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A former Muslim is speaking out online about the Orlando massacre and her Facebook post went viral with 1.2 million views.
Isik Abla is now a Christian TV host. She told CBN News that the Orlando attack should be called exactly what it was: radical Islam.
Watch the full interview with Isik Abla about what she says motivated her to write the post and speak the truth about Islam.
"Islam is a dangerous ideology, not only a religion and that Islam cannot exist without being radical," Abla said.
"It is an ideology to destroy. It's mission is to destroy America," she added.
Abla said she posted the video about the truth of Islam as a wakeup call to America.
"This has been my heart's cry and I have been so passionate since September 11 because this is the country that I found freedom. This is the country I found Christianity, I found Jesus Christ and I got free," she said.
"When I was in my own country I had no voice I was less than a cow and in this beautiful free country I found freedom and I have a voice. And when this happened, I said, 'No, no, no no, America cannot afford this anymore. America cannot afford one more September 11 anymore,'" she continued.
"And this is my heart cry to all Americans. Even atheists are writing to me, even Buddhists are writing to me and they are telling me 'you are right.' We need to open up our eyes. So this message is not just for Christians. This message is for true Americans," she said.
Abla said Christians should respond to the Orlando tragedy and the homosexual community with more than just words of love.
"The world doesn't need another description of the Christianity anymore. The world needs the demonstration of the Christianity and this is where we fail," she said.
"And instead of getting all into this arguments and politics, if people just start loving people, sinners, and we are all sinners, with the love of Jesus Christ, until the point that they ask us 'What is this? I want to be like you.' Then you have the platform to tell them what Bible says about their lifestyle," she said.
How will the Christian community respond to this senseless tragedy? (Carlo Allegri/Reuters )
All of America, and especially those of us who live in Orlando, are reeling from the massacre at the nightclub on Saturday night.
When I moved here 43 years ago, I never envisioned this growing, family-oriented city would be the scene of the worst mass shooting in our nation's history.
I came here as a reporter with the Orlando Sentinel. When I awoke last Sunday morning and saw some of the reports from the Sentinel, I thought about how if I still had been covering the police beat as I did years ago, it would have been my job to cover this story in the middle of the night.
On Monday, I learned that the daughter of one of my staff and couple of her friends had been at the nightclub and left about 1:30 a.m., shortly before the carnage began. That brings it close to home!
I talked to a pastor who had five people in his church who knew someone in the club. A young man who had been in the club and escaped came to the altar Sunday morning.
By phone, I talked to another pastor who was literally in the hospital with the families of some of the victims as they were told what had happened to their loved ones. He and others from his church prayed with those who wanted prayer and tried to minister however they could. This included forming a human shield in order to avoid the media when the family members had to go to their cars.
Media are crawling all over Orlando looking for a story. The main north-south street in Orlando, Orange Ave, is blocked off. Earlier today, I could not drive down Orange Avenue when I was in that part of town. I could see the huge satellite dishes down the street as I turned at the detour.
When my wife and I were first married, we lived about a mile from where the carnage too place.
Several of the city's Christian leaders met Monday morning to talk about the proper Christian response to the tragedy. I discovered plans were already in place, including a memorial service this morning at Rollins College and a prayer gathering at First Baptist Church of Orlando Tuesday night. Christians are only now beginning to figure out what's going on and asking themselves the question, "how do we respond?"
In a way, it reminds me of when Trayvon Martin was killed in nearby Sanford in 2012. After that made national news, it took the Christian community a week or so to determine how to respond. Today, I reminded the group of the way Christian leaders came together in Sanford to help provide healing as well as avert what could have been a very sad and volatile situation.
Of course, the circumstances here are entirely different. The controversial Sanford incident was the tragic death of one young man. The Orlando shooting was a massacre carried out by an Islamic extremist who reportedly called 911 shortly before the shooting began to let everyone know of his allegiance to ISIS so that there would no confusion as to why he did this or what he was trying to achieve.
We are at war with extreme Islamic terrorists. Yet our president and others on the left try to make these terror acts sound as if they are the actions of "lone wolf," misguided and mentally disturbed extremists who aren't a part of a bigger plot. And they try to say it has to do with gun control. But France has very strict gun control, and look what happened there. This is a debate that will go on for a long time. We have to wonder how often terrorism has to occur and how many have to die before our nation wakes up to what's truly happening.
Many Muslims are peaceful, including a couple of families who live on my street. They are basically liberal Muslims who don't adhere to a strict understanding of Islam's doctrine, which includes world domination and the establishment of a Caliphate. I saw news today that Omar Mateen was a "soldier of the Caliphate in America."
While the politicians mull over policies on how to contain ISIS and how to protect our citizens, the Christian community has to respond in love.
Our city and segments of the nation are grieving and have to process this and understand exactly what it means. And we must do as the Bible says, " ... to grieve with those who grieve" (Rom. 12:15).
