Зошто Христос? Преобратени во Христијанст

Bassam's Testimony

I live in the Middle East. I was born as a Muslim, and at the age of 18 I became a member of one of the Islamic groups, as I had a relative who was one of the leaders of this group. I thought I was doing everything I could for God as I knew him at this point.

After a short time I started to get some training in using guns and making explosives. I wasn't very comfortable with what I was doing - hurting people for God's sake. I thought that either I or the group had misunderstood the teachings of God. I started to study the Qur'an and the Hadith all over again, (with the help of one of the leaders of the group, without telling him my real reasons for studying) to see what I had missed. After a couple of years I was astonished at what I found. I found that Islam is not the peaceful path to God, as I used to believe; on the contrary, it's so violent. If *I* have to establish God's will by any means possible, even by killing people, I said it can't be the way to God.

I never considered myself leaving Islam for anything else, yet at this point I was sure that it wasn't leading me to God. I had a kind of breakdown for some time when I found that every thing I had believed in wasn't right; I started doing drugs, and not talking about God at all.

Then I met a Christian who didn't know much of the Christian theology but who was full of love to others, whatever and whoever they are. One of his friends (who was a member of the same group that I had been involved in) said about him that he must be killed because he was Christian and didn't pay "Jiziah" (tax levied on Christians and Jews in an Islamic state, according to the Qur'an), yet this didn't stop him loving this man or dealing with him professionally. Initially I didn't know he was Christian, and when I found out I was surprised; everything I had learnt all my life about Christians from my reading of Islamic writings and Muhammad's opinion about them put them down very much. I asked this friend if I could have a copy of the Bible.

After starting to read the Bible I found a very big difference between what is actually written in the Bible and what I had heard people (Muslims and even nominal Christians) say about it.

I was really struck by one thing in the Bible, namely the teaching that no one is righteous but Jesus; even those who were called God's people like David, Jacob and Abraham, the twelve apostles - everyone has done something wrong. The Bible is full of the sins and wrongdoing of all people, except Jesus. He himself said to his enemies "Which of you convicts me of sin?" (John 8:46a), and no-one responded. Even Judas Iscariot, who delivered him up to the authorities to be killed, said "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." (Matthew 27:4) In addition, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who eventually did sentence him to death, said "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no crime deserving death." And then a centurion who witnessed Jesus's death said, "Certainly this man was innocent!" He struck me as the highest example of a human being, one who really deserved to be followed. It took me some time till I finished the whole Bible. After about one year of hard struggle with myself, I decided that I wanted to follow God as He shows himself in Christ, not as anyone else says He is.

I prayed to Him and He was here; for the first time in my life I felt that God was here, and to say it was a very strange feeling for me would be an understatement. I was so happy, so sad. Happy to know he is here and sad for what I had missed. It felt very peaceful and I wanted this feeling to last for good. I still remember this very first time I prayed; I ran out of the room because for the first time in my life I felt the Presence of God. I have been following Him since then. He changed all my life. I went off drugs; I became a whole new person to every one that I know, but as I said before I live in the Middle East where every one thinks that he IS RIGHT and every one else is wrong, so I had some trouble with my family and they kicked me out of the house. As Jesus says "Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death" (Matthew 10:21) and that is what happed with me.

My father delivered me to the Security Forces and they arrested me and put me in prison for converting out of Islam. I had a very bad time there, as they tortured me to force me to return to Islam. They used electric shocks, beatings, and hanging me from my wrists all night. After few week of this I was put in solitary confinement for almost a year. But I couldn't deny the one that gave me life. Now I am out of jail and I have left my home country as I am still wanted there for apostasy from Islam. I am still walking with Jesus, and I love Him because He loved me first and put Himself on the cross for me. I knew from the very beginning that I was going to have some trouble; didn't He say about Paul "for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." (Acts 9:16)

Now I am free from everything. I have a lovely wife whom I met after getting out of prison, and who is supporting me in everything I do for God, but the most important thing for me is I have my eternal assurance that I am going to be with Him for ever, whatever might happen. And as a result I decided to spend my life telling people about his great love to us. As he ordered me "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:9, 10)

Please feel free to write me if you want to know more.

Bassam

VATICAN CITY - Italy's most prominent Muslim commentator, a journalist with iconoclastic views such as support for Israel, converted to Roman Catholicism Saturday when the pope baptized him at an Easter service.

As a choir sang, Pope Benedict XVI poured holy water over Magdi Allam's head and said a brief prayer in Latin.

