Transcription
Popular internet streamer Sneo had some fiery remarks during an Egyptian soccer celebration in New York City. Take a look.
>> ALLAHBAR. OH NO. OH NO. >> THIS IS THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF NEW YORK. >> ISLAM WILL BE IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD. INSHALLAH. THE WHOLE WORLD IS MUSLIM. WELCOME TO MONTANI'S NEW YORK. >> You see this city, you see HOW IT LOOKS. AND SHOW THEM ALL YOUR CITY LOOKS JUST LIKE THIS, TOO. >> ALL RIGHT, BILLY. What you think?
>> I Okay, I have a lot of thoughts. I think that we live in a country with a first amendment and religious liberty. U and so we can start there. But the idea that every home in New York City would be an Islamic home um is disturbing from a Christian perspective and also from a constitutional perspective. How is that going to the entire city of New York is going to be converted to Islam? That's what I'm to assume we I mean like my first thought when I watched this was is this for real? Is this serious? A. And B, if it is for real and it is serious in terms of this person's opinion and viewpoint, what in the world is going on? I do think we're seeing a number of concerning elements unfold when it comes to worldview. Listen, I'm a worldview person. I believe people can believe whatever they want. You're free to believe very bad ideas, very bad political ideas, very bad theological ideas. But my concern is when those ideas start to penetrate and take over geographic areas, what does that actually mean for the people living there? What does that mean for freedom? And I think one of the challenges that we've had with radical Islam in particular is that when it takes over a country or a location, what follows is generally very unpleasant. And so, you know, I don't know. It's like we can look at Afghanistan. We can look at all these different places around the world. Iran, I mean, let's go down the line and it's probably an 8020 9010 scenario. And Raj, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know. I'm just throwing numbers out. that is very unpleasant when you have a theological structure overtaking a country or a location. So the idea that New York City would be completely Islamic um I think is going to be seen as troubling again in light of political developments when you have candidates who are who are winning elections and they've purportedly said things about 9/11 that are disturbing and you have these sort of patterns in New York City in particular. It's it's a problem. So I'll I'll stop there and let you and let you respond.
I don't think this is surprising at all. This is the foundational tenant of Islam uh conquest. I mean, look at all the uh Islamic nations with swords in their flags. Uh and if you say, "Well, who cares about this sneak guy?" He's he's a big deal amongst young people, amongst streamers. Uh but I think it's important to to realize that this isn't this isn't surprising. I think I think people forget that Spain was conquered by the sword, by Islam. I mean there was a point in which a battle here or there and all of Europe would have been conquered by the sword uh not by evangelism. Uh you know they they they made it to to Vienna. I mean all basically the entirety of of the Islamic world from Egypt to Syria to Turkey was a was Christian. It was all part of the Byzantine Empire. And within a hundred years you go from like southern France to India. Uh that's not evangelism. That's by the sword. That's that's what has what has happened uh because of Islam. I think it's important to read just a couple verses from Islam. Uh Surah 47:4. So when you meet the disbeliever in battle, strike their necks until you have thoroughly subdued them. Then bind them firmly. Surah 9:5. But when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists who violate their treaties. Wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie and wait for them on every way. Surah 9:20. fight those who do not believe in Allah in the last day, nor comply with what Allah and his messengers have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth among those who have given the scripture until they pay the tax willingly submitting fully humbled. This is not uh this is actually kind of the natural outworking. I I I find it surprising that people find this surprising. But what I what I love though is juxtaposing that with the true king of heaven with the with the true lord of lords with the with the king of kings Yeshua Hamashiach who says but to you who are listening I say oh my goodness and if you come from Islamic background let the holy spirit open your heart and hearts love your enemies do good to those who hate you bless Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. And instead of go kill the polytheists and submit people and bind them and strike their necks as God incarnate was being crucified and paying the price for our sins so that we wouldn't have to be afraid but be able to boldly come to the throne room of grace. And as he has a crown of thorns and his back has been torn open and he's experiencing the worst physical experience, emotional experience that anyone has ever experienced. God himself looks down from that cross and what does he say? Father, forgive them for they do not what they know what they are doing. Father, forgive them. The message of Yeshua, the message of the Bible, the message of these 66 books is grace, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, patience, mercy. Not because we deserve it, but inherently because we don't, but because our God is so good. Yahweh is his name. Yeshua Hamashiach. Um, and so I don't push back with political talking points. I don't push back with u getting riled up at Sneo. I'm brother, if you're watching this, I'm praying for you, man. Um cuz conquest isn't the isn't of God. Um love, peace, shalom, forgiveness, communion with the living God, that is what is offered by the true and living God of heaven found in this book. And so I think my main encouragement is not a political push back, but it's saying, "Hey, crack open the Bible. Crack open John and Romans and even the other stuff, Isaiah, the Psalms, Proverbs, Exodus, and see the heart of the father and then compare it to what was created in the seventh century in Arabia." And I don't think there's any comparison, but uh I will give you the last word, Billy. But again, my encouragement to you, Sneo, if you're watching this, is u that you would have a a deeply profound encouer with Yeshua, which is happening all over the Islamic world. People from Egypt to Iran to Turkey to Bangladesh are are having dreams and vision visions of Yeshua. Why? Because he is the way, the truth, and the life. But I will send it back to you, Billy.
>> Yeah. And who knows, you know, who knows what he meant, you know, with those words that every household was essentially going to be Islamic. I don't know. But I will tell you what we do know is everything you just said, you know, you mentioned Jesus's words on the cross, we see a pattern of this. We see when Steven was being stoned in Acts 7 that as he's being stoned, you know, he says, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." In the middle of them stoning, but he says something else. Lord, do not hold this sin against them. If Stephen in the midst of the most horrific moment of his life as he's being killed, stones are striking him. I picture the stones hitting him in the head. He's he's dying. And his last words are, "Do not hold this sin against them." That is the antithesis of almost every other faith system out there, but in particular radical Islam. It is the polar opposite of it. It is what we are called to do. It is so hard when people harm us and hurt us. When people say mean things about us, it's hard to not wish bad things to happen to them or to be angry. And yet, you have Stephen offering that example. And when you look at Jesus in John 3 talking to Nicodemus, he talks about being born again. And Nicodemus is like, "What do you mean I can't go back into my mother's womb?" Jesus is like, "No, it's about accepting me, dying to self, and living like I do." And how does Jesus live? Just like you described on the cross, saying, "Father, do not hold these sins against him." Just like Stephen who followed Jesus said,"Do not hold those sins against them." That is what Christianity is. And so we need to be praying for our country, for our cities, for our towns. You know, look, we're free to elect a Muslim mayor. Um, we're free to do that. We live in a country with a first amendment, but we don't want to see Islam from a theological perspective dominate anything. We want to see Jesus change people's hearts. It's not about domination, right? It's about people's hearts aligning with the one true king. And when that happens, individual lives are changed corporately. Commun families are changed, communities are changed. That's what we need to be praying for for America.