Let me encourage everyone to read "Faith to Faith - Christianity and Islam in dialogue" by Dr Chawkat Moucarry, who is an Arabic Christian currently serving as a lecturer at All nations Bible College in England. It's published by IVP and is I think the very best book available to cover all the issues regularly raised here.
It's added strength is that Dr Moucarry is a Syrian Arab, who is a Christian with an intimate knowledge of Islam and how it impacts on every day life as well as on faith.
This is from the preface
Introduction.. from mutual ignorance to genuine dialogue
He states " I have realised that Muslims are keen to know about Christianity. Many of them have never been to a Christian home and were pleased to invite a christian into their home for the first time."
The Qur'an teaches Muslims the importance of fairness when dealing with Non-Muslims. They should call people to God "with wisdom and good exhortation (sura 16:125). This exhortation especially applies to Muslims when they debate with the "People of the Book".
"Do not argue with the People of the Book, but in the best possible way, except in the case of those among them who have been unjust. Say "We believe in what has been sent down to us and sent down to you. Our God and your God is one, and we are surrendered to Him Sura 29:46."
Please, no matter what and how we choose to present the Gospel.. it must be with deep respect and with pursuasion that comes from a respect for them as people deluded, but loved by God. Remember missionaries spend years patiently working with Muslims and sometimes see no results.
I am not suggesting in any way we act with tolerance. In fact, Dr Moucarry says "To be tolerant is neither to deny nor to minimise the theological differences between Christianity and Islam. Christians and Muslims will be genuinely tolerant only when they have accepted that true dialogue or debate may lead to conversion either to Christianity or to Islam."
Can I suggest we work with in this frame work.. that we will not answer only from our own personal perspective, but truly work towards learning the differences and then using them to present the Gospel.
More later, but please try and read this book. It's a god send I think!
Carol