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Paderi Kristian Misi Murtad Masuk Islam

"Cerita benar yang menarik daripada Islamonline.net bagaimana Paderi Kristian

di Filipina yang menjalankan usaha untuk memurtadkan orang-orang Islam, dia pula yang
masuk Islam. Dan apa komen beliau mengenai pengurusan dakwah orang Islam yang lemah
tidak seperti pengurusan tersusun dakwah orang Kristian seluruh dunia. Satu cabaran untuk
para pendakwah yang makan gaji seperti di Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri, JAKIM, IKIM dan
sebagainya serta pendakwah sukarela, pendakwah bebas, ABIM, JIM dsbnya.

Juga cabaran kepada umat Islam di Malaysia ini secara umumnya, agar mengambil pendekatan
yang rasional untuk menangani gejala murtad.

Filipino Theologian Embraces Islam

http://islamonline.net/english/journey/2005/11/jour01.shtml
By Rexcel Sorza
November 7, 2005

IOL Philippines Correspondent

When Muslim rebel leader Nur Misuari wanted Mindanao to secede and become an Islamic
state, a Mindanao-born theologian and sociologist was among the first to rise and argue that
the southern Philippine island is never home to Muslims alone.

Catholic priest Estanislao Soria campaigned against the Moros’ takeover of the whole of
Mindanao. “I vehemently disagreed with Mr. Misuari. I campaigned against the Moro
movement,” said Soria, who used to be popularly known as “Father Stan.”

Soria did not want to argue without basis as he is an academic and theologian schooled in
the Jesuit-run learning institutions.

He embarked on a historical and sociological research to back his arguments. In the back of
mind, though, was the thought of the need to convert Muslims to Christianity. This also
brought him to read Islamic writings, and, quite surprisingly, lead him to revert to Islam.

“As a linguist well-versed in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, I thought I can learn Arabic that
easily. I also wanted to translate Arabic writings into English as well as translate Western
ideologies like existentialism into Arabic but I realized it was difficult,” he told
IslamOnline.net.

Soria believed that making Western writings available in Arabic would lead Muslims in
Mindanao to appreciate Christianity more than Islam. “I wanted to open their minds to
Christianity because I had heard a lot of negative things about the Muslims. I told myself

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they have to be educated.”

But in getting deep into his readings, Soria realized that persons considered as “Church
fathers” such as Saint Thomas Aquinas, got their knowledge from Islamic readings and
teachings; that many of the so-called Western ideologies and theologies have long been
discussed in Islam.

“[My readings] enlightened me that Western civilization’s thoughts sprung from Islamic
teachings. After reading more works of Islamic theologians, I strongly changed my views on
Islam,” he told IslamOnline.net.

Soria added, “I even realized that the Gospel of Barnabas is even more credible than the
gospels of the four evangelists [included in the Christian Bible].” The Gospel of Barnabas is
a work purporting to be a depiction of the life of Jesus by his disciple Barnabas. It is also
considered to be pro-Islamic.

He, too, found out through his sociological research that most of the negative things said of
the Filipino Muslims were untrue. “They were not what they were stereotyped to be.”

In 2001, Soria, who had served as parish priest in various cities and towns in Metro Manila
after taking his college and theology studies at Xavier University and Loyola School of
Theology, both of the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University, reverted to Islam.

He has since been known as Muhammad Soria, but many, including his Muslim friends, still
call him “Father Stan.”

The 64-year-old Soria said his decision was met with condemnation and disgust by most of
his relatives and former parishioners, an experience similar to what many of the Muslim
reverts, locally known as Balik Islam, go through. This, however, did not deter him from
leaving the priesthood after 14 years and embracing Islam.

Soria is getting used to Islam, which to him is not only a religion but a way of life.

He has gone on Hajj in Makkah five times already, being a member of the Islamic Da`wah
Movement of the Philippines. He also married a 24-year-old woman last year after living a
celibate life as a priest.

Soria said that if there is one thing that Muslims should learn from Christians, it is being
organized. To him, having a structure would greatly help in spreading Islam as structure
helped the Christians.

For example, he said, Muslims should put up universities all over the globe, as Catholic
missionaries did with their universities. Also, “why can’t Islamic states produce preachers
and do what the Christian missionaries did?” he asked.

He further said there is a need to “intellectualize Islam through rationality” because by

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doing so the teachings embodied in the Qur’an would be better appreciated by people totally
new to it.

He is also ecstatic about the annual fast this Ramadan. He said he is again reminded of the
sunrise to sundown fast’s “spiritual value” in contrast to the Christian’s dieting “which is too
material or human.”

Soria said, “In Islam, we are taught that if you discipline your body the Creator would grant
your wish.” Harmony between Filipino Muslims and Filipino Christians in this largely Christian
nation, amid the stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists, is among the wishes he prays to be
granted
Adaptasi dari : http://www.trangnukite.com

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