Korean Evangelicals’ Response to Muslims in Korea, compared with the British (Executive Summary) ‘Love the strangers’ Matthew Jeong ‘Love the strangers’ (Deuteronomy 10: 12-22, Luke 10:25-37, 1 John 4:1-21) Introduction In the last decade, due to various reasons, Muslims have been increasing in number in South Korea slowly and steadily. It is a very obvious mandate for Korean evangelicals to love their strangers, especially Muslims at their door step in Korea. However, in recent years, Islamphobia has occurred in Korea, and there has been fear rather than friendship toward Islam and Muslims, and there are intra-tensions amongst Korean evangelicals in dealing with this new phenomenon in Korea, and moreover, a few Korean Mission leaders are seriously reviewing the Korean evangelicals’ ways of approaching to Muslims in Korea today. So, here I primarily try to explore finding what the most appropriate response of Korean evangelicals is to Muslims in Korea from biblical and historical lens. To do so, I have divided this topic into four main sections with sub-sections below. A. British Response to Muslims in Britain 1. Muslim demography in Britain in general 2. Mosques’ situation in Britain 3. Comparison of British Muslims with ones in Germany and France 4. Different immigration policy-making in Germany, France and Britain 5. Muslims’ response to Violence and Radical Islam 6. British government’s response to Muslim communities in schools, hospitals, religious activities, civil authorities 7. British church’ response to them B. Biblical lens for this topic 1. Biblical resources about why this research is important? 2. Biblical resources about how we can understand the situations about the relations between Muslims and Christians in the UK and in Korea through the lens of those biblical resources. C. Historical lens for this topic 1. During the Crusade Time 2. During the Reformation 3. Modern Mission Time 4. A recent development is “A Common Word between Us and You.” D. Korean Evangelicals’ response to Muslims in Korea (and abroad) 1. Basic demography of Muslims in Korea and important role of Korean evangelicals in the 21st century 2. Some of problems (issues) and strengths in Korea regarding to this topic 3. What Koreans should or not learn from British examples? 4. Korean evangelicals’ response to Muslims in Korea and abroad 4.1. Need of Research 4.2. Korean evangelicals’ response to Muslims 4.2.1. Inter-relations with Muslims, ‘Between Muslims and Koreans’ (Korean evangelicals’ response for/alongside/against/to Muslims in Korea) 4.2.2. Intra-relations, amongst Korean themselves (As Practical recommendations as next steps forward) A. British Response to Muslims in Britain On Christmas day in 1889, Abdullah William Quilliam opened Britain’s first mosque in Liverpool. An ordinary terraced house in Derby Street was converted into a mosque. The importance of this section is that Korea will learn from the example of British response to Muslims in the country. 1. Muslim Demography in Britain in general In the 2001 Census in Britain, 5.2% of all British population were Buddhists, Hindus, and Jewish and Muslims, Sikhs and other religious people. Out of the people of those religions, there are 1,546,626 Muslims (2.7 % of all British population) of which 50 percent were born in the UK under 25 years of age, and 4.1% (63,475) out of those British Muslims had been converted to Islam from White British background, which is quite important implication. In January 2009, Muslims in Britain grew to 2.4 million. The Muslims has 56 nationalities, speaks 70 languages and prays in more than 1,200 mosques in 2005. There are approximately 30 University chaplains working in University in England in April 2007, and approximately 25 Dar al-ulums in the UK in 2007, with most having been established in the last 30 years. Dar al-ulums offer traditional courses on Islam, hadith, Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), and theology. 2. Mosques’ situation in Britain Oxford’s first mosque, opened in 1965 in a converted warehouse on Bath Street at Oxford, was established as a result of th fund-raising efforts of a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi who had together founded an Oxford branch of the Pakistan Welfare Association in 1961. Exactly 40 years after the small mosque had been built, who knew whether Central Oxford Mosque would built on Good Friday at East Oxford in April in 2005? BMG Research as Charity Commission, shows that 1,102 mosques in England and Wales only in February 2009. This means that there could be much more than 1,200 mosques in the UK including mosques in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Majority of the mosques (83 %) have been built over the ten years 3. Different immigration policy-making in Germany, France and Britain Muslims in the UK are more conservative than the ones in Germany and France. Main reasons about this conservative nature amongst British Muslims has come from the fact that the main Muslim population in Britain consists of Deobandi (Tabligh-i-Islami and Jamaat-i-Islami), Barelwi, and Salafi Muslims from Pakistan and India who are very conservative. More than two hundred years, a variety of South Asian religious traditions were present in Britain, mainly through the presence of small numbers of sailors, students, and emissaries. It was only during the years following the second world war that a large, permanent, visible, predominantly South Asian, and eventually political active Muslim population grew in Britain, and immigration of Muslims in Britain took place at the four different stages; 1) Pioneering, 2) Chain-migration, 3) bringing wives and children, and 4) the emergence of new generation of Muslims in Britain. 