Cenk Uygur is a progressive figure, the host of the Young Turks news commentary show, who occasionally has posted nice posts on X.com about listening respectfully to the conservative point of view. But recently, he posted this:
You know which prophet returns to save humanity in Islam? Not Mohamed. Jesus. Muslims view the Koran as the third book. They believe Jesus was taken to heaven and will return in end times. How many Americans know that? Almost none. Why? US media had to get you to hate Muslims.
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) July 2, 2025
On its face, this post seems reasonable, even a laudable effort to bring together people of faith in mutual respect. However — either Cenk is an uninformed secular Muslim who knows almost nothing of his own religion, or he is relying on Americans to be completely uninformed about Islam. Either way, Cenk is leaving out an important part: what must happen prior to Jesus’s glorious return to Earth.
Now, I could find the Koranic and Hadithic selections (they are all there) that underlie this apocalyptic story, but I will relay the story instead as told to me by several devout Sunni Arab Muslims.
First, Muslims will rise up and will slaughter the Jews throughout the world. “Even the trees will call out, ‘There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!’” Once Muslims and Christians have cooperated in ridding the world of Judaism, Muslims will fight Christians until they are no more. All will submit to Islam. Then, gloriously, Jesus will return, and the world will end!
How many Americans know that?
I’d say not so many Americans know that Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross, but instead was taken up into heaven (thus making a lie of Christianity) and will return at the end of the world, after the genocide of the Jews and the final defeat of all Christians.
According to Cenk, the U.S. media are solely responsible for any thoughts that Islam has elements of hatred or disrespect toward other religions. If only we were better informed, by the U.S. media, about Islam and its record of peacefulness throughout the centuries, we would have no trepidation about electing a Muslim mayor of New York City.
Cenk’s post is literally “laugh out loud” level of argumentation, worthy only of ridicule.
