Suffering in Silence

In the last few days, local newspapers and international websites have been following the events surrounding the publication of sensitive cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Other newspapers have unwisely reprinted the cartoons, much to the anger and disgust of millions of Muslims worldwide. Reaction from the Muslim world has been swift and extensive. Muslim leaders, including our own Prime Minister have condemned the irresponsible act. In the streets, many Muslims have taken to rioting and the torching of embassies. Some countries have even resorted to economical sanctions to block off Danish and Norwegian products.

Having quite a few Muslim friends, I can understand their reaction to such an insensitive act. I wonder if those responsible for it were aware of the global impact it would have. Maybe they underestimated the consequences. I myself am surprised by the effects of this small cartoon. And the world changed because of it. It definitely wasn’t for the better.

Reflecting on this little incident that sparked worldwide outrage, I realized that not for the first time, Muslims all over the world have stood up for one another when they have been treated unjustly. The mishandling of Iraqi prisoners, the discrimination of Muslims in Western countries after September 11, and the banning of the ‘tudung’ in certain countries have sparked similar outrage. Though some of these reactions have gone overboard in my opinion, the fact is that Muslims worldwide do not remain silent over such issues.

I then wondered why Christians have chosen to remain silent when their brothers and sisters in another country are constantly being persecuted. Christians have mostly remained silent when others have blasphemed against and criticized their Lord. Insulting caricatures of Jesus Christ get published all the time. Imagine if Hollywood decided to make a movie out of a Muslim version of ‘The da Vinci Code’. Imagine if a mosque was burnt down (or bombed) in a Western Country. What a difference it will make in terms of the reactions it will generate! Why aren’t there similar reactions worldwide from the Christians? What would MY reaction be to such issues?

I thought of our Lord Jesus Christ as he stood trial before Pilate. False accusations were made against him. The crowds laughed and scorned. But He did not speak a word to defend Himself. Instead, He chose the way of the cross… to suffer in silence. He saw no need to defend Himself, and He does not need us to defend His name for Him. This is the paradox of Christianity. We have been called to stand up for justice in the world. Yet we have also been called to follow Him in our suffering… to suffer in silence… to pray for those who persecute us… and to forgive those who’ve done wrong against us. Our God will vindicate us when the time comes. For now, we will continue to remain silent. To reconcile these seeming opposites (standing up for justice vs. suffering in silence) in our daily lives will be a tough struggle.