4. Comparison of British Muslims with ones in Germany and France In Western Europe, the three largest Muslim communities are in France with 4.5 million (7% of the total population), Germany with 3 million (at least 3%), and the United Kingdom with perhaps 2 million (around 3%). These three countries epitomize three models for managing diversity. In Germany, (Guest Model) ) nationhood was historically equated with German ethnicity; the immigrant was perceived as a gastarbeiter (“guestworker”) and therefore only a temporary resident even if staying in the country for decades. This model creates ghetto phenomenon The British model (Mosaic Model) by contrast, not only gave full citizenship rights to immigrants but also a substantial degree of cultural autonomy. This “multicultural” approach allowed more space for Muslim self-expression than in most other European countries, and encouraged the second generation to preserve their ancestral culture and language. This policy has been more recently criticized for fostering ‘separate development’ and a ‘parallel culture’. France (Melting Pot Model) offered yet another model, that of “assimilation”. Immigrants were granted full citizenship rights but were expected to be absorbed into the majority Gallic culture. This model treats immigrants purely as individuals, not as members of distinct communities whether religious (Muslim), ethnic (Moroccan Berber etc) or linguistic (Arabic-speakers). Such identities are tolerated in private but are not to infringe on the public space, which is deemed Republican and secular. This somewhat severe secular model privatizes religious commitment. 5. Muslims’ response to Violence and radical Islam In the public perceptions toward Integration in the Gallup Coexist Index 2009, majority Muslims in the UK, Germany and France think that other attacks in civilians or use of violence for a noble cause are not justifiable at all. This means that majority Muslims in the three countries (Germany, Britain and France) have opposed extreme Islam and Islamists. Quilliam survey 2009 also shows the following facts in its section 5, “Undermining Extremism in Mosques” in the UK. - Most of mosques have been working hard to educate young Muslims who can be easy victims of the extreme Muslims, but not easy to do so. - Mosques are still trying to be equipped to challenge extremist views, because the young Muslims have been lost to criminalization and radicalization, but British existing imams may not feel equipped to deal with the issues. Especially most British young Muslims are lost in materialism and secularism in a wider context. This is a real concern in Britain today. - From amongst 254 mosques, 97% of imams in mosques in the UK were born abroad and from amongst 152 mosques, 92 percent of imams trained abroad. Moreover, a survey of 300 mosques conducted by the University of Chester in 2007 showed that 45 %of imams had been in the UK for less than five years. Because of this reality, the religious leadership in the vast majority of Britain’s mosques, therefore, are not in full command of the English language, and are likely to be ill-equipped to address the real concerns and everyday experiences of young British Muslims. Their overseas upbringing and training does not prepare them to help young British Muslims integrated into a democratic, multi-faith society, of which they have a limited understanding, and leaves them powerless to challenge Islamist extremist rhetoric propagated by young, English-speaking, and articulate Muslims. The final section of The Gallup Coexist Index 2009 as “moving forward” ends with the following comment. “As a result, the integration debate has to widen its frame, moving beyond the confines of security and religion, and focus more on the socioeconomic struggles of citizens of all faiths and no faith.” In other words, the daily food and family issues, job problem, children’s education, visa issue, and marriage life, adjusting new environment with language and cultural adaptation, etc. as daily struggles are main things for Muslims in Britain though some religious issues still are. 6. British government’s response to Muslim communities in schools, hospitals, religious activities, civil authorities On 22 October 1997, in the House of Commons in London, a report by a Commission of the Runnymede Trust, an independent London-based trust which sponsors research in the field of social policy, was launched. The tile of the report was Islamphobia: a challenge for us all, and in the report the members of the Commission, who included eight Muslims and two Jews, investigated the nature of anti-Muslim prejudice (Islamphobia), the situations of Muslim communities in Britain. Some of the comments which were made at the launch, and some of the media comment about the report, suggested that concern with Islam in Britain was a relatively new phenomenon, arising from the growth of a significant Muslim community in the country since 1945. Britain has tackled with these opportunities and