From Jihad to Jesus: Interview with an ex Islamic Militant

Posted by Susy Flory on Apr 24th, 2007 | no comments home title

Not long ago I promised an interview with an ex-Islamic militia fighter, now a Christian, named Jerry Rassamni. Born a Muslim, Jerry grew up in Lebanon during a bloody civil war. He became a militia fighter at a young age, his heart burning with hatred toward his blood enemies. "I became angry, ruthless, and fearless … At that time I thought I believed in God and that He sanctioned hatred."

Later, when he encountered the Bible, he entered a "personal Jihad" where he tangled with the question of whether the Qur’an or the Bible is the true word of God. In From Jihad to Jesus, Jerry shares his own story, as well as the compelling evidence that led him to abandon Islam and embrace Christ.

In our interview, Jerry answered questions about the intriguing links between paganism, including goddess worship, gnosticism (popularized by The Da Vinci Code), and Islam. We also talked about some of the key differences between Christianity and Islam.

Q. Is it true that Islam is essentially a peaceful religion?

A. Islam traditionally divides the world into two camps, (1) Dar Al Islam, meaning "House of Peace," denotes countries that are under Muslim rule, and (2) Dar Al Harb, meaning "House of War," denotes countries that are not yet under Muslim control. The war cry of the Wahabis, who are the dominant Islamic sect in Saudi Arabia, was: “kill the infidels.” The national flag of Saudi Arabia, the religious center of Islam has the Islamic creed inscribed upon it: “La Illaha Illa Allah, Muhammad Rasulu Allah” (meaning: There is no god by Allah, Muhammad is his messenger). Beneath those words, is the key to making that happen—a sword.

Q. Is Islam based on early pagan beliefs? What is the relationship of Islam to paganism?

A. It is no secret that the crescent moon which adorns the flags of Muslim countries and dominates the top of mosques and minarets everywhere has become the symbol of Islam. Furthermore, the timing of the hilal (the crescent moon) marks the starting the Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Also, Muslims partake in animism under the guise of monotheism by kissing a stone (black stone) that was associated with the moon god prior to Islam. Moreover, Muslims continue to preserve pagan customs and practices, such as circumambulating the pagan temple, that were associated with the moon god.

Q. Does Islam have a historical tradition of goddess worship?

A. Mecca’s pagans believed that Allah, the moon god, was married to the sun goddess who bore him three goddesses known as the daughters of Allah, who were called Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat. Allah and these goddesses were viewed as “high gods” that are superior to all the other pagan deities. In order to placate the Meccans into accepting Islam, Islam’s prophet allowed for intercession to these pagan idols with some “Qur’anic” revelations. Essentially, the Qur’an briefly compromised its monotheistic message in order to attract more converts. However, after Muslim disciples rebuked the prophet for falling into polytheism, he later explained that Satan had deceived him, and proceeded to abrogate (delete) these Satanic Verses, which Salman Rushdie wrote about.

Q. Goddess spirituality encourages worship of the sun and the moon. Is there a similar tradition in Islam?

A. Phillip Hitti, author of History of the Arabs, explains that the Bedouin astral belief centered on the moon, since Bedouins grazed their flocks in its light. Pagan Arabs imagined that their lives were regulated by the moon, which condenses the water vapors, distils dew, and enables plant growth. They believed on the other hand, that the harsh sun of the desert would like to destroy the Bedouins as well as animal and plant life. By adopting the iconic crescent of the moon god, Islam forever cemented the worship of Allah with the idolatrous moon god.