The spectacle of international Islam this past week has been astonishing for Westerners to behold. We have seen a global wave of rage on account of an obscure video on YouTube that is, as they say, “insulting to Islam.” No doubt it is.
But part of what strikes us about this worldwide agitation is how passionate these people are about their religion, albeit in ways that show no concern for human life. What I as a Christian find remarkable is how fundamentally Muslims identify with their religion. Of course, that identification is not as strong as it sometimes seems. They are divided very powerfully at times by tribe, ethnicity, nation, even religious traditions. Part of their passion stems also from grievance over perceived victimization.
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