My wife Angie and I recently attended an open discussion at an Episcopal church with five of our Muslim Arkansas neighbors. It was lovely. There was no fear or ugly remarks.
Granted, this crowd was pre-selected to be the type of people already open and accepting of non-Christian folks. There was audience curiosity, so they asked questions. We also heard from our Muslim friends about what it’s like to be a part of the 0.6% population of Muslims constituting the Arkansas citizenry.
One point I thought was particularly relevant is that the lies, suspicions, and vitriol hurled at Muslims increase dramatically before a big election. As one friend has told me more than once, “Sometimes living as a Muslim in Arkansas feels like living under siege.”
For almost four decades, Angie and I have counted Muslims among our closest friends. I suspect we have more close relationships with Muslims than most Americans.
Because of this, we’ve seen the type of people they are. They are as giving, kind, and hospitable as anybody we know.
They live out of generosity of spirit, purse, and kitchen table. We have been on the receiving end of such goodness many times.
I recently saw a comment on social media about hijabs—the head covering worn by some Muslim girls and women. This reminded me to be discerning, cynical, and skeptical when reading claims about people from another background or faith, especially if you have no friends or personal knowledge of that culture.
At the dialog Angie and I attended, we had a lovely discussion with one of the women and her daughter about the hijab. We learned it is a tradition undertaken with freedom of thought, a decision each female chooses for herself.
I won’t attempt to debunk mean-spirited lies about Muslims and hijabs. We have a long, personal experience with Muslims and this aspect of their culture, and this is what informs our values.
Perhaps it’s time for the church to have a come-to-Mohammad meeting. This would be one of the surest ways to break down walls, build friendships, and see the very face of God in our Muslim friends. Perhaps if more of our churches had similar meetings, we could begin to end some of the ugly rhetoric which can lead to violent actions.
When a church is based on a theology that demands hatred toward one group, the lack of a common enemy can easily lead that church to financial bankruptcy and an exodus of members. Which, sadly, may be why some houses of faith are uninterested in knowing their neighbors.
Westerners criticize madrasas as a breeding ground for Islamic extremism. We should be wary and wise as serpents, lest our churches become the Christian doppelgänger as a breeding ground of hatred of a common enemy.
Please don’t give in to the path of least resistance. A lot of garbage is being thrown around for nefarious reasons.
You should not believe much of what you read or hear. It saddens me to say you might want to be doubly skeptical if you hear those words from a pulpit or from politicians.
Be unique, be creative, and be curious. Get to know some Muslims.
We all know how this story ends. Once you do this, you’re gonna find what lovely people they are and how much we have in common.
There are industries and evil forces at play that benefit only themselves by controlling your mind to encourage you to hate things you know nothing about. Be better than deceivers want you to be.
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A nephrologist in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a member of the Good Faith Media governing board.