Salaam - I'm a progressive Christian watching my aunt get pulled into Islamophobia and I'm at a loss
Assalamu alaikum (peace be upon you). I want to say upfront I come from a place of care and respect. I'm a progressive Christian, and even though I don't have Muslim friends now (I did have a kind teacher in middle school), I believe it's wrong to demonize any group of people. Maybe I'm naive or too optimistic, maybe my neurodivergence makes me process things differently, but it breaks my heart when illogical fear and anger lead people to hurt one another. My aunt is about twice my age and has been through a lot as a woman. Sadly, her social media feed seems to be preying on that trauma and pulling her toward deep Islamophobia. I try to share statistics, calm reasoning, and the teachings of Christ about love and compassion - the same faith we share - but she won't hear it. She shuts me down, yells, and sometimes calls me disrespectful when I offer another point of view. I don't get how disagreeing or sharing a different perspective is inherently disrespectful. To me, staying silent while someone I love sinks into bigotry feels more disrespectful and against the command to love our neighbors. Aren't we all created equal? Isn't it wrong to act like anyone is above learning or beyond critique? She even accused me of trying to convert someone, which isn't true - my faith calls me to love people: Samaritan, Jew, Gentile, the divorced, the person begging on the street. I can't agree with judging an entire community by the actions of violent extremists. The Muslims I've met in passing and that kind teacher treated me with kindness. My own life as a trans person practicing my faith tells me that faith itself isn't the problem - it's the corrupt who twist religion for power and oppression. But my aunt keeps saying things like “don’t vote for any Muslims” and warning they'll “take away our rights.” I wish she could see the real threats: some Christian nationalists who are already stripping rights from people like me. I wish she'd notice how dehumanizing her words are before it's too late. I pray that Allah (or God) softens her heart so truth can break through, but nothing seems to help right now. I don't know what else to do and I'm just so tired and sad about it.