Is the Muslim Majority Silent?
When I talk to Christian friends about interfaith work, sometimes they complain that moderate Muslims are not speaking out enough against Islamic militancy. I’m not sure how they would know, since few have Muslim friends. And it bothers me that few of the Christian complainers speak out very loudly against extremists who have hijacked their own religion. Making well-founded judgments about who’s doing what for the common good demands that we be circumspect, and ready to reconsider opinions based on scant evidence. The truth is that moderate Muslims have strongly criticized and continue to strongly criticize militant interpretations of Islam. But it’s often difficult to get heard, given major news media’s preoccupation with the sensational, the controversial, the violent.
At Cyberken I aim to provide a place for people of faith to speak quieter messages about forgiveness, compassion, respect, and service. The following video serves as an example of such messages, which will help us make better informed judgments about who’s speaking out for the common good.
As a convert to Islam and a member of a Sufi Dervish order, the Mevlevi, I have found few people really interested in learning about Islam. Islam is not about converting people, faith is seen as a private matter. The public sentiment regarding Muslims is so prejudical, seeing all Muslims as terrorists, that even saying it is not so, and that the Qur’an forbids war except in self defense, does not make much of a dent in the prejudice that Muslims face when discussing their faith with others. For a dialogue to occur people need to open their hearts to hearing what is being said, to be willing to learn about the faith of Islam. The last time I was in a Christian church the minister prayed for the Jews, the Hindus, the Bhuddists, but did not mention Muslims. People are always glad to share, others need to be glad to learn. Those in the Muslim community who are working on this issue prefer to educate people about the faith, not to focus on the issue of the militants, who receive all the press coverage. That is why it is assumed that people are not speaking up against militancy, have you ever read a newspaper article about them or seen a show on television? There are a few, but very few.
Thanks for the comment, Elizabeth. Clearly the most helpful thing in promoting better understanding among people of different faiths is for them to get to know each other. I think cyber-communications help with this, but they are no substitute for face-to-face friendships. I’m happy to call you friend, and I wish that lots of people would have the opportunity to get to know Muslims in their locale. In more culturally homogeneous areas of our country this will not be possible, but where we do have diversity–and this is becoming more and more widespread–we ought to seek friends of other faiths. I believe that God calls us to reach out so.
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Thanks for your kind reply. I have not been posting as much as I would like concerning interfaith peacemaking. This post was one example on that theme. Keep visiting. I promise more!