Third of the Trinity: The Christians
An interesting theme that is common to all pagan
religions is the
idea of “henotheism”;
wherever there was a group
of people that worshipped a number of divine beings, we find that there was always
a Supreme Deity that was considered to be above all other gods and goddesses.
This trend is most prominent in Hinduism, in the Greek and Roman mythologies,
and among the pagan Arabs of the pre-Islamic era. However, what is really
important to note in such religions is that, in actual practice, the smaller
gods and goddesses always get the lion’s share in the attention and devotion of
their worshipers, while the Supreme God disappears in the background, as He is
carelessly ignored and casually brushed aside by the worshipers.
Applying this analogy to the three Abrahamic faiths, we can say that although Christianity is the biggest among them in terms of the number of adherents, yet in reality — except for the name and personality of Prophet Isa (AS) — there is hardly any thing in this religion that can be described as “Christian.” That is to say, the doctrines and practices of Christianity, as they exist toady, have more to do with the innovations of St. Paul than with the real teachings of Prophet Isa (AS). As such, the present-day Christianity actually belongs to the realm of philosophical religions — along with Hinduism, Taoism, and Confucianism — instead of the domain of Revealed religions like Judaism and Islam.
Coming back to the original topic of our discussion, it is significant to note that the Christian nations have played a crucial role vis-à-vis the second phase of decline with regard to both the Jews and the Muslims. Thus, we find that the torture, persecution, genocidal killings, and exile suffered by the Jews during the last sixteen hundred years were caused exclusively by the Christians. Ever since the conversion of Romans to Christianity in the fourth century C.E., Jews have continuously been made the target of various allegations, and executed by the thousands on one pretext or the other. Similarly, it was the Christians who were responsible for the brutal massacre suffered by the Muslims during the Crusades, and then the subjugation and exploitation of the Muslims at the hands of Western Imperialism. From even a superficial survey of Jewish and Muslim histories, therefore, it becomes clear that Almighty Allah (SWT) has been using the Christian nations as an instrument of His punishment, or the whip of His retribution, for both the Jews and Muslims of the world.
However — and this is vital for us to keep in mind — there has been a profound metamorphosis in the nature of the relationship between the Jews and Christians; this change has started from the days of the Renaissance, reaching its climax only during the present century. As a result of this change, the Christian world — particularly the White Angle-Saxon Protestants or WASP — have become devoted comrades and staunch supporters of the Jewish nation, although they are, in fact, only being cleverly used and manipulated by the latter. On the other hand, the highly ruthless historical role of the Christians in relation to the Muslim Ummah is still very much intact. As such, there is a clear possibility of another massive assault, a ‘la Crusades, that can work havoc upon the Muslims, particularly the Arab world. Such an event can obviously result in killings and destruction on a huge scale, a minor glimpse of which has already been witnessed by the world during the Operation Desert Storm.
The way in which the “threat” of militant and fundamentalist Islam is being hyperbolized by the Western media betrays an attempt to create public hatred against the Muslims, as was done before and during the Crusades. This process of brainwashing is exemplified, at the popular level, by the PBS documentary Jihad in America and the Reader’s Digest article A Holy War Heads Our Way; prominent examples of the same trend at an intellectual level include The Clash of Civilizations by Samuel P. Huntington and The Roots of Muslim Rage by Bernard Lewis. Similarly, a campaign was recently launched in the Western media so as to inculcate the notion, with reference to the writings of Nostradamus, that the “Anti- Christ” is going to be a Muslim leader from among the Arabs.
The very idea of Muslims going back to their roots — the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) — is being depicted as a dangerous combination of extremism, terrorism, and fanaticism. Unfortunately, after the end of Cold War and the demise of Communism, Islam and Muslims are increasingly being used to fill the vacuum of the “Great Menace” against which the West can test her powers. With ever rising zeal, Islamic fundamentalism is being portrayed as the ultimate evil against which the forces of decency must unite. Despite this continuing campaign of disinformation about the horrible hazard of Islam, the fact remains that, in the history of Muslim-Christian relationship, it was always the Muslims who suffered heavily at the hands of various Christian nations and not the other way round. It appears that the history might repeat itself in the form of a real clash of civilizations.
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