challenges very seriously and they have done research on Islamphobia and has given a clear analysis about a reality of closed and open views of Islam in general, and has made a clear vision and 60 recommendations. In 2004, six years after the first report was given, a follow-up report was made with the title, “Islamphobia: issues, challenges and action” as report by the Commission on British Muslims and Islamphobia chaired by Dr. Richard Stone in 2004, having reviewed the progress of the 60 recommendations made in 1997 that had and had not yet, been made. 7. British church’ response to them Firstly, there are various Christian leaders with different approaches to this relation of Muslim and Christian in Britain. Secondly, there are also several groups and committees in different denominations, and para-church missions, and various groups for inter faith relations between in Britain today. There are different spectrum in responding to the challenges of Islam, such as polemic response on one hand, and liberal and universal approach on the other. In the middle of them, there has been a way of ‘promoting faithful witness to the Gospel and constructive engagement with Muslims for peaceful co-existence.’ In his analysis on “Evangelical Christians and Muslims in the British public sphere-some sociological reflections,’ Richard McCallum has summed up these three approaches in somehow similar line, such as ‘isolation’, ‘accommodation’ and ‘engaged orthodoxy.’ In other words, there are polemic, liberal, and faithful approaches to the challenges of Islam in Britain. There are also different church denominations also in these various approaches like Baptist model, Ana-Baptist model and Established church model like Church of England. Each model has got its unique way of dealing with the issues as well. I have brought an example from the Church of England as a case study for Koreans to learn from it, because the Church of England is main denomination in Britain in terms of the number and size of churches, and the longest history in the UK, and her significant involvement and research and effort made in the recent years in this field. In other denominations and para-church organizations, there have recently been a lot of prayer gatherings for Muslims, events, Forums, Consultations, Inter Faith dialogues and initiatives, and continuing discussions with British Christian leadership. B. Biblical lens for this kind of research I want to pay serious attention to biblical lens in Chapter B and historical lens in Chapter C. Biblical lens in Chapter B will focus on why this kind of research is important and how we should understand this kind of situation in Korea through the two lenses, biblical, and historical lens. Through the two lenses, we will see Korean evangelicals’ response to Muslims in Chapter D. 1. Biblical lens about why this kind of research is important? In the 21st century, for the new meaningful relationship, a new approach, a new road of Korean evangelicals with Muslims, Koreans must develop a new biblical re-interpretation of the Old and New Testaments (The Bible), and the Qur’an from a new lens ( perspective) between Muslims and Christians, just as Jesus re-interpreted the Scriptures of the Old Testaments with his disciples in his Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7), saying “You have heard that it was said,…. But I tell you that…..” For the following biblical reasons, this kind of research is important. To find relevant and constructive ways, to discern whether current fear of Muslims and Islam is legitimate or not, to examine whether their perspective about Muslims is from themselves or God on personal level (Jeremiah 23:16-32), to more fundamentally examine amongst Korean evangelicals themselves first whether their understanding on Jesus and the Gospel is right or wrong before getting their perspective toward Muslims, and to have open and constructive discussion about how to approach to Muslims in Korean evangelical leadership, against false witness to Muslims and Islam with right understanding about them. I have got some of some of Biblical examples for Korean evangelicals to have ways in which they should learn about Muslims and Islam. -Abraham knew well the religions around him at this time. -Moses spent 40 years at Egyptian palace, and 40 years in wilderness to know languages, cultures, and traditions and politics of Egypt at his time and his community, and moreover to know God, (Exodus 1-4) -Paul’s example: He knew three languages in his contemporary world, Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic as Jew with Roam citizenship with tent-making skills (Acts 18:1-3, 22:25-28). He was of tribe of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee. (Philippians 3:5-6) Under Gamaliel he was thoroughly trained in the law of Jewish fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of Jews. (Acts 22:3) -Jesus’ model: in Luke 2:46-47 (at 12 age) before starting his ministry shows why this kind of research and exercise is critically important amongst Korean evangelicals before taking any action or any response to be made towards Muslims with false witness to them, such sitting among the teachers, listening to, asking them questions, understanding (of issues and theological schools at his time, and answering them properly. Moreover, what is the major reason of the research