I received a phone call yesterday, where the caller, a non-Muslim, called to confirm my religion given my name. “I am a Muslim,” I affirmed. He went on to express his shock. “One wouldn’t easily know… you are very intelligent… I was surprised when I saw ‘Bashir’ in your name,” he said.
His statements reminded me of a woman I visited in Lagos. I was there to engage her and her daughter in a religious dialogue. When we were about to start, she said to her daughter, “This man is like Alfa (he mentioned his name). You know, those learned intellectual ones. You can’t catch them easily.”
When the caller was done expressing his shock, this is a summary of what I said to him:
“I am surprised that you are surprised that I am a Muslim based on your assumption of my intelligence. If I told you that I am surprised that you are intelligent or too smart to be a Christian, what would that connote?
Actually, it is not the first time I have heard this, and some other Muslims have had similar experiences too. You should change your disposition towards Muslims; assuming they are stupid by default is a ridiculous stereotype. You should stop judging Muslims based on just one Muslim you intentionally decide to see and use as a yardstick to judge all Muslims.
If we look at it carefully, the average Muslim is often smarter than the average Christian. Do you know why?
– Who uses Church’s stickers for protection when the Pastor has security guards?
– Who believes someone that claims he hears from God and even had a phone conversation with Him?
– Who follows someone who makes fake prophecies year after year, yet, makes a case for him?
– Who slaves after a nation that disrespects his supposed Lord and Saviour and his mother?
– Who calls a book that has 66 books, 73 books, or 81 books with different versions and contradictions the word of God?
– Who believes God came down to earth, was in the womb of Mary, and was nursed like a baby?
– Who believes God came to die for the sins of humanity or God sent his son to die for our sins when He could easily forgive?
– Who sings and dances to worship God when none of their Prophets, including their ‘God in flesh,’ did? If David did, they don’t identify as Davidians but as Christians.”
If you are a Muslim, don’t let anyone make you feel inferior. The least knowledgeable Muslim who consciously knows his faith is often better in thinking than the most knowledgeable Christian!
– Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman
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