From the outset, allow me to say this very clearly. If you’re allowing terror attacks to justify speaking pejoratively of all Muslims; if you’re allowing fear to fuel acts of revenge and you are directing that revenge towards the Muslim community; if you’re allowing fear and anger to cause you to look sideways at Muslims, then you’re doing exactly what ISIS wants you to do.

From time to time I read Dabiq, the English magazine that ISIS puts out to attract recruits from Western nations. It’s not a light read and is often downright horrifying. I do so because I want to understand their ideology. The fact that they have called it Dabiq speaks very clearly of their end goal – a war between the forces of ‘Rome’ (Christianity/the West) and the forces of their vision of Islam, around a small town in Syria called Dabiq. It’s their version of Armageddon. It’s the fight they are working to provoke.

In issue #7 of Dabiq, following the Charlie Hebdo massacre in France, they outlined a very clear strategy and it’s not hard to connect the dots of that strategy to their desired end-times battle. They connect those dots in the magazine. In an article titled ‘The Extinction of the Grayzone’ they explained a strategy to destroy the ability to co-exist. The grayzone is a space of co-existence where Westerners and Muslims live side by side. The grayzone is specifically a space where Muslims exist having neither sided with ISIS or with the ‘crusaders’. It’s that space where we share communities, where we welcome each other and do life together. ISIS wants to destroy our ability to co-exist.

ISIS believes that the destruction of the modern grayzone began with the 9/11 attacks and in the article they build a case for terrorist attacks to provoke the West into destroying the grayzone. The desired outcome is stated thus:

Muslims in the crusader countries will find themselves driven to abandon their homes for a place to live in the Khil?fah, as the crusaders increase persecution against Muslims living in Western lands so as to force them into a tolerable sect of apostasy in the name of “Islam” before forcing them into blatant Christianity and democracy.

ISIS terrorist attacks within Western nations, such as those that have played out in Paris (where ISIS has condemned any Imam that has spoken against the attacks), are designed to provoke Westerners towards persecuting Muslims, thus creating a need for Muslims to abandon the grayzone and join ISIS because of the destruction of that space of co-existence. They want to divide the world into two camps, Islam and the ‘crusaders.’ Any Muslim who stays connected to anything perceived as the latter will be declared an apostate. The last couple of paragraphs of the 12 page article then explain what will play out in relation to this in their end-times scenario.

With this in mind it should make us look at our responses to the violence with fresh eyes. When Donald Trump calls for the deportation of Syrian refugees he’s doing exactly what ISIS wants. When nations and leaders reject taking Muslim refugees fleeing the violence, they’re doing exactly what ISIS wants (though screening programmes are wise). When Christians make the case that Muslims are either violent or not following the Qur’an and their faith properly, they’re doing exactly what ISIS wants. When westerners try to argue that there is no room within our cultural setting for Islam, they’re doing exactly what ISIS wants. When we speak poorly of Muslims in our communities, the desires of ISIS are being fulfilled. Hear me, anything that creates an us vs them situation is exactly what ISIS wants. When we feed it from our side we’re tools of ISIS.

Over the last year, as a Christian minister with an orthodox faith, I have made a concerted effort to do the opposite. I have defended Muslims when others have spoken poorly of them. I engaged in Ramadan to learn and make connection (I understand why many disagreed with this from a religious perspective). I have read the Qur’an (which I struggle to understand) to get to know their holy scriptures. I aim to speak respectfully of their prophet and their scriptures. I have eaten with them, embraced them and been embraced by them and I have come under heavy criticism for it. I am aware of our differences but those are no reason for hostile division. What I have been doing is quietly combating the ideology of ISIS that would seek to divide the world into two camps. I have been doing this to the best of my ability and I have been determined to weather the criticism because I need to. I don’t say this to boast, rather I simply wish to promote a way opposed to the trap that ISIS is setting. The understanding of my faith, which follows in the footsteps of Jesus, shapes much of this for me. I could make a compelling case from the words of Jesus where I think they speak to this issue, but I believe people of good sense from all worldviews should be able to see the trap and work to avoid it.

Our governments will explore military responses to ISIS (some of it may work and some won’t), but the best way we, the average people who reside in the West, can combat ISIS is to demonstrate love, respect, and hospitality. When we gift our lives to each other and receive each other as gifts, we undercut their desire for division. This love isn’t some sort of sappy push over, rather it’s a love that knows and recognises our differences but enables us to live with each other and embrace each other even in the midst of fear and when others might pelt us with criticism. It recognises that while we have differences, we have a shared humanity that enables us to walk with one another. By engaging love and hospitality with those who differ from us we send a message that division will not win; that the ISIS vision will not win.

[Disclaimer: I welcome fact checking on what I have said about the article in Dabiq. I do so with a warning though – the magazine is written by violent terrorists who use the magazine to justify their terrorism. It is confronting, shocking, and includes imagery that is deeply disturbing. In the edition I mention, there is an article explaining and justifying burning someone alive and it has graphic photos. Please do not look at it if you’re not ready to process what you will encounter. I have not linked to it for this reason.]