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"DEEDAT'S DOWNFALL
Many readers have been asking whether Ahmed Deedat, the Muslim debater, is still alive.
As of this writing (July 2005) he is alive, but he cannot speak and he is completely paralysed. In fact, Deedat has been in this condition since he suffered a rare kind of stroke nine years ago. Few people outside his home city of Durban are aware of this, and even fewer, know the sequence of events leading to this tragedy.
Four weeks before Deedat was stricken he attacked the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ in front of a large audience in Australia. These provocative lectures "raised the ire of the Australian government", causing them to "threaten to deport him unless he toned down the content of his
Good Friday lecture in Sydney." (Daily News, Durban, 6 May 1996) Incidentally, Deedat's inflammatory reputation caused Singapore to ban him from entering their country.
If a secular entity like the Australian government was so offended, what was the Christian church feeling? And more importantly what were they doing about it? Following is the record of how Christians responded in Durban where Deedat founded and directed the Islamic Propagation Centre International.
The publication of Deedat's book "Combat Kit" (1992) marked the beginning of the end. This vicious and ridiculing attack on the Bible set in motion events which proved to be Deedat's undoing. During the next year a small group of Christians prayed about these provocations. Finally I wrote Mr. Deedat a personal letter, in which I refuted two of his most vile and vicious attacks. He did not acknowledge receiving the hand-delivered letter - much less answer it.
[This personal letter is now displayed
here. An expanded rebuttal which correlates with this letter has been available on
this page already since 1996.
This article reports about another visit to Deedat that is related to the same issue.]
In the following months a group of nearly two dozen pastors from many different churches and denominations deliberated and prayed about these mocking attacks on the Holy Bible. They decided to issue a stern public rebuke through an open letter in the Daily News of Durban. They warned him of God's judgement because Deedat refused to retract his defamatory and unscholarly attacks against the Bible.
[
See this page for a reproduction of the open letter.]
This confrontation - and the stroke that Deedat suffered 21 months later - is reminiscent of another confrontation between the apostle Paul and Elymas, the sorcerer. We read that Paul sharply rebuked him, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." (Acts 13:10,11) It should not surprise us that God vindicated his holiness by striking Elymas with temporary blindness. So also with Deedat: he suffered a severe stroke, rendering him speechless and paralysed.
God declares in his word, "Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair." (Proverbs 29:1)
Some readers might object to this line of reasoning, arguing that the stroke happened 21 months after the rebuke was issued. They would argue that there is no cause/effect relationship. However, the Bible (and also the Qur'an) clearly teach that God does not always punish sin immediately (Romans 2:1-4; surah 16:61). He shows forbearance and patience. God gave Deedat ample time to repent. It seems more than coincidental that Deedat was struck down four weeks after mocking the crucifixion in his Autralia lecture tour, climaxing with another attack on Good Friday, the highest commemorative day of Christianity. We believe that the stroke which silenced Deedat was an act of judgment, timed by God to happen on the heels of this broadside attack against the cornerstone doctrine of salvation. This particular provocation needs to be understood against the backdrop of Deedat's repeated disregard to refutations and finally to a public warning. His mouth was shut and continues to be shut as long as he remains obstinate.
Giving a sharp rebuke should not be misunderstood as a vengeful act. Deedat was reminded - in the open letter of rebuke - that God could forgive him if he would admit his wrong. Unfortunately, neither at that time, nor on subsequent occasions when we visited him in his paralysed condition, did he stop attacking the Bible. Interestingly, he allowed me (and one of my friends) to pray for him when we visited him at his home - without any apparent healing taking place. On our next visit we followed up this unfinished matter by reminding Deedat that God's Word says sin hinders our prayers from being answered. We read King David's words, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear." (Psalm 66:18) Then we reminded Deedat of the open letter of rebuke which preceded his stroke. We asked him whether he was now prepared to admit having done wrong.
Deedat spelled out his emphatic reply, one letter at a time, "I have no guilt on my head." (Such communiques from Deedat are obviously inaudible. He indicates his choice of individual letters by blinking his eye.) It was - and still is - our sincere prayer that Deedat would humble himself and experience God[s mercy and healing.
David Foster
Durban, 10 July 2005
http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Deedat/downfall.htm
