The post by Sana Ebrahimi, an agnostic and ex-Muslim, on the Christian forgiveness of Charlie Kirk’s widow toward the murderer. An episode that deeply shook her.

The power of Christian forgiveness touches the heart of Sana Ebrahimi.

We are talking about a young woman, originally from the Iran and who is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Like more than 20 million Americans, Sana also followed online the funeral of Charlie Kirk, the young conservative killed on September 10 in Utah.

The inconceivable Christian forgiveness of Erika Kirk

During the ceremony, held on September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale (Arizona), the words of the widow, Erika Kirk, rang out powerfully.

As we immediately commented, it is the only moment that we preserve from a celebration that seemed to us more a political instrumentalization of religion.

Kirk’s wife, a devout Catholic, instead spoke authentically Christian words regarding her husband’s killer: “I forgive the murderer. The response to hatred is not more hatred.” She also refrained from asking for the death penalty.

Unexpected statements, the only ones capable of breaking the spiral of hatred and interrupting the chain of violent mutual rancor between Republicans and Democrats following Charlie Kirk’s murder.

The ex-Muslim: in Islam God is fear, not joy

Sana Ebrahimi herself was moved by it, posting on X her thought: “I grew up as a Muslim in a Muslim country. I do not know Christianity well enough to say whether what I witnessed has roots in faith or in culture.”

The woman refers to the funeral ceremony in general, explaining that “even though death is a heavy factor and this was by its nature a sad occasion, the entire event carried with it a celebratory spirit of honoring life.” A contrast with Islam that “struck me deeply.”

Within the Islamic religion, she says, “even if we believe that good people go to paradise, the relationship with God is taught through fear. Funerals are extremely sad, often full of warnings about the terrifying first night in the grave. Growing up hearing these things, and then seeing people celebrate life, speak of God’s love and remember someone through the impact they had on others, was regenerating, positive.”

Moved and fascinated by Christian forgiveness

The second part of Sana Ebrahimi’s post is directed specifically at the words of Erika Kirk, from which she says she was “deeply moved.”

“I cannot imagine the strength required to get up and deliver such a meaningful speech after having lost the love of your life. But even more, the grace required to forgive the person who destroyed your world.” Thinking of herself, Sana says, “I cannot imagine myself on a stage, sending love to those who applauded my husband’s murder or inviting others to spread God’s love in response because, as she said, ‘we do not respond to hatred with hatred.’ This is a power that goes beyond words.”

The ex-Muslim concludes by returning to the concept already expressed: “I repeat, I am ignorant when it comes to Christianity, but if this is what it truly embodies, then I envy those who are able to experience this feeling.”

In another post she added: “It was deeply touching and powerful. I wish I had been raised learning this, instead of living with constant fear and nightmares about God.”

The post was viewed by over 5 million people and Sana Ebrahimi herself tried to reply to some of the thousands of comments received.

In one of these replies (screenshot below) she speaks again about herself, declares herself agnostic but confesses to having been fascinated by Christianity for a year.

If Sana Ebrahimi’s emotion surprises us, it is because we have taken Christianity for granted and its radical and transformative message, as says the British historian Tom Holland, “we have forgotten it because we move in a landscape shaped by two thousand years of Christianity.”

But evidently, for those who have never experienced it, the testimony of life and Christian forgiveness has a deep and moving impact. Sana Ebrahimi has just reminded us of that.