Koreans do finally? It is to show God’s salvation to them ultimately in the most appropriate ways with biblical attitudes. A Korean evangelical and a Muslim are on the road towards Emmaus together with Jesus risen, (Luke 24:13-49) with a passion for Muslims’ salvation like Paul had got (Romans 9:1-3, 10: 1-4) 2. Biblical lens about how Korean evangelicals can understand the situations about the relations between Muslims and Christians in Korea. Reflection of nature of God and His people toward Muslim neighbors. When we understand one of God’s commandments ‘Love your strangers’ for Israel to obey in connection with their relationship toward their neighbors, it is astonishing for us to know how often God commanded this to them. It is known that this command ‘Love your strangers’ is much more often appeared in the Bible than simply “love your neighbors.” This commandment has flowed from two sources, the first source from the very nature of God, who’ loves the alien, giving him food and clothing’ (Deuteronomy 10:18), and the second source, from the nature of Israelites, who’ were aliens in Egypt’ and then God made as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Deut. 10:19-22) Christian minority’s right attitude to Muslim majority When people of faith in Israel were minority as monotheists in the midst of majority people of other religions, how did they do to them? Like the response of Abraham and his family, Isaac, Jacob and people of Israel to majority people of other religions around them. We, Christians have got the great examples of Joseph in Egypt, Esther in Persia (daughter of Mordecai’s uncle, Abihail, of the tribe of Benjamin, Esther 2:15) and Daniel in Babylon as sincere Jewish believers in Pagan culture and socio-political environment who demonstrated right attitudes as godly people toward the people of majority religions around them. Christian majority’s right attitude to Muslim minority In contrary, we have to see how Muslim minority in the midst of Christian majority in the UK and in Korea has felt as monotheists. (Majority Muslims see Christians polytheists from their perspective in general.) Prayers and gifts to the poor of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-4), devout and God-fearing, have come up as a memorial offering before God, and he and his family were saved. Biblical views on politics and territory The Israelites were struggling toward ‘power’ in politics and ‘land’ in their territories, and their ‘religion’, but eventually and painfully they learnt a great deal through God’s interventions in various ways, and were on pilgrimage toward their living God. God’s cleansing work and judgment on Korean church How can Korean evangelicals understand God’s judgment on Israel when God used Babylonian army to bring people of Israel into Babylonian captivity? Though various prophets such as Jeremiah prophesied this destruction and captivity very clearly (because they did not worship God, but idolatry) and they did not believe in this at all. If we take this situation as a warning sign to Korean church as positive and real challenge, can Koreans see Muslims’ presence in Korea as part of God’s cleansing process to His church in Korea which is getting secularized and materialized with arrogance on their own? Multiple Cross-cultural challenges How can Korean evangelicals understand Jesus’ ways of encountering with Samaritan woman at the well with cross-cultural issues such as gender distance, different religion, day time, danger of Jesus’ being misunderstood by both Jews and Samaritans people about him having private conversation with a Pagan woman at day time, and his way in which he brought her to God’s Kingdom? (John 4:1-42) There are multiple cross cultural barriers in helping Muslims as we have seen here. Community base relations Just as Lydia and Roman jailor, and their families as community of faith believed Jesus (Acts 16:15, 34), so Muslims can come to Jesus as a community because they are people of Umma (community). Then how can Koreans with the similar cultural background approach to them in Korea in their daily interaction with them? And after some of them believe in Jesus, how can they help those in persecution and big troubles to overcome their real challenges the new believers face, not separating them from their communities, but yet supporting them within their communities? We have seen many similar stories in Acts. Korean evangelicals’ Different Roles as Paul and Barnabas Can Koreans become meaningful Barnabas for new believers from Muslim background in cultural affinity with them in a very humble ways, so that they grow as future Pauls? C. Historical lens for this topic After one reviews the whole history of Muslim-Christian relations until today, he can find ‘nothing new under the sun’ about theological debates, political fights, prejudice, misunderstandings, hatred, and killings and being killed in wars between two religious peoples through the different historical periods, such as the First Age of Christian-Muslim Interaction (622-830), the Medieval Period (Confrontation or Interaction in the East and in the West-Crusaders and Reformation), the Changing balance of Power: Mission and Imperialism, New thinking in the 19-20 Centuries, and quest for Dialogue and Confrontation. 