Christ and Pop Culture
Every Monday in Citizenship Confusion, Alan Noble discusses how we confuse our heavenly citizenship with citizenship to the state, culture, and the world.
“Spencer goes well beyond speculation by calling this an ‘Islamic honor killing’ and accusing the media of a PC coverup. The article is deceptive (or at least grossly irresponsible) and dangerous.
I chose this article because I stumbled upon it yesterday, but I have seen the same kind of deception in other posts from Spencer. My point is that he is a very influential figure in some Christian circles yet he quite blatantly lies. Some would excuse his articles as ‘exaggerations’ and point out that the real threat is Islam, not the brave voices who speak out against it.
My admonition for the Church is to deny the political nihilism of our culture by being a discerning reader, hungry for the Truth, even when it challenges our preconceptions. Let’s not make excuses for lies or irresponsible speculation or promote deception.”
Recently I was made aware of another highly-influential figure in the “creeping Sharia” movement who was using a murder to promote societal suspicions that Muslims are a deadly invading force in our country. Pamela Geller, who often works with Robert Spencer and runs her popular blog, Atlas Shrugs, has announced that she will be holding a conference to expose the cover-up of an honor killing in Michigan. The conference will be called the Jessica Mokdad Human Rights Conference, named after a 20-year-old Muslim girl who was killed by her father last year.
The problem is, that the girl’s family and the county prosecutor all deny that this was a religiously-motivated killing. And the step-mother has demanded that Geller not use her step-daughter’s name, but Geller plans to keep the name and hold the conference anyway.
According to FOX news, the step mother stated that, “this disgusting act had nothing to do with Islam, a religion she said Jessica practiced proudly.” And her father claimed, “It was nothing about religion or anything. It was just about a sick human being.”
In addition, the local chief of the homicide unit stated that: “It has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with his anger and frustration, apparently. . . .The wife of the defendant has indicated it was his intent to kill (Jessica’s) father. We’re still investigating motive, but the family says it’s very clear that the motive was not religion.”
While it is true that part of the step-father’s controlling behavior did include trying to force his step-daughter to wear a head-scarf, Geller goes far beyond what is reasonable by claiming that there is “overwhelming evidence” that it was an honor killing.
Voices like Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller are very dangerous, particular for Christians and conservatives–people who are prone to having a very low view of Muslims.
First, grossly, negligently, and cruelly exaggerating evidence in order to call a murder an “honor killing” distracts from the very real and horrible reality of honor killings, abuses, and misogyny done in the name of Islam.
Second, these exaggerations from influential bloggers fuel racism, hatred, and xenophobia. If you have any doubt about these, read some of the comments they receive on their sites.
Third, these voices are quite popular among Christians.
If we want to have a chance at ministering to our Islamic neighbors, sharing the Gospel with them, meeting their needs, and loving them as ourselves, we have to treat them with respect. We can begin respecting them by reading, sharing, and supporting commentators and bloggers who speak truthfully and in love.
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