Q: After September 11^th 2001, many Christian-based anti-Islam websites have sprung up, focusing on the Islamic love for war. How do we respond?

A: Jesus said that one would know people by their fruits (i.e., their actions). It is truly amazing that this prophet of God preached so strongly against hypocrisy, yet we see it manifested so blatantly by many who claim to spread his word. One responds with the Qur’anic verse 4:91: War is in answer to those who transgress against us. If one wishes to be more polemic, s/he refers to Matthew 10:34: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" -- a verse that is unconditional and unequivocal in its hostile tone. If the Christian position is that the verse needs to be taken in context, then s/he should extend this to the Qur’anic verses. One may also use history to show the sanctimoniousness of charges: the entire new world and its native populations were Christianized by sword and fire. The concept of "bellum justum" was made famous by Augustine, who came long before the prophet Muhammad. To be sure, there are Muslims -- like Osama bin Laden who preach war -- but one has to ensure that one radical voice, or a few radical voices, not be taken as representative of the entire umma, just as one does not take certain Christian preachers’ warped views as representative of all Christianity. And Allah is just.

Posted January 19, 2002