What Some Christian Influencers Get Wrong About Islam — and Christianity
BY NF STUDIO
Since the rise of Zohran Mamdani in New York’s mayoral election, conservative Christian commentators have been especially vocal against Islam – with claims that American Muslims hate Christians, are responsible for 100% of terrorism worldwide, are incompatible with Western Civilization, and are the greatest danger in the world, just to name a few.
It’s tempting to brush off those posts as just more political rage-bait to score points. But when influencers with a large Christian followings spread these kinds of claims, it matters. Not just because their statements about Islam are wrong, but because they shape how many believers come to see and treat their Muslim neighbors.
Neighborly Faith exists to move Christians from fear to friendship. To reach our Muslim neighbors, we need to know, build trust, and speak fairly of them. That means being evenhanded and careful with our words, not perpetuating caricatures. So let’s talk about what these influencers get wrong about Muslim Americans — not just about Islam, but about Christianity.
Insisting that U.S. Muslims “hate” their Christian neighbors is to paint with a brush so broad it erases the faces of millions of ordinary, peace-loving people.
Bearing False Witness About a Diverse Community
Insisting that U.S. Muslims “hate” their Christian neighbors is to paint with a brush so broad it erases the faces of millions of ordinary, peace-loving people. The Bible is clear that we should not bear false witness about our neighbors (Exodus 20:16). To claim that American Muslims hate their Christian neighbors, or are a danger to our society, is just that: false witness.
According to the Pew Research Center, more than eight in ten Muslim Americans are proud to be American and the vast majority say they want to live peacefully with people of other faiths. The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) reports that Muslims are among the most civically engaged faith groups in the country — voting, volunteering, and donating to charity at rates comparable to or higher than other Americans.
Furthermore, Muslims are among the most tolerant of all religious groups in America. As of 2011, 92% of Muslim Americans expressed tolerance or positive views of other faiths while remaining personally loyal to Islam. The majority accept the idea of marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims, and an even greater number report close friendships with non-Muslims.
In our work at Neighborly Faith, we continually encounter thousands of peaceful, kind, and generous Muslim Americans who enjoy engaging with Christians, and who are nothing but gracious and understanding toward Americans who do not share their beliefs. Are there some who hate Christians and other groups? Certainly – just as there are Christians who harbor hatred and condone violence. Every community faces temptation to allow the polarization in our society – and the loudest voices on the internet – to fill them with fear.
Even if a Christian were to believe that Muslims are enemies of Christianity and western civilization in general, that wouldn’t excuse bullying Muslims on the internet and perpetuating stereotypes that threaten their safety in our schools, workplaces, and public spaces.
Some might say that our duty as Christians is to protect our families and country against enemies foreign and domestic, even if it means we have to get ugly sometimes. But consider the words of Jesus:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Matthew 5:43-47, ESV).
We’re called to embody truth and tenderness, a balance that Christian firebrands who fish for likes often lack.
Speaking Without Salt, Gentleness, or Grace
Paul instructs believers: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6). Yet, scathing rhetoric about Muslims, positioning them as enemies to Christians, America, and the world, is the opposite of Paul’s instructions.
This isn’t just a tone problem; it’s a discipleship problem. Who is discipling us to be bullies toward our neighbors of other faiths in the public square?
Jesus modeled something different. He dined with tax collectors, spoke with Samaritans, healed foreigners, and on exceptional occasions, even commended the faith of outsiders. His words disarmed, invited, and restored. They never weaponized fear.
As Christians, our words should draw others toward Christ, not drive them away from His people. We’re called to embody truth and tenderness — a balance that Christian firebrands who fish for likes often lack.
The Samaritan became the hero of Jesus’s story because he acted with mercy. He clothed, fed, and comforted someone his community had been taught to hate.
Playing Into Tropes That Wound Our Muslim Neighbors
The Good Samaritan story is about more than roadside compassion. It’s a parable about who we become when confronted with the suffering of someone we’ve been taught to despise.
When we amplify fear-based narratives about Muslims, sharing half-truths that paint them as violent, deceitful, or un-American — we join the crowd that passed by the wounded man. Our words can harm real people: kids bullied in schools, families attacked at mosques, neighbors who wonder if they belong.
Meanwhile, the Samaritan — the outsider — became the hero of Jesus’s story because he acted with mercy. He clothed, fed, and comforted someone his community had been taught to hate.
If Jesus were telling that parable today, perhaps the roles would be reversed: a Muslim caring for a Christian left for dead while the self-righteous scroll past, posting warnings about “dangerous outsiders." The question Jesus asks still echoes: Who proved to be a neighbor?
The Facts Still Matter
Terrorism is not a “Muslim-only” phenomenon. The Global Terrorism Index consistently shows that attacks come from a wide range of ideologies: nationalist separatists, political extremists, and militant movements from multiple religious and secular backgrounds. In the U.S., most domestic terror attacks in recent years have been perpetrated by far-right extremists, not Muslims. In 2024, in the West, 65% of attacks could not be tied to either a specific group or a specific ideology.
Islam’s “influence” is not overtaking Christianity in America. Muslims make up about 1 percent of the U.S. population. Christians, even with declining numbers, remain around 62 percent. The math simply doesn’t justify the panic.
American Muslims are not outsiders in our story, and they are not enemies of the American church. In short, they want what most Christians want: to raise families, serve their communities, and live out their faith with integrity. The vast majority wish they knew more Christians (or any Christians at all), and have a lot of questions and curiosity about our faith.
But even if Islam were growing rapidly — our hope is secure. Christianity spread rapidly in cultures dominated by other faiths and ideologies. The Gospel doesn’t call us to protect cultural dominance – and one could argue that dominance hasn’t always been good for us. The Gospel calls us to love our neighbor and trust that truth, not fear-mongering, is what transforms hearts.
The irony in all of this is that the influencers most eager to defend Christians from the “threat” of Islam often end up contradicting Christianity. Their words about Muslims may go viral, but they don’t sound like Jesus – he called us to love those we are most expected to hate (Matthew 5:43-47). The task before us is simple; it’s what we’ve been called to do for thousands of years: to speak truth with grace, and to let our love and generosity, not fear, be what moves the Great Commission forward in this age and the age to come.