Interview of a converted Muslim Cleric to Orthodoxy in the UK.
A Muslim cleric converts to Orthodoxy
Calligraphy of the Our Father in Arabic *
Interview with a former Muslim preacher who converted to Orthodoxy in the United Kingdom.
Father Nicolas Savchenko, Acting Rector of the Church of the Dormition in London (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Borders) speaks with Daniel).
(, ) . Russian Orthodox Church in London.
Daniel, please tell me about yourself.
I have been for many years a devout Muslim, and my wife and my children. I was born in the United Kingdom, but in my life, I have traveled extensively in Muslim countries. I know the British culture and Muslim. I lived in Saudi Arabia, where I studied theology and have contributed to the mission among the Muslim foreign workers. I also spent some time in Afghanistan under the Taliban, Pakistan and Kashmir on the Pakistani side. I also stayed in Bosnia. In recent years I lived with my family in London, where some time ago, I've become the representative of Islam in an inter-religious organization dedicated to the well-known peace. The last two years I also served as adviser on Islam, Archbishop of Canterbury. Two days ago, I called him and told him that I entered the Orthodox Church in Russia.
What was his attitude?
W The Archbishop of Canterbury has been very happy. He once told me that recently, two employees of the administration staff of the Anglican Church were received into the Orthodox churches: he respects their choices, and they will continue their work in the administration of the Anglican Church.
What led you to Christ?
The first time I had the desire to study in detail the New Testament, I got it when I found myself in front of the Kaaba in Mecca. I then lived a while in Mecca. Christian literature in Saudi Arabia is strictly prohibited and many websites are blocked well, but the development of modern telecommunications, it is not difficult for those who seek to find the Word of God. After some time, I tried to convince an American who worked in the Saudi capital to convert to Islam. When I spoke with him, he responded with great courage and conviction. I was surprised by his courage, as in Saudi Arabia, a man who preaches Christianity, can easily be killed. Conversations with Christians in Saudi Arabia were very important to me. As a person associated with the mission of Islam in Arabia, I met many foreigners. I always noticed that in most cases, people have converted to Islam, not because it was their free choice, but to continue working in Saudi Arabia and get a tax exemption imposed non-Muslims. The fact is that the wages of non-Muslims are inferior to those of Muslims because of the need to pay a special tax, set by Muhammad. Salaries in Saudi Arabia for Christians are very low, and some convert to Islam to win more money. The majority of Filipinos who returned home immediately renounced Islam. I began to explore Christianity more and gradually I felt his superiority over Islam. Orthodoxy, I met the first time consciously in the capital of Bosnia in Sarajevo. Unfortunately, the priests in Sarajevo did not speak English and I could not really express what I wanted. After waiting until a group of scholars away from the church I went to the Serbian church, and I felt the astonished gaze of the priest Serbian, I'm signed in as Orthodox and I made a prostration till the ground. I knew then that orthodoxy was, of all Christian denominations closest to me. I even studied Christianity and Orthodoxy, I read books and watched movies. I also liked the movie "ОÑтров (Island)". Gradually, I decided to get baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Lately we hear increasing reports of spread of Christian missions in Muslim countries. Is this significant in Islamic countries?
I agree that there are many secret Christians in Saudi Arabia. I myself have several times met people who were probably hidden Christians. We must understand this, and in Arabia and in other countries, perhaps most Muslims go to mosque, not because their faith encourages them to do, but because they are obliged to do under pressure of laws and customs. The visiting mosques becomes a burden. Muslims today have a much less religious than previously thought in the Christian world. In Muslim countries there are many mosques it says prayers five times a day, except on Friday but nobody goes to the mosque. Apart from Friday, in any mosque to pray, you will not see more than five men, although there are a large number of houses, inhabited by Muslims all around. Most Muslims do not go to the mosque, even on Fridays. Some are starting to go in the period of Ramadan, but after the fast, they disappear until next year. In the mosque on a weekday in the month of Ramadan, there may be a hundred people, although there might be thousands after the end of Ramadan there will be more than five people. In Muslim countries, many people seek the truth, that is why the Christian mission will grow. Most spread Christianity among friends, and recently there is a television channels and many more websites dedicated to the mission among Muslims. In general, many Muslims away from Islam, and this is particularly apparent in Western countries. In Britain, many Muslims converted to Christianity. In the Anglican Church Muslims who have adopted Christianity, are estimated at one hundred thousand people. Many of them are Pakistanis. They have their own Christian churches, they are forced into hiding because of the danger of reprisals from Muslims. There are also Arabs and Bengalis converted to Christianity. They are very likely to convert to Christianity because of mixed marriages.
