March 8, 2004
Mel Gibson's new film, The Passion of the Christ, is stirring a lot of controversy. One of the concerns being voiced is that the movie will promote anti-Semitism. Some of the remarks made about this anti-Semitic concern include ignorant statements about Muslims and their beliefs about the crucifixion of Jesus. Both Christians and Jews have been the promoters of this ignorance on television talk shows.
One Christian participant in a discussion on Fox News (The Heartland with John Kasich, Sat. Feb. 21, 2004) expressed concern for what The Passion of the Christ would do to stir anti-Semitic behavior in the Muslim world. He said that since Muslims believe that Jews killed Christ, they would then use the movie as a means to stir up trouble for Jews in Muslim countries.
It was shocking to hear the speaker repeat this concern without any response from the host or Jewish guest on the program.
Several years ago I watched another movie about the life and death of Jesus Christ with two Muslim men in the basement of a church in Brooklyn, NY. These men were eager to discuss Christianity and agreed to watch the film. After about an hour and a half, the movie depicted the arrest of Jesus. A scene cut to Jesus being slapped in the face by a Roman soldier. At that scene, one of the Muslim men reacted strongly and spoke up firmly without hesitation. He said the movie was good to this point but the depiction of Jesus being slapped and mistreated brings dishonor on the prophet Jesus. He refused to continue watching the film and instead used the time to express his view that Jesus did not die nor was he dishonored in any way. To him, the Christian teaching about the death of Jesus is historically wrong and merely brings great dishonor on Christ. His response is a typical response by Muslims concerning the passion of Christ.
A denial of the historic reality of the death of Jesus Christ is a basic doctrine of Islamic theology.
It is hard to believe that any religious leader in America who would be called on to give an opinion about basic religious matters would be so ignorant about this basic teaching of Islam in our post September 11 world.
If anything, the Muslim reaction to Gibson's movie would focus on their perspective that such depictions bring dishonor and shame on Jesus, whom they believe in as a prophet only.
The Quran states: "They slew him not, nor crucified him" (Sura 4, verse 157).
One version of the Quran published in Istanbul says of this verse: "Allah saved Noah from the flood; Abraham from the fire, Muhammad from the traps of the idolaters, and Jesus from the wickedness of the Jews, who wished to crucify him. It was Judas Iscariot, who sought to betray Jesus, who was arrested instead, and crucified instead of the Prophet Jesus, upon whom be peace."
Another version of the Quran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, which is distributed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia, states in a footnote on this verse, "The Orthodox Christian Churches make it a cardinal point of their doctrine that his life was taken on the Cross, that he died and was buried, that on the third day he rose....and was afterwards taken up bodily to heaven. This is necessary for the theological doctrine of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins, which is rejected by Islam."
When Christian leaders take to the airwaves to discuss the death of Jesus and Islamic beliefs and when they are so wrong about those beliefs, they do a disservice to all Christians. An informed approach to bringing the message of the cross of Christ to Muslims is sorely needed among Christians today.
Seeking for truth could be another reaction from Muslims to Gibson's movie. This presents genuine followers of Christ with the opportunity to introduce Muslims to him who knew no sin and who became sin on our behalf. Are you ready?
Truth For Muslims is bringing a comprehensive, biblical response to Islam in America