Christianity, Islam and Terrorism

The ongoing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East and Africa have influenced American public opinion against Muslims. There is a fundamental misconception of what exactly Islam sanctions, encourages, and allows. The tenets of the Islamic faith are, of course, different than those of Christianity, which prevails in America today. However, the two faiths share much in common and there is no rational reason to view Islam as an “extremist” faith, any more than Christianity should be viewed that way. How do Christianity and Islam differ, and how are they similar? What common ground can be reached between two cultures that clash so violently? While Islam and Christianity are unique and differ in many ways, the two faiths share similar features, that when analyzed rationally, can unite the two cultures under the banner of understanding.

The faith of Islam centers itself in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, just

as Christianity does. Old Testament stories appear in the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an, as well as New Testament events. Islam does not dispute the veracity of the Bible, merely adds to it. As a matter of fact, Islam itself claims Old Testament roots. In the Old Testament story of Abraham, Sara, and Hagar, Abraham has two sons – Isma’il (Ishmael) and Isaac. Muslims claim the line of Isma’il as their ancestor, and the Qur’an states, “We shall worship Thy Allah and the Allah of thy fathers, of Abraham, Isma'il and Isaac, - the one (True) Allah. To Him we bow (in Islam)." 1 “Father Abraham” is held in high regard in the faith of Islam. It is written in the Holy Qur’an, “Also mention in the Book (the story of) Abraham: He was a man of Truth, a prophet.”2 Jesus is also frequently mentioned in the Qur’an, not as the son of God, but as a prophet. The miracles He

performed are acknowledged as divine acts of God that occurred through him, and it is

also acknowledged that he was subject to disbelief at the time. According to the Qur’an, God (or Allah) says to Jesus, “"O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave.