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R o o m a n d t i m e n o w g i v e t o J e s u s • S O O N W I L L P A S S G O D ’ S D A Y O F G R A C EIslamic extremistchangedby words of JesusBy MARK ELLISDISCLAIMER: CWM applauds those within Islamwho oppose violence but questions if followersof Allah and the Qu’ran can remain “moderate”Muslims, if such exist. Dr Hamid should face thefull force of Christ’s truth and reject Islam totally.We hope to report further on this story.LOS ANGELES (ANS) — As a medicalstudent in Cairo he fell under theinfluence of one of radical Islam’s mostwanted terrorist masterminds. Yet anencounter with the words of JesusChrist completely altered his perspective—leadinghim to endorse a peaceful form of Islam and callfor reformation of its teachings.“I am an ex-Islamic extremist,” says Dr TawfikHamid, a former member of Jamaha Islameia (JI),which is classifi ed as a terrorist organisation. Asa medical student at the University of Cairo in thelate ’70s he met Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, currently achief lieutenant to Osama bin Laden and alleged tobe one of the foremost masterminds of al-Quedaattacks around the world. The US Dept of State isoffering a $25 million reward for information leadingto his capture.When Dr Hamid was in medical school, al-Zawahiri was doing post-graduate studies at thesame school. “He was highly respected as a mentorfor younger members of JI, including me,” Dr Hamidnotes. “He came every week to the school and I usedto see him praying and giving short lectures afterthe prayers,” he recalls.“His main message is that Islam—and theIslamic Sharia system—has to dominate andcontrol the world,” Dr Hamid notes. “He taught thatChristians and Jews throughout the world should besubdued and subjugated to Islam. This is throughjihad—violent forms of jihad.”“They accept Islam as the only religion that canbe practised,” he adds.In his first few years at medical school, Dr Hamidwas very fanatical. Yet he also harboured a fewquestions about the violent nature of the messagehe heard. “There were some remnants of consciencethat told me this was wrong,” he says.Surprisingly, it was the words of Jesus thatcompletely altered his view of Islam. “There was averse from the words of Jesus Christ that affectedme a lot,” Dr Hamid recalls. The life-changing versefor Dr Hamid is Mark 8:36—For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain thewhole world, and lose his own soul?“This verse helped me a lot and affected myway of thinking,” Dr Hamid says. “It helped me tostart to understand some Islamic verses in a totallydifferent manner.”In the early 1980s Dr Hamid broke away fromhis radical friends. “I changed my mind and decidedto leave JI based on the words of Jesus Christ,” hesays. As Dr Hamid read the Bible, he began to seethe Islamic texts differently. “I was softened by thewords of Jesus Christ in my life and by the wordsof the psalms as well. It was strange, but that’swhat happened.”After this remarkable change in his perspective,he gravitated to a small sect called the ‘Quranics’.“They didn’t believe in violent jihad,” Dr Hamidnotes. “They had some tolerance within them.”Later, Dr Hamid began to develop his own beliefswithin Islam and formed a group called ‘The peoplewho want to live in God’s image’.“This was a new understanding of the Islamictexts totally different from the violent form,” DrHamid says, “We could pray with anyone—it wasvery open and liberal.”Dr Hamid began to speak out in his mosqueagainst Islamic fundamentalism. On a small scale,he began to preach to his family and community.“Many people were impressed by the way I spoke,but the effect of Islamic fundamentalism was sopowerful,” he recalls.Harsh verbal attacks and threats against his lifebegan to intensify. On one occasion when he spoke,several men ran behind him with large rocks andattempted to stone him. “There were continuousthreats,” he says.Dr Hamid fl ed Egypt to Saudi Arabia, attractedby a financial opportunity. He found the conditionsin Saudi Arabia, which sees itself as the custodianof Islam, even more oppressive to his views. “Ikept silent for three years,” he says. “The momentthey know you have a different version of Islam youcan be killed. They just cut off your head after theFriday prayers.”But after the attacks of September 11, Dr Hamidfelt compelled to argue his case publicly. “Peoplewho believe in freedom and democracy must speakout,” he maintains. “We must band together againstthis barbarism.”Dr Hamid agrees with the assessment that asmaller percentage of Muslims are more radicalin their views. “About 10-15 percent or less areextremely aggressive,” Dr Hamid notes. Theproblem is the radical elements manage to influencethe majority of Muslims, so the majority hassympathy for their views, according to Dr Hamid.These sympathies create “passive terrorists”, inhis opinion.“There will be a crisis if this continues,” Dr Hamidwarns. “As they become a majority in any countrythey will begin to implement the sharia system,”he says, “I expect civil wars in the western world.”To counter this threat, Dr Hamid supportsmilitary confrontation, removal of the financing ofterror organizations, and ideological engagement.“There is not enough critique in the media, whichmakes the majority feel there is nothing wrong withtheir teaching,” he maintains. “There should be amajor change in the teaching of Islam.”While he supports interfaith dialogues, he alsolends certain cautions. “These dialogues can’thappen unless all parties accept the basic tenetsof humanity,” Dr Hamid says. “I can’t sit next tosomeone in an interfaith dialogue if this personaccepts killing Muslims who convert to Christianity,beating women, slavery, or declaring war on non-Muslims.”“There is a need for reformation and a newunderstanding of Islam,” Dr Hamid says. “I’m offeringanother way of teaching and understanding,” hesays. “I want them to learn the meaning of love Ilearned from Jesus Christ.”Used with written Permission from the ASSIST News ServiceAbout the AuthorMARK ELLIS is a senior correspondentfor ASSIST NewsService. He is also an associatepastor in Laguna Beach, CA. Hecan be contacted by email atA S S I S T N E W S S E R V I C Epartners Gospel for Asia (GFA), whose passionis to plant churches among the world’s mostunreached peoples—those who have neverheard a gospel message. More than 15,000native missionaries are now on the field withmore than 29,000 churches planted in ten Asiannations. To learn more about GFA and theirwork among the Dalits (Untouchables) of Indiaplease go to their website at orin North America call 1-800-WIN-ASIA.13