Demonising Others

Like some other bloggers recently, I have been wondering about continuing to blog. I don't want to read for the sake of it, likewise I don't want to write for the sake of it. So I haven't put fingers to keys for over a week.

But this morning I received a well known international Christian aid agency's periodical that caused me to be angry, frustrated and concerned. The magazine reports on the agency's current projects most of which are fantastic responses to disasters, both humanitarian and natural. But the not so subtle message on every page is the persecution of Christians, predominantly by Muslims. The underlying, and unapologetic foundation of the agency is their Christian faith and I do not have a problem with that. (One of the reasons I am engaged in this work is my response to Jesus' call to meet the needs of others.)

But, in my opinion, the centrefold goes over the top. It is a collection of quotes by well known Islamic Extremists claiming a priority for the Islamisation of the Western World through migration and birth rates. The quotes, probably pulled out of context, speak of this agenda as being the only agenda of all Muslims.

I have two problems with these kinds of publications:

1. Aid and Development should not be delivered with any requirement for faith commitment. An agenda to disseminate an obvious bias against people of any other faith is both dangerous and anti-Christian. To imply that this religion's agenda is the eradication of all 'others' is unhelpful - and I would think counter intuitive to the aim of any agency to alleviate the suffering of those impacted by disaster.
2. I could come up with a list of quotes by Christian Extremists that would be equally as frightening. Some of the comments made by world leaders and self proclaimed Christians are equally as inflammatory. White 'Christian' Supremacists who seek to assassinate leaders because of skin colour are surely as frightening.

I find myself increasingly angry at the apparent agenda of some Christians to demonise all Muslims and assigning them the blame for all global ills. I think there are probably as many scary Christian extremists we need to be wary of, and let's not forget that history records that there have been some pretty horrific acts carried out in the name of both God and Allah.