Charisma News reported this horrible massacre soon after it happened Sunday morning We have continued to cover it and will cover it in the days to come. I recorded a podcast about this tragedy, which you can listen to here. As appropriate, I will share my own perspective as a leader in this city.
I ask that you pray for the families and friends who lost loved ones.
Pray for me and other leaders as we discern what the Holy Spirit is saying about how to respond.
Steve Strangis the founder of Charisma and CEO of Charisma Media. Follow him onTwitter and Facebook. Click here to subscribe to the Strang Report podcast, and hereto sign up for the Strang Report newsletter.
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Dutch Sheets, Rick Joyner Offer Prophetic Wisdom in the Midst of Orlando Massacre
People attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the Orlando attack against a gay nightclub, held in San Francisco. (REUTERS/Stephen Lam)
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Forty-nine are dead—50 counting identified shooter Omar Marteen, who slaughtered more victims than any other shooter in U.S. history.
The nation appears paralyzed, with political candidates calling for gun reform and LGBT community support.
But pastors and prophetic voices alike are also speaking out. Here's what some of them have to say:
Prophetic voice Rick Joyner: "The Christian community has crossed swords with the LGBT for a long time, but when it comes to this kind of diabolical attack on defenseless victims, of any persuasion, we must stand together in defense of our fellow Americans. The fact is that most of the armed Americans who can defend their neighbors are conservatives, and liberal Americans tend to be anti-gun. So be it, but this is the time for the armed conservatives to be ready to defend their unarmed liberal neighbors, or LGBT neighbors.
"There are also many faces to Islam, just as their are many faces to Christianity. Moderate or liberal Muslims are some of the most at risk from radical Islamist, many of which truly are more Americans than Islamists. These we too must stand with and defend in these times when many will want to lump them together with the Muslim terrorists, but they are not. The worst deception that comes upon all of humanity is for us to judge other people, or people groups by their most extreme elements. Let us not fall to that deception as we resolve to defend the truth. We are at war with radical Islam, but not all Muslims are in this category. It may be easier to lump all Muslims together, but that is not the truth, and we must be committed to the truth."
Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd: "Our hearts are broken for the people of Orlando. May America Rise up and pray for the families of the victims and the entire city. Our Southern Baptist family will do so from across the world as well as from our convention at #SBC16 in St. Louis, In these perilous times in America, we are reminded again of our great need for Jesus Christ and for spiritual awakening in America."
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference President Rev. Samuel Rodriguez: "Today's deplorable act of terrorism goes against everything we stand for as Americans and as Christians. Every life, deserves to be loved, cherished and respected. We mourn with the families of the victims and pray for those injured in Orlando. In addition, we call upon all Americans to come together for the purpose of building a firewall of love, grace, truth and respect against intolerance, hatred, bigotry and violence."
Prophetic voice Dutch Sheets: "Debate it later. Pray now. The Lord is close 2 those who r brokenhearted. He rescues those whose spirits r crushed. Ps 34:17 #PrayForOrlando" (sic).
The Rock Church Pastor Miles McPherson: "Our hearts grieve with all the family and friends of those effected (sic) by today's tragedy in Orlando. May America's most deadly shooting be matched by America's most focused prayers for peace and unity."
SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore: "Let's call our congregations to pray together. Let's realize that, in this case, our gay and lesbian neighbors are likely quite scared. Who wouldn't be? Demonstrate the sacrificial love of Jesus to them. We don't have to agree on the meaning of marriage and sexuality to love one another and to see the murderous sin of terrorism. Let's also pray for our leaders who have challenging decisions to make in the midst of crisis. Let's mobilize our congregations and others to give blood for the victims. Let's call for governing authorities to do their primary duty of keeping its people safe from evildoers.
"And let's bear patiently with those who jump the gun in arguing about the politics on social media. For many of them, the jump to talk about gun control or Islam or military preparedness or any other issue isn't so much about pontificating as it is about frustration. They, like all of us, want this horror to end, and they want to do something—even if that's just expressing themselves on Twitter.
"As the body of Christ, though, we can love and serve and weep and mourn. And we can remind ourselves and our neighbors that this is not the way it is supposed to be. We mourn, but we mourn in the hope of a kingdom where blood is not shed and where bullets never fly."
Christian comedienne Chonda Pierce: "My heart breaks for the families of those killed last night in Orlando. The hate in people's hearts must indeed grieve the Lord so much. We are called to love. Period. My prayers are with those picking up the pieces of this broken world today."
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler: "This is when we show that Christians mourn with those who mourn. May the Gospel of Christ be evident as the only power greater than a broken heart."
Free Chapel Senior Pastor Jentezen Franklin: "Today we mourn the loss of so many Americans. We are praying for the hurting families to experience God's peace and comfort."
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