Georgetown's Bridge Initiative

Christianophobia

America magazine published a January 23, 2017, article by Jordan Denari Duffner called, “What Catholics owe their Muslim brothers and sisters.”  Jordan Denari Duffner and the Bridge Initiative are described on their website thus: “Jordan Denari Duffner is a research fellow at Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative, which studies Islamophobia. A former Fulbright scholar in Amman, Jordan, she is writing a book on Muslim-Christian dialogue for Liturgical Press.

Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative is based in Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. The Bridge Initiative is a multi-year research project that connects the academic study of Islamophobia with the public square.”

Anything coming out of the Bridge Initiative sponsored by billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed concerning Islamophobia with 4 of 6 board members Muslims would most definitely lean 100% in Islam’s favor.

(Ms Duffner need not lecture me about Islamophobia. My son’s best friend when growing up was a lovely Muslim boy. He was delightful and polite…but was never allowed to spend the night at our house and the first chance his mother got to convert me to Islam she tried. Nevertheless they were a lovely family although I always felt uncomfortable after the mother’s conversion attempt.)

Ms Duffner’s article is the normal liberal Catholic fluff about Islam and how Muslims are persecuted “just like Catholics were once persecuted.”

The reason for this post, though, is that the comments on the article by J. Cosgrove. They are spot on. He takes Ms Duffner to task as well as a few of the other commenters. In addition he offers good links and resources. It’s a pity that Ms Duffner more than likely will never read them.

The dream

Here is one of J Cosgrove's answers to a commenter: I suggest you read/listen to the resources I provided. No other religion besides Islam advocates the killing of those who do not believe in their religion. Islam is not just a religion but a political and social movement that controls all of life. The Holy War comes from one direction. I am suggesting the compassionate solution.

The reality

Spain is not a good example. Islam early on found a means to economic and political success as they conquered northern Africa. Exploit their non Muslim subjects to work for them while preventing anyway for them to rule or defend themselves. They were essentially indentured servants unless they converted to Islam. This gradually led to conversion to Islam of these subjects for economic reasons but ironically to economic decline as there were no more servants to support the Caliphate. In Spain there was an early on revolt from the Northern part of Spain which was unconquered. It gradually after 4-5 hundred years expelled the Muslims from Spain and Portugal. By the mid 1200's Muslims were essentially gone except for their fortress at Granada. Again I suggest you make avail of the resources I listed. There are certainly others but these are good. 

My take on all this is that Georgetown's Bridge Initiative should work with Muslims on Christianophobia instead of Christians on Islamophobia.