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New Islam Out of America!

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Maripat, abu mohammed
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#1 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 16:45
Whilst the muslims around the world have been a sleep every known ideological fitnah has been gaining transcendancy in America. Virtually becoming mainstream. Whilst a Psychological and ideological war is being waged against orthodox Islam...It is now being exported via Social media across the world.

Third Wave Feminist "Islamism".
Homosexual "Islamism"
Extreme Liberal Marxist "Islamism"
Progressive Reform "Islamism"
Atheist "Islamism" (i.e. I am atheist but a cultural muslim).
Quran only "Islamism"
Qadiyani "Islamism"
Ghamdiism and Kemalism,

Whilst about 20 years ago, these groups existed on a very fringe level they are now mainstream, they have been infiltrating various mainstream organisations with their activists, they have been co-opting Muslim Students Associations in Universities across America. They seem to be working in unison with each other and with Left wing liberal American groups to totally undermine Islam.

One of the factors of these groups and individuals is their Pseudo_intellectualism and they have highly educated and charismatic individuals at the forefront of these organisations. The Youth in America seem to find them attractive. They have cleverly undermined Islam projecting Scholars as backward and ill educated and ill equipped to offer solutions for the modern world. whilst they themselves can quote everyone from Nietsche, to Hemingway, Bertrand Russel too Shakespeare.

Americas immigrant muslim community is highly educated with very high number of youth graduating from universities, and these Youth seem to be in love with modern intellectualism.

Whilst in Europe our lack of youth going to University in a round about way has been a safe guard to these Dajjalic Fitnahs...Most of these Brain washing is happening in Universities in the US and Canada.These educated jahils are graduating and taking up leadership,positions.

But through the internet they are gaining traction and followers in UK, amongst the Middleclasses across the world from Cairo to Karachi, From Khanpur to Kualalumpur.

We have a new western Islam emerging and it seems to be sweeping up the next generation.

Thoughts on how to deal with this and counter it.




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#2 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 17:59
You need to define it clearly. Because right now it is very open ended.

What scholars are you pointing towards, what conventions and organizations are included in this.
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#3 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 18:43
As-Saif wrote:
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I have not pointed towards any Scholars rather that Scholars are being marginalised by this Modernist Movement. The following is an article on the organisational stages of this Progressive Islam movement.

Beyond Infidels and Fundamentalists: The Progressive Muslim Movement in the United States
by Louaay Messari, Julia Thimm, Sean Williams.


March 2005 marked the beginning of the progressive Muslim movement in the United States. Or maybe it was the end. Or maybe it was neither. On the 18th day of that month, amidst a crowd of cameras and security guards, a female Muslim scholar named Amina Wadud led 50 men and 50 women in prayer. As expected, many traditionalists condemned the event as a violation of the Islamic norm of male-led prayer, while some progressives cheered it as a victory for women’s rights. Yet, the responses were far from uniform. An influential Egyptian Mufti issued a public statement indicating that nothing in the Qu’ran or Islamic law prohibits the prayer. Further, the initial joy of progressive Muslims quickly turned sour as a result of their skepticism towards relying on public media to bring about change in the Muslim world. Two years later, the consequences of that day continue to reverberate in the Muslim community, both progressive and traditional, in America and abroad.

From scholars to grassroots organizations to everyday practitioners, progressive Muslims in the US are challenging traditional understandings of what makes one an ‘authentic’ Muslim. The prayer highlighted not only the potential for success for progressive Muslims in the US, but also the struggles they face to this day. While progressive Muslims agree about the need to encourage ‘moderate’ Muslims, they disagree about whether to use ideological labels like ‘moderate,’ ‘progressive’ or ‘liberal’ at all. Though they identify common opponents in American foreign policy – the media and fundamentalist ideologies – progressives disagree about what strategies would best combat them. They have successfully reintroduced issues of human rights into the Muslim community, but disagree over how to engage in discussion with fellow Muslims on religious matters.

“A hundred people in New York made the Muslim world shit in its pants,” said journalist Mona Eltahawy, a self-proclaimed liberal Muslim who participated in the prayer, “It was a victory.” Eltahawy believes that the prayer was a success because it opened a door for Muslim women beyond New York City. In an Arab satellite television appearance, Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gum’a declared that women-led prayer was acceptable if the congregation agreed to it. Grand Mufti is one of the highest religious authorities in the Sunni Muslim world, and Ali Gum’a is one of less 25 Grand Muftis in the entire world. The endorsement of female led prayer by a traditional cleric such as Grand Mufti Gum’a is a sign that progressive activities in the US can have an effect on the greater Islamic world.

