How to Approach a Conversation About Islam

Thursday

Telling non-Muslims the disturbing truth about Islam is difficult for many reasons. People often have a strong emotional reaction at the mere mention of the subject. But not always.

If you talk to people about Islam, you will get a variety of responses from people. You might have a willing listener who learns from you, or one who listens skeptically, or one who outright rejects everything you say or who won't let you even finish and brands you an Islamophobic racist.
Their response to you depends, in part, on the way you approach the conversation. Not entirely, of course, but your approach can sometimes overcome an already-existing predisposition to respond to any mention of Islam with hostility.

Over the next while, I will occasionally publish articles on different ways to successfully approach conversations about Islam, and I will add a link to those articles here on this page, and I'll keep a link to this page in the sidebar.

I have already published several articles about different ways to approach conversations about Islam, so that will get the list started. I suggest you read some of these articles, especially before a social event when you know the topic is likely to come up, or where you would like to bring it up. Use these articles as a kind of "pre-game coaching."

We can each do our part to increase the number of people who are no longer innocent about Islam by talking to the people we personally know and who already trust us and respect us. For many of them, you are the only one who has a chance of getting through to them. Let's make those opportunities count.
Here is the beginning of the master list of approaches:

1. Talk about Mohammad.

2. Push them to read the Quran.

3. Think in terms of small bits and long campaigns.

4. How to stay calm when talking about Islam.

5. Approach is the key.

6. Let's Help Each Other Talk to Non-Muslims About the Disturbing Nature of Islam.

7. What to Do About Those Who Oppose Your Educational Efforts.

8. Casually Talk About News — And Then Make a Good Point.

9. How to Stay Relaxed and Feeling Good While Talking About Islam.

10. Reveal the disturbing truth a little at a time.

11. One Way to Approach a Conversation: Talk About the Movie, "The Kingdom."

I'd like to invite you to join in an ongoing conversation among us non-Muslims about the challenges of talking to other non-Muslims about Islam. Click here to read what others have written or to post a message yourself.

Citizen Warrior is the author of the book, Getting Through: How to Talk to Non-Muslims About the Disturbing Nature of Islam and also writes for Inquiry Into Islam, History is Fascinating, and Foundation for Coexistence. Subscribe to Citizen Warrior updates here. You can send an email to CW here.

15 comments:

Anonymous 3:47 PM  

EXCELENT ARTICLE I HAVE POSTED ON MY BLOG AS IT IS..

SAM HINDU

Anonymous 5:19 AM  

Now it should become a lot easier to approach at least to the viewers of FoxNews because FOX has covered the news in Europe that 3 major western nations have had their PM step forward to say that "Multiculturalism has failed". As of this comment the ones to come out and are Merkel, Cameron, Sarkozy (Germany, Britain & France). The only reason Italian PM Berlusconi has not is prob due to the personal gone public sex affairs - ow we could be adding Italy.

Citizen Warrior 1:10 PM  

Yes, Islamophobe, you've got a point. It is easier to bring up the subject without any feeling of being "fringe" when someone in positions of national leadership are openly talking about it.

Blogger 6:48 PM  

Debating with people from the Bahai religion is the most bizarre. This is a conversation I had with a Bahai friend;

Me: "The Koran has teachings to kill non-muslims."
Bahai: "No, that's not true. God would never say that!"
Me: "But I have read the Koran, and read those verses."
Bahai: "The translation must be wrong then!"
Me: "The arabic says the same."
Bahai: "Impossible! God would never say that!"
Me:"I can show you."
Bahai: "It's wrong. God would never say that, therefore the translation must be wrong."

I knew this was going to go round in circles forever, so I had to give up at that point.

Anonymous 2:13 PM  

Excerpts from the Quran:
1."If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you."
2."When a grown-up man has intercourse with a little girl it is nothing"
3."Sexual intercourse with a little girl is permitted if she is three years of age"
4."Jesus is in hell and is being punished by being boiled in semen. Christians are boiled in dung"
Sources(search google): 1.Deutronomy 22-21, 2.Kethuboth 11b, 3.Yebhamoth 11b, Gittin 57a
Islam is such a terrible religion, right?

Anonymous 12:12 AM  

Yes..indeed it is-

Phil K 6:21 AM  

To be fair, politically correct vermin are every bit as bad as a muslim fanatic on the subject of islam. Closed minds they rant, while THEY are the closed mind !

Anonymous 2:41 AM  

Islam is perfect. I won't show any reaction for your ignorance that you are showing. Qu'ran never says such things. And even if some random non muslim like you speak something wrong, it won't bugger us. For as muslims we know we are on the right path. My iman is very strong. I'll pray to Allah (swt) to show you the way out of the wilderness of ignorance that you are lost in.
Allah hu Akbar

Anonymous 6:38 AM  

If Islam is perfect why are Sunnis bombing Shia mosques and why are Shias bombing Sunni mosques?

Mahesh 6:21 PM  

Someone says Islam is perfect here. Yes, Islam is perfected the imperfect to such an extent that all reverse is perceived as right. As Rebecca said, http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/100100/sec_id/100100, Islam is not a religion. While all the religions (except Islam) are on the left side teaching good, nihilism occupies the centre (total rejection of god) and Islam occupies the far right (God is a monster and wants to harass people). Yes, I would rate these tips in the article above are good for a non muslim to approach a non muslim to educate him/her.

Anonymous 6:09 PM  

Seconded! See any Christians beheading anyone yet?

Anonymous 6:13 PM  

If Islam is perfect, then how come your own prophet did not know if he were going to heaven or hell? Would you have listened when he told his followers to drink camel urine and milk as a cure all? Jesus just saved and cured all who have faith in Him! And why do you violate God's law by violating the 10 Commandments? Ever ask yourself that?

Anonymous 7:12 PM  

You can't trust Muslims. That's the point. You can't trust these people because they talk just like Politicians. They tell you one thing when they mean another. Just Google Taqiyya.

The problem is most North Americans are willing to believe people because we naturally trust people. This is the fruit of our Forefathers.

Muslims, on the other hand, are permitted to lie. That is the fruit of Muhammad.

Anonymous 8:13 AM  

See www.politicalislam.com

Anonymous 9:57 AM  

I find that people refuse to believe the truth about evil islam.

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