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A different Islam at Ground Zero?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on May 30, 2010

Should a mosque — or, less provocatively, a “Muslim community center” — be built near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

That proposal, officially named “Cordoba House,” as just won approval from New York authorities. But not everyone is applauding. Forget Tea Party leaders; some American Muslims question whether a “Ground Zero mosque” ought to see the light of day.

One such skeptic is Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, head of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. He recently wrote a commentary making the following points:

“To put it bluntly, Ground Zero is the one place in America where Muslims should think less about teaching Islam and ‘our good side’ and more about being American and fulfilling our responsibilities to confront the ideology of our enemies… Are we Americans who happen to be Muslim or Muslims blindly demanding to be American?

American Muslims will be better served if this project is built further away from Ground Zero and focuses on leading a reform effort. If we help build anything at the WTC site itself, it should be timeless memorials to all those who lost their lives on 9/11 — memorials to blind to faith, race, creed, or national origin…

We need to focus our efforts more transparently on teaching Muslim youth that the American concepts of liberty and freedom are preferable to sharia and the Islamic state. American Muslims represent the best opportunity to fight Islamist radicalization not because we understand Islam but because we have experienced and understood what American liberty provides to the Muslim experience.“

The issue cries out for a healthy debate.

That’s precisely what my Facebook community has produced. As moderator, I’ve stipulated one rule beyond civility: Don’t vote from gut reaction or pure emotion. Instead, I’ve recommended that my Facebookers read Dr. Jasser’s commentary, explain what they agree or disagree with, and only then pronounce their vote on Cordoba House.

The results surprised me. Some highlights:

* “I agree with [Zuhdi Jasser] that Ground Zero is not the place to build a mosque or Muslim center. If we Muslims truly want to make a contribution, I think the Imam behind this project (who I greatly admire for promoting tolerance and interfaith relations) should build a place aimed at healing for all who are suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually since 9/11. Putting a mosque at Ground Zero is going to feel like salt rubbed in the wounds of too many people who have been forever wounded by what happened there.” - Ann Karima

* “If there is going to be a center, then it should be dedicated to the reform and de-politicization of Islam. Considering the amount of funding involved, it’s probably going to be the opposite. This is evidenced by Imam Rauf’s denial that the people who attacked on 9/11 were even Muslim. They were …

[But] the rest of the world could learn from one thing from this center: that mosques can and probably should transcend being simply religious spaces and become community ones - although it won’t be a useful lesson if it’s a Muslim-only space.” - Mehdi

* “I shared this article with my FB friends and here is what I posted as my comment: ‘Just as [Zuhdi Jasser], a Muslim, speaks out against political Islam, so as a Christian I will speak out against the religious right who want America to be an officially Christian nation. Jasser states: ‘We need to focus our efforts more transparently on teaching Muslim youth that the American concepts of liberty and freedom are preferable to sharia and the Islamic state.’ I believe that only in a truly secular democracy will we have the actual liberty to practice our faiths or none at all.” - Jan

* “Well, if the guys who are creating the center/mosque bought the building itself, then they should be able to build whatever they like. Given America’s love of property rights, that would be a truly ‘American’ approach. But first and foremost, the memorial should serve trade. That would send a clear message: ‘You don’t like our way of life? Screw you. We don’t accept violence as an argument.’ The site is located in the financial district, after all.” - Michal

* “If it were up to me, there would be no sectarian buildings around Ground Zero. But we also have the rule of law and the Constitution. If government intervened to stop or refuse construction, what would it be saying about the American values of liberty and freedom of religion? Is it legitimate for the state to compel certain values and outcomes? Can we force people to be sensitive souls? To be caring Americans? That is my dilemma.” - Rafael

* “The hubris, bad manners and God knows what else that lies behind the presumption that a massive mosque can be built just blocks away from Ground Zero is staggering… The irony is that if the mosque gets built, it won’t be typically Islamic but tragically American in what it says about our unwillingness to see things are they are.” - Bob

* “I think it’s ok to build the center. If it were only a mosque, I would feel less certain. A center would presumably be open to all. It’s the American way, the American dream - freedom of religion, freedom of expression. What place is better suited to promote reflection and dialogue about Islam and others faiths than Ground Zero? To try and expunge references to Islam is fundamentally un-American. I have a real problem with the on-going conflation terrorism with Islam, which informs Zuhdi Jasser’s article. I refuse to believe that Islam motivates violence. If it does, then as with the terrorists in Northern Ireland, it ceases to be about faith.” - David

* “I am neither for nor against that building. But what I care about are the reactions of the people who oppose the mosque. It is really strange. You are accusing Islam of attacking the World Trade Center. That is just not true. The attackers were blinded criminals. If tomorrow a Christian attacks a school and kills children, saying that his Christian belief led him to this because the school is teaching Darwinism, would you oppose any church near the school? You should, following the logic of opposing a mosque near Ground Zero.” - Raik

* “While there are Christian and other fanatics who would kill for their faith, the difference between them and the Muslim community is that the popular sanctioning doesn’t seem so widespread. There are no crowds applauding those crazies in Michigan who planned to kill police officers.

And Christians are not looking to build a right-wing evangelical pro-Tim McVey church at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. In fact, most Christians are downright embarrassed about the misuse of their religion, as in the recent abuse scandal of the Catholic Church. It was in the Pope’s homeland of southern Germany that people complained about the Vatican’s inaction, and American Catholics sharing their feelings, audibly. Even Ireland, a devout Catholic country, saw protests and calls for justice.

Until the Muslim community admits it has a problem, or should I say a number of problems, and begins to act responsibly toward fellow citizens, will people begin to act responsibly toward us. It should not be the USA that leads a war against radical Islam. It should be Muslims in the vanguard of that struggle, taking back our faith from those who would dare to hijack it.” - Ismail

The debate continues. Feel free to participate by joining me on Facebook. And let it never be overlooked that there’s one reason we can have such honest conversations. It’s called secularism.

“Do homosexual Muslims deserve happiness?”

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Apr 11, 2010

That question comes from a Muslim teenager in Norway. Here’s the entire, abrupt, email:

Salaam, Irshad Manji

But I have to say that there is something bothering my mind and soul. Do homosexual Muslims deserve happiness? From a teenage Muslim in Norway.

To be candid, I didn’t know how to answer — not because I don’t believe gays and lesbians deserve to be happy, but because the question itself opens up so many possible responses.

Do I offer my interpretation of what the Qur’an says (or suggests) about homosexuality?

Do I talk about democratizing the spirit of ijtihad, Islam’s tradition of independent thinking, so that any of us with wrenching questions feel the permission to seek responses through our own consciences?

Do I reconcile Islam and human rights, faith and free will, duty towards others and fulfillment of self?

Do I analyze “happiness”?

Do I ignore the question altogether, given my tight book-writing deadlines and a slew of other commitments? But if I ignore the question, am I intensifying the isolation that a potentially queer Muslim teenager may be feeling right now? How does exacerbating someone’s pain serve my integrity as a person of deep faith in God?

As if on cue, landing in my inbox this week was an email that answers the question more convincingly than I could have. It comes from a religious Muslim who’s also a lesbian. Despite her broken English, you’ll grasp the wholeness — the integrity — in which she now exults:

I always denied that I am gay. It is sinful. How can a religious girl like me being a lesbian? I knew which is Haram [forbidden] in Islam and which is not… 

Every time, I pray to Allah. I asked Him, why He give me this test? This is too much for me. Allah gave me everything I wished. I am a bright girl. But why Allah tests me with the very sinful thing in Islam, being a lesbian?…

I met one girl and we both loved each other so much. She is my true love and my soul mate. She is the ONE for me. We lived together for many years and we kept it as a secret. No one knew, as both of us are lady-like and wear scarf. 

Last year, we broke up and I was totally a mess. I lost my feet. I nearly insane because I just can’t live without her. But, she already made her decision, even though I beg her, she stick with her decision. I lost so much weight. For months I was in pain.

Until one day I asked for a help from one of my friends. They brought me to see a counselor. There are a few questions from the counselor that really, really woke me up. She asked me, Why am I afraid to accept that I am a lesbian, and I answered, Because this is one of the biggest sin in Islam, I don’t want to dishonor my family, and Allah will also send me to hell. 

The counselor asked me the second question, How I measure my goodness, and I said, by serve and praise Allah. 

And the last question she asked me, Even you know you are gay, did you still pray and feel the connection to Allah when you pray, and I said YES, I still feel it.

So, she said, Allah still love you and you are one of His creation, being a lesbian is not your choice, you just got it from HIM. So accept who you are and keep serving Allah.

The next day, I performed my morning prayer and I just can felt that Allah is closer to me than before. I just like a new born baby, and by accepting that I am a lesbian, has changed my personality and life for 180 degree. I am totally a brand new person.

For all of my life, I am questioning Allah why I love and like women more than men, and now I found the answer… Allah is not cruel to human. He LOVE us. Only Man discriminate people like us.

There is no word to describe my feeling of happiness.

Happiness: It appears that the Almighty believes she deserves it. And if she deserves it, why not the Muslim teenager in Norway, too?

In their new book, Made for Goodness, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Rev. Mpho Tutu, tell us that “God’s call to be perfect is not just a command — it is an invitation.” An invitation, that is, “to something life-giving, something joy-creating.” Far from being flawlessness, “Godly perfection is wholeness.”

In short, to be one with yourself is to be one with God.  May The One go with you.

Muslims in the West: To be reformist or defensive?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Mar 21, 2010

 

When writing a book, it’s typical for a journalist to rely on interviews and personal observations, backed by reports and other forms of scholarly research.

But I’m blessed to have an added source of information: your emails. They serve as reality checks par excellence.

Over the years, I’ve received the most incredible messages from you — ranging in tone from side-splittingly funny to spine-chillingly scary.

Muslims and non-Muslims who care about freedom need to know exactly what we’re up against, and why there’s hope. Emails from actual people, reflecting actual attitudes, will keep the content of my next book both honest and human.

Here’s what I mean. Recently, an email from London, UK landed in my inbox. It’s at once troubling and promising: “I am an 18 year old Sunni Muslim… I don’t like a lot the things associated with Islam.” He mentions “stoning.” But he’s also struggling with “xenophobic attacks… There are a lot of groups that appear determined to smear Muslims.”

The young man asks, “How do I deal with this problem? I have begun to become really insecure.”

You can see that he’s torn between religious reform and personal defensiveness. As I’ve learned by speaking at countless universities, it’s an all-too-common dilemma.

Rather than fire off an answer informed my own experiences, I decided to widen the circle of advisers by consulting my Facebook community. Tapping into their empathy, I figured, could not only produce more relevant answers, but it would educate them further about why, when we’re discussing or debating Muslim reform, we’re ultimately talking about people’s lives — not academic theories.

The Facebookers, as always, came through. Some of their responses:

* “You are young, British and Muslim. You are full of ideas. Your generation holds the key to tomorrow for your faith, your country and your world. Your discomfort with things deemed Islamic is real discomfort, like standing in a dank London rain without an umbrella. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re out of line, that you’re crazy. What you wouldn’t want for yourself, you shouldn’t want for others. Let your friends and neighbors know this through your actions.

Admired by the young and the downtrodden, [Prophet] Muhammad never wore a frown or ever refused to help a petitioner. He taught us to seek God everywhere and in everyone, regardless of their faith or belief. You might have to endure more than you already have. The groups who target Muslims are replacing one form of hate with another. Regardless, we need to set our house in order, then show our neighbors the repairs we have made.” - Ismail

* “Show the attitude of a Muslim as friendly and confident.” - Taufan

* “My 18-year-old twins choose to hold their mother’s faith and conduct themselves as positive, progressive and relevant Muslim youths. The effect is evident in the awe and admiration they inspire among their peers of all ethnicities. They are asked many questions and I think their words and actions defuse and debunk many of the negative stereotypes.” - Mazlina

* “As a Mexican-American, I can’t tell you how important it is to show gratitude toward the host country that is now home yet, at the same time, remain proud of one’s roots. Any minority has to be pro-active and not always defensive. He should pressure his local religious and political representatives to speak out against Muslim violence more frequently. Have them conduct more discussions about the importance of integration.” - Rosa

* “The worst thing you can do is start to think that these xenophobic attacks are the result of everyone disliking you. The people doing the attacking aren’t attacking you, they are attacking what they ‘think’ you represent. They don’t even know you.

Guaranteed, these attacks are only from a small group of small-minded people. You need to find friends, like us, are on your side. Friends who will empower you to stand up against those who try to disempower you.” - Jamie (teacher)

* “At 18, you have a wide selection of choices depending on where you are academically. If it is practical, try exchange programs that take you away from the circumstances within and expose you to the ‘other,’ thus giving you a different perspective.” - Nganga

* “He will likely have to learn to take the high road and be honest about where his spiritual exploration takes him.” - Jason

* “The best way is to prove to the Muslim-haters, through his own behavior, that not all Muslims deserve their anger. This is how they will understand that it is not Islam which should be hated but the abuses committed in its name.” - Armand

* “Only by your example as a reform-minded Muslim can the xenophobes find their way to change.  Show them the power of REASON.” - Henri

* “What do you mean by ‘xenophobic’? That word is used loosely these days. Let me ask: do you believe in stoning, honour-killing and terrorism? No? Then don’t feel bad; critics of Islam are not talking about you. Welcome to Britain, mate.” - John

* “I hear your fear and want you to know that not everyone is out to get Muslims. I truly believe that those folks are in the minority. There seems to be more of them because they get so much news coverage. The news covers those who foment discontent. There are many of us who aren’t Muslim but who open our arms and hearts to you. If you look for us, you will find us.” - Teri

* “I think this young man is already showing he has no need need to be insecure. He is questioning some of the more objectionable practices, which anyone should do in his shoes. He should apply the same thought to xenophobia as he does to stonings.  Why is this happening? Does it solve a problem? Is it moral? Why am I reacting this way? What are the long-term effects of this type of reaction?

The risk here is that these illogical attacks will push him towards a more hard-line view that over time will become very difficult to defend.” - Nathan

* “I also have to deal with xenophobic attacks. All you can do is keep your head held high and have the attacks investigated. But more personally, he needs to distinguish between the Islam that is practiced today and the Islam that should be practiced.

Also, he doesn’t have to stick with the Islamic community. I, myself, don’t care for Sunni or Shia interpretations. I try to understand things on my own and don’t take them in without questioning them. Only then can you establish a greater belief in your religion.” - Moussa

* “Recognize that not all non-Muslims believe all Muslims are akin to the Wahhabi strain of Islam.  By all means, feel free to share the positive aspects of your religion but please don’t take it as a license to force anyone to listen. I don’t appreciate Christian fundamentalists who get in my face and I won’t appreciate it from Muslims either.  Many non-Muslims will support the efforts of reform-minded Muslims who recognize human rights, INCLUDING the right of religious freedom.” - Athena

* “Being a Muslim in 2010 London is what it was like being Irish in London in the 1970s and 80s.  In this information age, people are more accepting and caring human beings. But there will always be a few who cut you to the bone with how they describe you. Don’t let that hurt turn inwards. You and your faith are stronger. Their words are fueled by fear and ignorance. If you break the cycle of hate, they will pass.” - Eoin

Are we ready to laugh about terrorism?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Feb 01, 2010

After Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab grilled his groin on Christmas Day, amateur satirists wasted no time in assigning him nicknames: the Jockstrap Jihadi, the Undie-Bomber and my personal favorite, Fruit of Ka-Boom.

Does all the giggling, chuckling and outright satirizing mean that we, as a society, are ready to laugh about terrorism? Before you answer, watch this video clip from “Four Lions,” a new British movie about radicalized Muslims plotting an attack:

When BBC Radio asked for my thoughts about the video clip, I replied, “Hilarious. But the brilliance of comedy, like anything, depends on how it’s delivered. This particular scene makes violent jihadists look like fools. More spoofing might — might! — lessen fear among some members of the public, showing that we can challenge Islamists rather than cower before them. My worry would be that such comedy makes more of the public complacent, as if all jihadists are buffoons. We should know by now that they’re not.”

So I return to my question: Are we, as a society, ready to laugh about terrorism? Join the discussion on my Facebook page.

Should the burqa be banned in a free society?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Oct 10, 2009

London, UK (Photo: M. Douglas)

A few days ago, I sent this message to my Facebook fans: “France is currently debating whether to ban the burqa and veil. Now, my own country of Canada is debating that, too. A **Muslim** group is calling on the Canadian government to outlaw the burqa. How do you think the government should respond?”

Twenty-four hours later, I re-visited my fan page. Hello! I found more responses to this question than to just about anything I’ve ever posted.  Equally revealing, Muslims are disagreeing with each other.

Male versus female, you ask?  In a sense, yes. In my Facebook community, Muslim men are likely to reject the burqa outright while Muslim women are inclined to support choice.

Here’s a sample of their arguments, peppered with interventions from non-Muslims who have experience with Muslim societies:

* “Burqa? This hideous thing should most definitely be banned.”  - Umar

* “The GOVERNMENT should not have a say over whether a woman can wear it or not. If they did, they would be no different from Saudi Arabia or any other country that forces women to wear it.” - Sara

* “Yes, ban the burqa. A woman’s head is not an extension of her private parts.  A woman in burqa is convinced she is a a giant pussy on legs.  This is  offensive. Burqa is also dangerous. Not different from seeing a man walking down the street wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood, or a skinhead with a tattoo of a swastika on his forehead.” - Azhar

* “I wear the hijab on my head and I live in America. I would fight with the government til the end on something like this. Who cares what people wear as long as they are not doing anything wrong to you?” - Diana

* “One of my best friends is Muslimah and she lived in Algeria for years, never wearing a veil, never being asked to wear it.  As soon as her family moves to the States, her father, who is quite secular in Algeria, tries to impose the veil on his daughters. Why? Because in his eyes, they’re living in a hostile nation, and he needs to protect his daughters from the eyes of infidel boys/men.  My friend resisted and used the Quran as her justification. But her others sisters veiled, to keep the peace, because of their abusive dad.” - Rodney

* “The burqa is a marketing tool for Islamists. In a day and age when Islamist criminality is worldwide, the burqa is not an option!” - Najat

* “Sure, there have been security problems in countries with men hiding under burqas and niqabs. But I have also been witness to a woman being harassed by security in the middle of Khan Al Khalili, a very busy market in the middle of Cairo. Banned or unbanned, it is still Muslim women who are the victims here. Banning a style of dress will not ensure extra security for anyone.” - Sue

* “In the Middle East, a woman wearing burqa who was allowed to drive almost hit me because she couldn’t see me!” - Rosa

* “I don’t agree with [a] country imposing a certain dress code. Who the hell are you? If they want to ban it, ban it all. That means the nuns can’t wear what they wear.  A Christian can’t wear a cross, a Jewish man can’t wear a kippah, and all other religious symbols should be banned too.” - Faisal

* “Irshad, the other day, with horror, I saw a WalkingBurqa in The Eaton Centre [Toronto shopping mall].  I told my daughter to forget about the shopping and let’s get the hell out of here. U never know what’s inside the WalkingBurqa.  Canadian government should ban it… ASAP.” - Rehmatullah

Now I’m asking my Facebook community to interpret the photo at the very top of this post. Snapped in London recently, the picture shows three burqa-clad women walking the same footpath as a woman in a tank top and skirt.

How do you interpret this image? What does it say to you?

Join the conversation, and many more to come, on  my Facebook fan page.

Freedom for Abe is freedom for Ali

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Jul 03, 2009

Every Fourth of July, I receive a greeting card from friends who keep alive the memory of the anti-slavery movement in America. This year, Abraham Lincoln graced the front of their card. Inside, the Lincoln quote reads:

I have often inquired of myself, what great principle or idea it was that kept this confederacy so long together. It was not the mere matter of the separation of the colonies from the motherland, but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but, I hope, to the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men.

In due time… Not alone to the people of this country, but, I hope, to the world… With those stirring words, Abe has something profound in common with Ali.

My most dedicated Tehran informant, Ali, recently inspired a message that I sent to my Facebook page:

“More injured are coming to hospital. After seeing so much fresh blood, those who’ve been bed-ridden and out of action for a few days need their morale boosted. So Ali is asking all of us: What do you love about your freedom? I’ll convey your replies to his sis; he’ll share with other patients via code of communication developing among the wounded.”

Facebookers replied with a cascade of reflections. Some highlights:

* “There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give to our children. One is roots; the other, wings. I awake each day knowing this is possible, with sunlight, peace, and dreams of tomorrow. I do not fear my neighbors, my homeland, or my community, but cry for those who do. For one is never truly free if the only certainty is fear. And the fact that I can write this makes me the freest of all. For what is life if it can’t be expressed and felt? May all your voices be heard.”

* “When you are free, you can tell the bastards to get lost. You can walk away and they can’t stop you. You can ignore the MFers.”

* “A freedom without limits is no freedom at all.”

* “I love walking down the street and knowing that even if someone I encounter has different beliefs than me, or even if they dislike me after having learned my beliefs, I still have the right to believe, and my country will protect that right.”

* “Freedom means defending the rights of those who hate me without feeling ridiculous.”

* “I love my freedom because I treasure the uniqueness of each individual. Oppression squashes that uniqueness; freedom allows it to (although doesn’t guarantee it to) flower.”

* “Freedom is to be fully human with the absolute worth of the human person. This is lacking both in secular materialistic cultures and in totalitarian ideologies that blot out humans as individuals.”

Spurred on by the wisdom of Facebookers, my Twitter followers weighed in with their own answers for Ali. A sample:

* “why do I love my freedom? kinda nice to get up in the morning and not have to worry about being shot for my tweets.”

* “I’ve just spent the day with my 7 week old son. Freedom means I know his future will be HIS choices and desires.”

* “I luv freedom because having breakfast at 3 am while discussing politics should be the right of every human being.”

* “Freedom is crucial to happiness. It’s as simple as that.”

I can report that these responses made Ali happy. Which, in turn, would have made Abe happy. To abolitionists everywhere, thank you for your struggle on behalf of human dignity.

And to Americans: This Independence Day weekend, if you watch one film worthy of Abe’s message, make it “The Stoning of Soraya M.” Details of the movie — and where it’s playing — are here.

Free Faris!

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Jun 20, 2009

Even before the Iranian uprisings, I’ve noticed more emails from young Muslims who are leaping out of the closet as free-thinkers.

But some are still limping out, and they need our best efforts to hold them up. Consider the case Faris, a teenage boy from Libya.

As if to surround him with guardian angels, I’m peppering this post with photos of my recent visit to the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in East Harlem. The strength of these girls could serve as a life-line for this boy.

Introducing Faris:

“I’m 14 years old. I’m half Irish and half Arab. I live in Libya, and I’m currently having serious issues with my faith. The amount of hate this country inflicts against Jews and Europeans is unbelievable. In our history books, it never refers to Jews without the word ‘racist’ beforehand, never refers to Europeans without the word ‘terrorist’ beforehand. They teach us at one point that this is the religion of peace, and then flip to bashing various groups, including gays (which I recently discovered I am).

I thank God for giving me a mother who helps me understand that love is better than religion, but my dad is blaming my access to the outside world and is trying to take away my laptop, my Internet connection, my mobile phone.

Shutting myself up, like I tended to do before, just won’t work anymore. I know you’re very busy, but I would appreciate it so much if you could give me a little support.” - Faris

Irshad replies to Faris: A little support? Hell, no, bro! I’m giving you actual allies. Listen to another young Muslim whose email I received immediately after yours:

“I live and work in Abu Dhabi. I belong to my thoughts and conscience more than my citizenship, which is Emirati. I am writing to you because I speak the same language as yours, defending our faith with the same enthusiasm and surrounded by those who would call us koffar…

I appreciate that you give it up to GOD, that He is the only one who knows the Truth and that we are only seekers. I always try to put this into words! As a matter of fact, I always say that I might be wrong in what I am doing or convinced with, but with the brain, knowledge, experience, etc., I have come up with conclusions that I cannot lie about.

I will live my life with honesty and integrity no matter what. GOD knows me better than anyone, knows how I struggle to minimize the gap between what I think, say and do! That is what makes me ready for the day of judgment!

Congratulations for what you have achieved so far in your honest way toward TRUTH. :)” - Fatema

Irshad returns to Faris: So, Faris, what have we learned from Fatema? We’ve learned that her identity as an Arab or Muslim takes a backseat to her integrity as an individual - a complex, sinuous creature that no majestic Deity could possibly reject, since any God worthy of worship is more than a manufacturer of widgets and automatons.

We’ve also learned that by putting the transcendent God at the center of her faith, she tunes out the negative noise that human beings hurl in the name of a petty god.

In short, Faris, if your faith is hostage to the approval of others, lose it. Because it’s not faith at all. It’s cultural commotion and religious rust. Take strength from Fatema, who’s found her conscience and her Creator under the hardened slag of theology.

Another young Muslim has dug past the thick coating of oxidized, organized Islam — and arrived at her integrity:

“I’m so happy that someone finally has the guts to stand up to the so-called scholars and imams of today. I was at a point when I was really feeling lost, but after reading your book, I’ve gained love and faith for Islam again.

I’ve never been able to understand organized religion. It’s been hammered into my head since childhood that being a good person isn’t enough. You will still go to hell if you don’t do all the other cultural stuff.

What also disturbed me about the religion are some of the so-called hadiths [reported sayings of the Prophet Muhammad]. For example, that hell has women than men in it. As if we don’t suffer enough on earth — let a man give birth just once! Or that you will go to hell if you disobey your husband. Puh-leeze!! 

Being an independent Muslim woman of the 21st century, I always felt suffocated by the rules and regulations of institutional Islam. I’m now in the process of weeding out the culture. I no longer feel suffocated. If anything, I feel free, and this is the Islam that I will pass on to my children. I’m also having a huge effect on the way my husband sees Islam.” - ReyanaIrshad turns to Faris: See? It’s not only possible to ditch other people’s dogma, but you can liberate the mind of your own husband — something you’ll have a better chance of achieving than I ever will.

And, Faris, in case you’re still worried that your father will pull the plug on your tech toys, let me end this way: A functioning mind is far more valuable than an Internet connection. This guy, emailing from the University of Peshawer, proves that you can be “connected” yet completely cut off from the gift that is God:

“well, Miss Irshad Manji, don’t have time to read ur book but the statement (trouble with Islam) is enough 2 say that ur place is nothing but HELL in the here-after. Every living creature has 2 taste death. This world is going 2 end very soon, 95 percent of the sign of doomsday have appeared. After 2013, there will be big change through out the universe. 3rd world war may break out and it will be beginning of end. Repent for wut u did before the doors are closed, by God.” - Ahmad Usman

Irshad winks at Faris and whispers: Not your type, is he? Nor mine. God truly is merciful.

May the God of mercy watch over the gutsy demonstrators of Iran.  May they know that they’re not alone in fighting for freedom of thought, conscience and expression.  May they draw solidarity from the individual acts of courage exhibited by Fatema, Reyana and Faris above. And may many more be propelled to join them.

Pssst… Please eavesdrop

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Jun 11, 2009

“As an American woman with a Jewish cultural background married to a Catholic raised man, I am most grateful for your informed views, thoughts, and ideas. It gives me hope for a world of more freedom for all. However, I am disheartened by the dearth of thoughts coming from the Western Muslim community regarding Islamic introspection. If you hear anything, please make it available to us non-Islamic folk. Is there an interfaith forum for self-reflection that we can all be privy to?” - Lorri Paulucci

In a word, “yes.” In two words, “please eavesdrop.”

