How God Sees Muslims vs. How the World Does

July 11, 2025

I knew exactly where my resentment toward Muslims came from; it was personal. When I left Islam, I saw the ugly side of apostasy up close. But here’s what I don’t get: why do so many Christians in the West dehumanize Muslims? It is for sure not for the same reasons I did. If it were, they’d care a whole lot more about the Christians being persecuted in the Muslim world. So what’s really behind it?

I get it, Islam can seem scary. We’ve all seen the images of intimidating, stone-faced men with long beards mercilessly striking veiled women in the streets, images of public beheadings, and the horrific aftermath of suicide bombings. That kind of violence would traumatize anyone. By the way, I want to make it clear that this kind of behavior is just as disturbing to the vast majority of secular Muslims.

However, it’s entirely understandable why many Westerners have developed a negative, distrustful, and even suspicious view of Muslims. In many ways, that perception was intentionally shaped—subtly and systematically—without people even realizing it. If all you ever see are the most extreme expressions of a religion, then, of course, that’s all you will believe about it. No wonder so many Westerners look down on Muslim cultures. They see a narrow, one-dimensional version: women oppressed, martyrdom glorified, deep-rooted hatred for the West, and the list goes on.

Last week on the Royal Remnant podcast, I talked about the widespread fear and hatred directed towards Muslims in the West. While I acknowledge that animosity exists on both sides, my focus—as a Christian living in the West—is on the Western Church and our responsibilities. It is because we are called to live a life unlike anyone in this world. Christianity isn’t a cultural identity or political stance; it’s a radical way of life modeled after Jesus Christ. The New Testament calls believers to embody sacrificial love, outrageous generosity, unexpected kindness, and true humility. These aren’t optional virtues; they are the core values of our faith. Christianity calls us to a radical way of life, exemplified by Christ himself. Fear, resentment, and hatred are not an option.

Unfortunately, Western Christianity has often failed to reflect the values of Scripture. Rather than being shaped by the Gospel, it has frequently been molded by national interests and political ideologies. In the process, many have twisted the Word of God to fit their agendas, often using bad theology to justify positions that are not only unbiblical but deeply disturbing. As a result, we’ve lost our moral compass, blurring the line between right and wrong.

While we are called to seek the welfare of the countries we live in, we are never called to worship them. When countries deviate from God’s standards, Christians have a responsibility to speak out.

So, where do the roots of Muslim dehumanization come from?

Fear often becomes our first response to anything unfamiliar.

We often believe that instilling fear in someone provides a form of protection. If I am afraid, I stay on guard to protect myself from potential danger. However, fear is often a feeling not even based on truth. Humans have a plethora of irrational fears that never manifest in reality. People fear flying on an airplane but not getting married—yet one has a 60% chance of failure, and it’s not the metal tube in the sky.

Fear deviates people from the truth, pushing them away from Christ; it keeps them in bondage, breeds hostility, and creates more enemies. It empowers what we fear and prevents us from seeing the world the way God sees it. Unchecked vigilance can quickly turn into paranoia, leaving us constantly on edge and anticipating an attack. When we fear the devil, we grant him power.

When Jesus walked the earth and cast out unclean spirits, He did so with authority. After His ascension into heaven, He entrusted that same authority to us. However, when we attempt to fight spiritual deception with fear, it only reveals a lack of authority in Christ. This suggests that the vast majority of Christians in America do not truly understand their identity and authority in Him. If they did, Islam would cease to exist.

Demons only bow to the Holy Spirit within us when we walk in Jesus’s power, not our fear. Islam is a spiritual deception that requires spiritual warfare, not fear. When we overcome fear, we can begin to free people from its grip.

The Role of Politics in Perpetuating Fear

Politics has long been a powerful tool in shaping public perception, and sadly, it often thrives on fear. In the West, political leaders—both secular and religious—have used the fear of Islam and Muslims to maintain control, win votes, and justify foreign policy decisions. This manipulation isn’t just theoretical; it has real consequences, from endless wars in the Middle East to surveillance and profiling of Muslims on Western soil.

I’m fully aware of the reality of terrorism, and I believe every nation has the right to protect itself from genuine threats. However, history shows that politicians—regardless of party affiliation—have often used Islam as a convenient scapegoat, playing into the fears of an uninformed public. As a result, a false stereotype has taken root: that all Muslims are the same, inherently dangerous, and cannot be trusted.

Religion, rather than being a force for compassion and justice, has been weaponized by many so-called “Christian” leaders who abandon the teachings of Jesus for the sake of their fragile ego and political gain.

Cultural Superiority and Selective Acceptance

Racism, bigotry, and a deep sense of Western cultural superiority are other factors that fuel the dehumanization of Muslims. It’s ironic how we often enjoy aspects of Muslim culture—Middle Eastern cuisine, Moroccan architecture, Persian poetry, Turkish dramas, Arabic music, modest fashion, and even scientific discoveries that benefit humanity—yet when it comes to embracing the people behind that culture, the warmth disappears. We admire the art but vilify the artist.

We want hummus, falafel, pita bread, and henna, but not the hijab. We tolerate their presence until their values challenge our norms. Then suddenly, they are seen not as neighbors or fellow image-bearers, but as threats. This selective acceptance reveals a deeper problem: we’ve reduced Muslims to either exotic commodities or ideological enemies, instead of seeing them as people deeply loved by God.

How Do We Begin to Change This?

Love Is the Answer.

Why love? Because love is the heart of the gospel. If God didn’t love Muslims, He wouldn’t be saving them.

From Hagar and Ishmael to modern-day Muslims, God’s redemptive plan has always included the very people we’re often tempted to ignore, fear, or exclude. His grace reaches beyond cultural and religious boundaries because His love never stops pursuing those made in His image.

God showed mercy to Hagar and Ishmael, promising to bless their descendants, not because of who they were, but because of who He is. For years, I wrestled with why God would allow Islam to rise, knowing the suffering it would cause. But then I realized: God didn’t create Islam. He created people. He formed Hagar and Ishmael with intention and value, and He’s still working in their descendants today.

My own story is proof of this. I was born and raised Muslim. And yet, Jesus found me. He saved me. If I am not beyond His grace, then who am I to believe other Muslims are?

This reminds me of Jonah, who resisted going to Nineveh because he feared God would show mercy to his enemies. Do we harbor that same resistance in our hearts? Are we secretly hoping Muslims stay lost because it fits our narrative better?

As Christians, we must separate individuals from ideologies. We have to separate Muslims from Islam. That’s the first step toward seeing people as people. Muslims are not projects or threats. They are people created by the same God who created us.

And yes, God created everyone—Hagar and Ishmael, yes, but also people like Hitler, Mussolini, Bin Laden, Trump, Obama, and Bush. Why? That’s a mystery only God can fully unravel. But Scripture shows us that even through the most broken vessels, His purposes are accomplished. Redemption is born from pain.

God is sovereign. He exists outside of time. And when Jesus died on the cross, He didn’t just redeem a few. He opened the door of salvation to all—the Muslim refugee, the Christian nationalist, the atheist intellectual, the violent extremist, and the unhinged politician.

Because love—not fear, not propaganda, not politics—is the only power that truly saves.

Fariza