Hello my friends,

With the Anti-Muslim rhetoric surging yet again in our country, I thought it might be helpful to process it together and ponder some ways of responding to it as we move forward. In that spirit, I have provided some resources as well as some real world examples towards the end of today's newsletter that you might find helpful in your conversations on this topic with others.

Recommended Resources

​-Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery by Mark Charles. Typically in my conversations with others about Islam, people will bring up its history of violence, yet be completely unaware of how violent Christian history is as well. This book gives a clear, factual history of some of the worst things that have been done under the banner of Christianity.

​-Muslim Contributions to World Civilization By M. Basheer Ahmed. What comes up equally in these conversations is how little is known of the incredible contributions Muslims have given to the world as we know it today. This is a free PDF of a great survey of such accomplishments.

-If you are more of a listener than a reader, my favorite history podcast Throughline has some great episodes on the complex history of Islam. The three that come to mind are: The Battle For Jerusalem, The Siege of Mecca, and War Of The Worlds.

​-The Parable of the Good Muslim I also gave this reflection on my podcast this week, reflecting on Jesus' parable famously called the "Good Samaritan." (It will be available 6:00 am MST).

​-What The Christian Right Really Wants. I was recently published in The Preamble, which is a daily newsletter through Substack. I thought i would share my article here if it is of any interest to you.

​-Solace Preview. I wanted to give you Day 1 of my daily advent devotional to read for yourself. If you feel like you'd like to journey through it towards Christmas, beginning November 29th, you may get access to it below.

$20.00 Solace: The Birth of Hope in a Time of Longing This devotional is an ebook, crafted as a daily scripture readings and reflections that begin on the First Sunday of... Read more Get it now!

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Being Anti-Muslim is to be Un-Christ-like.

The anti-Muslim rhetoric, especially from so many Christians, has been so disturbing to see. It has been particularly intense around the newly elected senator from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed.

I firmly believe that we must all be concerned about religious extremism in all forms. But this anti-Muslim rhetoric is deeply hypocritical for several reasons.

First, it’s not actually focused on religious extremism, but just people being Muslim.

Second, it’s largely one sided, where it focuses on Muslims on the political left, and not folks like Dr. Oz or when the president of the United States openly courts Quatari leaders, who have direct ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Thirdly, this all takes place while willfully ignoring Christianity's history of violence and Christian extremism right here in our own country.

The Double Standard

At an October 2026 town hall in Caro, Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed paraphrased John F. Kennedy’s famous 1960 speech on Catholicism to reject accusations of "dual loyalty" over his Muslim faith. After an audience member pressed him to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Sayed disavowed the group and stated that just as Kennedy declared he was not running to be a Catholic president, he was running for the U.S. Senate and simply happened to be Muslim. He has stated numerous times that his primary loyalty as a politician is to the Constitution of the United States and the American people.

Meanwhile, no one has asked Donald Trump to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood, even though he accepted a luxury $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar and approved a Qatari air force training facility on a U.S. military base right here in Idaho.

Qatar has historically served as a major diplomatic, financial, and media patron of the Muslim Brotherhood and its regional affiliates. While Doha frames this relationship as pragmatic engagement with mainstream political actors across the Middle East, neighboring Gulf states have long viewed it as a direct threat to regional stability and monarchic rule. Since the mid-20th century, Qatar has granted residency and political refuge to exiled Muslim Brotherhood members fleeing crackdowns in countries like Egypt and Syria. Prominent figures, such as the late influential cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, lived in Doha for decades and used it as a base to reach global audiences. Yet even though these actions drew bipartisan criticism, no one has asked Donald Trump to “disavow the Muslim Brotherhood.”

All the while, far right groups like the Proud Boys, Society for American Civic Renewal, and the New Christian Right, who have been vocal supporters of MAGA, consistently use Christian language and symbolism to advocate Western chauvinism and Christian Nationalism. Leaders in these organizations have consistently demanded that women be stripped of political rights, claim that slavery is Biblical, that Christianity should be the only privileged religion in America, and that only Christian men be allowed to govern the country and society. Also, other Christian politicians have worked tirelessly to legislate the 10 Commandments and the Bible into our public schools, shape legislation around a fundamentalist ideological view of women, particularly around reproductive rights, and the administration has fused its power with Christianity and the narrative of a “Christian nation.”

However, even in light of all this, so much political messaging and many Christians in America are preoccupied with politicians simply being Muslim, especially on the political left, as if it is the greatest threat to our country, rather than actual religious extremism.

The Same Examples

The examples that are perpetually given to me to prove Islam is a threat to our country are of radical Muslim groups and countries that do not represent the entire religion of Islam that comprises of over a billion and a half people worldwide. Violent portions of Islamic history are also used as proof while simultaneously justifying violent portions of Christian history.

