About Project Open Book
About Project Open Book
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners,
and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
--Hebrews 13:3
Late in 1995, I read an article by a friend documenting atrocities
commited against Christians by Communists and Muslims. Although I had long been
aware of how Communists treated Christians, I knew very little about Muslims. And
I had no way of knowing whether the kinds of incidents my friend reported were
common occurrences or merely isolated events.
When I asked around I was assured that such incidents, if they had even occurred,
were isolated events. Islam, I was told, means peace, and Muslim societies have
long been noted for their tolerance of other religions. I was also shown several
passages from the Qur'an to buttress that claim.
It wasn't very long, however, before more incidents started coming to my attention:
Christians being thrown into jail, tortured, or killed; anti-Christian riots; terrorist
attacks on Christian villages, and more. In fact, it became eminently clear that the
incidents I'd read about earlier were not isolated events, but part of a widespread
and chronic pattern in Muslim lands. And I resolved that the sufferings of my Christian
brothers and sisters would not go unremarked, as long as I had the means to spread
the word.
That's what I'm doing with Project Open Book: spreading the word. The purpose
of this page is not to disparage Islam. Nor do I mean to imply that all--or even most--Muslims
are bad people. But neither will I turn my back on my people, on God's people. To
be silent simply because someone might be offended is to betray those who are suffering
for the sake of the Gospel. Ultimately, it betrays the Gospel itself.
God forbid.