The Messiah (Peace Be Upon Him) Between the Tyranny of Western Enlightenment and the Veneration of Islamic Creed

The American Tristan Tate shared a striking observation when he said: "The only place in the world where mocking Jesus Christ is not allowed is Islamic countries." This statement opens the door to deep reflection on the fundamental differences between the Islamic view of the Prophets and the intellectual shifts that have swept the West.

The Extension of the Enlightenment Revolution and the Marginalization of the Sacred

What we have recently witnessed in international forums—such as the opening of the Paris Olympics—cannot be isolated from its historical context; it represents an extension of what is known as the second wave of the French Enlightenment. That movement, which began in 1789, did not stop at marginalizing religion, but sought to replace faith with what was known as the "Cult of Reason", leaving behind bloody events that affected everyone who held onto their values.

Today, we live in a new phase where traditional religious symbols are being replaced by hybrid cultural and intellectual symbols, as contemporary Western culture is exported to the world within a framework of forced globalization, supported by political and intellectual currents seeking to reshape the concept of the sacred.

The Islamic Stance: A Creed of Veneration

In contrast, Muslims take a firm stand in honoring Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), not out of mere courtesy, but based on a fixed creedal foundation. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, as recorded in Sahih Muslim:

«I am the closest of all people to the son of Mary in this world and the hereafter.»

Defending and respecting the Prophets is an integral part of the Islamic faith. Christ (peace be upon him) will remain as the Holy Qur’an described him:

{Honored in this world and the Hereafter and of those brought near [to Allah]}

The response to these materialist intellectual waves must be through balanced discourse and historical awareness, emphasizing that respect for the Prophets is the safety valve for moral and human values in the face of contemporary intellectual absurdity.