Sunday, April 27, 2014
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Empowering? Really?
Empowering? Really?
April 23, 2014
When I asked this question as a little girl, here is the answer I was given: “Women are just created by Allah in such a way that the responsibility lies with them. With great beauty comes great responsibility.”
Hahaha, what the fuck, honestly.
I understand that there are women who haven’t known any other way, they may have not reached the level of awareness that I have (perhaps). Many women who adorn genuinely aren’t aware of the harm it does. That’s because a lot of what it stands for has been “normalized” now. But that’s precisely why questions like this need to be brought up again and again, so that the debate keeps going on, and awareness keeps growing.
As far as the question on the meme is concerned: It is because men cannot stand the idea of being deprived of their identity or not being able to show it. It is only the powerless who should be faceless as well. If veil was actually empowering – men would adorn it with pride as well. But, no.
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Alala
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Why gender segregation might not be the solution.
November 30, 2013
"Besides, it's not really discrimination if it's against chicks."
Gender segregation: Reducing any and every interaction between men and women to sex since forever. Because, men and women being together in one room – especially public lectures – obviously always leads to a big fat orgy. Some days ago I was in a public lecture about Malala, and since it was all men and women in one room, that did lead to a big fat orgy. It was just fantastic.
Perhaps, it will make sense to simply put everyone in these isolated rooms. What makes Islamists think that putting all men in a separate room and all women in a separate room will NOT lead to an orgy? In fact, this last orgy I was in that took place in the lecture about Malala, far too many women were going down on women. And many men were going down on men.
Oh no, wait – maybe even putting everyone in isolated rooms would be wrong. Because, you know, that will lead to masturbation. So much masturbation.
So maybe everyone should simply be dead. Or something. That would be the end of all orgies and masturbation and sex.
But even being dead – people still end up going to heaven or hell, right? So what do you do when people masturbate and have orgies in heaven and hell?
Seems like there is no real solution or way to end sex altogether in the way that Islamists want to. Oh well. That sucks.
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Alala
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A sad, lucky story.
November 25, 2013
“We will call your mom. We have to call your mom right now. We can’t afford such indecent behavior in our school.”
These words stabbed parts of me that can never come alive again.
My crime? Liking a guy. And I mean, just having a massive crush on a guy. My other crime? Being rejected by him and being hurt and then crying as a result.
Yes, this is true. Nothing even happened between him and me. Not even the slightest physical contact. Of course, I am not saying that if anything had happened, it would have made my school principle’s threat of calling my mom right.
Sometimes in life, you shatter all of your pride and beg relentlessly to the people you hate the most. Oh yeah, I always hated that principle. She was always rude and mean and once she even went as far as saying, “People who don’t fast in Ramzan are unfortunate people but we should not beat them. Let the unfortunate be unfortunate.” Oh yeah? Thanks ma’am for having the courtesy to not beat non-fasting people to a bloody pulp but still shaming them in front of everyone and calling them “unfortunate”.
Oh, anyway – yeah, let’s not digress. Back to the story.
Where was I? Yeah, I said, sometimes in life, you shatter all of your pride and beg relentlessly to the people you hate the most. So there I was, begging and begging for her to not call my mom. After I had cried enough, after I was out of breath and tears, she finally said she wouldn’t call my mom.
Today I regret not having asked her to go fuck herself. I regret not having said, “I can like who I want, and if I wish to cry about being rejected, it’s none of your business.” But power is a real bitch – and so is life – and sometimes all you can do is choose between the lesser evil. And at the naive and tender age of 13 – I didn’t know any better. Oh yes, I was 13 back then. Only 13. She made me completely fragile and weak and destroyed any pride and strength I had left before she even threatened me. She shamed me on the stage in front of everyone first: “Let this girl be a lesson that you are not to engage in any “indecent” behaviour”.
All this for what? For having the audacity to like a guy and then crying about being rejected.
During lunch hour when I was bawling my eyes out in front of my friends, my class teacher who I looked up to came up to me and said, “You have to go to the principle’s office once lunch hour is over.” Basically, it was this teacher that I so liked that had gone up to the principle and asked her “to straighten me up”.
On that day, three things shattered altogether: Heart and trust and pride.
Now, it is not that my mom would have killed me or beaten me up about liking a guy, but there is no way she would have been okay with my principle calling her and telling her that there is something wrong with her daughter. That would have really hurt my mom in many ways. And my dad, too. And I didn’t want that.