1. During the Crusade time It is a great shock to know that the prominent Christian preacher and teacher, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – August 20, 1153) strongly supported the second Crusade in 12 century. Bernard was the most prominent preacher recruiting for the second Crusade. But, Peter the Venerable (1092-1156), the abbot of the great monastery of Cluny in Burgundy, had very different understanding of Christianity from Bernard of Clairvaux, his friend, and suggested different approach to Islam. Out of loyalty he did not oppose the Crusades, but he did propose an alternative, namely to study the religion of Islam comprehensively, and from its own resources. This involved undertaking a comprehensive translation program in order to make Muslim material accessible, and Peter was heavily involved in setting this up, and in 1142 Peter himself travelled to Spain, and Kritzeck called this a ‘momentous event in the intellectual history of Europe’. From one more example we can learn greatly and positively, which is the example of Francis of Assisi in Egypt in terms of Franciscans’ ways of approaching Muslims in the time of the terrible Crusades. In 1219, Francis of Assisi accompanied the fifth crusade to Damietta in Egypt. He neither fought himself nor encouraged the army to fight. Rather, he warned the Crusaders that they would lose the battle, and showed them a different way. He then went with but one companion and no protection into Sultan al-Kamil’s camp and spoke of Christ. 2. During the Reformation Apart from the terrible stories of Crusaders, at least, I would have thought that Martin Luther and John Calvin must have been advocates for Muslims at their time simply because they defended the Bible so passionately. But historical evidence shows that they did not do so. Surely M. Luther believed in loving his enemies? His clear distinction between church and state reflects a distinction between the individual as Christian and the same individual in his secular capacity, which enables Luther to advocate fighting enemies even in his commentary on the sermon on the mount. He goes so far as to say, ‘to God’s enemies I must also be an enemy, lest I join forces with them against God,’ seeing the Muslims as both Christ’s enemies and ours. What, then, of mission? There are but few suggestions in Luther’s letters and sermons that Christians should pray for the salvation of Muslims. In his specific writings about the Turks, he never suggests that Christians should deliberately ‘go among the Turks’ with the Gospel. He himself, as far as we know, never met a Muslim. What about John Calvin? There is a rather ominous note on one of his sermons (in his sermon 88 on Deuteronomy 38), in which he says, ‘When the Turks put their Muhammad in the place of God’s Son, and when they do not recognize that God is manifested in the flesh, which is one of the principle articles of our faith, then they are guilty of perversities and are leading many people astray that they deserve to be put to death.’ No wonder why protestant Christians have got so negative images about their Muslims neighbors and Islam, because I believe they have been influenced by the teachings of Martin Luther and John Calvin knowingly and unknowingly, even later on by the teaching of Zionism; pro-Israel favored theology, and pre-millennium theology influenced by Dispensationalism, after the Reformation and enlightenment and the Reformers’ theology and thoughts towards Muslims. 3. Modern Mission Time During French colonial time, Charles de Foucauld (French monk or missionary. 15 September 1858 – 1 December 1916) showed a remarkable example to us as a wonderful model to Muslims. He treated each Muslim among Tuareg people (very proud Muslims in Algeria) as “not a man, but Jesus”. This espouses the authenticity of the Gospel message. Ali Merad, a distinguished Muslim scholar has given his testimony on Charles de Foucauld, French missionary, in the following way. “To draw a parallel, it should be pointed out that, in the case of Islam, the imitation of the Prophet (Muhammad) is regarded as the true sign of faith and the best response to the call of God (cf. Quran 33.21: “You have had a good example in God’s Messenger for whosoever hopes for God and the Last Day, and remember s God oft”). Thus great Algerian reformer (and commentator of the Quran) Ibn Badis (1889-1940) stated in a famous saying the principle that “the more perfect the imitation of the Prophet, the more perfect is the fulfillment of the mission to call on God.” His imitation of Jesus responds to the Islamic expectation of the People of the Book, and is “the most eloquent way to espouse the authenticity of the Gospel message, as the nearest in friendship to Muslims, a phrase that has become a key text for the Christian-Muslim dialogue” (Qur’an 5:82) Humility, charity, the renunciation of the pleasure and good things of this world and devotion to the service of the poor and unfortunate are virtues that have always strongly impressed Muslims, conscious as they are of sacrifice involved for Europeans. It is fair to say that this feeling was shared equally by ordinary people and by religious leaders (marabouts, ‘ulama’), and even by reformist elements (defenders of “Arab-Muslim nationalism”), who generally took a stern view of anything that recalled the system or ethos of colonialism. As one reads ‘Christian mission history to Muslims’, for Anglican and Reformed Approaches in