The Muslim Who Died For Mosul’s Christians And Other Good Samaritan Stories

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I suspect that were Jesus to reprise the parable of the Good Samaritan today, he might tell it as the parable of the Good Muslim.

The Muslim who gave up his life for Mosul’s Christians
He refused to keep silent about the violence agaist Mosul’s Christians  who are forced to choose between converting to the Muslim faith, paying the jizyah (the Islamic tax for non-Muslims) or fleeing. Professor Mahmoud Al ‘Asali, a law professor who lectures on pedagogy at the University of Mosul, had the courage to make a stand against this brutal duress which he believes go against the Muslim commandments. But he paid for this gesture with his life: he was killed by ISIS militants in Mosul [on July 20].

The article goes on to detail that other Muslims in Mosul

…have launched the “I am Iraqi, I am Christian” campaign in response to the letter N’s written on the walls of Christian homes in Mosul. [On July 20] some of them turned up outside the Chaldean Church of St. George in Baghdad, with a banner displaying the slogan and posted a picture on Facebook.

Another article shows pictures of Muslims in Mosul holding up various signs in support of Christians, including one that reads, Christians: Apostles of Peace and Love.

Meanwhile, in Garissa, Kenya, the site of the gruesome massacre of Christian university students by El Shabab militants,

In a show of solidarity with their Christian neighbors, the Kenyan Muslim community in the Nairobi area took to the streets in protest against terrorism in their name. “We want to condemn the attack and urge the government to take security seriously and take actions against terrorist suspects,” said Ishmael Abdul. “We’ll not sit and see terrorists divide this country.”

Re-telling the Good Samaritan parable as the story of the Good Muslim does not imply that Islam is a religion of peace any more than Jesus implied that Samaritanism was a vibrant and misunderstood faith.

It does imply, however, that human beings are not canisters into which particular religions or ideologies are poured and labels affixed. Rarely are such helpful, or accurate.

However, Jesus did note in the Good Samaritan parable one ideological label which held particular interest for him:

Neighbor.

About Pastor Foley

The Reverend Dr. Eric Foley is CEO and Co-Founder, with his wife Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, supporting the work of persecuted Christians in North Korea and around the world and spreading their discipleship practices worldwide. He is the former International Ambassador for the International Christian Association, the global fellowship of Voice of the Martyrs sister ministries. Pastor Foley is a much sought after speaker, analyst, and project consultant on the North Korean underground church, North Korean defectors, and underground church discipleship. He and Dr. Foley oversee a far-flung staff across Asia that is working to help North Koreans and Christians everywhere grow to fullness in Christ. He earned the Doctor of Management at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, Ohio.
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1 Response to The Muslim Who Died For Mosul’s Christians And Other Good Samaritan Stories

  1. Thank you for sharing this. As I have been praying for Islamic terrorists, my sense has been that many are getting disillusioned by all of the violence in which they are partaking. Every human being has a conscience, and they know in their spirit that what they are doing is wrong. I am praying that the Lord would continue to visit them in dream and in visions, and they would repent and turn to Christ. And I am glad to hear that their are Muslims standing up for the rights of Christians. We will continue to pray for his love to be manifest in this battle.

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