So anyway, the call didn’t happen. But everything inside of me that had to be destroyed was destroyed. I will tell you what though – if this story is making you cry, or breaking your heart in any way at all – then you should know that this story is the mildest version of what women in honour-obsessed Muslim cultures go through. This is simply a glimpse. This, in fact, is pretty much nothing when you compare it to a million other stories where some honour-obsessed people decided to punish a girl for having any semblance of sexual desire – or worse acting on her sexual desires. This story is nothing compared to a million of other stories. Because, I lived. I made it through alive. I am now 23 – will be 24 in a month or so. So, I made it through all this alive. I got the opportunity to live and pursue my dreams and make a better life. Many girls in my side of the world don’t make it through alive.
I am lucky that way. And eventually, the pain subsided. Sometimes, that subsided pain knocks on my heart, but the knocking is simply nothing other than a reminder that I did survive. And so I can keep surviving, somehow.
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Alala
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Divorce is a human right, too.
November 24, 2013
It’s amazing how much Muslim cultures pride themselves for being anti-divorce and for having supposedly “low rates” of divorce. They tell you it is the case because “we know the value of family and family life”. In reality, it is the case only because of how stigmatized divorce is – and needless to say, the consequences a woman suffers for it very much supersede any consequences that a man may suffer. In my society, a woman who gets divorced is treated like an “untouchable”. Her “market value” in the marriage market goes down because of having “lost her virginity”. And the man is almost always absolved of any blame. Then again, in a world where women are blamed for causing earthquakes by “exposing too much skin”, it should not be a surprise that all blame for the divorce usually lies on the woman.
So what is it exactly that everyone seems to take pride in? The fact that women have little to no agency when it comes to marriage or divorce? The fact that many women decide to settle for an abusive husband and abusive in-laws because she is afraid of the consequences she may face for freeing herself? If the pride of the culture is built on the suffering of women then to hell with that. And while the woman has little to no agency when it comes to divorce, a man can simply say “I give you divorce” three times, and he is done. Is that what the family-values-morons take pride in?
As far as “lower rates” of divorce go, we will never know exactly how accurate that is because a)there is no data-set and b) divorces are often completely hidden when they happen. And no blame on the parties hiding their divorce – because that may be their only way to not be ostracized by the society. It’s as though people have to live a lie, people have to constantly accept pain and hurt and disaster in order to be accepted by the society that prides itself so much for having “family values”. Oh well.
In the last few years, the divorce rates in Pakistan (my home country) are known to have increased. Since I could not find proper statistics on it, I am not sure how much the increase has been. However, my own personal keen observation tells me that divorce is becoming more and more common over there. And here is what one of the writers from Pakistan named Nayyab Sarhandi believes to be the cause of “higher” divorce rates in Pakistan: “The most important factor which is contributing in high rate of divorce in Pakistan is financial independence of women, lack of compromise from both sides and intolerant attitude. Women are acquiring higher education and contributing their due share in every sector of society and they are not a burden anymore. Working women who are financially strong are less willing to work on their marriages and can quickly opt for divorce. When a woman is financially strong she doesn’t feel the need to compromise on worst marital relationship.” So basically Sarhandi here is suggesting that the financial empowerment of women leads to unstable families and divorce. Well, if such is really the case then “God” bless such divorces. :) And for those who are curious, the rest of Sarhandi’s article can be found here: http://nayyab.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/pakistan-divorce-rate-increasing-why/
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Alala
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Advice to my former Muslim self (Part 1)
October 15, 2013
You will be fine Sophiya. You will be fine without Allah. And without His love, and without praying to Him all the time. You will be fine, trust me. Because you do have the love of your family and of your friends and you have yourself. And trust me, you can live life the way you want to – trust me, you can try and materialize your desire to be with that cute guy in your class – you can do it and you don’t need to fear that Allah will worsen your life as a punishment.
I know this all sounds insane, I know you probably feel like slapping me right now, I know I sound like the the devil’s messenger. I even know that Allah is often all you have, that it gives you so much strength to just believe that when everyone leaves you…there is still some higher being (who is better than anyone else) who is there for you. But trust me – trust me when I say that once you completely believe in yourself and rely on yourself and trust yourself, you will no longer need Him so much and fear Him so much. You will no longer fear losing Him.
