Post 47--Muslim Reactions to US Election

Post 47  Muslim Reaction to US Presidential Election*        Posted   Nov 10  2016

Today, I welcome a special guest for the occasion.  Many Christians have problems with the secular establishment of both Canada and the USA, even though that establishment includes many Christians, including both our Canadian Prime Minister and the American President.  In my opinion, though I appreciate some of their decisions, I am dumbstruck at some others. In both countries the secular establishment is slowly putting the screws on religious liberty. However, no time today to deal with that in detail.

Many Muslims are having similar problems. So, today I welcome Abdul Malik Mujahid, who sends out emails under the name Sound Vision. This is what he circulated today:

Assalamu Alaikum (Peace to you)

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, whom we love so much, would get all sorts of questions. One day, while sitting in the wilderness, someone asked him about trust in God: “Should I trust in God and not tie my camel?” 

The camel was the primary mode of transportation at the time in Arabia. If you lost your camel, you’d lost one of your key assets. And if you were traveling far in the desert, losing your camel could mean death.  

The Prophet’s answer: Tie your camel, then put your trust in God.

That principle does many things for us. 

As Muslims, we have been become political footballs, first in Europe, then in Canada, and now in America. We are the number one victims of ISIS, as well as war and terror. Yet, we are blamed for causing terrorism. 

We had two choices in this election: Someone who hit us where it hurt us the most. Then there was the other presidential candidate who swung right back, defending Muslims and the diversity of this country. 

For many of us Muslims, who spent millions of dollars and votes supporting Hillary Clinton, we tied the camel - I guess. 

Now is the time to trust God. He controls the world. We do not. He sees the whole picture and truly knows the best for everyone. We love Him, we trust Him. He is the Creator of us all. He created you and I, as well as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. He strategizes and He is the best strategizer (Quran 8:30).

Houston Rockets NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon illustrated this beautifully. He had always been a good basketball player, and was always a Muslim. However, when he truly embraced his faith in a mosque in Houston in the 1990s, he transformed. 

He would still lose games, but he ultimately led the Rockets to victory. And this is what he told me about trusting God (Tawakkul). 

"Before I started practicing my faith, I used to completely rely on myself,” he said. “When I had done my best, I would be extremely frustrated if I didn't win. It would irritate and anger me. And that was causing me to be bad to others by fighting and swearing.

"But when I started practicing my faith, I learned that results are not my property. I started doing my best but then I left success and failure to my Creator. Now I was not irritated by failure and was not overinflated by success. That caused me to calm down and improve my behavior towards others on my team and we became a team."

So trust God. Don’t despair (Quran 39:53), and don’t give up. That is not Sabr (patience). Sabr is to do your utmost and endure whatever it takes to achieve that goal. 

I have a personal goal. And I would like you to be my partner in achieving that goal. To liberate America from fear, hate, and anger, which were there before Trump, and may not end with this election cycle. 

We must engage with America to end the cycle of war, terror, and hate, which has caused us to lose trillions, kill millions, and dehumanize each other, despite all of us being God’s creation, Who created us from the same man and woman (49:13).

Seek help with Sabr (patience) and Salat (prayer). That increases trust in God. Open your hearts and minds for your neighbor, white, blacks, and all shades in between. 

And pray that God opens the hearts of our neighbors toward us. 

It is time for reflection as well. It will take many Sajdas (prostrations to God) and many Duas to achieve balanced, thoughtful conclusions. But for now, I will say this: American Muslims are achievers. They achieve what they set their mind to. We wanted to build mosques and we have doubled the number of mosques since 9/11; we wanted to build Muslim schools and we have tripled the number of Muslim schools since 9/11; following the beautiful example of the Prophet, we have responded to disasters in America and abroad by rushing to help, thus multiplying our relief organizations. 

But what we have not done is devote resources to take America forward. We have not invested even one percent or .01 percent in what we have invested in mosques, schools, and relief organizations. 

So for now, I would just say, let’s do a personal audit: An audit of our personal time and money. What percentage are you committing to your empowerment to take this country forward? That is the camel that still needs to be tied before we expect God to do miracles for us. 

Peace

Comment by Boer: Though there are significant core differences between our two religions, we also have many similarities that we need to capitalize on. Much of what Abdul writes today resonates with me. I similarly feel that Christians spend way too much time, money and effort on “religious” matters when they should instead be religiously engaged in society by contributing to its welfare, to the common good. But religiously, not secularly. With the Spirit of God in their hearts not only but also in their minds, in how they create images of a just society according to the insights of their religion.

So, thank you Abdul. Perhaps we ought to sit down together and see how far we can work on this together.

How can Christians witness effectively to Muslims?

            

Post 29:-- 

This post is my answer to the  last of the series of questions put to me by the editors of Christian Courier.  The previous one is in Post 27.  After this, we will have to move onto new territory.  If you have any subjects you’d like to see discussed, feel free to contact me either in the Comment section or via email to my   boerjf@hotmail.com. 

