My younger brother, Hamraz, was detained in Iran when he was just 16. Tragically, just two years later, the Islamic regime ended his life. His death ignited a fierce anger within me and a longing for revenge. However, while studying the Sermon on the Mount, I felt challenged by Jesus’ teaching to love my enemies and pray for those who harm me.
Through this process, my hatred transformed into love. Instead of seeking vengeance against Muslims, I committed myself to sharing the message of Jesus Christ with them.
Love your Muslim neighbors. Build friendships, serve them, pray for them, and talk to them about the good news of Jesus Christ.
I love Muslims, and I love America. That’s why I feel compelled to raise a warning.
Having come from Iran, I found freedoms that religious oppression snatches away. I understand what it feels like to lose those freedoms. Americans who haven’t experienced such a regime shouldn’t take their liberties for granted.
My aim is to alert people, not to incite hatred or violence. I want Americans to be aware of the threats posed by political movements aiming to replace constitutional governance with religious rule — urging them to face these threats with truth, courage, and love.
Many Americans view Islam purely as a religion. However, historically, it has also provided frameworks for political authority and legal systems. Muhammad served as a religious visionary, political leader, and military strategist. Initially, his followers in Mecca weren’t politically influential. However, in Medina, starting in the 7th century, he guided a community and led military operations. His successors expanded Islamic governance over large areas.
For the last 1,400 years, groups advocating for Islamic governance have drawn on this historical backdrop to mobilize believers, build power, and govern according to their interpretation of Islamic law.
It’s important to note that not all Muslims interpret the Quran or Muhammad’s actions with the same seriousness. Many nominal Muslims cherish freedom and reject extremism. Yet, I feel those who adhere closely to these teachings perceive the spread of Islamic governance as a duty. This ambition explains my warnings about potential global domination.
The threat extends beyond terrorism. Movements can pursue authoritarian religious governance through political tools, not just through violence. Their leaders may manipulate freedoms like speech and worship to gain authority while aiming to deny those same freedoms to others.
I witnessed something similar in Iran. Before the 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini made promises of liberty and justice that many Iranians believed. After the revolution, he established religious law, suppressed dissent, targeted minorities, and executed political rivals. My brother was a casualty.
One should evaluate a political movement by more than just its promises before it secures power. Look at its history, its declared goals, and what it plans to do when it takes control.
Europe has its own lessons to offer. Across the continent, Islamist groups have pushed for increased political and cultural influence. In certain areas, issues regarding religious arbitration, women’s rights, freedom of expression, and the enforcement of Islamic law have raised significant alarms.
America needs to heed these lessons.
Political power is not only pursued through violence; it can also be cultivated gradually through organized efforts to sway educational systems, local governments, and public institutions, ultimately influencing national policy.
Some Islamist groups aim to leverage democratic freedoms — such as free speech and religious rights — to grow their influence while advocating for systems that would strip those same freedoms from others.
Civic engagement is every American’s constitutional right, including Muslim Americans. However, when any group seeks political control to enforce religious law on others, Americans must recognize this as a threat.
We cannot confuse religious liberty with the freedom to undermine others’ rights.
America’s openness and goodwill are tremendous assets. Yet, without knowledge and awareness, these strengths can be misused by factions that do not value liberty.
I often express that I’m more concerned about America’s future than Iran’s. Millions of Iranians understand the realities of religious authoritarianism, while many Americans view it merely as a subject in history books.
This concern inspired me and other Iranian-Americans to create “The Great American Conflict,” a documentary exploring political Islam and its implications for this nation.
My message is straightforward: Be vigilant. Study the past. Examine organizations striving for power in your community. Attend local meetings, participate in elections, join school boards and city councils, and ensure elected officials uphold the Constitution. Uphold religious freedom, free speech, and equal rights for all.
Above all, let your actions stem from conviction and love, never from hatred or fear.
Love your Muslim neighbors. Build relationships with them, serve them, pray for them, and share with them the good news of Jesus Christ. I sometimes refer to myself as “Islamophilic” rather than Islamophobic. Though I do not subscribe to Islamic teachings, I cherish Muslim people.
My brother’s execution highlighted the dire consequences of religious oppression. Jesus taught me that hatred can never counteract hatred. It is possible to love Muslims wholeheartedly while also defending the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
The moment to act is now, while we still have that freedom.