"We no longer stand alongside or in opposition to one another," Benedict said in a homily reflecting on the meaning of baptism. "Thus faith is a force for peace and reconciliation in the world: distances between people are overcome, in the Lord we have become close."

Vatican television zoomed in on Allam, who sat in the front row of the basilica along with six other candidates for baptism. Allam later received his first Communion.

Да преведам, Папата денес крстил некој угледен муслиман,многу угладен новинар која денес ја примил католичката-христијанската вера...

When I was eighteen years old, I entered a large public university. Soon, it became obvious to me that many students were there to obtain a degree, find a high-paying job, and get rich. Others were interested in amassing intellectual knowledge. And, many students desired to go out drinking and partying on the weekends while others were trying to find satisfaction through relationships with girlfriends.

None of these things were new to me, but for the first time in my life, I started to consider for what I was living and why I was alive. I saw in my own heart the same selfish motives that I saw in those around me. It became a period of thinking and searching - a crossroad in my life.

At that point, there seemed like so many directions in which to turn. I started to read different books on philosophy, meditation, religion and history. As a member of the university soccer team, I tried to improve my ability through constant practice, hoping that maybe I would find fulfillment in athletics. I even went one semester without eating meat!

On one occasion, I happened to acquire a Bible. Since I was reading many other books, I figured that it wouldn't hurt to read it, too. I began reading the story of how God created the heavens and the earth. But very little of the Bible made sense to me. Nevertheless, I read on into the New Testament (Injil) about the life of Jesus Christ. I was surprised that the life of such a famous prophet was contained in such a short book. You can imagine how much more surprised I was that the entire story of Jesus' life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection was completed in a few pages! The account was then retold by three more authors! Despite some confusion, I felt strangely drawn to this prophet, Jesus, who suffered at the hands of disbelievers.

Up until that point in my life, I had never been to a Christian church. My father was an immigrant from Iran and my American mother had converted to Islam. From the time we were little, my brother, sister and I would go to the mosque (Islamic Center) with my parents every week. There we learned about God, his prophets, his books, his angels, the day of judgement, and life after death. We also learned surahs (verses) and prayers from the Qur'an, the Muslim holy book. The teacher recorded how many of the thirty-five prayers we had completed during the week.

Like many teenagers, as I grew older, I began to lose interest in religion. I became more interested in playing sports, going to parties, and having fun. This continued through my high school years. By the time I was ready to go to college, most of these activities, too, had already begun to seem empty and meaningless to me. This brings me back to my first year at the university. The more I began to read about Jesus in the Holy Injil, the more I began to believe. A great struggle issued. Confused and desperate, I often cried out to God, "Was Christianity, Islam, or some other faith the true faith?"

I also began to wonder if I was going to heaven after I died. In Islam, as well as in many other religions, a person would go to heaven if his good deeds outweighed his bad deeds. Poor Fred! I had already realized that I was a selfish person. No amount of willpower could help me live up to the standards of Holy God.

Then, I read in the Holy Injil that Jesus said we must trust that He, Himself, would change our hearts: "Everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin ... If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:34,36). This was a different message! God knew that we are all sinful, but He is so merciful that He sent Jesus to set us free.

Little by little, I began to believe more strongly in Jesus as the Savior. Instead of trying to overcome my sinful ways solely by my own willpower, I now felt that I didn't want to live like I used to. Jesus had changed my heart! Before I realized it, I had stopped cursing and partying. More importantly, I felt my heart being changed from within as I turned away from selfishness toward Jesus.

As I returned to college for my sophomore year, I began to look for other people who had an experience similar to mine. Although the great majority of Americans profess to be Christians, I realized that only a small minority of them really know and love God.

Soon enough, I saw a sign about a Christian meeting on campus. I attended this meeting, although I felt somewhat awkward. I soon realized that God was as real and important to these people as he was to me. Eventually, I began going to the small church that organized these Christian meetings on campus.

As I expressed my heart to God in prayer and read more about Jesus in the Holy Injil, my faith began to grow. Sometimes I would go through times of doubting whether God was near tome, but he always proved Himself faithful.

Once, a Muslim scholar came to the university to give a lecture about "Muhammad in the Bible." He claimed that the Bible actually points to Muhammad as the prophet who was to come after Jesus. Again, I became confused. I delved into Bible study using the Muslim scholar's pamphlets and I found that his conclusions were either incorrect or taken out of context. Jesus had indeed been crucified for our sins once and for all. He is the "author and finisher" of truth and faith.

Since then, I have married my Christian wife. We have dedicated our lives to serving Christ and sharing His life and love with others.

Hussein