Look around you, Sophiya. Look around yourself and see that sometimes you do not need a higher being, you do not need the unseen and the unreal, or the intangible. Look around yourself and see that sometimes all you need is the things that are real and can be seen. Like the colours of autumn, the crushing sound of autumn leaves, to hold yourself – tightly – while lying on those fallen leaves. Sometimes, yes, that is all you need. And I know it’s difficult for you to hear all of this, I know that you feel Allah will be angry with you for hearing all this. I also know that you are completely vulnerable in regards to your relationship with Allah – I know you feel that only He can love you but I feel that you can love yourself as well. I am not asking you to abandon your relationship with Allah – I am asking you only to love yourself. I hope you will.
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Ex-Muslims of North America
World’s first Anti Shia Alliance convention results in calls for violence and sectarian purging The anti-Shia declaration The alliance is a preaching forum to promote virtues and prevent abominable acts. The alliance will take any necessary measures to maximize the prevention of the proliferation of heretical teachings by Shia followers. The alliance will forge good relations with other preaching organizations. The alliance will demand that the government immediately ban Shia and revoke all licenses for foundations, organizations and institutions owned by Shiites. http://www.commdiginews.com/world-news/worlds-first-anti-shia-alliance-convention-results-in-calls-for-violence-and-sectarian-purging-16020/#4s5kbfIWw5c8EiUw.16
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Losing my religion: Clergy who no longer believe gather online http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/losing-my-religion-clergy-who-no-longer-believe-gather-online/2014/04/24/401e07d8-cbcf-11e3-b81a-6fff56bc591e_story.html
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Catherine Dunphy came to seminary in her mid-20s, full of passion to work in the service of the Catholic Church. By the time she left, for many...
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'I have to help the people of Bangladesh' Asif Mohiuddin is one of Bangladesh's most famous bloggers. As an open atheist in a mainly Islamic country, he has been attacked and thrown in jail for his beliefs. DW caught up with him after his recent move to Germany. http://www.dw.de/i-have-to-help-the-people-of-bangladesh/a-17581354
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One killed as Moroccan leftists, Islamists clash http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99812/World/Region/One-killed-as-Moroccan-leftists,-Islamists-clash.aspx
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One,killed,as,Moroccan,leftists,,Islamists,clash,-,Region,-,World
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Jesus & Mo on their partners
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Islamists kill second Somali lawmaker, threaten more attacks Islamist rebels shot dead a Somali lawmaker on Tuesday, a day after blowing up one of his colleagues, and vowed to keep killing politicians and wreck efforts to secure the country. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/04/22/Islamists-kill-second-Somali-lawmaker-threaten-more-attacks.html
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7 Ways Westerners Can Help Ex-Muslims http://www.patheos.com/blogs/camelswithhammers/2014/04/7-ways-westerners-can-help-ex-muslims/
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Secular Thought of the Day My people are going to learn the principles of democracy the dictates of truth and the teachings of science. Superstition must go. Let them worship as they will, every man can follow his own conscience provided it does not interfere with sane reason or bid him act against the liberty of his fellow men.” ― Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938)
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Pakistan’s Islamists Returning with a vengeance Seven years after the Red Mosque affair, a renowned extremist re-emerges http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21601047-seven-years-after-red-mosque-affair-renowned-extremist-re-emerges-returning-vengeance
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Scripture of the Day Quran 7:50 And the companions of the Fire will call to the companions of Paradise, "Pour upon us some water or from whatever Allah has provided you." They will say, "Indeed, Allah has forbidden them both to the disbelievers." Quran 47:15 shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)? Admin's Note: More torture from Allah - on how either the unbelievers will have boiling water poured down their throats or suffer from dehydration
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How to go to Brazil , check out the world cup and not spend a dime of your own money - praise be to the invisible guy in the sky http://www.gofundme.com/dawahtrip
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Salamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabaraktu ***DAWAH TIME** **DAWAH TIME*** **DAWAH TIME** Backgroud: My name is Jabir Mohamed, and I am currently...
