A MINORITY WITH A LOT OF INFLUENCE

Muslims are generally considered a minority in Western nations. Wikipdeia says ‘According to the 2016 Australian Census, the combined number of people who self-identified as Muslim in Australia, from all forms of Islam, constituted 604,200 people, or 2.6% of the total Australian population,^[1] an increase of over 15% of its previous population share of 2.2% reported in the previous census 5 years earlier.’

In spite of their minority status, Muslims carry a huge amount of influence. At Gatestoneinstitute.org for 13^th January 2019 they carried the article LESSONS WE SEEM UNWILLING TO LEARN.

In the UK in an area with a large Jewish population‘…there was some concern in 2017 when a Shia Muslim group bought the huge Golders Green Hippodrome for £5.25 million to establish a large mosque. The possible significance of this purchase was dampened down by Jewish community leaders, who criticised those concerned about the mosque’s arrival.

To their credit, the leadership of the mosque, since it opened, have been making efforts to reach out to, and reassure, the local Jewish population. Inevitably, there has been much talk of inter-faith initiatives and inter-faith dialogue. Events at the start of this month, however, point to one of the present futilities around these means of communal reassurance.

As part of their efforts to reassure local Jews of their good nature, the Golders Green mosque had planned to show an exhibition which would highlight the role that some Muslim Albanians played in helping to protect some of their Jewish neighbours during the Holocaust. Britain and Albania are, of course, are a continent apart. It is also probably safe to say that Albanian affairs, even extremely recent ones, are rarely a priority for residents of the UK. Obviously, the twin purpose of such an exhibition would simply be to show Muslims that there were heroic Muslims in the past — as today — who are willing to make a stand against the worst inhumanity, and also to remind Jews that, as well as there being people from the Muslim community who have always had a deadly intent towards their people, there have also been others who have been allies and friends. It is hard to see who could object to such a message.

Except, of course, that there are. Among the Islamist-oriented groups in Britain is one revolving around a website called ‘5 Pillars’. Its editor, Roshan Salih, also works for the Iranian state broadcaster Press TV, which had its broadcasting license in the UK removed after it showed forced confessions of prisoners inside Iranian jails in the wake of the uprising crushed by the Iranian government in 2009. Since news of the exhibition emerged, Salih has led a campaign to boycott it. The reason he and ‘5 Pillars’ claim as their excuse is that the Holocaust exhibit is coming from Yad Vashem, and Yad Vashem is Israeli. Those — including Muslims — who have criticised the exhibition’s critics have been dismissed by Salih as simply ‘Zionists’.

Now the exhibition has been scrapped.

Perhaps the mosque leadership in Golders Green are good. Perhaps they were motivated by more than short-term fence-building in deciding to hold an exhibition about the Holocaust. The question to ask is why are there so many people in the Muslim community who would object to such an exhibition and why these extremists have so much sway (as opposed merely to being an embittered fringe) that they can actually get their way. If a church in Britain put on an exhibition about the Holocaust, it would not be forced to cancel it under pressure from any Holocaust-denying Anglicans. Far from it. If such an unlikely event were to occur, the entire direction of the ire would be towards anyone trying to stop such an event. The exhibition would go ahead without anyone flinching. So, what is it about the fragility, and vulnerability of the Muslim community to the dictates of extremists that we can learn from an episode such as this one?’

Now, I say all this to say this. Only 2.6% of the population of Australia identify as a Muslim and yet there are at least 5 Universities that offer Islamic Studies with various degrees. However, when it comes to study Western Civilisation (which Australia was founded upon) only ONE school has Western Civilization in their degree programme, and that is the University of Wollongong (UOW).

Before reading a portion of what is said on the UOW’s web site concerning their degree in Western Civilisation here are a few statements about why some chose not to offer a degree in Western Civilisation.

theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jun/08/ ‘More than 100 academics from the University of Sydney have signed an open letter opposing any push to introduce a western civilisation degree funded by the John Howard-backed Ramsay Centre.

Published on Friday, the letter states the academics’ strong opposition to the Ramsay Centre proposal, describing it as “European supremacism writ large”’.

theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jun/06 ‘The vice-chancellor of the Australian National University has spoken out about the decision to pull out of negotiations with the John Howard-backed Ramsay Centre to set up a controversial degree in western civilisation.’

smh.com.au 16 June, 2018 ‘Amongst all of the fire and fury about the Australian National University’s decision to decline an offer of private funding for a course in Western Civilisation, a couple of key questions are yet to be asked. The first is simply, what job would a student of Western Civilisation be qualified to do?

After 20 years of neoliberalism, most universities now define themselves by their ability to design undergraduate courses that the employees of tomorrow will need. Course titles, curriculum content and even assessment tasks are all designed to signal to students and employers that graduates are ‘job ready’. But has anyone ever heard of a skills shortage for those well versed in Greek literature?’

Now, that says a lot as to what these schools think of the civilization that has benefited them and the Western world in which they live. Yet, when at least FIVE Australian schools that offer Islamic studies one could assume there are jobs out there with a degree in Islamic studies? So, what schools offer Islamic Studies?

1. the Australian National University in Canberra
2. Western Sydney University
3. University of New England
4. Griffith University in Queensland
5. The University of Melbourne

So, what does the UOW have to say as to why they are offering a degree in Western Civilisation? A Senior Professor at UOW said ‘this philosophically-focused Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation is designed to challenge students intellectually:

“By entering into conversation with some of the greatest thinkers down through the ages, the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) will intimately acquaint students with the central ideas, values and traditions of Western art and thought.”

