It’s not just politically correct, but probably stra­tegically essential as well, for the president of the United States and all his people to go on demonstrating to the American public what they call a big difference between the radical terror­ists of September 11 fame and ordinary Mus­lims. It’s part of the president’s job to preserve the unity of the country and to defuse second­ary differences.

That’s clearly why Mr. Bush made a point of visiting a mosque (just a few weeks after the attacks). It’s why he stressed as he left that Islam is “a faith of peace.”

Spun by the Spin?⤒🔗

Does that mean the rest of us should put on blinders about Islam? Does it mean we should take at face value the glib assertions that selfless love is at much at the root of Is­lam as it is at the core of biblical Christianity? Does it mean that we should simply nod in polite acceptance when we’re assured that the destruction of non-combatants in war is as re­pugnant to Muslims as it is to us? Does it re­quire us to embrace the notion that Islam, prop­erly understood, has as much to offer the world as the religion of Jesus?

Even before the awful attacks of Septem­ber 11, WORLD’s editorial team had begun lay­ing plans for one of our special issues this fall (autumn) that will help you understand Islam better. We first started talking about that last spring, and the assignment has become more important now.

But some of the details I don’t have to wait to study. Yes, I’ve probably got some presup­positions and biases that’ll have to be set aside once I’ve examined the details. But there are also some things I’m already persuaded of that will be pretty hard to dislodge.

First and foremost among my doubts is this: Where is the Islamic society to which millions of people from the rest of the world are stream­ing to because it is so compelling and attrac­tive? In what country, or region, of the world is this “beautiful religion” practised in a way that might prompt you to want to move there for the rest of your life?

When I visited Saudi Arabia 11 years ago, I was warned not to speak in public to a wom­an, and if in conversation with any Saudi man, not to mention Jesus. Either kind of misbehav­iour, I was told, could result in my arrest. And that was in a “friendly” Islamic country!

Oddly, of course, both Christianity and Is­lam are exclusivist religions. Both teach that theirs is the only right way to God. There may be a little ambiguity when Muslims say that there is no God but Allah, but the ambiguity disappears when they add that Mohammed is his prophet. Faithful Christians, on the other hand, remember that Jesus said flatly, “No one comes to the father, but by Me.” So both are exclusivist.

But after that, the differences get radical. The explicit teachings of Jesus, His example during His lifetime on earth, and the pattern of most believers make it clear that the gospel and its implications are to find their access to people’s hearts not by force of military or polit­ical power, but by the energy of God’s Spirit. Jesus could calmly tell Peter to resheathe his sword: He had so much power to spare – even at that moment of extremity – that He could stop and restore the ear that Peter had so ag­gressively sliced off! The freedom of speech that Jesus thus extended to His enemies (root­ed, of course, in His confidence in the power at His disposal) is a foundational distinctive of the Christian religion – and a foundational ele­ment that Christianity brought to Western civi­lisation. If we Christians have not always re­membered that as part of our birthright, as the Crusaders certainly did not, the essence of Jesus’ teaching is not diminished.

Where does it Show?←⤒🔗

Where is Islam’s answer? A whole band of nations stretched out across the top of the African continent, through the Middle East, and then into south-west Asia, where personal lib­erty is but a vague abstraction? Let’s concede the point that the more radical branch of Is­lam – the Shiites who stress the concept of ji­had – accounts for only 10 per cent of the Muslim population worldwide. That means that the more moderate Sunnis have as their fron­tispiece countries like Syria, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia. Which of those countries wel­comes people of other faiths in the way our nation wel­comes Muslims?

Three explana­tions don’t work. It isn’t for lack of time: Islam has had well over a millenni­um to get its act to­gether. It isn’t for lack of money: Is­lam has direct ac­cess to some of the world’s greatest wealth. It isn’t for lack of power: In 20 countries of the world, Islam has been dominantly in the political driver’s seat.

On the face of it, harassment of Muslims in the United States (and other western countries) of the sort that has been in the news of late is both unbiblical and obnoxious. But we are not engaging in harassment when we ask ques­tions like these. If a group of radical Christians had done to our nation what was done on Sep­tember 11, those of us who call ourselves Christians wouldn’t have been surprised if we were asked to answer some hard questions. It’s one thing for the leaders of Islam to say that what we’ve just seen isn’t the true fruit of what they teach. It’s another thing for them to show us where the true fruit is.