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Neil deGrasse Tyson Said Earth Is 4.5 Billion Years Old on TV: Creationists' Heads Explode It did not take long for the creationists to take issue with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and the latest episode of Cosmos on Fox. Why you ask? Well, because Tyson dared to declare the age of the earth to be 4.5 billion years old. http://www.alternet.org/belief/neil-degrasse-tyson-says-planet-45-billion-years-old-national-tv-creationists-heads-explode
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The evolutionary tree of myth & religion
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#ExMuslim Meetups this weekend - email us for more info 25th April - Chicago, IL - chicago@exmna.org 26th April - New York, NY - newyork@exmna.org 26th April - Washington, DC - washingtondc@exmna.org 26th April - Houston, TX - houston@exmna.org
Jesus & Mo on Muslims not being a monolith http://www.jesusandmo.net/2014/04/23/group/
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Muslim drivers at Cleveland airport refuse to drive cabs with Gay Games advertising Roughly 25 Muslim drivers dispatched to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport are refusing to drive cabs adorned with advertising for the region’s upcoming Gay Games, citing religious reasons. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/18/muslim-drivers-at-cleveland-airport-refuse-to-drive-cabs-with-gay-games/
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Disclaimer: All statements in this article reflect the author's position and opinions. They in no way represent the Army's views, concepts, or regulatory guidance. Someone once asked me how many Humanists there are in the Army. I answered,
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When Muslims renounce their faith Fearing ostracism by their family, or even death, many former Muslims keep their disbelief secret. A German organization offers support to people who leave Islam for another religion, or for none. http://www.dw.de/when-muslims-renounce-their-faith/a-17574172
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Empowering? Really? http://wp.me/p40KmF-1o
When I asked this question as a little girl, here is the answer I was given: “Women are just created by Allah in such a way that the responsibility lies with them. With great beauty comes great responsibility.” Hahaha, what the fuck, honestly.…
Even Stephen: Islam vs Christianity Old but awesome segment from The Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_tc2H6SbJY
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Colbert and Carell debate which religion is best. Segment from Jon Stewart Show.
Colbert and Carell debate which religion is best. Segment from Jon Stewart Show.
QATAR: 'MY SLEEP IS MY BREAK': EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS IN QATAR More than half of all women migrant workers in Qatar are employed in private homes. Qatar’s laws do not limit the number of hours a day or the number of days a week that domestic workers can be asked to work. At its worst extreme, the abuse of domestic workers can involve physical and sexual abuse. In some cases, their treatment can amount to forced labour and human trafficking. This Amnesty International report examines the way in which domestic workers are failed by serious flaws in Qatar’s laws and policies. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE22/004/2014/en
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More than half of all women migrant workers in Qatar are employed in private homes.
www.amnesty.org
Happy Earth Day!! Be kind to your Earth. It's the only home we have https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=923jxZY2NPI
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Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/thesaganseries Twitter - http://twitter.com/reidgower G+ - http://bit.ly/VpHzQh The Sagan Series is an...
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/thesaganseries Twitter - http://twitter.com/reidgower G+ - http://bit.ly/VpHzQh The Sagan Series is an...
ables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fantasies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing. The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain and perhaps tragedy can he be in after years relieved of them. - Hypatia of Alexandria (350-415 AD)
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The 'Halal Version' Of The 'Happy British Muslims' Video Gets Rid Of All The Women https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0c9DWVuOHI
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Alternative version of the Happy Muslims video by The Honesty Policy. Simply trying to find a middle ground to express ourselves without using...
Alternative version of the Happy Muslims video by The Honesty Policy. Simply trying to find a middle ground to express ourselves without using...
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Cartoongate: The Sermon That Wasn’t Given
Cartoongate: The Sermon That Wasn’t Given
January 24, 2014
Today being Friday and all, I dusted off my old khutbah-writing skills to compose a sermon warning against the scandal-mongering we’ve seen following Maajid Nawaz’s tweeting of a cartoon.
Brothers and Sisters, as we reflect upon the recent uproar that has engulfed sections of our community following the distasteful depictions of our beloved prophet, it is important that we as Muslims seek to avoid the chaos that can so easily spread in these sorts of instances.
If we do not tread with wisdom, if we do not behave in a manner that is in accordance with the guidance given to us in the Book of Allah and in the noble tradition of his Prophet, peace be upon him, then we make ourselves and our communities susceptible to a great deal of evil.
Know that it is incumbent upon us as believers not to rouse disorder and mayhem amongst our ranks. Indeed, it is our duty avert harm and to rectify the faults of our brethren with sincerity and in confidence.
We must know that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, has forbidden us from spreading turmoil amongst the community through the transmission of inflammatory statements, as Al Mughira narrated “The Messenger of Allah forbade us from spreading ‘it was said’ and ‘he said’.”
Also, Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said, “Obey not every despicable swearer; Detractor, spreader about of malicious gossip.”
