HOW DEFENDING MUSLIM STUDENTS CAN STRENGTHEN OUR CHRISTIAN WITNESS ON CAMPUS
BY KEVIN SINGER
At Original Mocha coffee house, a group of Muslim students came together for what was meant to be a casual evening of games and friendship. But when they stepped outside for evening prayer, several self-described Christian influencers confronted them with mocking words and insults.
Similar incidents have multiplied in recent months, targeting Muslim student groups during their gatherings and times of prayer—and even sharing the encounters online for views.
These acts don’t just harm Muslim students; they wound the witness of Christ-followers on campus. As Christians, we have an opportunity—and responsibility—to show a different kind of faith, one that mirrors Jesus’s love rather than fear.
When Christians act like agitators, it tells the passerby that Jesus came to “condemn the world” (John 3:17).
Religion Is Not the Problem—Hostility Is
Matthew Kaemingk, author of Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear, often says that the way Christians treat Muslims says a lot more about Christians than it does about Muslims. When self-proclaimed Christians intentionally provoke Muslims, be sure that the real victims of this aggression is Christians and their credibility. When Christians act like agitators, it tells the passerby that Jesus came to “condemn the world” (John 3:17).
But what if we saw Muslim students not as religious rivals, but as allies in preserving something sacred on campus—the right to pray, to gather, to hold convictions without fear? In an increasingly secular university culture, defending religious freedom for others is another way of defending it for ourselves.
When harassment silences Muslim students, it sends a message that religious expression itself isn’t safe. By defending their right to pray, Christians also defend their own freedom to speak and worship openly. Standing with Muslims, then, is not a political compromise—it’s a spiritual commitment to love our neighbors and to protect the conditions in which we can all be public about our beliefs.
Today, the “suffering man” from the Good Samaritan story may very well be a Muslim student harassed for praying in public.
Living Wisely among Others
In Colossians 4:5–6, Paul urges believers: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt.” Aggression and mockery aren’t what Paul had in mind when he called us to share the Gospel. Aggression may feel bold, but it rarely wins anyone to Jesus. Grace requires curiosity, gentleness, and a willingness to listen—even when we deeply disagree.
The men who disrupted those Muslim students’ prayers thought they were serving Jesus by attacking Islam. But Paul reminds us that the way we speak about others can either open doors or close them. What’s more likely to stir curiosity about Jesus—attacking our Muslim peers, or embracing them as neighbors made in God’s image?
The Good Samaritan Still Speaks
Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan turns this entire question upside down. The hero is the one least expected to show compassion, the rival who crossed the road to defend a suffering man. Today, the “suffering man” may very well be a Muslim student harassed for praying in public.
To act like the Samaritan is not to endorse every belief held by that student—it’s to bear witness to the compassion of Christ, who defended the vulnerable even when it was costly.
A Better Witness
Defending our Muslim neighbors sends a message beyond just one friendship—it tells an entire campus that Christians take love seriously. We’re willing to lay down pride, fear, and even social comfort to protect our neighbors.
No one ever found Jesus in a livestreamed confrontation. But they might find him in a cup of coffee offered after a hard day, or in a quiet defense when the crowd is cruel.
When we protect the dignity of Muslim students, we protect the integrity of our own witness. And that’s how we keep Christ visible where He’s needed most.
Kevin Singer is Director of Neighborly Faith.