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Way beyond Mecca

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, On The Road on Apr 30, 2008

In Indonesia, the book tour comes to an Islamic boarding school

Read my earlier newsletter from Indonesia and you’ll know that I’m on a mini-mission. I’m out to educate Western journalists about why they should look past the Arab world for signs of where Islam is heading.

In this spirit, let me draw your attention to a New York Times essay that compares my approach to Muslim reform with that of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It’s an exquisitely crafted piece: respectful to each of us — neutral without lapsing into limpness. An impressive balance.

That said, I take issue with the author’s suggestion that our “most sympathetic audiences are probably Western” because neither Ayaan nor I has a “significant Muslim constituency in the Middle East.” Such a statement implies that Arabs are the only Muslims who matter.

Fact is, fewer than 20% of Muslims worldwide are Arab! Which means more than 80% of us are non-Arab. Shouldn’t media be asking how non-Arabs — the vast majority of Islam’s universe — are responding to ideas about religious reform?

Having just wrapped my book tour in Indonesia, I can help answer that question by sharing one of my favorite moments: I was invited to present my ideas at a pesantren — an Indonesian Islamic boarding school. (Notice the basketball court for girls, and the Chicago bulls backboard.)

Through my translator, I emphasized to the students that their uniquely Indonesian voices are needed more than ever. Indonesia represents the possibility for new Muslim leadership — the kind that replaces desert Arabia’s tribal mindset with a love of diversity.

Moreover, I said, the time to assert Indonesian diversity is now. Why? Not only because Saudi influences are on the rise, but also because so much of the world is thirsting for an alternative to the us-versus-them mentality of the tribe.

Witness America, struggling with itself to replace George W. Bush’s “you’re with us or you’re with the terrorists” attitude. If Americans now believe that they need a different vision, and they’re willing to challenge themselves to achieve it, what should stop Muslims from accepting the same challenge for ourselves?

Think about it this way, I proposed to the students: Barack Obama emerged from nowhere to be the champion of change. Even if he doesn’t become America’s president this time, his call for reform has been heard far and wide. It has framed the campaign. It has galvanized the silent (or silenced) masses. Young Indonesians, out of “nowhere,” can become the Muslim world’s Obama.

I reminded them that historically, the most compelling ideas have come from the periphery, not the center! Remember, too, that Indonesia is a democracy, with all of democracy’s flaws, but at least it gives citizens far more freedoms than Arab dictatorships do.

So, I concluded to the students, use your freedoms of thought, expression and conscience to imagine a fresh future for Islam — and for humanity. Then use digital media to circulate your ideas worldwide. Don’t worry about being agreed with; just spark the debate. And when you do, you’ll be showing reform-minded Muslims everywhere that they’re not alone.

At the end of our session, a gaggle of girls surrounded me to ask questions, shake hands and snap photos. One of them (ok, I’ll fess up: the one in the pink scarf) said — in slow and deliberate English — “I am so inspired now. Thank you, Wonder Woman.”

Wonder Woman! It’s not the compliment that I embraced; it’s the fact that this girl signaled, through a shared pop cultural reference, that you can withstand the bullets coming your way if you really believe in justice.

Inspired, in turn, by these young women, I went with them to visit fellow students in the dorms. The pictures below show you the warmth of the reception I got.

One of my adult hosts at the pesantren, an Indonesian scholar named Hindun Annisa, later escorted me to the boys’ side. Hindun and I had bonded earlier in the day. She served on a panel to discuss my film, Faith Without Fear, with 350 students at one of Indonesia’s largest universities.

Hindun pointed out to the students that Muslim theologians who talk about “Islamic” history usually mean “Arab” history, which is among the reasons that Indonesian thinking need not march in lockstep with that of the Middle East.

After my tour of the pesantren, Hindun’s mother — who lives at the school as its principal of sorts — invited me to come back.

