A beautiful full moon was rising over the Ganges River. Petite country boats dotted the calm, black waters. But the overcrowded launch on which I was a passenger offered little tranquility. I had sought refuge from the jostling, boisterous crowd inside a small cabin which was located above the engine room. Within a few moments, my cabin mate, a Muslim engineer, joined me. After we exchanged pleasantries, he started asking me questions about the Christian faith. I took my Bible and began explaining passages to this very gracious and polite Muslim who had joined me for the overnight journey.

Suddenly, the door burst open and an angry, bearded man pushed his way into our cabin. He had been listening to our conversation through the thin walls. Immediately this unwelcome intruder consigned me, along with all Christians, to hell. He accused us of gross distortions of God. In a loud voice he demanded that all missionaries stop "buying converts" and immediately leave his country.

It was impossible for me to communicate with him. His fanaticism engulfed him to a sea of hatred. At one point, I thought he would become physically abusive. After several unsuccessful attempts to defend my position, I finally sat quietly until his anger was thoroughly vented.

Then I talked calmly to the man, an educated Muslim, and told him that I had been a guest in his country for fifteen years. I added that he was the most discourteous person I had met in that time. Immediately, his demeanor changed. Shame and embarrassment melted the harsh lines of anger. I quickly ordered tea and soon we were rationally exploring reasons for the wide and turbulent gulf between the two largest religions of the world, Christianity and Islam.

Though this particular incident occurred in Bangladesh, you don't have to leave North America to find devout Muslims. Thousands of Muslim students attend North American universities, bringing with them political and religious world views that are overwhelmingly alien to us. Why do many of them react so negatively to our faith? How can bridges of understanding, friendship and spiritual witness be stimulated between the believer in Christ and the follower of the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad? To answer these questions we need to keep in mind the history of our interaction with the Muslim world.

A History of Violence

Shortly after Muhammad?s death in A.D. 632, Arabian converts to Islam began to push northward into Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. Soon they conquered North Africa and made significant gains in Europe. Islam quickly became a social, political and religious power. For the next several hundred years, Muslims consolidated their gains. Their art and culture became famous.

Between A.D. 1095 and 1450, European nations launched eight Crusades against Muslims. The purpose of those violent military actions in Christ's name was to wrest the Holy Land from Islamic influence. Thousands of Muslims were slaughtered by "pious" crusaders whose breastplates were painted with brilliant red crosses. This period was one of the darkest in church history.

The Crusades finally ceased, but in the 1700's Islamic nations began to come under the colonizing influence of the West, perhaps less overtly violent but often no less oppressive. It is estimated that ninety per cent of all Muslims in the world lived under Western domination for some period of time between 1700 and 1945. In the eyes of Muslims this meant subjugation under "Christian" rulers! Unfortunately, most Muslims, for whom politics, culture and religioni are all strongly connected, make little distinction between the West and Christianity.

Following World War II, Muslim nations became independent, some through friendly negotiations and others by bloody violence. In most instances Islamic people came out economically depressed. They, rightly or wrongly, blamed the West for their ills.

Seeing the "Christian West" Through New Eyes

How do contemporary Muslim students view the West and Western Christians? Many would agree with the following generalizations:

The Crusades and the colonial period were institutions of the West.

No "good" religion could have supported such acts of oppression.

The West is secular with little regard for true religious values.

Cultural norms of the West are abhorrent and repulsive.

Christians are spiritually lazy.

Some of these generalizations probably seem extreme, but sexual promiscuity, drunkenness, divorce, lack of care for the aged, fierce competitiveness and racism are all features of North American culture which Muslims consider immoral. Such practices are entirely prohibited by Islam and merit severe punishments (sometimes even death).

And Muslims disparage us not only for what we as North Americans do, but also for what we don't do. Islam is a system of creeds, prayer forms, fasting and pilgrimages. Many Muslims find it difficult to believe that Christians are serious about their faith when they do so little compared to the rigorous disciplines of Islam.

Christian missionaries are suspected of having ulterior motives. They are appreciated for their good works of charity, yet Muslims consider such acts to be motivated entirely by the desire to aggressively proselytize.

Building Bridges

Where does this leave the sensitive Christian who desires to witness to the Muslim Arab on his or her campus? Are we forced to stereotype all Muslims as resistant, harsh and unwinable? Is there nothing in our religious systems which could be a potential bridge between us? Islam supports many positive things which Christians can agree with:

Islam has a very high view of God as One. It is totally opposed to idolatry. One of the key tensions is the misunderstanding that leads Muslims to believe that Christians worship three gods.

In general, families are stable within Islam. The divorce rate is very low. I have observed many Muslim families which are close, cohesive units of love and concern.

There are no sanctioned X-rated movies or pornography shops in Muslim countries. In most of these nations there are no nightclubs and no sale of alcoholic beverages.

Relationships are looked upon as more valuable than an accumulation of wealth in most Muslim societies, although materialism is a growing influence.

Acknowledging the Truth about Islam

But it is not enough to only seek to build bridges of understanding. Deficiencies in the religious system of Islam must be acknowledged. What are these inadequacies? The God of Islam is often perceived to be so great and powerful that he becomes remote and impersonal. Religion becomes a tightly defined legalistic system rather than a relationship of love and warmth between God as Creator and man as the created. Law replaces grace. Works combine with faith to provide a plan of eternal salvation for the soul.

Muslims cannot conceive of God in human form. Muhammad is the greatest of all prophets but he is still only a prophet. Jesus is also a God-anointed messenger, but he is not God.

The average Muslim cannot comprehend redemption from sin through a substitutionary atonement. The closest he can come to this concept is the Baqr Eid at which time animals are slaughtered. Many grassroots Muslims believe these animal sacrifices assist in preparing the devout believer for his time of judgment before Allah.

The Koran replaces the Bible as the authoritative word of God. Muslims believe the Bible has been changed and corrupted in its transmission down through history.

These and other basic conflicts in religious belief and world view set the stage for alienation and animosity. Can they be bridged?

How to Build Bridges

Muslims walk to the sound of a unique drumbeat. They live in history. We need to remember that Muslims have been hurt historically. Even today our inclination is to cajole, browbeat and threaten Muslims with a demand to update themselves and enter the twentieth century now. We assist in the process by exporting decadent American novels and films to Muslim countries, pressuring them to adopt our twentieth century values. Muslims reacts by pulling back into the safe traditional shell of history. many would rather face martyrdom than capitulate to Western influences.

Isn't it time for us to go out of our way to meet Muslim students or immigrants and to treat them with openness and respect? After the fog of anger and misunderstanding begins to burn off under the influence of the warm rays of Christian love, the ensuing light may set the stage for a sensitive dialog which could eventually let our Muslim friend see the Christ of the Bible. That may be the only way the Muslim can see this Christ, separated from the Western cultural accretions which have been heaped upon him by history. For a serious Christian, this kind of witness is more than an option... it is an obligation.

Isn't it time for a cup of tea with a Muslim?

Copyright Information:
Reprinted in Inter Varsity's Student Leadership journal, winter 1993, from His Magazine Feb. 1981 issue, with renewed permission of the author in 1993.