Yesterday's London 21/7 court sentences make it even more relevant that Christians and people of other faiths have some grasp on what is happening within the broad canvas of the Muslim faith and Muslim world which leads to people subscribing to terrorists views and activity in the name of the Divine.
Let us pray that by the time the four offenders are released in thirty/forty years time we will have worked through a new relationship between the great faiths and a greater sense of community cohesion in the UK which will make these offences genuinely seem things from a dark past.
I have been quite shocked recently about some of the comments emanating from Christian leaders about our Muslim brothers and sisters and the supposed threat that they may present to our country and way of life. It has to be said that the vast majority of Muslims seem to recognise that terrorism presents a far greater threat to their own place within our society by feeding Daily Mail type views of Muslims and their intentions.
Ironically some of the worst examples appear from the USA which one would have thought might have been tempted to reflect upon other events which have been conditioned or even supported by Christian perspectives on the world.
So how to make sense of what is happening from a Christian perspective?
Could I encourage you to read this summary that Colin Chapman a colleague from my days at CMS and one of the most informed commentators on Islam from his time in the Middle East - he introduces it as follows:
Why is it that some Muslims become Islamists and some Islamists turn to violence? A summary of some basic convictions held in varying degrees by all Muslims is followed by an explanation of how Islamists have developed these ideas in response to various challenges (especially political) of the modern world. This analysis brings us face to face with what has been called ‘the struggle for the soul of Islam’. It is only against this background that we are in a position to suggest how Christians can respond at many different levels to Muslims in general and to Islamists in particular.
The main PDF file is Download islamic_fundamentalism.pdf
Brilliant article - thank you for the link
Posted by: Jonathan | 12 July 2007 at 10:57
Thank you for that Tom, it was very helpful. (As also is Colin's book "Cross and Crescent")
Posted by: Dr Moose | 12 July 2007 at 11:12
I hear than Colin is updating "Cross and Crescent" for publication later in the year, and has another book on the go in his "retirement"
Posted by: Tom Allen | 12 July 2007 at 11:17
Me too. Thanks for this Tom.
Posted by: Rick Lord | 12 July 2007 at 14:22
Really helped by this and been able to forward onto several other people at Church to challenge the attitudes.
Am about a third of way through the Missional Church draft - it is really excellent if very dense in text style and complex in thought - will offer comments when David has read it too.
Blessings for the continued sabbatical and Guilfest - the latter must be a nervy thing to do after such a gap
Posted by: Karen | 12 July 2007 at 14:30