I suspect it’s because Indonesians are relieved to hear a Western Muslim “get” their reality (or care about it at all) that my constituency in their country is growing big-time: Indonesia is now the third largest source of hits to this website. Currently, more site visitors are coming from Jakarta than from any other city in the world.

Question to media: Just because I don’t get love-bombed like this in the Middle East, is it fair to say that my sympathizers are Western? What are Indonesians? Chopped liver?

Hell, for the future of Islam, Indonesia might be more important than any other Muslim state. That’s for two demographic reasons: First, Indonesia alone has about as many Muslims as the entire Middle East. Second, its 300 ethnicities and scores of languages capture the pluralism of Islam’s believers with an accuracy that the Middle East simply can’t.

Look, by no means am I implying that we should dismiss Arab Muslims. God knows I don’t. That’s why I’ve translated my book into Arabic and posted it on this site for free-of-charge download. To date, there have been 300,000 downloads — never mind how that number explodes when you include the Urdu, Persian and Malay downloads. None of these languages is “Western” either.

The Prophet Muhammad reportedly encouraged a perpetual search for knowledge, even if that means going as far as China. I think he’d be equally supportive of going to Indonesia. (Similar time zones!)

Sure, for Muslim reform to gain traction, an audience in the Middle East matters. But not to the exclusion of everywhere else.

Here’s my Indonesia photo album – with many more pics to come. Give me time to get over my jet lag, would you?

Launching my book in the world’s biggest Muslim country

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, On The Road, Announcements on Apr 24, 2008

You heard me right: the biggest Muslim country anywhere. Indonesia, baby. That’s where I am to release The Trouble with Islam Today.

That’s also where my publisher presented me with a meaningful poster: “Silence is no longer an option.” Well, it’s never been with me. Now we can say the same about Jakarta!

Three hundred human rights activists, journalists and students attended. Not everybody came to express support, but isn’t civil dissent exactly the point of this mission for Muslim reform and moral courage?

You can learn more about my Indonesian launch through the newsletter that I’ve sent to my personal mailing list. If you want to subscribe, look for the “Get Updates” box on the right-hand side of this page.

Meanwhile, enjoy more moments from Indonesia…

What Muslims can learn from the Pope’s U.S. tour

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Apr 20, 2008

When I ask Muslim-Americans what they appreciate most about living in this country, the answer usually comes back, “the First Amendment.” That’s the U.S. constitution’s guarantee of free worship, free assembly, free press and, ultimately, free speech.

This past week in America, Pope Benedict gave plenty of free speeches. We all expected him to be on his best behavior. But I hoped that his “best” would mean daring Americans of all faiths — Muslims, included — to use their constitutional freedoms and push their own religious leaders.

Push them to do what?  To speak up for the human rights of all, from Muslims facing genocide in Darfur to Buddhists fighting Chinese occupation in Tibet to Christians struggling for survival in Iraq. Delivered from the podium of the UN general assembly, what a message this would have sent on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

His Holiness might even have celebrated American Catholics as an example of how constitutional liberties can elevate people of faith into people of conscience.

For years, Catholics in the U.S. have exercised their freedom of expression to defend the dignity of young parishioners who’ve been molested by priests. In short, they pushed their religious leaders to respect human rights.

They’ve finally succeeded: On his American tour, the Pope surprisingly — and repeatedly — acknowledged that the Church has abused Catholic children through sexual malfeasance and official silence. According to The New York Times, victims, many of them adults by now, may be getting more opportunities from the Vatican to report their experiences.

The moral of my story is simple. Full-bodied use of the First Amendment can compel a Pope once known as “God’s rotweiller” to reveal his deeply human conscience.

Muslim-Americans ought to follow the Catholic lead. And, having shown that he’s trying to practice what he preaches, the Pope should challenge them to do so. No doubt, many moderate mouthpieces of Islam would accuse Benedict of “offending” Muslim sensitivities. Let them howl.

