The Continuing Story of Islamist Violence

Insights From Cole Richards, President Of The Voice Of The Martyrs, On the Continued Rise of Violence from Muslim Extremists

The following reflection is written by Cole Richards, President of The Voice of the Martyrs. In this insightful passage, he dives into the rise of Muslim extremism and how we are called to share the gospel with even the most violent extremists.

Coverage of the violent spread of Islam has varied widely in the news media, leading some to believe it has subsided. It has not. Constant, comprehensive reporting kept the rise and decline of the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at the forefront of international news in the years following the 2014 fall of Mosul in northern Iraq. But in sharp contrast, the violent spread of Islam across much of the African continent in the last five years — and continuing today — has received little attention.

As Christians, we cannot count on the news media or other secular sources to inform us in ways that help us love and serve our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters. As fellow members of the body of Christ, we must share their stories and carry their message ourselves! Let us resolve to be the voice of our suffering Christian family members in Africa. May they never bear the full weight of their suffering alone.

Islamists in Africa today are simply continuing the story of Islam’s expansion through violent conquest that began with Muhammad 1,400 years ago. Nearly all of today’s Muslim-majority nations in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia became so not through the changing of hearts and minds but through conquest at the point of the sword. Today, people pursuing Islam’s historical agenda of establishing a global caliphate (Islamic theocracy) are using the same barbaric methods used by their founder and early leaders. They have made significant advancements in much of the African continent in recent years, displacing hundreds of thousands of Christian families while the rest of the world barely takes notice.

We must wholeheartedly and unreservedly love Muslims, and that is why we must tell them the truth. The core teachings of Islam — not just the parts that precipitate violence — are false. Islam’s founding prophet, Muhammad, and its primary sacred text, the Quran, are wrong about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is not merely a prophet. He is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). He is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). We must cry out to Muslims, including those who persecute us, “Come, taste and see that the Lord is good! Come and drink of the Living Water. He is the way, the truth and the life; no one may come to the Father except through him.” The contrast is clear: Muslim extremists in Africa are willing to kill Christians to advance their ideology, while our African Christian brothers and sisters are willing to die to bring them the love and truth of Christ. We must stand with them now, in their time of great need.