Not everyone, however, shares Eltahawy’s view. Daanish Masood of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) called the event a “publicity stunt” and questioned whether it is possible for American progressives to be credible in the Muslim community abroad. “If you do it in America, it undermines you,” he said. Masood is concerned that photo-ops such as the prayer will estrange the larger Muslim public. When progressives organize events specifically designed to provoke traditional Muslims, they lose their credibility with the more traditional Islamic world.

Sam Aboelela, who organizes a Meetup for progressive Muslims in New York City, echoes Masood’s skepticism about the prayer’s media-centrism. “It cannot be a media endeavor alone,” he said, “There were more cameras [at the prayer] than people praying.” Aboelela expressed frustration that progressive Muslims put so much energy into a single event, but failed to translate that energy into long-term engagement at the grassroots. Aboelela started a regular Meetup group where progressive Muslims could meet other like-minded individuals, as well as debate controversial political and religious topics.

Struggling to find a voice

Aboelela’s group is one of many organizations hoping to fill the vacuum left by mainstream Muslim organizations in the US, many of which fail to represent the views of young professional Muslims. At the August 2007 Meetup at Turkish Cuisine restaurant in Midtown West, Manhattan, the group built slowly, with most members arriving at least 15 minutes late. As each member arrived, they were greeted by a flurry of handshakes and introductions, the only formality of the afternoon necessitated by the large number of newcomers. While many members appeared to feel awkward upon their arrival, they quickly relaxed and began to chat about their background and New York life. Conversation jumped quickly between frustration at a towed car, the Iowa Caucuses, and the condemnation of gays in the Qu’ran. By itself, these conversations will do little to free Muslim women in Saudi Arabia, but they allow Muslims to confront their faith in an individualized way.

Along with the Meetup, groups such as the Progressive Muslim Union (PMU) and Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) are trying to organize and create such forums for progressive Muslims. “Mosques have become more conservative in the past 20 years. There was no space for progressive Muslims. No place for people to say, ‘I’m a Muslim but, hey, I’m OK with gays,’” said Pamela Taylor, who broke with the PMU to co-found MPV.

Along with her work with MPV, the religiously engaged Taylor frequently leads prayer at her Ohio mosque. In an attempt to reach a broader Muslim audience, she regularly publishes in national newspapers and Internet media outlets. Recently, the 200 member MPV organized a conference at Sarah Lawrence College entitled “Finding our Voice,” and is currently planning a Youth Camp. In response to the proliferation of either boring or angry ‘fire and brimstone’ Friday sermons, the group has also offered a $1000 dollar “Malcolm X prize” to the individual who can write the most engaging sermon. Since Taylor founded MPV, many individuals who renounce traditional Islam but have kept their own sense of faith have emerged from their silence. For example, a transsexual woman told Taylor at the conference that she felt comforted by the acceptance at the conference that she couldn’t find at a traditional mosque.

While most progressives can agree that there is a need to provide this sort of space, much disagreement exists in the community about the movement’s goals and strategies. Muslims for Progressive Values was formed when two members of the Progressive Muslim Union’s board split off from the group due to disagreements about the group’s focus. Though the groups’ mission statements are similar enough that they at times quote each other verbatim, they continue to disagree about how to engage traditional Muslims, the role of the media in the movement, and whether to focus on socio-political or religious reform.

Taylor frequently uses Qu’ranic quotes to make her points that Islam is a foundation for an egalitarian society based on social justice and human rights. “My hope is that we can move the far right mosque community a bit to the left and provide alternatives,” she said.

Eltahawy, who is a board member of the PMU, believes that progressives should focus on providing support, comfort, and a voice to others who are dissatisfied with traditional and conservative Islam. Rather than attempting to win over conservatives, Eltahawy uses her opinion pieces in the Arab and American media designed to increase the visibility and political sway of liberal Muslims in the US. “We don’t try to change their mind. We don’t try to quote one verse or another, we’ll always lose that game,” she said.

The discord in the community is not limited to the issue of how to engage conservatives. Many progressives, such as Masood and Aboelela, argue that the movement should shift its focus away from the media and towards grassroots initiatives that create change on the ground.

