A Sunday school class recently asked me to teach a lesson on Islam. The request was the result of one the class members' forwarding an anti-Muslim email. He was not trying to support the views in the email. He was honestly asking for discussion. And so, I responded. The email had many common arguments about Islam being violent and attempting to take over the culture of countries in which Muslims live. What was new in this email, to me at least, was the argument that a Muslim cannot be a citizen of the United States because a Muslim cannot live under the US Constitution (which the email claims is a Christian document) and because a Muslim cannot pledge the flag because a Muslim believes in a different god and cannot say "One nation under God."
My response said a lot about whether and in what sense the US Constitution is a Christian document, and if it is, what it might mean to consider the freedom of conscience it guarantees, a freedom that is certainly central to any meaningful understanding of the Christian faith? Perhaps those reflections might make for another blog.
Responding to that email caused me to reflect on something else, though, something I had considered but not deeply enough. The email dealt extensively with violence and terrorism. But what of Muslim victims of terrorism inspired by radical Islamics. Were Muslims not also killed in the attacks of 9-11? Did their families not mourn as deeply as any other victims' families? Did they grieve their losses any less than Christians, Jews, or people of no faith? They most certainly did. The terrible thing for these families is that they were doubly victimized. Not only did they experience loss, but their faith was also blamed for the very thing that killed their loved ones. Rather than being comforted by our culture, they were demonized.
I also have considered what it must mean to be a Muslim soldier fighting in the US Armed forces. Many Muslims came to America in search of the promise of religious freedom, and loved this country because they found the freedom they sought. Their children went to war in defense of these freedoms. Many have given their lives because they love America. Many are now returning from war. Their fate reminds me of soldiers who returned from the Vietnam War expecting the nation to gratefully celebrate their sacrifice, only to be spit upon and be called baby killers. Our nation has largely learned the lessons of this mistake, and even those who have opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been careful to say that they appreciate and support the troops' sacrifice. But Muslims who serve must feel that much of our nation has returned suspicion and intolerance for their contribution.
I am a Christian. I do not believe much of what Islam teaches. But I have taken the time to understand Islam and to understand where I agree with Muslims and where I disagree. I've read the Koran, and I've read about Muslim history and culture. I've been to two countries (Turkey and Israel) with significant Muslim populations. I've done what I can to get to know Muslim people and talk openly with them about their faith and practice.
To me, this is what it means to be a person who embraces the truth. I cannot talk about Islam unless I have honestly engaged with both the faith and gotten to know people who practice it. The Ten Commandments tells us not to bear false witness. If we have not taken the time to learn what Muslims believe and how diverse and variegated their community is, then I have no business making and acting on uniformed judgments. Jesus taught that we should do unto others as we would have done to us. Don't we expect that people outside our faith who disagree with us will disagree on the basis of who we are, and not on the basis of the very worst that has been said and done by the very worst people who have claimed the name of Christ?
Muslim intolerance has recently been in the news because TLC's reality show "American Muslim" was attacked by the Florida Family Association and caused Lowe's to pull its advertising. Many people reacted against this intolerance and the controversy actually has been a boon to the show.
The first people to defend the show should have been Christians. The show simply shows the lives of Muslims, helps people to get to know real Muslims. It's not propaganda. In no way does it defend radical Islam or terrorism or Shari'ah. If we can't face reality, if we can't make our determination about people and their views on the basis of those people being real people who we have gotten to know in any sense, then what's left for us? How can we ever move forward and how can we ever live on the same planet peacefully?
Tolerance can mean nothing more than allowing another person to inhabit the same world without bothering them as long as they don't bother you. Is this what Jesus taught us? In no way should Christian people compromise their Christian beliefs in order to be politically correct in regards to Islam. But if we are to be followers of Jesus, who left heaven to engage us and taught us to be people of truth who love our enemies, then we must engage Muslims on the basis of who they really are. What would it hurt to get to know a Muslim, to ask them about their faith, to find out if there are any points of connection, to find out if they are people like us who care about many of the same things we care about?
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