This blog does not write reactionary pieces to the trending political comments or ridiculous statements made by politicians–especially as we enter an election year. However, one statement has attracted a particular kind of response by Christians, one that I think is informed by history and online antics, and it’s important to draw it out.
The Call: identify Muslims
Recently several politicians and aspirants made statements that call to identify, track, and separate Muslims from the American populace:
- A particular Republican 2016 presidential candidate called for a national database to be created of all Muslims living in America. Another one was surprised one didn’t already exist.
- Another compared being a peaceful Muslim to being a peaceful member of the Nazi party.
- Finally, a mayor in Virginia expressed a desire to round up Muslims like they did to the Japanese-Americans in World War 2.
The blowback has been rather blistering. George Takei took both the mayor and Trump to task as a Japanese-American who was in a detention camp during WWII. The mayer in Roanoke swiftly apologized.
And yet one wonders if such a thing could happen: if fear rules the day, if we forget our history, and if politicians play to our base fears of “the other,” could such a thing happen?
And if it does, how can Christians respond?
The Response: I Am Spartacus
In the 1960 movie Spartacus, Kirk Douglas plays the title character who leads other slaves in rebellion against their Roman masters. The rebellion is ultimately defeated, and the end of the movie, the Roman general offers to spare the slaves’ lives if they identify and hand over their leader Spartacus to be crucified. Douglas stands up to identify himself, but the two slaves to his side stand up with him and say “I am Spartacus.” Dozens more stand until the entire mass of former slaves is standing and saying “I am Spartacus.” The Roman general has no choice but to crucify the many, because they refused to give up the one. Watch the scene on Youtube.
In the mid-2000s, this iconic moment also spawned an internet chatroom phenomenon. A person will jump onto a chat channel or message board and say “I am Spartacus” and other internet-meme-savvy people will repeat the line and fill the channel for a time.
Maybe such an action could work today. I’ve seen on social media that the call to identify and separate Muslims has spawned many Christians to pledge that they will identify themselves as Muslims too. Despite their faith, despite the possible stigma of being labeled, they have pledged to be named as a Muslim for any database in the future, and to waste government surveillance time on watching them.
While a theoretical effort, I think it’s a powerful one as faith is not defined by color of skin or ethnicity; therefore, any such efforts to compartmentalize the American public can be subverted by Christians as unbecoming of our country’s values.
Would you say “I am Muslim” when offered a chance to separate Muslims from society?
The Need for Relationship
Better than labeling one’s self on a theoretical future database is to create relationships now that can be sustained no matter what lies ahead.
United Methodist Bishop Roy Sono (retired) remembers that when his family was identified and interred in the Japanese internment camps, another Christian helped folks like him out:
Clergy and congregations can develop personal relationships with those who are vulnerable to hateful acts, and be conspicuous in standing with them. Japanese Americans have never forgotten the Rev. Melvin Wheatley (who later became a United Methodist bishop) and his spouse, Lucile, along with other members of the First United Methodist Church in Fresno, temporarily taking title to homes owned by Japanese Americans and moving into them to protect those homes from arsonists. The Japanese Americans have also never forgotten Wheatley visiting them in camps.
Such an action was only possible by a previous relationship.
My hope is that Christians can form more relationships with Muslims in their community, so that they can support and stand with one another no matter what violence may be in the future. And if the future is filled with hope and tolerance, then there’s a more solid basis for it.
Thoughts?
I won’t make a comment about politics because I don’t think that has any place here or in my mind. I do not identify nor endorse any political position.
But, we need to love people well as Christians. We need to help people in their time of need. This means, as a Christian, I believe we need to work hard to find good solutions to the current humanitarian crisis in Syria and surrounding region. We need to love and care regardless of ethnic, national, or religious identity. Period.
But, we also need to acknowledge Islam is a religion of darkness that worships a false god; the demon allah. My family is from the middle east (to be clear my wife’s side), and I have done regular work in Kenya. So this is personal to me, not theoretic. I have seen what Islam has done to family members. We as Christians need to condemn this false religion because we love Muslim people of all ethnicities.
I wonder if it was a different people group that people were wanting to identify and perhaps separate from society. Would you object then? I was listening to a podcast about Northern Ireland in the 1970s and the Protestant violence against Catholics there. Would that have been appropriate to ID and segregate Catholics from Protestants?
Neither that situation nor the situation with Jews in Nazi Germany are apt conparisions from history.
And again. I am not advocating for any political registration of Muslims or anything like truly frightening political suggestion.
What I am saying is that it would be foolish to identify with the demonic. Islam is certainly demonic.
Does anyone seriously believe that we are going to have a Muslim database? If we do and you want to deny Christ and be counted among the followers of The Prophet then be my guest.
I don’t believe it would happen. As I said above, the theoretical response from Christians would be interesting, but what we really need is connections and relationships now…especially with folks who do not see Christ in the same way we do.
Sorry, Kevin, but my intention in volunteering to identify with Muslims in the event of overt persecution such as a registry is not to deny Christ, but to fulfill my calling as a follower of Jesus. I would do this in the same vein that the people of Denmark, following the example of their king, all wore yellow stars on their coats to identify with the Jews that the Nazis singled out.
And Jeffrey, I can’t speak for others, but it’s BECAUSE I have relationships with Muslim neighbors that I would volunteer to register and publicly identify with them, if they were to face official persecution. Don’t insult those of us Christians who have been working against Islamophobia for years — and there are more than you seem to think — by saying we have no relationships with Muslims. Please be more considerate in the future.
Cynthia, I don’t think I made the suggestion that such people do not have relationships with Muslims. I made the statement that more relationships are needed, and using Bp. Sano’s example, such relationships lead to advocacy actions like yours, not as much the other way around.
Sorry I called you Jeffrey. As you know now from my Facebook post, we experienced a home invasion Monday night, and I am still in an emotional fog.
Standing with those who deny the risen Christ and calling that Christian witness is absurdity of the highest order. Wesley referred to the Mohametans as little more than beasts. Those who stood with Spartacus knew it meant a horrible death. Claiming to be in solidarity with Muslims in this country is a false bravery. Go ahead and eat your turkey and pat yourself on the back for your courage. If you want to impress people with your Christian witness go to Syria and stand with the Christians. That would take real courage.