And He, glory be unto him, has further said, “Woe to every scandal-monger and back-biter!”
So, brothers and sisters, it is our duty diffuse situations in which fitnah can arise–not to seek to spread the fitnah further.
But for those who chose to fan the flames of fitnah with regards to this controversy, for those who sought to spread it to the far corners of the Earth, even as it had first gone unnoticed, I ask you: what good did you hope to achieve? What benefit to the Muslim community was there in inflaming the masses?
Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said, “And when there comes unto them a matter impacting security or fear, they spread it about publicly. But had they referred it back to Allah, His Messenger, and those of them in proper authority, those among them who are able to think out and draw correct conclusions regarding the matter could have tested it.”
Instead, there were those who chose to spread about this explosive matter publicly. They aroused the fires of irrational frenzy that ruin the reputation of Islam, that provide fodder for our enemies, and that pit Muslim against Muslim.
Was not the turmoil that engulfed the Muslim world in past instances a sufficient lesson for you? Was not the violence and destruction caused by events in Denmark–200 lives lost and millions of dollars in damage–enough for you?
Would it not have been better for you to keep this matter to yourselves, to deal with it rationally, intelligently, and privately with the brother involved? Would not it have been better to spare the Muslim community of this unnecessary discord?
Rather, there are those who sought to spread the evil of scandal throughout the ummah of Muhammad, just as scandal was spread by hypocrites during the time of the Prophet.
“When you received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which you had no knowledge; and you thought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah.”
Oh Muslims! What positive came from further exposing this transgression of your brother, if you indeed believed it was a transgression? Had it been an image of you engaging in a private sin of yours, would you have sought to spread it in this manner? Or would you have sought to keep it discreet in hopes that your brothers would have advised you to a better way.
The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said, “Whosoever conceals the faults of his brother in this life, Allah will conceal his faults in the hereafter.”
And for those who say that this fault is greater because it came from a respected community leader, then let them know that the Messenger of Allah has commanded us to take even more care with the affairs of leaders because of their potential to inflame the masses. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whoever desires to advise one with authority then he should not do so openly, rather he should take him by the hand and take him into seclusion (and then advise him). And if he accepts (the advice) from him then (he has achieved his objective) and if not, then he has fulfilled that which was a duty upon him.’
All of these recommendations are meant to preserve the honor and dignity of the Muslim community amongst the public and to quell the confusion caused by stoking scandal amongst the believers.
What is more, it is clear to anyone who examines this matter objectively that our brother, brother Maajid–as mistaken as he may have been–was not looking to incite fitnah. Rather, he stated his opinion that the image he depicted was not offensive, then gave Allah the glory of being above such petty matters. Be he correct or mistaken, Allah will judge him as per his intentions, as the Messenger of Allah said, “Verily, actions are judged by their intentions.”
And finally, for those who have gone as far as to accuse our brother of disbelief, then I warn you of the danger of judging one who has openly testified that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah. As the messenger of Allah said, “Whosever accuses his brother of disbelief, then it is certainly true of one of them.”
What a burden you would carry on your shoulders in front of Allah if, because of your rash judgment, some harm would befall your brother who testifies that there is no God but Allah. So I remind you of the manner in which the messenger of Allah chastised his companion Usama bin Zaid who had killed a man after he had said the testimony of faith, “Did you open his heart to see if he said it sincerely?” And the Messenger of Allah said, “To destroy the Kaa’ba stone by stone is a lighter matter in the sight of Allah than to take the life of a believer.”
So beware, brothers and sisters, of the evils that come about from not dealing with the affairs of the Muslims with care and with wisdom. And hold your own selves to account before you are held to account. And beware of the judgment of Allah against your own souls on a day you will be returned to Him, then he will inform you of all that you did.
Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might. Exalted be he above all that they falsely ascribe to him. And may peace be upon all of his Messengers. And all praises are due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.
(It should go without saying that this does not ACTUALLY represent my view on this matter. It does, however, show that there is a strong, religiously sound case to be made against the manner in which ‘cartoongate’ was handled by so-called “Muslim community leaders. Alright, that’s enough. I hate having to explain puns and irony.)
