Islamic Online University

Hi guyz, see this link:

http://www.bilalphilips.com/iou/info1.htm

This distance learning course is being offered by Dr. Bilal Philips under whom 3000+ Amercian Soldiers converted to Islam during the previous Iraq War of early 90's.

See this site for more information. This is a great place to learn the true islam.

 

Thanks for the interesting post. IIRC, Phillips is also connected with a school, US unaccredited but currently approved or accredited by Al-Azhar--American Open University. This IOU's legitimization seems a bit of a stretch. If you can track down this other school, which also promotes itself as an Islamic DL university, let us know what you think of it, particularly its credentials from abroad.

www.open-university.edu/

 

I am a veteran of that war (1st Infantry Division), and we were constantly bombarded with literature and lectures from the Saudi military urging us to convert to Islam. However, our Christian Chaplains (both Catholic & Protestant) were "officially" forbidden to wear the cross on their uniform, even though that is the official Army designation of Christian Chaplain, same as the crossed rifles signify Infantry. BTW....I say "officially" because every Chaplain I met simply ignored the order and wore the cross anyway. I don't klnow of any that got into trouble.

Anyway....assuming that I believe the 3000+ figure (which I don't), let's put that in perspective. About 500,000 US service members served in the first Gulf War. That means that about 497,000 didn't convert.

 

Reply for Sir Bruce

Hello Mr. Bruce.

Well i did not say that 80% or 90% of soldiers converted to islam. i just told the figure which Dr. Bilal Philips told everyone in his texts and speeches. So i am not in any way competing or comparing or trying to do any statistical stuff here but i am just telling some general info.

And btw, changing a religion is not easy. Even if 1 of 500,000 soldiers were converted to islam or whatever religion it was supposed to be, its still too much let alone 3000+ and u can imagine 3000+ is indeed a big big number in this context.

And when you said this:
"we were constantly bombarded with literature and lectures from the Saudi military urging us to convert to Islam..."

Well its rather strange...:S. Will u convert to any other religion if somebody keeps you "bombarding" with her stuff? Not really. And i am sure Amercian Troops and the entire system were strong/disciplined enough to block the bombardment (even if it did happen) by formally declaring that you guyz are getting hurt by such literature. Infact all those who converted found something interesting in the arab militarymen's way of life other than their military skills. How can u say that man that u were bombarded kinda stuff...If i were sitting at someplace and someone approaches me and starts bombarding (where bombarding means bugging...right?) me with her stuff, i would simply get against her. And you were an Army on a mission, how can u allow yourself to be bombarded?

Anywayz, take care. And believe me its not really a surprise that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. And yes...Islam is not what Osama Bin Laden thinks, Islam is the same as other religions with few key changes. Read Harun Yahya's books for a philosophical point of view on this and i am sure you wont be dissapointed.

Bye.

 

Hi Uncle Janko,

www.open-university.edu looks to be a nice site. But i dont see any sign of Dr. Philips connected to that school. See http://www.bilalphilips.com/abouthim/index.html#work where the universities he gives lectures in are listed.

But still, www.open-university.edu looks a good option. You can know more by visiting them. They have their physical address and phone number so i assume they are not like Al-Qasim Uni

 

Re: Reply for Sir Bruce

No, the only thing we were told was to be polite and not try to discuss our religious beliefs while we were being lectured about someone else's religious beliefs.

I found it interesting that the Saudi government was so afraid of what we might say to their soldiers that we were prohibited from even discussing religion with them.

 

I thought Phillips was in there somewhere. Maybe not. Thanks for the update.

 

Re: Re: Reply for Sir Bruce

But this all does not in any way kinda 'force' you to accept Islam i guess.

Well i suggest we leave it here maybe...as this site is about something else. peace bro.

 

http://open-university.edu/programs/EBP_summary.htm

A couple of his books are used in courses. I knew Phillips was in there somewhere!

 

thanks for the update Uncle

thanks Uncle Janko! gr8 work.

