Love Conquers Hate

Father Jacques Hamel, French priest

When ISIS terrorists killed a Catholic priest in France last July, many expected increased violence against Muslims. But President Francois Hollande brought together religious representatives from Christian churches as well as Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish leaders and interfaith services were held to express unity. Instead of the attack inciting a war on religion, it showed a common bond of friendship between the major faiths. In fact, the priest, Rev. Jacques Hamel, was a good friend of the local Muslim leader according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor.. 

Too much attention has been given to the violence of past religious history and not enough to their peaceful coexistence for centuries, says historian Zachary Karabeli in a book called Peace Be Upon You.  "Each of the faiths teaches its followers to greet friends and strangers with the warm open arms of acceptance," he says. "Peace comes first and last." 

The Islamic State wants to pit Christians and Muslims against each other. But by standing together after the murder of Father Hamel, France's religious leaders are defeating ISIS's strategy of sowing dissension and fear. They are showing that love conquers hate. Hopefully, religious leaders in the U.S. will also unite to dispel the Islamophobia existing among some citizens.