My Vegetarian Beef

I’m really aware of how progressive and educated people work to interrupt Islamophobic discourse by trying to educate people about Islamic theology. A really key point that often gets raised is that the prophet Mohammed, may peace and blessings be upon him, isn’t considered the founder of a brand new religion. This is a common misconception for lots of people from different political and other perspectives. I know I’ve had really fun and thought-provoking conversations with people when I share the little I know about Islamic thought and Muslim history. I think dialogue like this is an important piece of any strategic work around these important issues today.

So here’s my beef: As a result of Christian supremacy, most religious philosophy gets continually compared to Christian theology and Christ-centered frameworks. So I hear people who are trying to be good allies to Muslims insist that Mohammed isn’t like Jesus, the same blessings upon him also, who is assumedly the clear and undisputed founder of the sparkly new Christian religion.

But HELLO. That isn’t true either! Jesus was a Jewish radical. So were his mother and Paul and most of the people we now consider early Christians, for that matter. Christianity did not spring forth, fully formed, from a static and monolithic Judaism. And at the very least, Jesus had no conception of a separate religion, let alone the intent to create one by his lonesome. It’s cool that what ended up happening is now a distinct religion but we need to remember and interpret our history correctly here, people.

Isn’t it interesting how we can disorient simplistic versions of one thing and keep the same idea completely intact elsewhere?