5 Ways to Learn about our Muslim Neighbors

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Islam is headed to be the fastest growing faith group around the world, and is expected to pass Christianity in the rest of the world, perhaps even in America. According to Pew Research, "Over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest religious group, but Islam will grow faster than any other major religion.” With such a growing population of Muslims in the U.S., many Americans are frightful of welcoming Muslims neighbors from the news they see or hear. This is hard to miss, as there is so much contempt for other religions and people who are different than us. We need to be honest with ourselves, and do a gut check. Ask yourself: "Why am I afraid of this person or religious sect?" Then, you will find the answer. Here are five things you can do to learn more, and to face your fears when it comes to Muslims, and to become a better neighbor as well.

Educate Yourself

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Muslims have the same struggles as anyone else, and most Muslims want to live in the peace with neighbors, not live in strife, Filmmaker Fadel AlMheiri shared. "We are just people and we have the same struggles as anyone else. But the extremists have been able to drive the narrative and that gives non-Muslims the wrong impression about the religion and the people who follow it." He also offered what people can do to live in peace, if Muslims scare you. Do more research on Muslims and what they believe in, face your fears. "I think it's our responsibility and my responsibility to give a voice to the other side and let people know that what they see in the news isn't representative of Muslims," said AlMheiri. "But I also encourage non-Muslims to take the initiative and learn all they can about the religion, because knowledge paves the way to understanding.” Don't worry about being right or wrong, make the effort to educate yourself.

Go to a Mosque

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Mosques are places where people participate in civic and charitable work. Many are open to interfaith conversations as well. For example, the Mosque Foundation in Illinois offers potluck dinners and annual events where Catholic and other churches partner in advocating unity among all religions. AlMheiri offered: “Check with a nearby mosque about the possibility of paying a visit to learn more. Sometimes mosques hold events, such as open houses, where non-Muslim community members are invited with the express purpose of getting to know their Muslim neighbors and learning more about the religion.” This does not mean you have to follow a different religion, it just means you learn we are all humans and struggle to look for the meaning in life.

Common Ground

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We all share the same beliefs to provide a good home for our families, and to find common ground. There are things all of us enjoy doing, if you want to engage with Muslims. Most of us love to eat out and like to have fun, so let that be the bridge to the future. Relevant Magazine is a Christian publication. It was a breath of fresh air when they released an interfaith article on the subject. "Every day, faith inspires people to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable people in our world--people who are threatened by disease, poverty, oppression, hatred and violence. It is at the heart of faith to care for the weakest people in our society. While holding on to our different beliefs about theology, we can still find common ground in what our sacred texts say about caring for the poor." There is always common ground, and it doesn't take much to find this--we're all humans, right?

Have a Conversation

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Call a Muslim leader to foster peace and to gain knowledge in regards to your questions. Most will be open to hear your questions as this is good for the community as well and spreading peace. Muslim leaders have called for peace with Christians, the sincerity is there. Get rid of the mystery AlMheiri said. “The best way to eliminate any mystery is to have a conversation, and most Muslims welcome sincere interest in and questions about their beliefs. I got these great questions about ISIS and about why things are happening the way they are. We talked about why the media focuses so much on negative things about Islam and why average Muslims are being silent.” Ask to gain a better understanding of where Muslims are coming from today, this will help you on the journey.

They Want Peace

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Many Muslims want to embrace the freedom and customs of America. They hate that terrorists and the idea of killing. Did you know that Muslims helped raise money to help victims of the terrorist attacks in California? Palestinian-American, Omar Alnatour, wrote that Muslims want peace, and shared this knowledge with Beliefnet. "There is no bigger award for those who promote peace than the Nobel Peace Prize. That being said, five out of the 12 past people who have won this award have been Muslims. So if all Muslims are terrorists because a single digit percentage of terrorists happen to be Muslim, then all Muslims are peacemakers because 42 percent of Nobel Peace Prize winners in the past 12 years have been Muslims."

Interfaith Dialog

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With the increase of the Muslim population, Americans need to do a better job at making peace despite the religion. Not all Muslims are bad, and not all Christians are bad. We need to be aware and remove the stigma where a bunch of radicals are controlling the narrative. Despite theological differences, we need to get over the hate. Author of David R. Smock wrote in the book, Interfaith Dialogue and Peace-Building, that we need a deeper knowledge of various religions. “I strongly feel that it is only when there is a deep understanding of one's own religious beliefs and commitments that progress can be made in achieving true understanding and respect for the religious values and beliefs of others. Engaging in interfaith dialogue does not in any way mean undermining one's own faith or religious tradition. Indeed, interfaith dialogue is constructive only when people become firmly grounded in their own religious traditions and through that process gain a willingness to listen and respect the beliefs of other religions."