Eltahawy, whose column was blacklisted from prestigious Egyptian newspaper Asharq Alawsat, sees the media as an effective way to broaden the movement both in the United States and abroad. While the Egyptian government can ban Eltahawy from publishing her column, they cannot ban media coverage of her participating in a mixed prayer in New York.

The movement also struggles to define its scope. Certain factions wish to emphasize reforming Islam itself, while others, such as Aboelela, wish to focus more exclusively on political issues, such as Darfur, universal health care and Guantanamo Bay. “To call yourself a progressive you need to take up progressive issues,” the Meetup organizer said.

Others advise progressives to focus on political reform, arguing that they have little to no credibility amongst the individuals whose opinions are most important. "The most impressive elements of the progressive Muslim campaign have been the reintroduction of the fight for social justice into our community's agenda," says al-Hussein Madhany, executive editor of Islamica magazine, “Because their arguments are theologically weak and because the messenger isn't regarded as a religious authority by the masses, [liberals and progressives] are completely disregarded. They have no resonance in the broader community." Madhany would not label himself a progressive, but he is a believer in pluralism. His Islamica magazine, which does not place ideological limitations upon its submissions, allows for what Madhany calls “public scholarship”— debate which is more accessible than academic writing, but more substantive than hard news.

The most optimistic of the progressives see the movement as having the potential to achieve both kinds of change simultaneously. Eltahawy, for example, believes that the progressive goals of political and religious reform are not mutually exclusive. “Liberal Muslims are best capable of taking on the two right wings,” she said. They can rebut the political right’s arguments that Islam is a backwards religion, because they live a modern life as Muslims. Likewise, they can combat conservative Islamists in ways that the secular left cannot, because they can do so from within the boundaries of Islamic tradition. This offers approach progressives like Eltahawy a distinct advantage over self-proclaimed “liberators of Islam” like Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Dr. Wafa Sultan. While the latter group argues that the religion of Islam is itself backwards, Eltahawy is less interested in putting down religion. As a result, conservative Muslims will have trouble casting her as anti-Islam, and may be forced to give her arguments more credence.

Eltahawy acknowledges the disagreement within the community, and admits that an umbrella organization might allow them to work together on the areas about which they agree. Still, she argues that debate and dissent fits into the movement’s philosophy. “The last thing we need to do as a movement is become very dogmatic and regimented. It will ultimately strengthen us. It will lead to more groups people can identify with,” she explained.

“I’m not a fan of the word progressive…”

If an umbrella organization were to be created, the first question that would need to be answered is what to call it. Some prefer the term “progressive” over the term “liberal,” which American conservatives have turned into a slur. Others find “progressive” to be vague and meaningless. In spite of the potential to offend one group or another with a label, it is clear that they need some way to distinguish themselves from conservatives, as well as attract those with similar ideas.

“I’m a progressive Muslim,” exclaimed Ahmed, a young professional originally from Kashmir as he left Friday prayer at a Sufi mosque in Tribeca, “I go about a modern life, I work at a bank, I date, I don’t pray five times a day.” His soft-spoken Egyptian colleague, with whom he attended mosque, who was also named Ahmed, echoed his sentiment. Both say that they chose the Sufi mosque because of the “spiritual” sermons, which they prefer over the politicized or “fire and brimstone” lectures found at the Pakistani mosque around the corner. The mosque had the added benefit of being located close to a good sandwich bar and the Citibank offices at which they work.

Still, many individuals who are involved in progressive organizations refuse to even define themselves as progressive.

Though some practitioners question the use of the term “progressive,” its greatest skeptics are scholars. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, a renowned Islamic thinker and religious leader of the Sufi Mosque in Tribeca, thinks that the term progressive limits his attempts to reach out to and unite the broader Muslim community. “The term progressive tends to divide Muslims. My objective is not to divide,” he said.

Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, who made international headlines with her “inclusive” English translation of the Qu’ran, questions the efficacy of using a word from American political discourse to reform the Islamic tradition. “Progressive is not really a term in Islamic history. In order to have an effect on the Islamic world, you have to use words from within the Islamic tradition,” she said.

Because the movement is so young and diverse, it isn’t surprising that it is unsure what to call itself. Still, to achieve the sort of political and religious change these progressives aspire to, at some point they’ll need to agree on a name or simply decide to set aside these linguistic squabbles. At the moment, though, the movement struggles to define not just what it is, but what to call itself. “We are digging in the mud, trying to find out what it means to be liberal, progressive; more than just conservative,” Eltahawy said.

While these Muslims haven’t settled on an ideological label, some have begun to assert a conception of Muslim identity that goes beyond the traditional one that is based upon five pillars of the Islamic faith: the proclamation of faith, fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca, giving alms to the poor, and daily prayer. Conservative Muslims would argue that an individual who does not fast during Ramadan is not a Muslim. In contrast, the MPV and PMU are organizing around the principle that anyone who calls herself a Muslim is a Muslim. “The biggest problem in the Muslim community is that the only way to be authentic is to be conservative.” Eltahawy said.

Echoing Eltahawy’s skepticism, MPV founder Pamela Taylor is concerned about what she calls the “downward pressure of conservatism,” which arises when Muslims try to be more devout than their neighbor by acting upon increasingly conservative interpretations of Islam. Given the dominance of this conservative form of Muslim thinking, many Muslims feel guilty for not adhering to an orthodox version of the faith. While it is common for Muslims to not pray five times every day, for example, they feel as if they are less Muslim for not doing so. Progressives challenge the idea of an ‘official’ Islam that is ‘more correct’ than others. They argue that such an interpretation is a recent development and is out of step with the Islam that they love. Islam, they assert, has a long tradition of pluralism, critical reasoning, dissent and debate.

Some progressives such as Eltahawy believe that it is necessary to accept as Muslims those who identify only on a cultural basis, but share no religious convictions with their fellow Muslims. This cultural basis may include coming from a Muslim family, emigrating from a Muslim country, or being brought up with Muslim Sesame Street and cooking. Eltahawy argues that this identity may extend even to those who lack the most basic convictions of the faith. While emphasizing her personal belief in God, Eltahawy emphatically asserts, “I support the right of an atheist to call himself a Muslim.”

Progressives further criticize the extent to which Islamic scholars’ opinions about religious norms influence the daily lives of Muslims. Instead of cultivating a personal understanding of their faith, they turn to others to tell them how to act and what to believe. “We’ve been taught that scholars do the thinking for us. We have to start thinking for ourselves,” said Eltahawy.

Still, the consequences of this democratization of interpretation are not entirely positive. As the example of internet fatwahs and satellite dish Imams shows, allowing anyone to interpret a text as they please opens the doors for manipulative and literalist interpretations that are exactly the force that progressives hope to combat. “The question is, ‘Are you qualified?’” Imam Feisal argues, “To drive a car you need a license.” He goes on to compare these Internet fatwahs with junk medicine, arguing that not everyone is enough of a scholar to interpret holy texts accurately.

As the fatwah example makes clear, interpretation matters. No matter what your ideological leanings, your particular reading of the Qu’ran will emphasize certain verses over others, and as such will reflect the reader’s personal preferences and inclinations. Progressives, therefore, are pushing for a more historical, context sensitive and evolving understanding of the Qu’ran. As Taylor argues, “The Prophet gave different answers to the same question. The idea of one answer did not even exist in the Prophet’s times.”

Islam: An American Export Product?

While most progressives agree that this movement’s emergence in America is no coincidence, they cite different reasons when they describe what about America makes it a fertile ground.

Imam Feisal draws a direct connection between American values of individualism, pluralism, and freedom and the potential for an Islamic revival movement. “Just as Muslims have produced Persian, Indonesian and North African expressions of Islam over the centuries, we Muslims in the United States are now forging our own American expression of Islam. In the same way that America's liberty, diversity and open environment gave rise to new developments in other world religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism, this country can catalyze a renaissance in Islamic thinking and interpretation”, wrote Imam Feisal in a recent Newsweek article dedicated to Islam in the US.

According to the Imam, the founding documents of American democracy reflect values that are also deeply imbedded within the Islamic tradition. Because the American Constitution and Declaration of Independence are a product of the Judeo-Christian tradition, there is a deep resonance between the ideas in these documents and all three Abrahamic traditions. Given America’s almost unprecedented religiosity in the Western world, the country appears to be a uniquely hospitable host for an Islamic revival.

Other progressives link the emergence of a progressive Muslim movement to of civil liberties and freedom from persecution, factors which are present from the Netherlands to South Africa. “If you have a progressive movement in Iran, you’ll end up in jail being tortured. In other countries you’ll have vigilante action against you or the use of political pressure,” said Taylor.

Bakhtiar echoes Taylor’s sentiment that democracy and civil liberties are a precondition of the emergence of a movement. “Its possible to effect change,” she said, “but it will have to come from the West.” Bakhtiar further emphasizes that the American progressive movement could spill over to other countries, but only if the movement does not stray too far from the Islamic tradition.

Masood sees the potential for the movement to spread, but points to challenges it will have to overcome in order to do so. “If Muslims are adequately empowered and play their cards right, work on their perceptions in the global Muslim community, America is an excellent launching pad for setting an example of living together and learning from it,” he said. American Muslims are currently viewed suspiciously abroad, because they are seen as an arm of American foreign policy. Still, Muslims in the US have deep ties in the Islamic world, which contributes to their ability to spread the progressive Muslim message. When everyday practitioners and immigrants visit their countries of origin, they describe their experience of American life to their families and friends. Professionals and lawyers are educated both at Ivy League schools as well as traditional centers of Islamic study, which erodes the distinction between Eastern and Western scholars.

Although the American movement’s influence abroad is limited, American progressive Muslims are quick to point out that they draw inspiration from Muslim scholars and activists abroad. Across the Muslim world, a group of Muslim intellectuals has emerged that situate themselves between the traditional conservative scholars and secularists. Scholars such as Nasr Abu Zayd and Fareed Esack work within the Muslim religious framework, but use modern methods of text interpretation. Names such as these are frequently dropped by progressives, who see these scholars as an important way to bridge the gap between the requirements of modern life and the Islamic tradition. American progressives draw further inspiration from activists in the Muslim world who stand up to oppressive regimes and torture and push for democratic societies. “The real heroes are overseas,” said Taylor.

Progressives’ ultimate goal is to have a similar influence on the Muslim world. “There has always been a one way flow of information from the Middle East to the United States,” said Eltahawy. Progressives’ vision of success is to make this exchange a two-way street.

E pluribus Unum

If 100 Muslims in New York City can spark debate in the Muslim world and prompt a controversial statement from a Mufti in Egypt, it is clearly possible for American Muslims to effect change in the Muslim world. Still, the progressive movement in the US faces serious challenges.

In spite of the movement’s agreement on a few common problems, much time is spent discussing petty linguistic squabbles such as the proper label for itself. Although there is general agreement that Muslims within the tradition are better positioned to reform the faith than individuals like Ayaan Hirsi Ali who are outside of it, many progressives define “the tradition” in such a narrow way that they exclude those with only slightly more liberal ideas.

Imam Feisal, who refuses to call himself progressive or liberal, has similar opponents to self-described progressives (or liberals!) such as Pamela Taylor and Mona Eltahawy. All of these individuals wish to combat both fundamentalist strains of Islam as well as the Thomas Friedmans and Samuel Huntingtons of the world, who assert that Islam itself is the problem. What unites them is a belief in the need for a plurality of voices and interpretations of Islam. Within the “progressive movement,” there is a plurality of voices, which paradoxically could be united based upon their support for just such a plurality.

Given the problems facing the movement, it would be easy to dismiss progressives as idealists who won’t achieve any of the goals in which they believe. Still, the progressive Muslim movement in the US is just taking off, and should not simply be dismissed. As the Meetup showed, there is an increasing desire amongst young progressive Muslims to meet others like themselves. That energy simply needs to be focused into action. “I don’t think its just wishful thinking,” said Meetup organizer Aboelela, “Every movement has wishful thinking at the beginning.”



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#4 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 19:18
Attempt to Bully and undermine mainstream Advocacy groups.

MUSLIMS FOR PROGRESSIVE VALUES CALLS ITS REMOVAL FROM ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA’S CONVENTION “HYPOCRISY”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Los Angeles, July 5, 2017]—Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) calls out the hypocrisy of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in its claim of supporting gender equality and LGBTQ rights. ISNA expelled MPV and its partner, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) from its annual convention in Chicago on June 30th.

Despite having previously been approved for a joint booth, ISNA ordered MPV- HRC to tear down our booth and to vacate the premises within the hour at its 54th annual convention, June 30-July 3, 2017, titled “Hope and Guidance Through the Qur’an.”

ISNA’s mission states that it strives to be “an exemplary and unifying Islamic organization in North America that contributes to the betterment of the Muslim community and society at large.” Precisely because of this vision, ISNA granting HRC a booth at the convention was seen by MPV as a step forward and an attempt to live up to its mission.

Despite having approved HRC’s application for a booth, after about five hours at the booth and after having received many positive responses from ISNA attendees about the HRC/MPV display, ISNA organizers and Conference Director Basharat Saleem asked that the HRC/MPV booth be shut down, given “that the convention was a religious, private, and family-oriented event” and that “we don’t fit in”. Basharat also claimed that we had been obliged to send in our materials for review, when there is no such clause in the agreement.

In an attempt to have ISNA reconsider its decision, MPV and HRC representatives requested a meeting with Mr. Basharat. While they waited at the Exhibit Office, two security personnel and a police officer arrived to watch over them. Security then escorted them to a “secured location” in the convention, and oversaw them during their conversation with Mr. Basharat and Farhan Syed of the ISNA Executive Council.

According to Syed, “ISNA took issue with MPV’s mission as antithetical to their beliefs, as well as HRC’s resources.” The materials cited as offensive to ISNA were MPV’s brochures for #ImamsForShe — a campaign established in partnership with Imams worldwide, to address misogynistic interpretations of Islamic scripture and traditions that have led to human rights violations carried out in the name of Islam against women and girls across Muslim-majority countries and within Muslim communities in the West. ISNA representatives also objected to MPV’s brochure of principles, which includes advocacy of female imams, inclusive prayer spaces for all including LGBTQ, freedom of expression, and freedom of conscience; HRC’s “Coming Home to Islam and to Self” and “Coming Out as a Straight Supporter” booklets; and the MPV/HRC’s guide designed to help LGBTQ people on the journey toward living fully in their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, within their faith and its traditions.

In the past, ISNA has declared itself to be a proponent of women’s and LGBTQ rights, and in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando by a self-hating gay Muslim man indoctrinated with homophobic teachings, many ISNA member mosques claimed to be “supportive of LGBTQ rights.” This incident not only puts the spotlight on ISNA and its member mosques’ true policy toward LGBTQ Muslims but also their discriminatory and intolerant version of Islam as a whole.

Without acknowledging the absolute rights of women and LGBTQ Muslims and of the diversity of Muslims, ISNA cannot continue to claim to represent North American Muslims. When misogynistic and homophobic teachings in Islam are often used to demonize Muslims and Islam, ISNA’s policy and theology of intolerance only adds fodder to our adversaries.

MPV also calls on ISNA to adopt our #ImamsforShe campaign, requiring imams to preach against forced marriages, against female genital mutilation and cutting, and for an egalitarian interpretation of Islam.

MPV calls on ISNA to adopt MPV’s #NoToHomophobia campaign, doing away with homophobic teachings that demonize LGBTQ Muslims and that commits the organization to providing the kind of leadership that strives toward the full inclusion of LGBTQ Muslims within the larger Muslim community.

Anything short of this endorsement is a betrayal of the many American Muslims who endorse and support gender equality and LGBTQ rights in Islam.

We all must strive to help the oppressed as that is a central tenet of Islam. “And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, ‘Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?’" (Quran 4:75).

MPV is a faith-based, grassroots, international human rights NGO that embodies and advocates for the traditional Qur’anic values of social justice and equality for all for the 21st century. As a progressive Muslim voice, MPV participates in civil discourse, engages with the media and government entities, and partners with both Muslim and non-Muslim progressive organizations.
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#5 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 22:03
The issue is a bit with the traditional sunni camp as well. Our own house is also not in order. We are now more reluctant to draw lines and openly state what is within the sunni framework and what' not.

The result is that stuff is getting all mixed up. The allergic reaction that sunnis have got with the recent past's divisions in islam, that now nobody wants to openly call out that this is not within the folds of ahlusunnah wal jammah, because to say such things is politically not correct anymore. You loose your "crowd".

Anyhow how can i focus on the progressive muslims when in our traditional sunni camp same values/jurisprudences are being adopted.

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#6 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 22:43
As-Saif wrote:
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Seriously! I am too old too grumpy and too tired so I suggest you go back and read the first post in the thread in its entirety, instead of skimming through it and if you have questions I will answer.

"How can I worry about progressive Islam when Sunnis are adopting similar positions?"

Maybe because the sunnis are being forced to adopt positions because of activists within Progressive Islam.

Just one example>>>> t.co/3q0t8IqwPb

Maybe you also need to worry about Progressive Islam because your children are going to be forced to read by law story books and cartoons, titled "My Wonderful Chacha Is gay", as they already do in Canada after lobbying from these Progressive Islam groups.





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#7 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 23:36
Why isn't the ulema vocal about this? The forefront leader of traditIonal sunni islam in west are all these mega star scholars from your hamza yusufs to suhaib webbs to all these guys who share podiums on conferences like RIS in Canada.
Why don't they all have the spine to come and out right reject the progressive muslims and convey openly sunni stance. Why do you have to bury these issues to be politically correct.

Untill you fix your own house and not call out things for what it is, do not expect magic to happen.

As for my kids , it is my duty to teach them what is haram in our deen and how we are a different people than the masses anongst we live in. The consequences of following their way and the loss they will suffer.

And hidayat and taufeeq is in the hands of Allah.

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#8 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2017 23:52
As-Saif wrote:
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Because you will be villified demonised dehumanised maybe even charged with hate speech in some countries, and the Media will go in to a frenzy in their propaganda as to why these backward muslims, are incompatible with western culture, the anti-muslim lobbies will be in over drive about the need to ban, deport muslims, and ban Quran and islamic scriptures.

For the record guys like Shaykh Hamza Yusuf amongst others were pretty vocal back in the 1990's when these fitnahs started emerging but times have changed...Plus as I stated above their is a new generation emerging who have marginalised Scholarship, they dont take Scholars seriously.

The Progressive Muslims will activley be supporting the anti-Islam rhetoric.

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#9 [Permalink] Posted on 1st October 2017 04:25
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Well the last thing that remains is really your voice and if you are saying that to survive keeping quiet is best then i am sorry there remains nothing else to do.

Retreat to your homes and to your communities and i guess just teach your kids and to your whatever students and crowd left. And wait....

This is what i gather from the picture you present.
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#10 [Permalink] Posted on 1st October 2017 10:14
As-Saif wrote:
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No thats not what I am saying.

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#11 [Permalink] Posted on 1st October 2017 16:57
Daniel Haqiqatjou on his website The Muslim Skeptic has articles against many of these modernist ideas.

muslimskeptic.com/
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#12 [Permalink] Posted on 2nd October 2017 13:35
Abdur Rahman ibn Awf wrote:
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MashAllah some excellent pieces on Muslimskeptic.
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#13 [Permalink] Posted on 31st October 2017 22:52
These Young Muslims Are losing their Deen.



THESE YOUNG MUSLIMS ARE FIGHTING TO SHOW THEIR COMPLEXITY
THEY'RE USING #MUSLIMAND TO PROVE THERE'S MORE TO THEM THAN THEIR FAITH

JULIE ZEILINGER
10/23/2017

On January 27, just one week into his first term, President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days. Though the ban was blocked by multiple court decisions, Trump attempted to implement similar bans two more times—including one in March and another just last week. None of his attempts have worked; a district court judge in Hawaii blocked the most recent version on October 17, just a day before restrictions were set to take effect.

Young Muslim Americans are hardly taking these targeted acts sitting down. On Wednesday, the members of Advocates for Youth’s Muslim Youth Leadership Council launched the #MuslimAnd campaign, which encouraged Americans all over the country to storm social media with pictures and messages that emphasize the ways in which being Muslim is a vital part of their complex identities.

Nazra Amin, a student at George Washington University and member of the Muslim Youth Leadership Council, told MTV News about the campaign and how young Muslim Americans will continue to push back against discrimination.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

MTV News: What has your experience being part of the Muslim Youth Leadership Council been like?

Nazra Amin: This council addresses Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate, racism and homophobia within Muslim communities, and sexual health. The Muslim Youth Leadership Council started with a retreat, where we created a space where all of our identities could intersect. I’m an activist and very outspoken about sexual health and reproductive rights, but my family and community have always questioned that because they believe in not having sex until marriage. A lot of people think that being Muslim and interested in reproductive rights and sexual health doesn’t work.

I had rarely encountered any gay or queer Muslims before [joining the council], but had never understood why being queer and Muslim was so looked down upon. As an ally, I had to struggle with that in my community. For a really long time I didn’t identify with [Islam] because I felt that if it didn’t accept these people then I didn’t want to accept this faith.