The Pope’s past perceived slights against Islam have sparked new conversations between Muslims and Catholics. At seriously high levels, I might add: An open letter from 138 Muslim scholars, a response to it from numerous Christian authorities and, later this year, an unprecedented formal dialogue where the participants will be received by the Pontiff himself.

To be sure, I’m no fan of scripted inter-religious dialogues, which usually amount to heart-tugging, mind-numbing gestures of little impact and less consequence.

But I’m a huge partisan of unexpected conversations.

Which is exactly what I had in Rome a year and a half ago with Pope Benedict’s then-deputy for inter-religious affairs, Cardinal Paul Poupard. At one point, the Cardinal grabbed my hand and showed me around his personal library. The 76-year-old effused about his books like a child who’d just decorated his room with the funkiest glow-in-the-dark planets. I say that affectionately: Cardinal Poupard couldn’t contain his joy at hosting a young Muslim woman who shared his love of big ideas. It was utterly charming.

It was also sincere. On the day that I met him, he and the Pope had just arrived home from a diplomatic mission in Turkey. They wanted to mend fences after the global uproar over Benedict’s speech at Regensburg University, in which he quoted an obscure Byzantine emperor who thought Islam had nothing to offer civilization. (In a minute, I’ll link you to a statement I made about why I don’t share Muslim anger about those remarks.)

In the wake of a bridge-building breakthrough, and exhausted from the trip anyway, Cardinal Poupard could have canceled his appointment with a Muslim reformist. But he kept it. Truth is, I’m the one who had to beg off to make my next engagement! What can I tell you? I figured that my audience with the Cardinal would be 15 minutes of polite formalities. It became a hi-octane 90-minute exchange about the need for an intellectual renaissance in every faith, including that religion called atheism.

See my point about embracing unanticipated dialogues, even (or especially) when they emerge from “offensive” remarks?

With that in mind, here’s a TV commentary I delivered after the Pope’s controversial speech at Regensburg U. I’m addressing why, as a faithful Muslim, I don’t believe he should have to apologize for causing offense. Once you watch the video or read the text, tell me where you think I’ve gone wrong. Create a conversation where none would have existed before.

Meanwhile, may His Holiness continue to hear Catholic dissidents. In so doing, may he affirm that introspection is the enemy of dogma, not of faith.

With the Pope in America, Bush should confess

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts on Apr 17, 2008

This is what President George W. Bush said in welcoming the Pope to America: “[W]e need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth.”

Really? Judging by how Bush’s administration has acted in Iraq, the President is practically swimming in relativism.  Here’s what I mean.

I pray that before the Pope leaves Washington, President Bush will pull him aside and make a confession. 

Faith Without Fear launches Muslim film festival

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, On The Road, Announcements on Apr 14, 2008

Scene from “Faith Without Fear” showing me in a Yemeni classroom

Tonight in Boston, there won’t be a tea party.  But there will be an event that’s revolutionary in its own way: the American Islamic Congress is launching its first ever Muslim Film Festival — and my documentary, Faith Without Fear, kicks it off.

The festival highlights “think different women.” That means women on the front lines of reform, from Lebanon to Darfur. Featured films star Muslim female karate champions, women running for political office in Iran and Afghanistan, and Senegalese women using hip-hop as a way to transcend tribal politics. Fierce.

The American Islamic Congress is a civil rights organization working to end negative perceptions about Muslims. But not by playing victim. Instead, the AIC demands that Muslims lead by example. They recognize that we Muslims must champion social justice and pluralism within our own communities –- even at great personal risk.

Because the American Islamic Congress practices moral courage, I happily accepted their invitation to launch this year’s festival with my doc.

Faith Without Fear is being screened tonight at 6:30 pm at Boston University. I also invite you to stick around for the post-film discussion. Taking your questions on Muslim reform and moral courage will be Raquel Evita Saraswati, the coordinator of my charitable foundation, Project Ijtihad.