India and the Near East in 1800-1938, and other missionary stories such as, in India, William Carey (1761-1834), Henry Martin (1781-1812), Thomas Valpy French , the First Bishop of Lahore Diocese (1825-1891), Lewis Bevan Jones, the first principal of the Henry Martin School (1880-1960), and, in Egypt, Temple Gairdner (1873-1928), Charles de Foucauld, French monk and missionary in North Africa, especially in Algeria, we can learn many good things with encouragement and challenges about how to serve Muslims positively. We should learn the following lessons from those missionaries amongst Muslims. -Importance of the imitation of Christ -‘Discipleship’ in Christians (or missionaries and leaders) in wholistic way -Needs of learning local languages very well and Qur’anic Arabic too. -Global Cooperation (Partnership) 4. A recent development is “A Common Word between Us and You.” -On 12 September 2006, Pope Benedict 16 delivered a speech at the University of Regensburg, Germany which contained some comments on Islam that led to widespread protests by Muslims around the world. -On 12 October 2006, 38 top Muslim scholars and clerics, published an Open Letter to the Pope criticizing his stance on Islam. -One year later, on 11 October 2007, a larger group of 138 Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals sent another open letter, entitled A Common Word Between Us and You to the Pope Benedict and the leaders of other Christian denominations. This Common Word document has received many responses from individuals and institutions. The most highly-publicised response was written by a group of four academics from Yale University, entitled Loving God and Neighbours Together and has been endorsed by over 300 Christian leaders from around the world. D. Korean Evangelicals’ response to Muslims in Korea (and abroad) 1. Basic demography of Muslims in Korea and important role of Korean evangelicals in the 21st century There are about 110,000 Muslims in South Korea by 2007. According to Korean government source (the Ministry of Justice), there were 25,073 Indonesians (20,588 Laborers), 17,228 Uzbeks (7,010 laborers), 13,847 Bangladeshis (mostly illegal laborers), 10,643 Pakistanis (mostly illegal laborers) and other Muslims, and Muslim populations are increasing in Korea as shown below. Some of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are illegal laborers. But, exact number of them is not known, but relatively high. However, Korean government and Christians have not got any negative history and relationships with Muslims and their Muslim countries so far. Some Muslim countries have got some suspicions and reservations on Koreans in political-diplomatic areas, simply because Korea has been an ally with USA and UK and Israel, and the Muslim countries do not view Korea as Christian country yet. Therefore, this current period is pivotal and historical ‘Kairos’ for Koreans to play vital roles in relationships with Muslims around the world because in God’s Mercy, Korea can/should begin to develop new relationship and history with Muslims from a tabula rasa as reconcilers in the triangular relationships between Muslims and the East, and The West, not reinventing the wheels or making same mistakes which ‘Muslims and the West’ have made already for the past 14 centuries. To develop a new history, a new relationship, and a new role of Koreans with Muslims, furthermore to have reconciliation between each one involved, what can/should Koreans do in the near and far future? 2. Some of issues and strengths in Korea regarding to this topic Korean evangelicals should minimize the following issues. -Theological issues: Pre-millennium approach to Muslims, and Evangelical Christians’ Zionism, giving favor to Israel against Palestine (Muslims), allying with USA, -Missiological problems: ‘there is not salvation outside of church?’ or ‘outside of Jesus?’ Koreans’ ethnocentricity-Kim-Chi Missiology with Korean national flag and denominationalism, ignorance about Qur’an and Islamic concepts, yet providing wrong twisted information about Islam and some Korean missionaries’ arrogant and imperialistic approach and attitude to Muslims with money and power rather than incarnational way to them are negative factor. -Ecclesiological problems: Church politics and power game in home churches in Korea, some of corrupt church leaders, Korean leaders’ not listening to the relevant advice of Korean missionaries or mission leaders who have experienced in this fields. -Fear of Islam and Muslims: this is real issue in Korea, and ‘Islam Tsunami is coming upon Korea’ is slogan, making Koreans fearful of Islam and Muslims. This problem stops Muslims hearing the Good news of Jesus, and Korean evangelicals are losing the golden opportunities to share Jesus with their Muslim neighbors at their door steps. Because of fear, they just do not meet Muslim neighbors! -Lack of training ordinary Christians and pastors about what Islam is and who Muslims are and how to help and reach out them is urgent and important issue. At the same time Korean evangelicals should maximize their strengths such as sacrificial commitment to Mission, prayer life, zeal for evangelism and church planting, and discipling ministry, friendliness, hospitality, respect to authority, Koreans’ relational and community based nature as a great strength, cultural affinity to Muslims people and