Dare you talk about Islam?

A friend of mine shared on social media that he was in Bradford this weekend to speak at a church event. Another prominent Christian immediately asked them whether they dated to speak about Islam. 

Now, my first thought is “Why is that so often  the go to response to someone visiting Bradford?” To be sure Bradford has a significant population of Muslims. So too do a number of times and cities across the north and Midlands, including here in Birmingham.  However, Bradford also has lots and lots of people from other religious heritages and many holding no faith themselves (just like other towns and cities).

Further, my friend is in Bradford in the context of the city being City of Culture.  There is surely a lot to talk about from a Christian perspective in that context.  There’s the wider historic impact on culture through music, literature and art and the specific and unique impact of one of they key cities to grow out of the industrial revolution. 

Then there is the incredible Christian impact, both a Christian impact on that culture and the way in which Bradford has quietly has a wider Gospel impact as I’ve mentioned before. 

So the go to comment about Bradford doesn’t need to be Islam or immigration, although the latter has played a positive part and relates to that post industrialization culture.   Yet, those are the go to tropes in the world around us whether by new comment shows or in football chants. Are the Christians just joining in a lazy stereotyping? 

The undertone also seems to be that there might be fear about talking about Islam.  Yet the reality is that Christians, not just in Bradford but in towns and cities across the North and Midlands are active in engaging both with Islam and with Muslims for the Gospel. 

Those who want to comment on Islam, especially at a culture war level might do well to listen and learn from those people. In terms of Bradford, they might find that the city is a place with much to offer about that too, rather than being a place where we dare people to talk about Islam like school boys for a prank

Personally I can talk about growing up with Muslims friends at school and the opportunities for conversation that gave.  My godfather was a pioneer in developing the kind of one to one, in community mission work amongst Muslims that is increasingly happening across the UK. 

Now maybe I’m just over sensitive to reactions to my home city (and similarly to my current home in Brum).  However, this has often been the go to response. If someone finds out I’m from Bradford, they immediately want to talk about Islam and immigration.  If I’m at a football game,  I can guess the kinds of chants that the opposition fans will sing.  I’ve seen the online and media reaction to the City of Culture. I guess that I just want the Christian response to be a little different.

Further, I bekieve we need to be careful that there doesn’t become a disconnect between on the ground local church engagement with Muslims and a kind of higher level culture war.