I have also studied Islam and read the Quran extensively during my theological education. People love to take disturbing passages out of the Quran and make it exemplify the entire religion of Islam whilst simultaneously ignoring troubling passages and scripture that they themselves don’t even follow.

I will never forget watching the Jericho March live streamed in Washington D.C. that happened on January 6, 2021. It was modeled on the biblical story of the fall of Jericho (where the walls of the city fell after the Israelites marched around them). It was a pro-Trump, Christian nationalist gathering involved participants praying, fasting, blowing shofars (ritual horns), and circling the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court, all to demand that the 2020 presidential election results be overturned.After this, President Trump said to “fight like hell,” and the capitol was stormed. Watching the crowds of people, you could see crosses, Bibles, and signs that read “Jesus Saves” among the trump flags and Christian flags. Some who carried crosses even built gallows for vice president Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi. It was a chilling display. After breaking in, the so called QAnon Shaman led a crowd in prayer to Jesus in the chambers the senate, thanking him for giving them this opportunity to oppose the “communists and the globalists.”

Would we Christians even know where to look or what to call it if we were to want to disavow Christian extremism in our own country? Would we have the courage to do so? 

As a Christian American myself, I've been in Christian ministry all my life. I’ve worked alongside Muslim brothers and sisters for years.I’ve traveled to work as a Christian educator In countries alongside Muslim communities. I've been writing publicly for many years now. I have only ever experienced kindness, hospitality, and compassion from my Muslim siblings.

Living here in America, I've never witnessed Muslims coming to my home to try to convert me, or try to legislate their scriptures in our schools, build militia compounds in my state, tell me I'm going to hell for my beliefs, threaten me and my family online, protest constantly about why women shouldn't have voting rights in America, cheer about live streaming executions, declare America as belonging to their religion, or storm our nation's capitol to overturn an election. But I have witnessed Christians do all these things, all while telling everyone they need to be gravely concerned about Sharia Law.

If we Christians are actually concerned about possible extremists here in America who want to impose an authoritarian interpretation of their beliefs on others, maybe it's time to start looking in our own religious group first.

I think the needed distinction is that Islam is a religion that has billions of members world wide. Just like Christianity, it has numerous different factions and interpretations of how it should be lived. Countries like Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates are Muslim countries where numerous other religious people live in peace, and they have some of the highest literacy rates in the world and women in those countries are highly educated, and represent half of those in power and the workforce. Yet these countries rarely make an appearance in the discussion.

This continued fear-mongering towards people who happen to be Muslim in our country is simply hypocritical, ignorant, disingenuous, and continues to give Christians the reputation of being easily influenced by political propaganda.If we Christians wish to have a reputation of integrity and honesty in our society, we must reckon the anti-Muslim bigotry that has taken root among us.

Muslim and Christian Solidarity

On New Year’s Eve 2010, a devastating bomb exploded outside the Saints Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, killing 23 people. The attack threatened to ignite widespread sectarian violence across Egypt. In defiance of terrorism, thousands of Egyptian Muslims showed up at Coptic Christian churches across the nation on January 6, 2011 (Coptic Christmas Eve). They formed physical human chains around churches so their Christian neighbors could celebrate mass in safety. Prominent Muslim figures, actors, and ordinary citizens joined the effort under the slogan, "We are one."

When the mass anti-government uprisings finally did take over Cairo’s Tahrir Square later that month, the spirit of solidarity shifted directly into the protest camps. During the height of the 18-day revolution against President Hosni Mubarak, protesters faced violent crackdowns from pro-government thugs and security forces. Muslim protesters were left completely vulnerable to ambush while they kneeled in daily prayer.

On February 4, 2011, a massive rally known as the "Day of Departure,” Coptic Christians locked hands to form a protective perimeter around thousands of Muslims as they engaged in their Friday noon prayers.

In September 2013, a horrific twin suicide bombing at the All Saints Church in Peshawar Pakistan killed over 100 Christian worshippers. It stands as the deadliest attack on Christians in Pakistan's history. In immediate defiance of the terrorism, a civil activist named Mohammad Jibran Nasir organized human shields to protect subsequent Sunday masses.The very first protective human chain was organized outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in Karachi just one week after the Peshawar bombings. Dozens of local Muslims stood guard as parishioners arrived for worship.

On October 6, 2013, the movement expanded to Lahore. Between 200 and 300 Pakistani Muslims gathered outside St. Anthony's Church on Empress Road.Inside the church courtyard, Muslim cleric Mufti Mohammad Farooq delivered a sermon quoting Quranic verses that preached religious tolerance and respect. As Father Nasir Gulfam concluded his two-hour Sunday Mass, the two religious leaders stood should-to-shoulder, holding hands at the center of the human chain. Activists held signs reading "One Nation, One Blood" and played music to comfort the exiting parish. Organizer Jibran Nasir famously summarized the event to The Express Tribune: "Well, the terrorists showed us what they do on Sundays. Here we are showing them what we do on Sundays. We unite."