 

Re: Reply for Sir Bruce

well I agree with codebox on this. one need to really study and find out the positive and negative of a religion. I think if Islam is studied and understood, one would find good teachings and values. Respect for women, living in harmony with community having different religions etc etc.. totally opposite from what some convey and what media shows. Learning must continue into studying this religion too, but from correct sources.

 

I am definately unschooled in Islam but I don't see, as a casual observer of the world around me, how hiding women behind layers of cloth from head to toe can possibly be construed as having respect for women. But since I am an American woman who believes in equality for my sex I find this practice very unrespectable whether it's based in religion or not. So the media just makes all this stuff up? I work with some people who are from Islamic countries (male doctors). Many are great people whom I care about as people and caregivers, but I have a hard time with some of what I hear in reference to their positions on women. When they come to the US they have to rethink their positions as American nurses don't put up with it for very long. I worked with an anesthesiology resident from Jordan who stated he would not "dirty" himself with an American Christian woman. Okay, whatever. Oh, yeah, this same doctor referred to 9/11 as "the accident".

I also work with two male nurses who served in the gulf and asked them about the "bombardment" issue the other day. They concurred with what Bruce said. They said they just respectfully bowed away from such conversations.

Not trying to pick a fight. But if Islam wants to be part of the world around us they must take back their religion from those who have hi-jacked it from them.

 

That's interesting, considering that the Arab soldiers I served with were all too eager to dirty themselves. I sold one of them a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for the equivalent of $100 American. They also were desperate to buy some of the booze that relatives & friends had sent us.

 

but you sound like you have been schooled by CNN. As I said there are sources other than that which do not give you partial and one sided story. Like we do search for education and weight good and bad institutions and courses we need to do the same when it comes to religious education whether Christianity or Islamic. and yes there are problems created by various groups that represent a different view of the religion in almost all religions

When you look at a point look at it in detail. Understand in what symantec its being said and implemented by others. Saying that women are covered from head to toe is merely not enough. You looked at one side of the picture. Do you know why its done, what environment they live in and why they do that ? What facts does the religion provides for them to do that ? In christianity there are nuns who do the same, they are covered from head to toe. do you look at them the same way ? Why dont you think that is unrespectable to women as well ?

Ask yourself these questions.

 

here, read about singer Cat Stevens. there are some good articles there too.

http://catstevens.com/discography/people/00001.html

 

http://catstevens.com/articles/00009/index.html

 

Cat Stevens accepted Islam after doing a detailed study of the religion. I like his perspective on Islam. I already posted his Bio. here it is again.

http://catstevens.com/articles/00009/index.html

 

Hi Etech: I got your PM some time ago but was unable to get a reply through to you. Thanks for what you said.

 

I called in Saudi Arabia at the tail end of Gulf War I as a civilian crew member of a merchant ship. We carried 7000 tons of infidel high explosives back to North Carolina.

Anyway, we spend thirty days pierside while they loaded this stuff. We weren't allowed off the pier; might infect the country with liberalism or something. Being as we were saving their bacon, I felt a LITTLE RESENTMENT!

Some of my fellow Navy Reservists were serving at the same place I was. They'd been activated but I hadn't. They gave me a Stars and Stripes showing a Jewish soldier lighting his hanukah menorah in a non public place...His yamulka was made of desert camo material!

 

Hi etech - My view of Islam and women does not come from CNN, this would be an incorrect assumption. I have known two American women who followed their "men" back to the countries of their origin, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Both came back sorely illusioned about their mates and their mate's countries and told first hand of their treatment as women in those Islamic cultures.

Even more interesting to me is the women I know in medicine who are from Islamic countries now here and the stories they have told of their homelands, Egypt, Iran, Oman, and northern African nations and how they have been treated by their own religious institutions in their homeland.

It's true that I have not done scholarly research about Islam and yes, it's true that I find many Christians quite disturbing in their interpretations of the Christian teachings. I do not find Catholic nuns to be an good analogy of the women of Islam.