We humans were all created in the likeness of God, whose eternal project is to restore us to a reconciled relationship with him. Jesus Christ is the one who earned peace with God and reconciliation with him on our behalf. God’s Kingdom has come near. In our troubled times, Christians are witnessing, with the world, the rage of Evil and darkness in so many forms, including in the form of terrorist violence currently attacking and still threatening Europe. In that sense we find the behaviour and attitude of some Muslims horrendous. But we may as well fall prey to more subtle temptations of Evil, when Christians feed anti-Muslim sentiments and stop making the necessary distinctions between toxic, derogatory attitudes towards Muslims and otherwise legitimate, well-founded criticism of problematic or false Islamic beliefs. Bert de Ruiter’s short plea against ‘Islamophobia’ aims to provocatively cut through this temptation, call our attention both to God’s intent to extend salvation earned by Christ to Muslims through faith, and appeal to our Christian conscience as disciples of the Prince of Peace. So that we would resolve to extend grace, and not prejudice, intolerance or hatred, to our Muslim neighbour, irrespective of terrorist criminality or of other reasons for healthy, love-filled criticism. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:9). Islamophobia_Bert_de_Ruiter