countries as Asians, and no historical attachment of Koreans with crusade history and colonialism of the West. 3. What Koreans should or not learn from British examples? For example, Koreans should not learn from the following examples in the UK. -Selling church building to Muslims and restaurants and pubs especially, or ghost house or house for games -Losing evangelistic passion to reach out Muslims When first stage of immigration happened in Britain in 1960s, British church should have done “Firm Friendship and Faithful Witness” to the Muslims, but they lost golden opportunities in the beginning in 1960s. -Accepting the fallibility of the Bible from German liberal theological Schools, weakening their theological foundations. -If the first priority of local churches’ task had been for ‘Mission’ rather than for “maintaining a worshipping Christian presence”, the present situation in the Church of England would have been better. Then what should Korean learn from it? -Openness toward Muslims and Islam in multicultural environment for more integration. -Open discussion with fairness in intellectual and academic areas, and ordinary debates too. -Treating Muslims as humans -Inter-dialogue with different Christians leaders from different theological backgrounds -Genuine effort to care for Muslims in need -Efforts made to know Muslims and Islam in academic and practical areas -Efforts made seriously against Terrorism 4. Korean evangelicals’ response to Muslims in Korea Then how Koreans should respond to Muslims? Need of survey Koreans need to survey on the following areas in terms of both of effective and appropriate service for Muslim communities, and at the same time preventing any terrorist activists through any radical Islamists in Korea, just as the Runnymede Trust has done in 1997 and 2004 in Britain in dealing with ‘Islamphobia’. a. Where (which city and town) in Korea have Muslims lived and worked? b. Which Muslim country have the Muslims in each area in Korea come from like Indonesia or Bangladesh or Uzbekistan or Pakistan? c. Which Islamic schools or tradition or cultural background have they come from such as Sunni or Shiia or Sufi or specific Islamic sect? d. Which village have the different Muslim groups in Korea come from? Are they relatives or same villagers in the same area in Korea? With these basic understanding on Muslims backgrounds through the basic survey, I recommend the two main things, firstly, Inter-relations with Muslims, as it were, ‘Between Koreans and Muslims’, secondly, Intra-relations, amongst Korean themselves. Inter-relations with Muslims, ‘Between Muslims and Koreans’ (Koreans relationship for/along with/against/to Muslims) 1. For Muslims (Love the stranger by Care, Hospitality and Friendship) Korean evangelical Christians must care for Muslims in work places who have been injured and wounded or discriminated at their own jobs by Koreans or other Nationalities in Korea, because Muslims in Korea in general work in 3Ds situations (Difficult, Dangerous and Dirty works) Muslims. It is common sense indeed to look after any human being in need whether we are Christians or not. Korean situation in this relationship between Muslims and Korean Christians is quite similar to the stage in Britain such as “Love the Stranger” and Host-Guest relationship in 1986, not ‘host AND guest’ relationship today in Britain as mature stage. (Muslims and other foreigners in Korea in general have reached the stage in Korea between 1 and 2 in British Immigration stages.) 2. Along with Muslims (Dialogue, as Embassy) For open conversation or dialogue between Muslim leaders and Christian leaders, mutual and open space and Forum need to be created, so that both leaders and Korean Christians and Muslims in general should live in peace and harmony at least by understanding what are similar to the two religions and what are different in them, and by supporting each other in freedom of religion and freedom of conscience and speech, clarifying how much freedom needs to be given with what kind of boundaries and so on. So, we somehow need to have clear criteria for genuine and biblical dialogue to avoid two extreme models of dialogues, in which one is too compromising and the other too narrow with their own views. I have got basic criteria for a genuine dialogue as a suggestion for Korean evangelicals. 3. Against potential terrorist activities and potential Muslim crimes in Korea As Romans 13:1-5 shows the role of government against evils regardless any religion, Korean government and civil authorities take their responsibilities in the criminal actions made by Terrorists or global Muslim radicals. As of immigration policy making for Muslims in Government level, Korean government needs to see three models from France, Germany, and Britain and make a decision which model(s) she should choose out of three, (or the fourth model), because once Korea has many Muslims population in Korea, there will be many issues such as Hijab, Halal and Haram food, visa issues, mosque buildings and extra concerns with them, freedom of religion and speech through Islam and women right and gender issue as Britain has experienced so far. Therefore, Korean government must pay careful attention to policy-making toward Muslims and Muslim countries, which is not easy politically and diplomatically and financially. Korean government should have ‘a Korean citizenship course’ or ‘a course about Korea’ for Muslims and any foreigners who want to live and work for a bit long term. It is very challenging issue indeed for government level to make a proper policy to prevent any Muslim terrorist activities from happening in Korea, without pre-judgmental attitude on Muslims as we have seen in Britain today. In this Korean government needs to learn a great deal from Britain and must have cooperation with Muslims leaders and Christian leaders together against terrorism. 