GLOBAL INTERACTION

Muslims – friends or foe?

Ian Hawley is the General Director of Global interAction. Here he talks about the Muslim paranoia which is sweeping the world.

“What are the Communists and Muslims doing there?” This was the question that was asked of me after I had spoken on a Muslim country where I had previously worked. I reflected on it as I drove home from the meeting. It highlighted for me the two great fears of recent decades for many Australians, both inside and outside the church. In the past, Communism was viewed as the great enemy. However, as the tide of Communism has begun to ebb, the major enemy for many today is Islam. The accompanying question is usually, “How can we beat them and stop them taking over our, or any other country?”

All painted with a single brush The Press highlight the atrocities committed by Muslims, including the persecution of Christians and other minorities in Muslim countries. Muslims as a whole are thereby depicted through the lives of the worst Muslims, eg. all Muslims are thought to be more or less like Saddam Hussein – militant, irrational, uncompromising ideologues with little concern for anyone other than themselves. They delight in cruelty and uncouth behaviour. They rationalise all their bizarre actions as reflecting the all-powerful will of Allah. They are less than human in their behaviour, never to be trusted and always to be regarded as “the enemy”. It is true that fanatical Muslims in some countries cannot tolerate diversity of thought and religious belief. The freedoms, privileges and equality which they claim for Muslims living in a country such as Australia are denied to minority groups in most Muslim countries. It is also sadly true that in some countries, eg. Sudan and Egypt, Christians have and are today being mercilessly persecuted or subjected to an existence little better than slavery. However, to class all Muslims as fanatics who are ready to kill you or take advantage of you is wrong. 1t is like judging the behaviour of Jesus’ disciples through the life of Judas Iscariot. We would justifiably be disturbed if others were to assume that we, as Christians, are the same as the Christian crusaders of the 12th and 13th Century. They felt that God’s work could be achieved by military conquest. Many atrocities toward Muslims resulted. Yet we are inclined to paint Muslims with a single brush, basing our judgement on radical extremists whom many Muslims would themselves decry.

Non-judgemental acceptance and love If you penetrate between the cultural surface differences with Muslims, you will find warm-hearted, kind, loving people. They share with you and me the same struggles, goals and experiences of life. They respond warmly to non-judgemental acceptance and love. Many have a lifelong primary concern for God (Allah). However, their understanding of God is limited to a distant, impersonal, all-powerful creator, who can act capriciously if so desired. This is a concept of God which is far removed from the God that Jesus revealed. The Christian, as a follower of Jesus Christ, should be moulded in his/her attitude towards Muslims by what is judged to be our Lord’s attitude and actions towards them. When viewed from this perspective, words such as compassion, acceptance, deeds of kindness and and invitation to enjoy the fullness of life which Jesus alone gives are prominent. Jesus died for all the people of the world. God’s love extends to all people, and his desire is that “none should perish but that all should come to repentance”. (2 Peter 3:9). In Revelation 7:9 we are reminded that gathered around the Throne in Heaven will be those from every people group.

God is doing a new thing In terms of opportunity to hear the Gospel, Muslims are the most neglected group in the world. The early Church spread out from Jerusalem in all directions, sharing the good news of Jesus. The one major immediate area and people group neglected were the Arabs, who later embraced Islam. In subsequent years the church and missionary outreach has turned its back on the Muslim world as being simply too hard. By far the largest number of unreached people groups today are Muslim. These people desperately need the Lord. Many will respond eagerly to the simple Gospel message, presented in a way that they can understand, devoid of extraneous cultural baggage. God is doing a new thing among Muslim people today, and is drawing many to Himself. We regularly hear stories of Muslims coming to faith in Christ through dreams, seeing apparent “coincidences” take place, and through hearts prepared by God to receive and respond to the Gospel. For many, Christ becomes the fufilment of all their lifelong aspirations and hopes. Ask God to give you a strong love for Muslim people. Aim to reflect the love of Jesus in your attitude towards all people, including Muslims. Pray for them, and expect that, in the years ahead, God will bring large numbers into a saving knowledge of His grace.

courtesy of Global interAction