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The Bottle Opening: A beer drinker’s prayer
The Bottle Opening: A beer drinker’s prayer
January 15, 2014
1. All praises are due to Ninkasi, Goddess of Beer.
2. The Beloved, The Dear
3. Bringer of joy to those far and near.
4. In YOUR name do we drink and for YOUR sake do we cheer.
5. Raise us to your Highest Tier.
6. The Tier of those who remain coherent when wasted.
7. Not of those who waiver when wasted, nor of those who veer.
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Reading Radical: Initial Reactions
January 2, 2014
I usually prefer reserving judgment on any piece of writing until I’ve completed it. Nonetheless, Maajid Nawaz’s captivating book, Radical, has so far stoked so many memories and sentiments in me that I feel an almost urgent need to commit some of these thoughts to writing, if only to allow me to be able to concentrate on other things today.
Throughout his introduction, I found myself not only identifying uncannily with his some of his accounts, but actually calling to mind how some of the very influences that impacted him also impacted me. While they drove him towards involvement in Hizbut Tahrir, they drove me towards Saudi-styled Salafism.
Being an African American and the son of former NOI members, the impact that figures like Malcolm X and the overall civil rights movement had on me personally is immense. In many ways, I don’t feel like these things impacted me, I feel like they are a part of me. The fact that this struggle was portrayed in such trendy fashion through early 90s hip-hop groups—making being black and Muslim something of a cool thing to be—also undoubtedly affected me.
As for some other uncanny similarities, my father—an African American convert to Islam—also spent a great deal of time working in Libya, making me aware of the politics of that country from a young age. Though my father passed away when I was quite young, of the things I recall in his personal collection of items, as I would snoop through them as a curious youngster, was a copy of Muammar Gaddafi’s Green Book. Even as I made my first trips to the Middle East later in life, I always called to mind how that foreign culture seemed to have captivated my dad and contributed to the environment in which I was raised.
Comically, I also had a very similar experience with the cafeteria lunch lady as did Maajid. Rather than sausages, it was a serving of pork chops that I was asked to eat after having left my lunch on the school bus. Though I looked and talked like every other African Amercan kid in the predominantly white school, one thing that set me apart was the fact that I knew I could not eat pork. It was out of the question. When the teacher and lunch lady insisted that “A-llah” (they pronounced the ‘a’ as the short vowel sound in the word apple) was not cruel and wouldn’t want me to starve, I could not even fathom swallowing a morsel of pork. Though I was worried about the reaction I’d receive from my mom for carelessly forgetting my lunch on the bus, when the school called to tell her I was refusing to eat, I received nothing but praise for my resolve. The story is one of those things that stuck with me.
Most importantly, though, I recall that heightened sense of urgency for a global Islamic response to the many issues facing the Muslim world in the 90s. Maajid rightfully makes the important distinction between 3 competing forms of Islamic expression at that time: Islamism, Salafism, and Jihadism.
As a teenager, I watched the very same videos of atrocities in Bosnia and Algeria that Maajid described and remember well the narrative of the globally oppressed ummah—Islamic brotherhood. I personally knew and was actively recruited by Jihadists, some of whom were veterans of the Afghan-Soviet war who had gone on to fight in places like Bosnia and Kashmir. Exactly as Maajid describes, I recall their huge beards and epic accounts of the struggle fi-sabeelillah—in the path of Allah. “The brothers need you there, akhi!” they would tell us with the full charisma and character of harden warriors. They would tell us stories of how the birds would signal enemy advancements to them and how the brothers who were killed died with huge smiles on their faces.
I still feel a bit wistful—and frightened—as I remember their first hand accounts and how strongly I had considered joining them. One of the brothers I knew, Jibreel, who was a black convert from a local university, did join them. Through Pakistan, he went on to Kashmir to fight along side the Muslim Mujahideen against Hindu Indian forces. Within a few months, we received word that he had been “martyred.” He had gotten his wish and that struggle became a very real thing for me.
The Islamists, represented by HT, were another group with a strong presence. Their appeal was quite compelling from a rhetorical standpoint. In fact, one of the larger mosques in my area was a stronghold of HT support, with the son of the Shaikh actively recruiting new members from among the local Muslim youth and students.
It was actually an exchange between this HT supporter and a local salafist that caused me to firmly adopt Salafist, as opposed to Hizbi, ideology.
The HT recruiter had set up a book stall outside of the mosque one Friday and was encouraging worshippers to stop by for a chat. With me being a teenager struggling with how to balance my Muslim identity with my black American one, I began to listen to what he had to say. He was going on with the familiar rhetoric about the need for a khilaafah and how 1924 was the most important year to remember in modern hostory when the Salafist brother openly confronted him and called him a deviant and a mubtadi’—an innovator.