There have been many recent media reports about the growth of Islam in Western countries and has even claimed that the number of faithful Muslims will soon surpass the number of parishioners in Christian churches. It seems strange that the press has raised the number of Muslims, followers of mosques, many times the capacity of mosques themselves! But this is not mentioned in the press. What is the truth?
The presence in the mosques in the United Kingdom is very low. Most Muslims will never go to the mosque. Young people have actually left Islam, even though they say they are still Muslims. In the mosques, they do not find common language with imams from Pakistan or Bangladesh. Young people can barely speak Urdu or Bengali, but only English, many are ashamed of Islam because of terrorism. Our inter-religious council investigated the attendance of mosques and we know what the true picture and it is particularly alarming for Islam, but it is advantageous for some to present Islam as a huge strength. Taking the list of mosques in Muslim publications, for example, in West London, we see that there are 20 mosques and a lot of open space in the mosques, although the number of persons of Muslim origin in London is such that there should be more mosques, while the majority went. In a large mosque in London for the Friday prayers there could be 300 people. A mosque smaller - about 30 people. Many mosques are just small rooms, which are frequented on Fridays. In general, adherents of the mosques are very rare and most are children of the faithful qu'amènent their parents. When they get older, they disappear. Christianity offers a free choice, therefore, Christianity is much better suited to life in a climate of tolerance, Islam can not withstand this test.
The media have talked about the adoption of Islam by many Britons. Muslims have an image, almost triumphant Islam in the West. However, the actual number of British members of the Muslim colony is very low, only about 1,200 people. How do you feel this contradiction?
The question is not simple. I have been involved in the mission of Islam in Britain and I can say that the number of converts to Islam is minimal. At Friday prayers in central London at the mosque the number of British Muslims may be 1%. And outside London, we can never figure. All Muslims know the real number of converts to Islam. There are those who accept Islam because of marriage with Muslims. The British did not go into the mosques, and their acceptance of Islam is formal. Very often, they remain for all [Muslims] Christians. Among those who accept Islam because of marriage, the majority are women. In addition, many descendants of immigrants themselves as British Muslims in Britain, even if they are not, as children of Pakistani immigrants. They can also be trained in the full sense of British Muslims. I spoke with many women who divorced their husbands Muslim and I can say from memory, in London some 25 British women remained Muslim after divorcing their Muslim husbands. But in general, mixed marriages lead to separation of Islam. The mission of Islam in the West did not succeed. In London, there is a missionary organization dedicated to the preaching of Islam. It is mostly young. But they carry out a mission among Muslim immigrants, because it is much more efficient, and the British did not convert to Islam.
When some Muslims say that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, imams in London say that this growth is mainly related to fertility, but there is no mission. I have no doubt that Christianity is much stronger as a mission.
Are there many Muslims who convert to Christianity in Britain?
On the one hand there are a whole lot. This is done without any publicity. Indeed, according to most schools of Islam, an apostate from Islam should be executed, but the imams of the main mosques in London say they can not be executed for apostasy from Islam.
However, on the other hand, we can say that there are few, since many more Muslims simply leave their faith and become unbelievers. The state of disbelief is an illness common to all. Some Muslims try to present atheism and irreligion as characteristic of Christian civilization, but the Muslims themselves, even more than Christians lose faith in the Western world. However, there is a very good example of Russia and other Orthodox countries, where the church is growing, despite the freedom of choice. I hope one day to go to Russia, but for now I must rebuild my life as an Orthodox Christian.
http://orthodoxologie.blogspot.com/2010/02/un-predicateur-musulman-se-convertit.html
