Women Saints Who Suffered under Islam

In this article, Fr George Maximov cites some historical examples of Muslim persecution of Christian women. Two were killed by their own families or fellow villagers, becoming martyrs — witnesses — for Christ by their faith. The first example cited, the Martyr Argery, was imprisoned for seventeen years until her death because she, a married Christian woman, rejected the lustful advances of a Muslim man. 

Islam's brutal and horrific treatment of young Christian girls and women, has its roots in the Quran and the example of Muhammad. Hence rape of captive women, the taking of sex slaves, and forced marriage and conversions to Islam are codified in Islamic law.

The status of women in Islam in general is extremely demeaning, especially when contrasted with the exalted status of women in Christianity. 

How a culture views and treats its most vulnerable members reveals much. Islam's sub-human view of women, as stated in its holy texts, and its treatment of women as witnessed around the world via honor killings, spouse abuse, acid attacks on women, clitorectomies, epidemic rape, stoning of adulterers, etc., goes a long way towards proving Islam to be a false religion.

For contemporary examples of women saints under the yoke of Islam, see the lives of New Martyrs Helen the Accountant and Mary the Copt.

Women Saints Who Suffered under Islam

by Fr. George Maximov, Pravoslavie, via Pravmir — October 3, 2008

If we have not found ourselves in a Muslim environment due to increased migration and conversion to Islam, many of us have Muslim neighbours. Like all people, these neighbours are different but as a rule they don’t hide their faith or their conviction in its superiority but often make attempts to acquaint people with it.

It is a sad event when, as often happens, an Orthodox girl or woman marries a Muslim and perhaps even adopts Islam.  Those who do not adopt it personally have to be prepared for their children becoming Muslims – such are laws of Islam. Practice shows that this results in family misfortune and the suffering and grief of these women.

If we think about it, this is not surprising. After all, it is not by mere chance the church forbids marriage between those of different faiths. Such marriage will not be consecrated by the church canons and therefore will not be blessed by God.  Perhaps the main issue is that a married couple should be united in everything.  It is a natural law and the desire of human souls. But if such unity is missing in the most essential thing – faith – it will not be present in other things. In the beginning mutual affection disguises this lack but without real unity as a foundation affection fades away fast.  When this happens, inner discord inevitably shows up on the surface and under this or that pretext it will start darkening the marriage more and more as time goes on.

Some unhappy women, realizing this by intuition, adopt Islam. But practice shows that such a step doesn’t make the tempted women happy as apostasy is a heavy sin which, if not repented of, creates a heavy burden in this life. A lot of terrifying examples are known from the life of such “Russian Muslim women” whose husbands threw them out of their homes, took away their children, beat them, treated them as beasts.  God cannot be profaned:  we reap what we sow.

However there are cases, although not many, when an Orthodox girl convinced her Muslim fiancé to convert to the true faith. And after baptism and a church wedding such marriages were very strong and happy. To support these decisions we will recall several cases when Orthodox women of strong faith and love for Christ, after suffering from conflict with the Islamic world, could bring the great fruit of sacredness and prove the superiority of the true faith.

Saint Argery (Argyrie)

Icon of Saint Argery (Orthodox

church of St Cosmus and St Damian.

Avignon, France)

In the early 18th century in the Ottoman Empire, in the provincial town of Prusse there lived a beautiful Greek girl called Argery. She was brought up by pious parents and when she was young she met her love – a kind Greek youth. They got married in the church and their honeymoon was happy. But their Turkish neighbour was inflamed with lust towards Argery and tried with his sweet words to talk her into committing adultery in the absence of her husband. The pious wife declined his advances. Then the embittered Turk slandered her before the judge of Prusse by telling him that she had promised to become Muslim. According to the laws of Sharia, a person who expressed the wish to become Muslim must adopt Islam; if he denies thereafter he must be punished: for a man – death penalty, for a woman – life imprisonment. The judge, having believed the plaintiff, immediately put Argery into prison. Her husband, who thought the judgment was biased, demanded its transferal to Istanbul.

But it didn’t help. Both Argery and the Turkish plaintiff came to the court of the capital where the Muslim witnessed against her, giving the false evidence about her before the judge. Argery replied that she had never said anything like she was charged with She also said that she was not going to betray her faith; she was a Christian and wanted to die as a Christian. According to the judge’s order she was beaten and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Indonesian Orthodox Mission thrives despite Muslim Death Threats and Persecution

"The whole territory was occupied by angry Moslems, many of whom were armed with knives. They were shouting that they would destroy the church and kill the priest, and they were demanding that we hand him over to them...

"...Despite some difficulties, I must say that the Lord protects the Orthodox, and in the past years there have not been any incidents where our churches have been blown up, or our brothers and sisters massacred..."  — Fr. George Maximov

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'IF JESUS IS GOD, LET MY DAUGHTER BE ALIVE!'

Notes about Indonesian Orthodoxy

by Priest George Maximov, Pravoslavie — April 23, 2015

See more articles by Fr. George Maximov...

What is the Crown Princess of Bali doing in an Orthodox church, why do Russians prefer to confess to Indonesians, and why Orthodoxy is a blessing for Indonesia — these and other themes are discussed in the Indonesian notes of Fr. George Maximov.

Jakarta, Indonesia.

The first thing that struck me upon landing in Jakarta was how undeveloped the airport was. You didn't have the familiar electronic information boards—you had to walk up to someone who works there and ask them which baggage belt they were unloading luggage from such-and-such a flight on. I was also amazed at the Indonesian practice of gluing large photographs of themselves onto their carryalls and suitcases, with their telephone number written underneath—apparently they are easier to find in case of loss. But when these suitcases with the portraits of their owners are moving one after the other on the baggage belt, it looks pretty funny.

The city itself is large, but by comparison with, for example, Bangkok, it doesn't produce such a good impression.

I had occasion to serve an all-night vigil in St. Thomas's Church in Jakarta (ROCOR). The rector was an Indonesian, Fr. Boris. When I saw him, I thought that he was hardly over 20, and the thought flashed through my mind: “How could they have ordained such a young man?” It turned out that he was really 38 years old. Asians tend to look younger than their age, but Fr. Boris broke all records in this regard.

Inside St. Thomas Church

An Indigenous Mission

I found Indonesian Orthodoxy very touching, both in this church and in another that I served in. The priests, the servers, the choir, and the parishioners are all Indonesians, mostly former Moslems. No 'white' missionary travelled to them or preached—these Indonesians converted themselves, preach to others themselves, serve themselves, and try to lead a Christian life themselves. St. Nicholas of Japan's preaching was very well organized, so that for the most part he was the only Russian missionary, while the Japanese converts—catechizers and priests—carried out the business of preaching; he only guided them and set them on the right course. It was thought through splendidly. And in Indonesia we see something even more amazing: where there is not one single missionary come from the outside at all to direct and supervise, but where everything is done by the Indonesians themselves.