Plainfield
Indiana
December 24, 2021
In the name of God, Most Loving and Most Caring,
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) wants to extend our greetings to our Christian brothers and sisters in America and around the world. As Muslims, our love and respect for Jesus are central to our faith. We believe that the immaculate birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah son of Mary, is a historical
landmark in the creation of the history of humanity.
Chapter 19 of the Quran is dedicated to the blessed event of the birth of Jesus Christ, and the entire chapter is named after his mother Maryam (Mary). The name of Jesus (Eesa) is mentioned 25 times in the Quran. We are told in very clear words how blessed and joyful the event of his birth is for humankind (Quran 19:33). This is a belief that Muslims and Christians of the world share earnestly; our love and respect for Jesus binds us together for the service of God, the service of mankind, and the service of God’s entire creation.
We reject those interpretations and understanding of our scriptures that set us up against each other and misdirect our energies and God-given resources. We stand committed to the divine command that binds us to cooperate in promoting good and forbidding what is evil and harmful. (Quran 5:2).
Our Just and Merciful God has made it a religious obligation for us (Quran 22:40) to protect and respect all churches, synagogues, and places of worship, where His holy name is mentioned, and where His servants worship Him in different languages, in different styles, and in different traditions.
We are in the Muslim Hijri year of 1443, commemorating the migration of our Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Madina, a move away from religious persecution to freedom of religion & worship.
We stand together, shoulder to shoulder, to rejoice in the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood at a time when a wave of hate and bigotry is spreading around us, at a time when some misguided servants of God, claiming to be the followers of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad are desecrating and destroying mosques, churches, and synagogues, all in the name of God, whom we love and adore. They are dividing the human family in the name of religion and filling this planet with hate and intolerance.
We pray that our Christian brothers and sisters around the world are inspired and guided to spread the radiance and the splendor of the gospel of Jesus that the Quran (5:46) has called “light and guidance.” We pray that they join us in fighting against hate, injustice, exploitation, corruption, and discrimination. May the teachings and example of Jesus Christ continue to energize us all with love, tolerance, religious freedom, and mutual respect.