How to Approach a Conversation About Islam

Telling non-Muslims the disturbing truth about Islam is difficult for many reasons. People often have a strong emotional reaction at the mere mention of the subject. But not always.

If you talk to people about Islam, you will get a variety of responses from people. You might have a willing listener who learns from you, or one who listens skeptically, or one who outright rejects everything you say or who won't let you even finish and brands you an Islamophobic racist.
Their response to you depends, in part, on the way you approach the conversation. Not entirely, of course, but your approach can sometimes overcome an already-existing predisposition to respond to any mention of Islam with hostility.

Over the next while, I will occasionally publish articles on different ways to successfully approach conversations about Islam, and I will add a link to those articles here on this page, and I'll keep a link to this page in the sidebar.

I have already published several articles about different ways to approach conversations about Islam, so that will get the list started. I suggest you read some of these articles, especially before a social event when you know the topic is likely to come up, or where you would like to bring it up. Use these articles as a kind of "pre-game coaching."

We can each do our part to increase the number of people who are no longer innocent about Islam by talking to the people we personally know and who already trust us and respect us. For many of them, you are the only one who has a chance of getting through to them. Let's make those opportunities count.
Here is the beginning of the master list of approaches:

1. Talk about Mohammad.

2. Push them to read the Quran.

3. Think in terms of small bits and long campaigns.

4. How to stay calm when talking about Islam.

5. Approach is the key.

6. Let's Help Each Other Talk to Non-Muslims About the Disturbing Nature of Islam.

7. What to Do About Those Who Oppose Your Educational Efforts.

8. Casually Talk About News — And Then Make a Good Point.

9. How to Stay Relaxed and Feeling Good While Talking About Islam.

10. Reveal the disturbing truth a little at a time.

11. One Way to Approach a Conversation: Talk About the Movie, "The Kingdom."

I'd like to invite you to join in an ongoing conversation among us non-Muslims about the challenges of talking to other non-Muslims about Islam. Click here to read what others have written or to post a message yourself.

Citizen Warrior is the author of the book, Getting Through: How to Talk to Non-Muslims About the Disturbing Nature of Islam and also writes for Inquiry Into Islam, History is Fascinating, and Foundation for Coexistence. Subscribe to Citizen Warrior updates here. You can send an email to CW here.