Is Jesus Around The Corner In The Iranian Protests?

Date Published: 07/13/2009

On July 2, 2009 I heard Terry Gross interview Roya Hakakian on National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air.” Roya Hakakian who was a twelve year old in Iran during the 1978-79 Iranian revolution. She left Iran with her family for the United States when she was eighteen. In the interview Roya Hakakian talked about how the current Iranian protestors are drawing on some of the same symbols that fueled the 1978-79 revolution. But she noted one significant difference. She said that leading voices among today’s Iranian protestors are advocating non-violence.

In the history of Islam, Mohammed leads his followers into war with their enemies. Without implying anything other than this historical observation, it seems to me that Muslims who want to find a non-violent way to address social change and justice will have to look beyond Mohammed. Roya Hakakian spoke about the influence of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. but made no mention of Jesus. While I think that is quite understandable, I cannot help but wonder if a serious pursuit of non-violence will not inevitably have to confront Jesus.

Let me quickly add that I am all too aware that since the time of Constantine Christians have created theological justifications for war and even wanton violence. But I believe it is also clear that Christians have had to look beyond Jesus to construct such ethics.