About Daniel Shayesteh

Dr Daniel was born into a Muslim family in Northern Iran. He became a radical Muslim leader and teacher of Islam in the militant Free Islamic Revolutionary Movement, closely supporting Ayatollah Khomeini. However, after falling out of favor with Khomeini’s political group, he escaped to Turkey where there began an amazing journey to faith in Jesus Christ.

Daniel's mission is to help others understand and lovingly respond to those who do not know Christ. He is also deeply concerned for the future of Western societies, their loss of confidence in Judeo-Christian values, and their persistent naivete about the implications of the world-wide Islamic revival.

What does Israel have to do with us?

On 15th May, 2011, Israel was surrounded by thousands of Arab Muslims from the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Gaza the day of Israel’s establishment as a country in 1948. The angry Muslims attempted to breach the border, chanting Yawm an-Nakbah, meaning “the day of disgrace” or “tragedy” in Arabic. Western media portrayed this event as merely political, missing the true motivation behind it.  This article aims to shed some light into why this and similar events have been occurring throughout history, even prior to the establishment of Israel.

This protest reminded me of a similar one the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, undertook against Jews fourteen hundred years ago; a legacy for his faithful Muslims:
Narrated Abu Huraira:   While we were in the mosque, Allah's Apostle came out and said, "Let us proceed to the Jews." So we went out with him till we came to Bait-al-Midras. The Prophet stood up there and called them, saying, "O assembly of Jews! Surrender to Allah (embrace Islam) and you will be safe!" They said, "You have conveyed Allah's message, O Aba-al-Qasim" Allah's Apostle then said to them, "That is what I want; embrace Islam and you will be safe." They said, "You have conveyed the message, O Aba-al-Qasim." Allah's Apostle then said to them, "That is what I want," and repeated his words for the third time and added, "Know that the earth is for Allah and I want to exile you from this land, so whoever among you has property he should sell it, otherwise, know that the land is for Allah and His Apostle." (Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 9, Book 92, Hadith 447).
Like prophet, like followers! The tone of the message the Muslims carried with themselves to the borders of Israel was the threat of utter destruction, just as the message of Muhammad resulted in the destruction of the Jewish community in Saudi Arabia so many years ago.

Hatred towards Jews is not a new, or only political, movement in Islam; it is deeply rooted and goes much further back than the 15th May, 1948, right to the beginning of Islam. The homes, land and wealth of those Jews who do not embrace Islam, belong to Muhammad and his community (the Umma in Arabic), in accordance with a creed established in the Quran in the seventh century AD:
He (Allah) gave you (Muslims) their lands (i.e. of the non-Muslims), and their dwellings, and their wealth, for an heritage – even a land on which you had never set foot: for the might of Allah is equal to all things (Q33:27).
Since the rise of Islam, this creed has been put into practice whenever pious Muslims reach power or have significant roles in Islamic countries.  This was the reason that Muslims captured Israel after the death of Muhammad and paved the way for future clashes and blood-shed.

Islam is an anti-Semitic religion. It gives the right to every Muslim to take Jewish property by reciting the command of Muhammad to Jews: that the earth belongs to Allah and they must therefore be exiled from their homes and lands. This means that for Jews to prosper means disgrace and shame for Islam.

The root of this hatred goes deep and even the great initiatives and dollars of the West cannot extinguish the fire of Muslim hatred toward Jews or create peace in the area. For Muslims, Israel is not legitimate. It does not have a history in their history books or a map in their geography books. It does not even exist in their airline magazine maps. This obvious denunciation of the geographical Israel has been evident since its establishment in 1948. This has been ongoing partly due to the poorly designed foreign policies of western countries and the United Nations, who have chosen silence and indifference instead of meeting their international responsibility and demanding that principles of reciprocity be applied in the interests of peace.

Not only are Muslims taught to reject peace with Jews, but also to reject Jews themselves, and to destroy their interests wherever conditions are ripe. The whole philosophy of the PLO and the rise of Yasser Arafat were based on the Islamic belief that Jews ought to be fought against and humiliated until they embrace Islam. The invasions of Israel have not been because Muslims were oppressed by Jews or their lands were seized. Of course, Islamists need to paint their movement in this way in order to convince leaders in the West who were ignorant of this fact. They are claim victimhood in order to appear morally righteous in the eyes of the western media.  This is  ironic, as it is the absence of oppression which allows their propaganda to flourish.  To increase the effectiveness of their work, they have aligned themselves with anti-Judeo-Christian socialist supporters in the west who have decided to embrace the Islamists, whom they regard as the 'working class'.  These Western allies of Islamism reject democratic values — and the free-market economy — for the sake of establishing their own anti-capitalist socialism.  However they are unaware that  if Islamists come to power, they will persecute socialists also  (as occurred in Iran after the 1979 Revolution).

Islamists are not allowed to use any factual reasoning in their approach to non-Muslims or in their opposition to Israel. Islam has stripped their life of any reason. No logic or intellectual coherence works for them; all that is left to them are contradictory and belligerent assertions. Read what Allah says in the Quran:
[Moses said to his people:] O my people! Enter the holy land (Palestine) which Allah has assigned to you, and turn not back (in flight) for then you will be returned as losers. They said: "O Musa (Moses)! In it (this holy land) are a people [Palestinians] of great strength, and we shall never enter it, till they leave it; when they leave, then we will enter." Two men of those who feared (Allah and) on whom Allah had bestowed His Grace [they were Yusha' (Joshua) and Kalab (Caleb)] said: "Assault them through the gate, for when you are in, victory will be yours, and put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed."   (Q.5:21-23 Noble Quran).
Even the Quran says that Israel belongs to Jews, not the Palestinians, for eternity. If the Quran does not give them any rights to land, then how have Jews been able to occupy land that they were not entitled to in the first place? This is where Islamists have been able to deceive many of their own followers, as well as westerners, due to their lack of knowledge in this matter, convincing them that the solution to war in the Middle-East is the division of Jerusalem. It is sad that many western politicians see this Islamic manipulation as great wisdom. The lack of knowledge about Islam is breathtaking in the West. The West does not yet see that Islam is a religion of confusion and invasion.

Hopefully, this article has shed some light on the religious nature of what has been viewed as a purely political event.  What is being discussed here is deeper than just surface level politics. The implications of events taking place in Israel today will influence every aspect of our lives. 

You may also hold the view that the Israel-Palestine struggle is purely political, yet consider this: in Islamic doctrine – according to some scholars –  when the occupation of Israel is achieved, it will be used as the center of its power, through which the Islamization of the world will be achieved.

What then is our responsibility?

As members of the world community, we realize the importance of our right to protect our own borders. If any country’s freedom is threatened, we need to defend and uphold their freedom against such actions.  Knowing that the Islamic doctrine of occupation begins with Israel and then extends to all other countries, we should combat this threat before it takes place. Many Muslims are unaware that this impending war will also bring disaster and struggles upon themselves. Many lives will be lost on both sides.  It is our obligation to create awareness among them to prevent increased support for radical Islamists and their destructive doctrine.

For those of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we know that we have been shown grace in receiving the peace that lasts for all eternity, through the ultimate sacrifice that was given to us through God’s son, Jesus. Yet, we know that in this world, war and disunity will reign until Jesus returns to end all injustice.  Until this time comes, let us pray fervently to the Lord that He uses us as instruments to shine His light to Jews and Muslims alike; so that their hearts receive the peace that comes from knowing Christ as their Savior.  Only then, will Israel be a place of peace.

By Daniel Shayesteh and Cindy Shayesteh