 Muslim Attitude to Christian Witness

Muslims are often offended and insulted when they hear Christians talk of witnessing to Muslims or mission to Muslims. Do they not have the ultimate religion? The perfect religion and the final Prophet?  That being the case, why should anyone consider missions to Muslims?  I ask my Muslim readers to think it through a bit more.  You are most likely living in a multi-religious community that embraces religions of all stripes.  You may think about your religion as the only absolutely true religion, but chances are great that your Hindu or Christian neighbour thinks the same of his/hers.  If you have the right to be absolutistic, so do the others and, in fact, they do, especially the secularists among them.  And while you claim the right to missionize your neighbour, your neighbour claims the same right.  Theologically, that is before God, they may not have that right, but politically you have to allow them that right in a multi-religious pluralistic setting.  I allow you to witness to me, but I also demand the right to witness to you.  The idealistic way is for both of us to do that not merely with an attitude of mere tolerance, but with mutual respect and appreciation, in an atmosphere of sharing rather than declaring.  Today our post constitutes advice to Christians how they can best share with you.  I invite you to tell me how you would like them to witness to you and why.

Look for the Best, not the Worst

As last week, a story of Nigerian wisdom to begin with, this time Christian.  Pastor Ezekiel Nyajo, a young pastor when I arrived in Nigeria in 1966, knew how to keep his audience spellbound, including me. His first call was to the CRC of Ibi, a Muslim town on the Benue River in Taraba State.. He enthusiastically began an evangelistic campaign in which he soon learnt a few important basics. One that he shared with me and I never forgot:  If you wish to evangelize people from another religion, discover the best things and the strengths of that religion and build on or relate to them, not on its worst and weakest aspects.  I want all you readers to remember that maxim when you approach Muslims.  Absolutely true and absolutely necessary to adhere to.   

Absolutism vs Openness
Secondly, you must be aware that most Muslims have from their earliest childhood on been indoctrinated to believe in the absolute superiority of their religion vis a vis all others, including Christianity.  Now that may have been true of my generation of Reformed Christians as well, but I sense that a certain degree of humility, true or false,  has crept into the hearts and minds of my generation and that is advancing among subsequent generations growing up in and living with the realities of multi-culturalism and multi-religion.  We tend not to be quite so absolutist about other religions anymore. Without necessarily having thought through the issues arising from such humility, we are slowly sliding into greater openness to them.  

 This, you must know, is not the case with Muslims, not even with non-practicing cultural Muslims. It is not a hopeless situation, but it seldom happens in response to direct evangelistic witness. They will hardly give you a chance; they will preach at you without stopping. It is not the way to go.

Some Recommendations
If your church wishes to engage in evangelism to Muslims, I recommend two simultaneous approaches, both communal and individual.  If possible, let your church involve a spiritually sensitive ex-Muslim who knows Islam well, continues to adhere to much of their culture and has retained his respect and love for Muslims.  Let him be your front runner. and resource person to whom you come for advice.  There may come a time you can invite a group of Muslims for a church or restaurant dinner and be prepared to have it reciprocated. As to Muslims in your neighbourhood, seek them out, get to know them, invite them into your social life, including your home.  Attend some of his/her events in order to get closer, show interest and, eventually have him attend some of yours.  Do not talk religion all the time, but have general conversations on a variety of topics.

(2) Befriend Muslims in your community and develop an active and trusting social relationship with them. Demonstrate your Christian way of life and answer any question they may pose, but do not overtly evangelize or witness to them. Feel free to ask them questions in a respectful way. This may encourage them to ask questions as well.  Go to a movie together, a meaningful movie. Play chess. Do a picnic. Invite them into your house for a breakfast or dinner. Whatever fits their social life. Remember, often women to women works best and men to men.  Keep asking your front runner for information and advice. 

Muslims Converting through Dreams
Throughout the Muslim world, thousands of Muslims have come to Christ through dreams that are remarkably similar. A white-robed figure tends to appear to them who identifies Himself as Christ and invites them to follow Him.  This is often the result of having heard about Christ through some channel—radio, TV, a book, a conversation that could have been with you.  You just sow the seed and leave the harvest to Him. Pray, but don’t worry about it.  He has His own ways. 

Mission and International Politics and Economics
There is also the global situation that has filled Muslims with mistrust and, often, hatred towards the West and its Christians. We must be aware of the imperialistic way in which the West has treated the Muslim world.  The current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are seen as mere continuations of a long imperialist tradition that sought to exploit them and impose secularism on them. Some writers, even in the CC, apparently want to ignore or deny the true impact of that history. However, we must acknowledge it not only, but also do all we can to transform our national governments and corporations into peaceful and just directions that are more in conformity with the way of Christ.  Christians must be seen and heard by Muslims to be doing so.  At least, if we are interested in correcting the image of Christ that Muslims everywhere have.  To Muslims, politics and economics are tools of mission. The Christian dualistic separation of these two is an unbelievably naïve and, pardon the expression, stupid approach.  You want to improve the image of Christ in the Muslim world? Then work hard at reforming/transforming our international politics and economics.  There is a great need for Christians to so contribute to the international politics and economics of their own nations quite apart from witnessing concerns.  It is simply the right thing to do.  Failure to do so will surely confirm the general  Muslim suspicion that Westerners are out to destroy and undermine Islam.  Witness and mission must go together with politics and economics on a global scale.  Their separation leads to trivializing the Gospel and our witness. Witness is no child’s play!