‘Of Course It’s About Islam’

The inability, or unwillingness, to tell the truth can have a number of causes. One might be a pathological liar — and there is not much that can be done for that except, perhaps, to have a career in public relations. The diplomatic service would be another outlet, although there might be a greater justification for being, as one British politician put it, “economical with the truth,” when it comes to national security, for example.

But the refusal to tell the truth for fear of offending the sensibilities of a nation, religion, or social group cannot be justified.

Even though it might wear the veil of charity or compassion, it is actually cowardice.

Pope Benedict, of sadly missed memory, used the words of St. Paul, “Caritas in veritate — the truth in love,” as his papal motto. Look where that got him after the Regensburg speech. Today, as once again Islamist terrorists murder, maim and terrify innocent civilians, there is an urgent need to speak the truth in love.

It is not Islamophobic, prejudiced or racist to tell the truth about the motivation for the terrorist attacks.

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To pretend that “this has nothing to do with Islam,” as we hear continuously after every terrorist attack, can no longer be considered disingenuous, or even charitable — or even an attempt to calm the possibility of prejudice. It is a lie, plain and simple. It has everything to do with Islam, and a particular interpretation of Islam, truly. Many scholars would actually say it is an accurate interpretation of Islam. It is nevertheless an authentic interpretation of the directives of Mohammed, given to him, so that devout Muslims believe, from God himself, via the conduit of the Angel Gabriel.

So far this year (and it’s still only March), there have been Islamist inspired attacks in 26 countries, according to the Clarion Project. Pause, take a deep breath, and repeat the phrase, “This has nothing to do with Islam.”

Perhaps our secularist leaders imagine that if they say it as regularly as they do, we will believe them. But why should we believe them when the people who perpetrate these atrocities tell us exactly why they have done so? Are we saying it is all Muslims? Of course not. That is the last resort of the scoundrel who has already lost the argument, like the person who so hates Catholicism that he brings up sex abuse as the standby tool to close his failing debate.

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But to “deny the truth, in love, or in fear” — if we can pervert St. Paul’s dictum — does not advance the cause of tolerance or understanding. It can be argued that the failure to face the truth, the failure to “name and shame,” has actually led to the rise of the extreme Right in Europe.

There have been decades of intolerance of orthodox Christianity, which has been ridiculed and marginalized by the chattering classes in academia, the media and the political elites. That has allowed, for example, in my own country of Great Britain the arrest and prosecution of Christians for preaching biblical teaching on human sexuality. Meanwhile, Imams — who are truly preaching “hate speech” and inciting acts of violence — are protected, not only by the law but by a phalanx of police officers.

We have come to expect our political leaders, sadly, to be “economical with the truth.” This is part of the obvious revulsion with the political class that is so evident in the current political process. But when it is those commissioned by Christ himself to speak before authority without fear, the unwillingness to speak the truth in love is particularly dispiriting.

While I was visiting the Christian refugees two months ago in Iraq, a priest told me he was “heartbroken” by the failure of the most senior figures in the Church to defend and protect the persecuted Christians of Iraq and Syria. The question is not whether Christians can live in peace with Muslims. That has been answered and is obvious. But will anyone ask — and answer honestly — whether Islam can live in peace with Christianity?

Father Benedict Kiely is a Catholic priest and founder of Nasarean.org, which is helping the persecuted Christians of the Middle East.