A lot of other council members are queer identifying and many of them felt like they weren’t welcome in their communities. For example, in queer spaces, Muslim people often can’t identify as openly Muslim because of Islamophobia, but in Muslim spaces, queer people often feel [they can't identify as openly queer] because of homophobia within those spaces. This retreat was meant to create a space where we could present all of our identities and be fine. I learned through the council that having these identities aren’t contradictory. They can co-exist. That helped me find my way back to the religion I grew up with.


View image on Twitter

MTV News: How is the Muslim Youth Leadership Council addressing this?

Nazra Amin: We recently launched the #MuslimAnd campaign, which tries to create a space where having those intersections of identity is acceptable. I identified as #MuslimAnd a feminist. A friend was #MuslimAnd woke.

A lot of people think Muslims are one dimensional. The idea of this campaign is to get across the message that you can be Muslim and anything you want to be. Having multiple identities isn’t contradictory nor is it inherently wrong. It’s a good way to bring humanity back to a community that has been demonized for so long.


Muslim Youth Leadership Council member, Tay.
MTV News: The Muslim community seems to have been especially demonized by Trump’s recent attempts to pass a travel ban. What has that been like for you and the Muslim community?

Having a President who outwardly wants to ban Muslim people from entering is a lot to process. The rhetoric Donald Trump uses and the way he speaks about Muslims as if they’re not part of this community, as if they’re not citizens, is really, really hard. I live in D.C. and I was at the White House when Trump was elected. The next day I was walking around and kept thinking, "How could all of these people be against who I am?"

I’m from Pakistan so it hasn’t affected me directly — Pakistan wasn’t on the list — but it has made travel a lot more difficult. My Dad was going to go to Pakistan to visit his sick mother, but he decided it wasn’t worth it because he was worried something would happen and he wouldn’t get back into the U.S. He’s a citizen. I moved here when I was four. But he still has that fear that things could go wrong and he wouldn’t be allowed back into the country. We’ve called this place home for so long, but this place isn’t accepting us — how are we supposed to navigate this?

One girl on the Muslim Youth Leadership Council is an international student from Pakistan and her lawyer told her she can’t go home for the next few years because she won’t be let back into the country. She hasn’t been able to see her family in months. Even if the ban hasn’t been put in place, it’s still preventing people from doing things like seeing their families.

This campaign was launched in retaliation to the Muslim Ban. The most recent Muslim Ban was scheduled to take effect on October 18, so our campaign launched on that day.


MTV News: How do you think #MuslimAnd fits into and counters this political climate?

Nazra Amin: We wanted to show people that we belong here, we’re not some outside, opposing threat. Having spaces like this is super important so Muslim people can know that there are allies saying this isn’t right -- that other people hear us and are there for us. In the #MuslimAnd campaign, there was an option for people who weren’t necessarily Muslim but stood in solidarity with us. So some people said things like, ‘As an immigrant, I stand with Muslims.’

So, yes, this administration is awful and exclusionary to so many minority groups, but at the same time it brings us together in a way. It was really cool to see that people were so excited to be a part of #MuslimAnd so excited to show their support.


MTV News: How do you think #MuslimAnd countered other misconceptions about Muslim Americans?

Nazra Amin: Explaining that you can be LGBTQ and part of the Muslim community was a big [misconception we countered]. A lot of people think Islam is homophobic, but it isn’t. Another big one was Muslims can’t be sexually active — if you have sex you can’t be Muslim. Muslim youth do have sex, and they should do it safely — that’s why we focus on it in the Muslim Youth Leadership Council.

The problem is that because there are so many taboos surrounding these issues are not being addressed. Because our community is so targeted by outside people — by our administration, by a lot of people in our country — we feel like it’s very hard to critique ourselves from the inside because we’re constantly on the defensive.


How can young people get involved and work to combat Islamophobia?

Nazra Amin: If people are interested in combatting Islamophobia, a really big thing is to educate yourselves. Don’t leave it up to your Muslim friends to have to explain that not all Muslims are terrorists. You should do that research on your own because it can be exhausting for minority groups to have to justify and validate their existence.

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#14 [Permalink] Posted on 26th June 2022 01:25
The Pro-Zionist American Muslims.
There have been several visits by Pro-Israel muslim intellectuals and interfaith
groups.

The latest is Pakistani Americans.

Article posted by Muslim Skeptic.

t.co/YjiVs45FfG
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