4. To Muslims (sharing the salvation message with a lot of prayer and great deal of wisdom) Korean church has got tremendous blessings from the Lord and experienced world mission for the last 30 years and have learnt and identified some Koreans’ strengths and weaknesses through recent evaluations. Now it is a time for Korean church to lead her people into new direction to share the Good news with Muslims in a “bold humility.” Korean evangelicals should not lose the golden opportunities to share the Good news of Jesus with Muslim neighbors at their door steps at the excuse of Islamphobia from 9/11 in the New York and 7/7 in London. It must be prophetic because the church is obliged to preach always and everywhere, “ in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2), the fullness of the Gospel in all its integrity. And it must be dialogue because the imperative-rooted in the Gospel itself-to preach the one faith in a particular context. Without dialogue, without a willingness to “let go” before “one “speak out,” mission is simply not possible. Korean evangelicals need to be aware of Islamic Da’wah (Mission) as well. When both of people from the major religions try to convert people to their own religion, there must be a clash of two religions socially and politically. So, Britain has made an important statement for mutual agreement on how to do Mission between Muslims and Christians as 10 Guidelines for Ethical Witness. Koreans should learn the important lessons from this. Please see Appendix 5 for the full details about it. Intra-relations, amongst Korean evangelicals themselves (As Practical recommendations as next steps forward) I like to recommend the following things to Koreans to faithfully help Korean church and Missions today. 1. Prayer, and fasting and relying on the work of the Holy Spirit: Prayer movement for Muslim neighbors should be organized throughout Korea, so that Korean church can develop a new history and example in relating to their Muslim neighbors and Muslim nations. Without prayer, we can achieve something, but the hearts of Muslims cannot be changed. But with prayer, God does something significant amongst Muslims. 2. Working together in partnership amongst Korean evangelicals Korean evangelicals must be united together to do this ministry as an evangelical team in Korea and abroad. 3. Knowing the Whole Gospel: Urgent need to help Korean church to understand the meaning of the whole Gospel for wholistic ministry with Kingdom values. 4. The wholistic discipleship: This needs to review what the wholistic Christian discipleship really means amongst Muslims through the examples of Jesus, Francis of Assisi, and Charles de Foucauld. 5. Centre for Reconciliation: Need to establish a Center for Muslim-Christian studies to learn from one another, so that Korean evangelicals can be properly equipped as peace-makers, and reconcilers between God and Muslims, and between the West and the East, and in wholistic ways. 6. Scholars on Islam: Urgent need to raise up Korean Islam scholars A generation of scholars is aging in Britain. For example, Kenneth Cragg is 95 years old. Korea needs scholarship for Evangelicals to study Islam at advanced level. 7. Training Course for ordinary Christians: Develop Korean version of “Friendship First’ course, so that pastors and leaders of churches can/should be equipped with appropriate knowledge about Islam and Muslims and with encouragement and the power of the Holy Spirit, especially love for the Muslims, without fear (1 John 4:1-21). 8. Training Missionary candidates and existing missionaries: Appropriate Missionary training course is very much needed for those who want to serve Muslims. New Orientation for Korean missionary candidates, and re-orientation for existing Korean missionaries through new curriculum include “imitation of Jesus” and “missionary spirituality” and “language learning” are seriously needed in urgency and importance. 9. Training and Advice for government officers: Training needs for officials in local and national government. 10. Research: Serious discussion and Research on various topics with Muslim leaders in Korea. This needs intellectual and godly exercise with Muslim scholars and Korean evangelical scholars with clear criteria of dialogue. 11. Publication: Publication of books with healthy and balanced and objective perspectives about Islam and Qur’an, and Muslims, and books about a history of Muslim-Christian relations in the past and present, and about Mission history toward Muslims, Bible study materials with a healthy theology, and a relevant missiology for ministry amongst Muslims in the 21st century against wrong and one-sided information about Islamic concepts. ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers (philoxenia), for by doing that some entertaining angels without knowing it.’ (Hebrews 13:2). | 