“Our liberal arts program will employ innovative teaching methods designed to challenge students to think critically about the material they encounter throughout their studies. All of our students will be asked to reflect upon and give reasons for holding the particular perspectives they choose to adopt.”

The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation was launched in 2017 following a generous endowment by the late Australian businessman Paul Ramsay AO. Mr Ramsay, who founded Ramsay Health Care, sought to invigorate the study of humanities and liberal arts in Australia and promote interest in, and awareness of, Western civilisation.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings CBE said the partnership between the University and the Ramsay Centre was a testament to UOW’s academic and teaching excellence, and its global reputation.

“It’s an honour to be the first university to partner with the Ramsay Centre as the recipient of this major philanthropic gift and to be one of a small number of universities selected to offer this sort of unique and transformative program’[1].

This whole situation is very telling; 5 Universities that are more than happy to educate students in Islam but refuse to educate their students on the very civilization they owe their very existence too!

Now, Islam would have non-Muslims believe ‘Western civilization rests to a large measure on the Islamic scientific and civilizational heritage; that is on the arts and sciences that the Muslims created as well as on the historical and architectural monuments that they left behind.’[2]

So, what is Western Civilisation? Western Civilisation undoubtedly has borrowed from various civilisations but simply put Western Civilisation ‘…is that civilization which grew up in western Europe after the end of the Roman Empire.

Its roots lay in the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome (which themselves built on foundations laid in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia).  It took shape in medieval Europe, with its Christian religion, feudal society, dispersed power-structures and growing economic dynamism. It was in the modern era that Western civilization took flight, however. It spread from Europe to the North and South America, Australasia and much of the rest of the world; it achieved a level of economic power which far surpassed that of any other civilization; it developed the habit of systematic scientific and technological advance; and it evolved a unique set of personal freedoms which gave its culture an utterly different flavour to anything that had come before.’[3]

To put it simply, Western Civilization leans heavily, if not totally, on a Judaeo/Christian heritage. For example, ‘Jaroslav Pelikan, the magisterial Professor of History at Yale University, states in his introduction to Jesus Through The Centuries: “Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture…If it were possible, with some sort of super magnet, to pull up out of that history every scrap of metal bearing at least a trace of His name, how much would be left?”

The implication: nothing. Jesus Christ is the author of Western civilization. Without Him it would not exist. Every blessing you and I enjoy is a result of His walking the earth.’ ‘Religion is the dominant factor in any civilization. Christianity is the dominant religion of Western civilization and has no serious religious competitors.’[4]

Here are a few examples of how Western Civilisation has developed from the Bible.

1. Sanctity of life springs from Genesis 1:27 and 2:7. In Genesis 2:7 it tells us that God ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ This certainly gives forth the worth of all mankind; born and to be born.
2. Compassion for others regardless of their position in life. James 1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
3. Individual soul liberty as implied in Joshua 24:15 ‘…choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’ Man has the personal freedom to make choices.
4. Separation of government and God’s churches is a Biblical directive (separation of church and state). Matthew 22:17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

Romans 13: 1-7 and Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

5. Small government is hinted at in Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: The function of government here is fairly simple.

The Lord also stated the need to be armed in Luke 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

It could be said Christianity and Western Civilisation goes hand in hand. In Acts 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

It is not by accident that God the Holy Spirit directed Paul and his company to Europe and not Asia. Why did God do this? Well, Europe and eventually Great Britain was to be the springboard from which God would send the Gospel forth around the world.

However, the time has seen Christianity become theologically weaker, more anemic and ecumenical.  Today, many ‘Christians’ seek dialogue with other religions including Islam. It must be understood that Islam is a civilisation of its own and if truly followed can never be assimilated into another civilisation. According to the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) it ‘has devoted several programmes covering education, culture, science and communication to Muslims outside the Islamic world. It also contributed expertise, consultancy and qualification programmes, and conducted such activities as dispatching teachers, convening training sessions and specialized workshops, and publication of books, studies dealing with Muslim migrants’ vital issues in accordance with the values of Islamic civilization.’[5] Note, ‘Islamic civilization’! Islamic civilisation is being taught in Western nations but not Western civilisation?! This is Western suicide, to say the least.

Thiessen in his A SURVEY OF WORLD MISSIONS on page 14 rightly said that when Islam rules ‘no Christian was allowed to do missionary work, to criticize the Prophet or the Koran, to ring church bells, or to press the Christian faith upon others.’

As it has been shown most Universities in Australia have refused to teach Western Civilisation but are more than happy to have Islamic studies. However, as 1John 2:22 says Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.  Islam denies that the Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son so it is fair to say Islam is a liar and an antichrist. Therefore, those Universities, journalists and all others that oppose Western Civilisation are also opposing Christianity. In this they too are antichrists (against Christ) as well! This is very serious!

Nonetheless, in spite of the world’s growing sentimentality toward Marxism and Mohammedanism the Christian is to faithfully Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine 2Timothy 4:2.

[1] https://media.uow.edu.au/releases/UOW254589.html

[2] file:///G:/Islam/Strategy-for-Islamic-Cultural-Action-outside-the-Islamic-World.pdf Page 41

[3] https://www.timemaps.com/civilizations/western-civilization/

[4] http://www.ccu.edu/centennial/2015/07/letter-to-a-cadet-how-christianity-sparked-western-civilization/

[5] file:///G:/Islam/Strategy-for-Islamic-Cultural-Action-outside-the-Islamic-World.pdf Page 5.