The event is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

And to whet your appetite, watch selected clips of Faith Without Fear on my official YouTube channel.

In the spirit of the festival, thank you for thinking.

Gutsy, good and more global than ever

Posted in Announcements on Apr 10, 2008

My charitable foundation, Project Ijtihad, is reaching new heights in publicizing the message of Muslim reform and moral courage.

We’re now partnering with TakingITGlobal (”IT” as in “information technology” — get it?). TakingITGlobal is an non-profit organization that connects youth in every hemisphere to discuss today’s most important issues.

Each month for the next six months, TakingITGlobal’s website will feature my hand-picked Agent of Moral Courage — someone who’s speaking truth to power in his or her own community for the sake of a greater good.

Challenging your own is always more intimidating than pointing fingers at outsiders. After all, when hold your community to account, you’re losing the security blanket of instant belonging.

It’s because this demands serious guts that I want to give these individuals as big a platform as I can. TakingITGlobal’s site engages hundreds of thousands of young people in more than 180 countries. They thirst for inspiration. The Agents of Moral Courage can deliver.

This month, Project Ijtihad is highlighting two Agents of Moral Courage: Mohamed Adam Yahya and Suad Monsour. They’re refugees of the genocide in Darfur. Despite having lost their homes and family members to Arab militias (known as Janjaweed), these morally gutsy individuals are exercising their voices to demand positive action from the Arab world itself. I love their refusal to wallow in victimhood.

Last month, Project Ijtihad selected Deeyah, a young Muslim woman who’s using her musical talent to decry honor crimes that are committed under the banner of Islam. In the past, I’ve blogged about honor as well as about Deeyah. She — and the cause of human rights — deserve to be debated by youth around the globe.

The Agents of Moral Courage won’t always be Muslims. Check this space every month to learn about Project Ijtihad’s next pick.

If you want to move beyond reading to participate in the mission for moral courage, there’s a world of support waiting for you.

Human rights in MLK’s time and ours

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts on Apr 07, 2008

As we continue to remember the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 40 years ago, there’s another murder to memorialize: that of an Iraqi Kurd named Du’a Khalil.

It’s been one year since the 17-year-old girl was stripped and stoned to death for seeing a Sunni boy, her body buried with the remains of a dog. Family members helped snuff her out, with a handful of relatives being arrested for their active involvement.

They weren’t alone: Her attackers number upwards of 1,000.
Equally sickening, bystanders recorded the assaults on their video phones. What I find evil is not they recorded it — I am, after all, linking to a snippet of the video — but that they stood by.

To be sure, hundreds of Iraqi citizens protested the killing of Du’a. Hundreds. Less than the number of individuals who butchered this young woman.

Still, for deadly silences to be shattered and public conversations to be sparked, all it ever takes is a handful of morally courageous individuals. Margaret Mead, the famed anthropologist, affirmed this of many societies when she observed that “a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

So God bless the handful of global citizens at the International Campaign Against Honour Killings, who have announced April 7th a day to remember Du’a Khalil. It’s not just about Du’a; it’s about thousands more women in Arab and Muslim communities whose cultural puritans force them into shame, duplicity and, sometimes, pre-mature death.

If the perverse phenomenon of honor crimes is new to you, I strongly urge learning about it. Let me be your guide. To demystify the tribal concept of “honor,” I’ve blogged about the case of a Saudi gang-rape victim here and here.

Lest anyone assume that these indignities don’t happen in the West, check out my TV interview about Aqsa Parvez, the Muslim-Canadian teenager whose father has confessed to strangling her for the sake of his family’s reputation. In all but name, that’s an honor killing.

I’ve also blogged about how self-defined “progressive” non-Muslims contribute to such injustices by tolerating the intolerable for the sake of cultural “sensitivity.” Read this commentary.

Finally, for more analysis of cultural relativism, the ideology that states we can’t question abuses of power if they take place in societies other than our own, click here and here.

