Inside the Muslim Mind
By Tanya L. Green
Winter 2002 Family Voice

Dr. Ergun Caner, 36, co-authored Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs (Kregel Publications) with his brother Emir. The son of a Turkish father and Swedish mother, Caner was raised in a strict Muslim home but converted to Christianity as a teen. An expert on Islam, he is a professor of theology and church history at Criswell College in Dallas, Texas.

Family Voice: What had you been taught about Christians as a child?
Dr. Caner: That Christians hated Muslims, that they were at war with Muslims.

How did your perception change?
A [Christian] friend’s testimony led me to attend his church. Love was the vehicle. [The people there] were gracious. They were sweet. They were kind. They were respectful of my clothing and my accent. It went against everything I had been taught about American Christianity. I felt I had been lied to.

Will you briefly explain the Muslim mindset?
A Muslim fears the scales. You could be a good Muslim and go to hell, if you die with more evil on your scales than good. Only one thing erases the evil, and that is martyrdom in jihad [holy war]. It is promised in the Koran.

What was the Muslims’ reaction to the September 11 attacks?
Most Muslims in America were genuinely shocked. The reason is that in America, jihad is theory. In the Middle East, and in my culture, it is a daily occurrence.

For more on the Islamic mind, read Dr. Caner's just-released book, Unveiling Islam.

Is Islam peaceful?
Islam cannot be peaceful because conquest is inherent in its nature. There is a sense of militaristic conquest that proves Allah is greater. Muslims desire to conquer Christians. That is what they believe. The [Muslim] leaders … are trying to push their agenda, which is that Islam is a religion of peace. [The attacks are] a public relations nightmare for them.

How can Christians minister to Muslims?
Christians have to respond in love, because [Muslims] expect retribution. They expect hatred. They don’t understand when we return love for hatred.

More from Winter 2002 Family Voice