equivalent of 'Elohim', the Hebrew word for the Most High God.

While it may be mostly Malaysian Muslims who are offended by the Christian use of the word 'Allah', many Christian believers the last decennials also have been reluctant to use the Name of God (Jehovah) as well as His title "Allah". With the growing of non-trinitarian Christians and with the growing of the Islamic faith more Christians find the use of "Allah" to be controversial.
in Arabic language. The book was written by th...
in Arabic language. The book was written by the end of 16th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


Lots of Christians and Muslims do think they have a different God. This makes that people wonder if it  is really possible to reconcile the name 'Allah' with the God of the Bible?
"Anything is possible! You just have to think about the person who is saying 'I believe in Allah,'"
Beaumont insists.
"When I lived in Morocco, there was a Christian man who was being interrogated by the police. He had grown up as a Muslim but came to know Christ and became a Christian. He was told to confess his faith, and he said:
 'There is no God but God, and Jesus Christ is my saviour and Lord'. He confessed it in Arabic, using the word 'Allah', and so he was quite happy to use the Muslim testimony of faith as a Christian because of course we also believe there is no God but God! He was able to affirm the basic statement of faith for Muslims – There is no God but Allah – but wasn't able to affirm Mohammed as God's prophet, which is the second part of it.
Normally Jews, Christians and Muslims should have one and the same God, but I do agree with Jews and Muslims, in case certain Christians take Jesus to be the God of gods, than I as a Christian would also dare to question those trinitarian Christians if they have the same God as me.
An other difficulty by Muslims is that they do get more and more a distorted image of Christians and cannot come to see that a person can really embrace a genuine faith in Christ Jesus, accepting this rabbi and prophet as their Messiah, but still believing in the Only One True God.

Beaumont also says:
"It's usually not that big a difficulty using the word 'Allah' and filling it with a Christian meaning. There are of course people in the West who worry about that – it makes some Christian missionaries feel uncomfortable, and I can understand that – but it's not my personal position."
Beaumont contends that it is not only just possible to use Islamic terminology while offering a Christian meaning, but it is, in fact, a vital part of helping Muslims to understand the message of Christ.
"I favour beginning where Muslims are, with what they understand, and trying to draw them into another way of thinking," he explains.
According to him
"The word 'God' came when the Bible was translated into Anglo-Saxon, and comes from a pagan name for a deity – it's a northern European understanding.
and as such in our regions it is also used regularly for indicating higher or in the picture standing figures, like fashion queens, film-stars, sports-favourites, etc.
So when Christians have strict view on using the word 'Allah' but are very happy to use the King James translation of the Bible, or even more recent, I smile to myself,"
Beaumont says.
"Language can take a word and change it – you can fill an old word with a new meaning, and that's what's going on here. Some people feel uncomfortable with that – they say 'you can't fill an old wineskin with new wine' but nobody says you can't use the Anglo-Saxon word for God.
"There's also a parallel with William Carey, who translated the Bible into Bengali and used the word 'Ishvara' – 'Ishvara created the heavens and the earth' – and that's the word Christians in India still use today.
"Ishvara is the God Hindus believe created the earth, and so Carey thought it would be best word for the Biblical creator – it's interesting to see how different translations use local deities to help explain the Bible, rather than 'Elohim'."


Read more about it:
  1. For Bumiputera Christians, ‘Allah’ ban akin to cultural ‘genocide’, says archbishop
  2. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
  3. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan
  4. Migrants to the West #5
  5. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
  6. An Ex-Muslim’s Open Letter
  7. Muslims should also Fear God
  8. Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God
  9. Prophets making excuses
  10. Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God
  11. Pluralis Majestatis in the Holy Scriptures
  12. Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator
  13. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
  14. Are Christians prepared to Rejoice in the Lord
  15. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
  16. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
  17. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
  18. Al-Fatiha [The Opening/De Opening] Süra 1:1-3 In the name of Allah the Merciful Lord Of The Creation
  19. The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity

In Dutch:

  1. Sharia een kwaad voor Islam
  2. Rellen en Oude Geschriften
  3. Koran tegenover veel oudere Heilige Geschriften
  4. Onze God ook deze van de moslims
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