Reform-minded Muslims invite you to read our message to fellow Muslims through a brand new book that challenges the complacency, passivity and denial of the so-called moderates in our faith.

Hot off the presses is Critical Thinkers for Islamic Reform, a collection of essays to which I’ve contributed and which you can buy on amazon.com. It’s the product of a recent conference naughtily named, “A Celebration of Heresy.” I blogged about it here.

Now, the conference organizers are giving you access to what was thought, expressed and debated at the heresy hoe-down. “The 30 scholars and activists who contributed to this book do not necessarily agree on every issue,” confess the editors. “However, we all agree on the imperative of a radical reformation in the Muslim world — a reform under the guidance of the Quran and with the light of reason, our Creator’s greatest gift to us…”

But wait! There’s more. We also hope you’ll tune into a TV documentary that captures the revolt of a reform-minded Muslim at a mainstream American mosque. That reformer is Asra Nomani, single mom, defiant journalist and ardent foe of segregation — a widespread practice in the Muslim sanctuaries of the United States.

Asra takes on the tribalists in her forthcoming PBS film, “The Mosque in Morgantown.” Watch the trailer, then catch the entire program on June 15 at 10 pm Eastern.

With Asra Nomani at a shared book-signing, New York 2005. (Courtesy: Aachara Kinan)

And for God’s sake, fear not the political incorrectness of peering into Muslim conversations. As Martin Luther King Jr. pleaded, “Never again can we afford to live with narrow, provincial, outside agitator idea.” In an interdependent world, there is no outsider. Like it or not, we’re in this mess together.

I, for one, am grateful that Lorri Paulucci wants more information. May she embolden other nosey non-Muslims.

Defeating Islamophobia

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Apr 25, 2009

A few days ago, I wrote about Aska. She’s a university student in Poland who wonders how to combat Islamophobia. Specifically, what can she tell her friends and teachers who seem to believe that Muslims are inherently arrogant and misogynist hell-raisers? Read the beginnings of my response.

Of course, I affirm the humanity of Muslims. But I won’t romanticize Islam or sanitize how we widely practice it. The fact is, Muslims can be remarkably arrogant when accounting for the human rights abuses that we inflict on each other, never mind how we so often treat those outside of the ummah (global Muslim community).

Rather than own our dysfunction, we reflexively blame America, Israel, Christianity, materialism, MTV, McDonald’s, and the ever-convenient Jews. An equally popular coping mechanism is to remain mute about our self-inflicted shortcomings, for fear of damaging relations with our higher-ups — be they parents, imams, or even secular leaders of our communities.

Bottom line: Our prickly defensiveness stops Muslims from presenting ourselves as complex, multi-dimensional beings. In effect, we’re conspiring against ourselves, giving Aska and other non-Muslim allies precious little ammo to confront bona fide bigots.

So how can this young woman of good will persuade her peers and educators that Muslims are capable of both humility and humanity?

The key, I believe, is to promote the voices of reform-minded Muslims. These people remain faithful to the just ideals of Islam, but acknowledge the trouble with Muslims today. (Hmmm… “The Trouble with Muslims Today.” What a great idea for a book title!)

Reform-minded Muslims struggle not so much with Islam as with the fear that comes from speaking truth to power within Islam.

When publicizing their sincere struggles, we send two messages: First, Muslims who value reason and freedom actually exist. Second, they deserve to be brought out of the shadows — for everyone’s education.

Here, then, are the words of three reform-minded Muslims who wrote to me after Aska emailed her question about fighting Islamophobia. Their words are the antidote to anti-Islam prejudices on the part of non-Muslims, and anti-modern biases on the part of Muslims:

* “I read The Trouble with Islam Today and I can’t tell you how much of an eye-opener it was for me, the muslim woman, who was raised with fear of the dad, the teacher and God. For the first time, the things I was brought up not questioning became questionable. I started thinking and reasoning facts, I’m 37, too late in life, I know, and I just wish I read it earlier…

There’s turmoil now in my brain, and I’m glad there is. I still can’t help relating every small bad thing that happened to me to God’s wrath for something I’ve done, though I’m very innocent. I’ve always lived by the book and did the right thing. I guess fear is so embedded in my soul and hopefully one day, I’ll get rid of it.” - Mona El Samaty, Egypt

* “I have come to know about your mission to resuscitate the true spirit of Islam [as] a voice of sanity in this psychopathic world of biases. Being in Pakistan with an inquisitive head on my shoulders, I have some idea of the travails that you have chosen to face…

We have a female breed here which seems to buy constrictive dogmatic notions to such a degree that it takes the likes of me, arguing in favour their liberation, for which I am seen as less faithful and even immoral. Moreover, the biased way in which our mothers treat their male and female children, makes me dare propound that today it’s more the ‘women against women’ than the ‘men against women’, at least in Pakistan.