A similar wave of solidarity was sparked two years later when suicide bombers targeted two churches in Youhanabad, a major Christian neighborhood in Lahore, killing 15 people.Unlike the purely symbolic gestures of 2013, this protest carried strong political messaging. Muslim student leaders like Kabir Ali and Khurram Ali used the platform to demand equal civic rights for Christians, publicly rejecting the social classification of religious minorities as lower-class citizens in Pakistan, and condemning state inaction against extremist ideological centers.

On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, more than 10,000 Muslims gathered on the grounds of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn Michigan for what was described as the largest outdoor Eid al-Adha prayer gathering in Michigan. The service was held under the theme of "Unity and Justice" and was led by prominent Washington, D.C.-based scholar Imam Suhaib Webb.

During the communal prayers, dozens of Christian clergy members formed a protective human chain around the worshippers to ensure physical and symbolic safety and challenge far-right nationalist rhetoric. The effort was spearheaded by the Michigan Multifaith Clergy Rapid Response Network, led by Reverend Shannon Jammal-Hollemans. The network coordinated directly with a coalition of Metro Detroit Islamic organizations, including the Islamic Center of Detroit, the American Moslem Society, the Al-Huda Islamic Association, and the Al-Furqan Mosque.

In her public statement regarding the shield, Rev. Jammal-Hollemans emphasized the duty of Christian leaders to stand in public support of their Muslim neighbors, noting that both faiths are rooted in love, peace, and mercy.

Why am I sharing this with you?

I am sharing these stories with you because it was the photo from the Muslim human chain around Coptic Christians in 2011 that fundamentally changed my perception of Muslims forever.

I was in seminary at the time and was studying Islam and the Quran in an elective course. I was already questioning a lot of anti-Muslim beliefs I had growing up in post 9-11 America. I had just had my first conversation with Muslim students who came to our class on Islam and graciously allowed us to ask them any questions. I was blown away by their kindness, humility, and senses of humor. I was amazed by their honesty about how the extremists in their religion didn’t represent them or their faith. I was equally shocked by their experiences of racism and intolerance they endured here in America.

Then when I watched the revolution in Egypt unfold and saw how Muslims were willing to lay down their own lives for Christians, it rocked me to my core. It was such a Christ like act! Why were they willing to put their lives on the line for Christians if they ultimately wanted Christians to die as “infidels?” Reality showed me how wrong my biases were.

As I continued to learn, travel the world, and speak with more and more Muslims, I realized that Islam is just as diverse as Christianity, with numerous interpretations and debates about how to live in accordance with their faith.We are living in a time here in America of rising anti-Muslim rhetoric, even though Muslims represent a little over 1 percent of our population.

Researchers at institutions like the Center for American Progress and the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University have identified a well-funded network of think tanks, pundits, and advocacy groups dedicated to spreading misinformation about Islam. This network promotes conspiracy theories, such as the imminent implementation of Sharia law in the U.S., which are then amplified by partisan news outlets, politicians, pastors, and social media algorithms designed to reward outrage and fear. I’ve come to firmly believe that one of the clearest signs that we Christians in America have been more influenced by political propaganda than by Jesus is when we are anti-Muslim.

This is a tremendous opportunity for followers of Jesus in the United States to show our solidarity with our Muslim American neighbors. To form chains of solidarity and love around them, protecting them and our own hearts and minds from bigotry and hate. Because the more hate festers towards others, the less Christ like we become towards them and the less we are able to see Christ in them.

May it be so with us.

Now I'd like to hear from you! Did you find this helpful? What thoughts came to your mind as you read? Feel free to respond to this email and share your thoughts with me. I look forward to reading them. A 30 Day Day Devotional: I wrote a daily devotional for the season of Advent, which begins on November 29th this year. I wrote it in hopes to provide a companion for people seeking to follow Jesus through the season of we are currently navigating together. You can find out more below: $20.00 Solace: The Birth of Hope in a Time of Longing This devotional is an ebook, crafted as a daily scripture readings and reflections that begin on the First Sunday of... Read more Get it now! ​ Ways to support: If you'd like to support this project, you can do so through one-time-gift of any amount you feel is right. You can also subscribe through a $5/mo, $15/mo, or $25/mo. Several others have also asked for a recurring gift option that is different from the ones offered here, like this one. If you'd like me to set up a different option for you, please just send me an email with the word "support" in the subject line. As always, I really want to thank all of you for reading and for all the ways you support me and this project every single week. I'm thankful for the ways we are building this together and hope it creates a lasting, positive change in our world along the way! I sincerely appreciate you all, Ben Remember, you can now view this and all previous newsletters as well as invite friends to join through this link: https://benjamin-cremer.ck.page/profile.

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