Q&AwithIslamicstudiesscholarJohnL.

Esposito
ByCarlaHinton,ReligionEditor Published:April12,201412:00AMCDT

JohnL.Espositosetouttobea ADVERT ISEMENT

Catholicpriestbutinsteadbecame
aninternationallyrecognized
Islamicstudiesscholarwhohas
traveledtheworld.

Esposito,73,gavethekeynote
speechattheannualdinnerhosted
bytheOklahomachapterofthe
CouncilonAmericanIslamic RepublicanSenatorannouncesopposition
toPruitt'sEPAnomination
Relations.
JohnL.EspositoProfessorofreligionandinternationalaffairsandIslamicstudiesatGeorgetown Fourkilleracceptssanctions
University,speaksattheannualdinneroftheOklahomaChapteroftheCouncilonAmericanIslamic
RelationsonApril5attheTowerHotel,3233NorthwestExpressway.Photoprovided Inaquestionandanswerformat butdenieswrongdoing

(editedforclarityandspace),
Espositodiscusseshisbackground,howhebecameinterestedinIslam,plushisconcernabout
Login|Readfor99
theantiMuslimtonealsocalledIslamophobiainsomeU.S.communities. Rocksolid:DoleseBrothers
applyinnovationstoconcrete

Q:Talkaboutyourreligiousbackground.
Talentdeficient?
A:IwasbornandraisedRomanCatholic,andattheageof14,Iwentawaytobecomea
CapuchinFranciscan.Ileftattheageof24beforebecomingordainedasapriest.Iwantedtobe
apriest,butsomethingtoldmethatitwasntsomethingIwantedtodofortherestofmylife.I
BodiesfoundWednesdayin
wasntreallyquitesurewhatthatmeant....IendedupteachingCatholictheologyatawomens downtownbuilding
Catholicschoolforsixyears.Eventually,IgotaPh.D.,andmymajorwasIslamandmyminor
wasHinduismandBuddhism.
4deathsin3years:Advocates
wonderwhydrugrehab
Q:HowdidyoubecomeinterestedinIslam?
centersstillopen

A:IwasteachingataCatholiccollege,andyouneedtogetaPh.D.Thenormalthinginthose
SeemorestoriesonNewsOKhomepage
days,thiswouldhavebeenthelate60s,early70s,wouldbethatIwouldgotoaCatholic
universitytodoaPh.D.inCatholicstudies.TheschoolthatIwasathadadoctoralprogram
whereyoucouldmajorinoneareaofstudyandminorintwo.Aprofessorencouragedmeto
takeIslamicstudiesandminorinHinduismandBuddhism.Iwasolderthanmostgraduate EmploymentOpportunities
studentsandmarried.Iwantedtofinishadegreequickly,soIwasvery,veryreluctantbut...I MidFirstBank 180Medical
agreedtotakeonecourseinIslamicstudies.Iwasjuststunned...becauseinthosedayspeople
BethanyBehavioralHealth
alwaysputChristianityandJudaismononesideandalltheotherreligionsontheotherside
TheOklahomanMediaCompany
theywereknownasworldreligionsorEasternreligions.SoHinduismandBuddhismwere
SeeAllAds
groupedwithIslam,butwhenIstudiedIslam,Irealizedthatno,theyreinthewrongfamily.
TheyarepartoftheJewishChristianIslamicfamily.Thatgotmetodiscoveringawhole
historythatIdidntknowandthatwewerenevertaughtinschool.MostAmericansinmytime
eventhendidntrealizethatIslamisthesecondlargestreligionandhadnosenseoftheearly
centuriesofIslamandtheconnectionsbothstructurallyandhistorically.

Q:HowdidyoubecomeknownforyourknowledgeofIslamandtheMiddleEast?
A:IdiscoveredwhenIfinished(degreeprogram)in1974thatnooneelsewasthatinterested.

TherewerenojobstoteachIslam.ButtheuniquethingwasbecauseIwastrainedinthree
religionsasmostofuswere,Iwasideal.Itwasrightaroundthattimethatcollegesand
universitiesweredevelopingreligiondepartmentsandofferingworldreligioncourses.Then
theIranianrevolutioncameandthatwasaseachange.IjokinglysayIowemycareerandmy
firstLexustothat.ItputIslam,theMiddleEast,MuslimWestrelationsonthefrontburner
andbeforeitwasntevenonthebackburneritwasoffthestove.From1974to1979,Ihad
fourarticles(aboutIslam)published.From1980totoday,Ihavesomethinglike45booksin35
languages,andthatwouldhaveneverhappenedatthatearlypace.

Q:WhatmadeyouinterestedinIslamicChristianrelations?

A:Obviously,IhaveastrongChristianbackground.Irealizedthatifwearegoingtotalkabout
aJudeoChristiantradition,thenweshouldbetalkingaboutaJudeoChristianIslamic
traditionthatthereisaconnection.Forexample,justasChristiansacceptthebiblical
prophetsandtherevelationoftheOldTestamentbutseeanewcovenantwithJesus,so,too,
MuslimsaccepttherevelationoftheTorahtoMosesandtheGospelstoJesus.Ifyoureadthe
Quran,yourealizejusthowoftenJesusismentionedandrealizethattheVirginMaryis
mentionedmoreintheQuranthansheisintheNewTestament.Thenyoustarttoseethe
historicalandintellectualconnections,bothintermsofcoexistenceandexchangeandconflict.

Q:WhatdoyouthinkaboutantiMuslimattitudesinsomecommunitiesacross
thecountry?

A:IslamophobiaasIdefineitisnotaboutpeoplewhohaveakindofgoodfactbased
criticismoftheIslamicreligion.Theresnothingnegativeaboutthat.Peopleareentitledto
thosetypesofcriticisms.Islamophobiaiswhenyouhaveanunfoundedirrationalfearthat
tendsthentoleadtobias,discrimination,hatespeechandhatecrimes.Itsanunfoundedfear.
WhatdoImeanbythat?...ItmeanscertainlyoneshouldbeafraidofMuslimextremism.Most
MuslimsareafraidofMuslimextremism.TheprimaryvictimsofMuslimextremistsarepeople
wholiveintheMuslimworldintermsofnumbersofpeople.Thatslegitimatefear.Itswhen
youwindupbrushstrokingareligionandthevastmajorityofitsfollowersandimposeupon
themacollectiveguiltforactscommittedbyextremistswhomayhavegrownupinaMuslim
communitybutwho,asIliketoputit,hijacktheirreligion.Andwedontdothatwithour
othermainstreamreligions.Werecognizethatreligionhasitstranscendenceanditsdarkside.
Allreligionshavepeoplewhoabuseandengageinviolence.

Q:HowdopeoplecombatIslamophobia?

A:Firstofallyoudontmakethevictimsprimarilyresponsible.Forexample,oneofthegreat
linesthatpeoplewouldgiveme,particularlyforthefirsteightyearsafter9/11,peoplesaid
Muslimsdontspeakoutagainstthis(Muslimextremists).Ihaveseenwebsitesspeakingout
againstthisbutyoucouldntgetitintomajormedia.Moreimportantly,noteverytimethereis
anattackoneshouldbeexpectingMuslimstojumpoutfrontofit,althoughtheydoit.Yes
communitieshavetoliftthemselvesupandfightforthemselves,butittakesother
communitiestoweighin,othercommunitiesthatrepresenttheestablishmentorthatwerethe
groupsthatwerediscriminatedagainst(atanothertime).

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