Westophobia?

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim ('In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate') - is how most speakers began their talks at the London conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists in September.

One speaker began with the words: 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; peace to him that is far off and to him that is near - Isaiah 57.19'.

It probably surprises many readers that an evangelical Christian was invited to speak at a Muslim conference. They might be even more surprised at the topic AMSS asked me to address - 'Westophobia': anti-Western and anti-Christian attitudes among Muslims!

In 1999 London Bible College produced 'The Westophobia Report: Anti-Western & Anti-Christian Stereotyping in British Muslim Publications'. It examined how British Muslim attitudes to the West and Christianity often mirrored Western Islamophobic prejudices.

AMSS studied both the LBC Report and my media articles, in which I always assert that anti-Christian discrimination in Muslim states - and the silence of British Muslims about such oppression - undermines Muslim-Christian relations in the West. AMSS noted that I regularly speak up for oppressed Muslims in Kosova, Palestine and Iraq, and considered that a presentation on 'Westophobia' would be a good adjunct to the other talks on Islamophobia.

History and Zionism

My paper examined the historical background to mutual hostility - from the Muslim perspective, the Crusades, Western colonialism and Zionism, and the Bosnian conflict. In this light I explained the differences between Evangelical Protestantism and Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, and stated that while Evangelicals condemn the Crusades and Serb atrocities in Bosnia, as Protestants we cannot feel responsible for them. One of the listeners was a former member of the Bosnian Government, who expressed his appreciation of my talk.

I also criticised so-called 'Christian' Zionism. My paper argued that it is totally hypocritical of Christian Zionists to condemn Muslim religious discrimination while supporting Israeli racist and sectarian policies. Thankfully, I was able to hold up the helpful book From Beirut to Jerusalem by Swee Chai Ang, an evangelical Christian surgeon working in the refugee camps at the time of the 1982 Sabra-Chatilla massacre. Dr. Ang donated several copies of her book for the conference, which were eagerly snapped-up.

Mission and human rights

Responding to criticism of Christian missionary literature for Muslims, I exposed the fraudulent nature of Islamic missionary pamphlets and books distributed here such as The True Religion, Let the Bible Speak! and Jesus Prophet of Islam, which distort the Scriptures and Christian history to undermine faith in Christianity. No one challenged me on this issue. With regard to history and human rights, I recalled the Moorish and Ottoman invasions of Europe as being as much acts of aggression as were the Crusades and Western imperialism. The audience were reminded of Jay Smith's debate with Omar Bakri Muhammad last year, when Smith exposed the Ottoman genocide, ethnic cleansing and gang rape of two million Christians in 1915, which Omar - and other Muslims - failed to condemn.

Above all, examining the marginalisation of Christians in Egypt and Pakistan, and the total denial of religious liberty in Saudi Arabia I asked the audience the following question: 'How would you feel if you woke up one morning to find that your court evidence was worth only half that of a non-Muslim, that you could not have mosques, openly practise your religion or proselytise?' In this light, I ended my talk by challenging British Muslims to uphold equal rights for Christians in the Muslim world, while affirming British Christian responsibility to condemn Islamophobia.

Mosque in the Vatican?

My indictment of offences committed in the name of the West and Christianity, and my distinguishing of Evangelicalism from Rome and Orthodoxy prevented any deflections of my criticisms of Muslim religious discrimination. One Muslim tried to use the Bosnian rapes in this way with me, only to have the audience acknowledge my forthright condemnation of the genocide and rapes.

Dr. Zaki Badawi of the Imams and Mosques Council responded to my criticism of Saudi ban on churches by recalling his question to the Pope: 'Would you allow a mosque in the Vatican?' I responded that as a Protestant, I was not impressed with such an argument! As I said to a white convert, Christians affirm Muslim entitlement to equal rights here; we only demand the same for our brothers in the Muslim world.

Generally, the response to my talk was positive, with many Muslims affirming the need to address the issues of anti-Christian oppression I raised. Many asked for copies of my paper, or asked for LBC's address to obtain 'The Westophobia Report'. One can only pray that my presentation aids reconciliation, with Muslims advocating justice for Christians in the Islamic world.

Anthony McRoy

The writer is researching a PhD about British Muslims, and is available to speak in churches about Islam in Britain.

© Evangelicals Now - November 2000
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