All of which brings me back to Martin Luther King Jr. I believe he would have openly supported the effort to end honor killings.

In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, written 45 years ago this month, Rev. King warned that “we will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

He added that the greatest barrier to equality is not the transparent bigot, but the “tepid liberal.” By that, MLK meant the person who fancies himself progressive but who prefers “negative peace,” or the absence of tension, over “positive peace,” or the presence of justice.

A life-and-death distinction in any struggle for human rights, in any generation.

Here it is — in Arabic

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Announcements on Apr 04, 2008

Al-Arabiya.net, one of the most popular news sources in the Middle East, has just published the Arabic translation of my take on Fitna, Geert Wilders’ anti-Quran film.

Here’s the English original, also posted by Al-Arabiya. Don’t forget to read some of the comments under the article. They’re revealing and often quite funny.

I must congratulate Al-Arabiya.net for having the guts to run my words. This isn’t the first time. Last year they posted a piece I wrote about Salman Rushdie.

And probably the most comprehensive interview I’ve done with any media outlet, anywhere, was with — you guessed it — Al-Arabiya.net.

There’s hope for moral courage. There’s hope.

“Fitna” gives freedom of expression a bad name

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Announcements on Apr 02, 2008

Here’s my review of Geert Wilders’ film, “Fitna,” published by the Washington Post and Newsweek magazine. Under the article is a section for comments.  I welcome yours.

Heresies, misfits and a film called Fitna

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, On The Road on Mar 29, 2008

Wait! Before you send me another link to Geert Wilders’ film, Fitna, let me assure you that I get the hint. You want me to watch it. I now have. And you want me to comment on it. I soon will. Check this space over the coming days for my review.

Meanwhile, I’m in Atlanta, ground zero of America’s civil rights movement. Atlanta could also become a crucible for Islam’s burgeoning reform movement.

This weekend, Muslim misfits are convening here to participate in “A Celebration of Heresy: Critical Thinking for Islamic Reform.” Yep, we proudly deem ourselves heretics — dissidents who work from inside the traditions of Islam. As our conference’s website declares:

Any dissenting idea against the prevailing religious traditions is generally considered heresy. Jesus was accused of heresy by the Jewish high council and handed over to the occupying Romans to be executed. Abraham was thrown into a fiery furnace for heresy, but saved by God. Muhammad, who criticized “the way of their fathers” — slavery, aggression, financial exploitation, racism and xenophobia — was a dangerous heretic according to the tribal courts of Mecca… Heretical ideas have tested the tolerance of a society and in many cases have created the fuel of progress, particularly in the area of religion.

Our conference opened on Friday night. To my ears, the most powerful sentiments came from Fereydoun Taslimi, an Iranian-American who helped created the Noor Foundation. In Arabic, “noor” means “light.”

How fitting for a Muslim misfit. According to Taslimi, “dissent is an act of faith… Discussing abuses of power in Islam does not make Islam inferior to any of the other religions. On the contrary, it shows that we have a level of confidence in our beliefs that allows us to confront these issues squarely and constructively.”

To the inevitable critics, he offered this gem: The Quran tells us that you shall not accept any information unless you verify it for yourself (17:36).

This means relying on lived experience as much as on scholarly theories. Since the conference participants come from around the world — Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Turkey, the Netherlands, Canada, America, Trinidad and India — lived experiences will differ. Therefore, interpretations will too.

That’s as it should be if we’re going to replace intellectual conformity with diversity of thought in the practice of Islam. What binds us all is a rejection of religious violence and a commitment to freedom of expression.

So how would we deal with the film, Fitna? I don’t yet know, but I hope we debate such things over the weekend.

At the conference opening, a Dutch delegate reported that the debut of Wilders’ movie was “a flop.” He promised to share more with us on Saturday. You can follow the conference LIVE.

As for my own take on Fitna? Coming soon.

Read about the morally courageous intellectual who inspired this heresy conference.

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