I really feel sad when I see that the practices in Islam, rather than giving the courage and confidence to live a free and inquisitive life, renders most of my fellow-religionists to live as ‘born’ cowards. I call them born cowards because the religio-cultural training behind this in our societies starts right from the moment of the birth.

Respected Ms. Manji, people like you serve as a source of energy for the ones like me, living in Muslim states, who cannot afford to ’speak out loud’. I tried to, but I was made to realize that I would offend many and win almost none, with harassment being the cherry on the top. May Allah always bless you with the best, and bless me with the courage to stand up like you have chosen to.” - Muhammad Khurram Yaqub, Lahore, Pakistan.

* “Thanks so much for posting the reformist translation of the Quran. I’ve been searching for an English translation that makes sense. I converted 7 years ago and the basic faith principles were appealing, but I quickly learned that my views were NOT accepted by mainstream muslims. I wondered if I really was muslim?

But I always thought that the hadiths [reported words and deeds of the Prophet] were a bunch of lies made up by men with beards and that religion can be often contorted by man, so I felt like at some point I will have more clarity and I should stick with my gut feeling.

Now I have some material to read and help me interpret the Qur’an. Keep posting great things on your site, I will be checking often.” - Julie, USA

These are the Muslims whom Aska should bring to the attention of her university friends and teachers. They are the Muslims who speak to the corrupt reality of contemporary Islam, while holding fast to the ideals for which Islam once stood — and, in its best moments, still does.

Above all, these are the Muslims whom other Muslims should support if they’re frustrated with being framed through one lens. Mona, Muhammad and Julie are proof positive of the diversity within our faith, if only we allowed ourselves to express it. Out Loud.

The first step to fighting Islamophobia is that we Muslims must stop stereotyping ourselves.

Your big questions, my big mouth

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts, Q & A on Apr 20, 2009

With students at the University of Western Ontario, April 2009

Students who attend my lectures are brazenly pelting me with deep and complicated questions. It’s my fault for traveling the world and delivering speeches entitled, “The Power of Asking Questions – Out Loud.”

Am I an idiot? Before you answer, let it be known that I’m adopting a new title: “The Power of Asking Questions — to People Other Than Me. Thank you, Good-Bye and Good Luck.”

Alright, I know the title is too long. In any event, I can’t run away. Not before the summer.

So here’s one of the questions that I’ve been reflecting on lately. It comes from Poland — and , appropriately enough, it’s asked by someone called Aska. (When you live up to your name, you deserve a response):

“I’m student of International Relations on Cardinal Wyszynski Uniwersity in Warsaw. Your book is fantastic for me - help me understand problem in muslim country. But I have problem with one matter: Islamophobia in Europe. Tell me how we (students, youth, people) should fight wrong stereotypes? I have a lot of muslim friends, I understand what they feel, what they think. I know that there r good muslim and bad muslim, this is same for christian, jew, hindu. But when I talk with my friends & sometimes my uniwersity teacher, they told this: muslim r no good, they r egotistic, they not respect women, they have wrong thinking, islam is destructive religion etc. Soon I will make a speech about Islamophobia in Europe. Please help me present the important & persuasive arguments for my friends & teacher.”

I love the irony: Someone wants me to help her debunk stereotypes of Muslims when I’m so often accused of perpetuating those very stereotypes.

Didn’t Aska get the memo that I’m a self-hating Muslim because I challenge my fellow Muslims to rise above their lazy prejudices?

Is Aska a self-hating Pole for challenging members of her own nation to do the same?

Or would Muslims consider her a constructive member of the human family?

It might be cheeky to pose these questions. But my intent is more profound. If we’re serious about fighting stereotypes of Islam, it’s we Muslims who must lead the effort by allowing diverse voices within our own communities to flourish.

The fact is, reform-minded Muslims exist. But instead of giving them the permission to express their truths, we label them self-haters. Too often, we go even further to intimidate reformists into silence.

Then we tell earnest Westerners like Aska to convince her fellow Westerners of Muslim goodness. To help her, we emphasize that “Islam means peace.”

Reality check: Irshad means guidance. Clearly many Muslims believe I’m misguided. So which is it, people? Am I divinely guided because my name says so? If not, then why should anybody take to heart that Islam is peaceful simply because of its name?

After tossing Aska’s question in my head for a month, I’ve realized this: The answer that she needs can’t come from me; it must come from Muslims everywhere. We have to stop treating ourselves like a monolith and thereby giving non-Muslims a reason to see us that way too.

In my next blog post, I’ll help us get there. At the same time, I’ll help Aska show her friends and teachers a different side of Islam — without sanitizing the very real troubles within Islam today.

Now go ask someone else your annoyingly tough question. I’m just a little busy.

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