By Beth Peltola

Phobias, Islam and "Islamophobia" has been in the news a fair bit lately. Conservative commentators have been highlighting their concern about the over used slur: “Islamophobia.” Noone really knows what it means, but accusers generally mean to label you as a hater of Islam or Muslims.

The ‘phobia’ label is usually given to shut down free speech.

I was struck by President Biden’s comments at the signing of the Defence of Marriage bill in December 2022:  “Racism, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia,  [add ‘Islamophobia’] they're all connected," Biden said. “But the antidote to hate is love.” Well, the antidote is right, but the ‘phobia’ name-calling means anyone who dares disagree is often put into a ‘phobia’ category, then deemed ‘hateful’ by some corners of Western society.

The Christian is faced with a dilemma here. Go along quietly, which might be appropriate at times, or dare to love enough to disagree with some powerful forces among today’s elite rulers. Jesus did. He for sure has disagreed with many trends through the ages. He still does! He shows his thoughts through the standing of the Church. Christians stand firm as He does, while remaining filled with love for those who hate Christian values. That too is the way of Christ.  

I recall listening to Muslim missionaries shouting out words which undermined the Lord Jesus. They stood on step-ladders in London’s public squares so all could hear. Some drew large crowds of mostly Muslims, and together with the speakers, they nodded their approval as they continued to blame the West’s problems, such as racial tensions or societal depravity, on Christianity.

When I dared to speak up and provide a defence for Christianity, the speakers didn’t want to hear, though some in the crowd did. My point was to highlight the example of Jesus’s life with us 2000 years ago - he never rejected someone due to opinion, lifestyle, ethnicity or nation. He may have disagreed with them, sometimes firmly, yet He engaged their ideas, or spoke about their life-choices. Better still, he died for them! I doubt his way is the source of the West’s problems! Society would look quite different if we followed his example.

Back to engaging the Islamic crowd on the source of the West’s problems. After a while I pointed out Muhammad’s interactions with Jews, Christians and pagans, (from Islam’s own biographies of his life) which led to the enslavement of Jewish and Christian girls (some into his own harem or cluster of wives). Consequentially, his example led to the enslaving of millions of African and European families for centuries (ongoing even today). This is long before the dreadful trans-Atlantic slave trade, which launched from the pan-African slave trade. The behaviour evidenced in Islam’s slave trade, such as it’s narrow colour-categorisations of people into black and white, expensive or cheap, young or old, is not overly helpful to solving the problems we face in today’s world. Those categories still wound people today! Enslaving women and men from other religions and ethnicities does not give us a problem-solver.

I knew what the response would be when I read Islam’s own story and the Qur’anic support for what I was saying: “You are Islamophobic!!!” “We’re going to report you to the police!” It didn’t matter that the stories could be read verbatim out of the earliest biographies of Islam and the Qur’an (Qur’an 2:222-223, 4:3, 4:24, 4:34). Quietly to my side a Muslim girl was reading the texts I had in hand, and she wanted to know more. But she was shushed quickly by the Muslim male crowd around us.

It is a sad day when we cannot point out tough facts about each other’s beliefs. Yet society is quick to judge someone with ‘phobia’ tags, ensuring they are seen as a categorisation deemed hateful, when in fact they are only speaking truth.

Truth really can be spoken in love. And it can in itself be a loving thing to proclaim.

Certainly hateful attitudes and ugly slander is not of Christ, and the Christian does not need to wade in that muck, but speaking truth is of Christ, even if it might be hard to say it. It has the potential to prompt a rethink! Rethinks can lead to changed lives, especially when better alternatives are given.

Jesus simply is the better alternative to Muhammad, and the mess we see in the world today.

Am we allowed to say that today?! How silly if we aren’t - surely all our opinions are based on what we deem to be the best and the most informed. Every one of us has an opinion that is competing with another opinion.

The simple facts is this: Jesus died and conquered death for his enemies, but Muhammad killed his enemies, then succumbed to death.

Which is the best role model for today? Who of the two is still alive, and can still help us and guide us? Surely Jesus is the better person to follow?

What other people say might challenge our long-held opinions, or challenge modern trends, but they can be oh so good for us! Yet if our belief is not heeded, then the Christian continues as Christ does - pouring out grace, while holding to truth. Lose one of them and we become compromised or just more clashing noise.

So let’s get talking with each other! Let’s swap our ideas, and be ready to change ours, if a far better one is given. And while we engage, let’s offer grace to our opponents.

Ah, gracious debate - now that’s not a scenario we witness much in media and politics today!

Shutting down communications and not allowing a different and often contradictory opinion to be shared, shows the weakness of society’s current state. If it can’t cope with people who have convictions that are ‘other’ to societies trends, then society does not have any foundational strength where healthy interactions and friendships can blossom, despite our differences. And that is not the kind of society any of us would want to live in. If it is, watch out for its consquences.

The way of Christ provides the strength to categorically disagree with society’s current trends, and it also has the power to positively transform every life who encounters it. In part, to disagree with someone can mean to love them. Yes love is the antidote to hate, but it is Christ’s love that makes all the difference. Add that to Christ’s truth (since the world likes to speak of people’s “truths”) then watch the transformation of hearts and minds. That transformation might hurt, but only for a while, as each and every single one of us are freed from the worship of self, to become homes for the nurturing Spirit of God! There is no truer and fuller life to be lived than that. And from it grace for all others pours out. It is simply the way of Christ.

Each and every single one of us can be freed from the worship of self to become homes for the Spirit of God!