My Muslim Neighbor: Resolution

My Muslim Neighbor

WHEREAS, our Lord Jesus calls us to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39); and, 

WHEREAS, in the United States our neighbors include a growing number of Muslims (1); and,

WHEREAS, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has, from its beginning, committed itself to ecumenical and interfaith dialog; and,

WHEREAS, the ELCA is a founding member of the Shoulder-to-Shoulder Campaign (2), “an interfaith campaign [which] works at the national level and offers strategies and support to local and regional efforts to address Islamophobia;” (3) and,

WHEREAS, our Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, in an open letter to the Muslim American community, wrote, “…we renew our commitment to find even more effective ways to protect and defend you from words and actions that assault your safety and wellbeing. We believe God calls us to resist what is divisive, discriminatory, xenophobic, racist or violent, and we want you to look to us as allies and friends;” (4) and,

WHEREAS, Islamophobia, defined as “hatred, hostility, and fear of Islam and Muslims, and the discriminatory practices that result” (5) is real and dangerous; and,

WHEREAS, we do not need to believe that Islam is right to understand that Islamophobia is wrong; and,

WHEREAS, the headline-grabbing actions of violent extremists are not representative of mainstream Islam; and

WHEREAS, anti-Islamic rhetoric has become the stock-in-trade of some politicians, religious figures, and prominent atheists; and,

WHEREAS, the latest FBI statistics indicate an increase in incidents of hate crimes against Muslims (6); and,

WHEREAS, prejudice flourishes in the presence of ignorance; and,

WHEREAS, Christians and Muslims share a common Abrahamic tradition; and,

WHEREAS, excellent resources for understanding Islam are available, many free-of-charge;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Northern Illinois Synod “repudiate the hostility and hatred aimed at Muslims” (7) and commit itself to opposing, preventing, and eliminating Islamophobia; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that members of the Northern Illinois Synod be encouraged to educate themselves about the beliefs and practices of our Muslim neighbors; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Northern Illinois Synod make available a list of some useful resources for understanding the Islamic faith; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that congregations of the Northern Illinois Synod in communities with an Islamic presence, reach out to engage our Muslim neighbors in friendship, in conversation, and in cooperative effort.

NOTES:

1. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/14/muslims-expected-to-surpass-jews-as-second-largest-u-s-religious-group/

2. http://www.shouldertoshouldercampaign.org/

3. http://www.elca.org/Faith/Ecumenical-and-Inter-Religious-Relations/Inter-Religious-Relations/Muslim-Relations

4. Full text available at www.elca.org

5. Green, Todd, The Fear of Islam: An Introduction to Islamophobia in the West, Fortress Press, 2015, p. 9

6. https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2015/november/latest-hate-crime-statistics-available

7. Luther College Statement on Islamophobia (http://www.luther.edu/just-action/islamophobia/)