The two engaged in a heated exchange and the HT representative said, “How can you call us deviant when we are calling to the first thing the companions of the Messenger of Allah did after his death: forming a khilaafah!”
The Salafist brother’s next quip was the thing that cemented it for me. He said, “Because you are forgetting what the Messenger spent his entire life calling to: Tawheed! Do you think Allah will give us the Khilaafah when we have Muslims out here making open shirk (dedicating acts of worship to other than Allah.)!?* Allah PROMISES you the khilaafah if you oppose shirk, but you deviants are putting the cart before the horse.”
(*Salafist, or Wahabists, consider a great deal of practices prevalent in the Muslim world to be shirk and akin to idolatry. The veneration of saints, the use of charms and talismans, and performing worship at grave sites—all common things in parts of the Muslim world—were considered blasphemous by the salafis.)
He went on to do what I loved most about the Salafists, he backed up his claims by quoting directly from the Qur’an and ahadith. He quoted Surah 24 verse 55 in Arabic and from memory: “Allah promises those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that he will give them Khilaafah in the land!” But, he said, there is a condition: “They must worship me and not commit any shirk.”
I felt as though his argument had more of a sound basis than the HT strategy of establishing a Khilafah through overthrow of governments in Muslim majority nations. Further, he had a demonstrated example of how Allah had given power and wealth to a country that was founded upon opposition to shirk: Saudi Arabia.
I began to empathize with Salafism, even if I was not at the time fully committed to everything that entailed. With time though, and with the influence of close Salafist brothers with whom I would become more involved, I would give up music, keep my trousers short, and grow a full beard. Eventually, after a period of wavering back and forth between the ultra religious salafists, college life and aspirations, and that part of me that just wanted to enjoy the music, cars, and girls that my other friends were enjoying, I immersed myself fully into that world. I attended conferences across the East Coast featuring known Salafist preachers and Saudi scholars and read their books. I saw that movement as more sincere and less sensational with its foundations firmly set in traditional Islamic literature.
I became convinced that the call to tawheed—to the sole worship of Allah alone, was the only way to ensure Allah’s victory for the Muslims of the world. I opposed Hizbut-Tahrir with a passion and, ironically now I suppose, I would have hated the man that Maajid became with a fervor I’m sure he is familiar with. I warned my less religious Muslim friends about the dangers of adopting Hizbi ideology.
After befriending a visiting Saudi Scholar who was in town for treatment and attending a summer seminar from the Islamic University of Madinah, I made up my mind that “seeking Islamic knowledge” was what I wanted to do.
The period that followed at the Islamic University in Madinah is another distinct phase with more detail than I can go into right now. The experience of learning Arabic, memorizing the Qur’an and studying ahadith in that city is what solidified for me the idea that the Salafist interpretation of Islam was the truest and most original form of the religion. Political Islamism, Jihadism, and liberal modernist movements were so clearly reactionary and innovative in nature and lacked the religious authenticity I sought. Ironically, in retrospect, this solidification is what forced my shift away from Islam all together as I struggled to square all the circles I found in Islamic sources and doubted the applicability of Salafist understandings in the wider Western Muslim experience. I would not, however, lose my faith in Islam till years later.
In any event, this post was never really meant to be about me. These memories just came rushing back to me so vividly as I reached the halfway point of Maajid’s book and I needed to share them. If you have not purchased Radical, I strongly suggest that you do. It is a brilliant, raw, and honest insight into the causes, realities, and results of Islamist thinking. I eagerly look forward to completing it.
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Allah’s Kingdom: The Saudi regime’s attempted monopoly over Islam
Allah’s Kingdom: The Saudi regime’s attempted monopoly over Islam
December 29, 2013
“Our grandfathers gave allegiance to the sons of Saud. How can we come after them and betray them? How can we withdraw our hands from obedience to them when Allah has said, ‘Oh you who believe, obey Allah, obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. (Qur’an 4:59)’ ?”
The sheikh’s raspy old voice quivered as he explained the religious obligation that all Saudis had towards their rulers. He went on, the salt and peppery hairs of his long, straggly beard shaking as he spoke.
“What is more, the Messenger of Allah—may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him—has commanded us to obey our rulers in a great number of authentic narrations. In prosperity and in hardship, in matters that please us and in matters that we abhor, we are ordered to remain steadfast in obedience to our leaders.”
From a textual perspective, the sheikh was not lying. There are a great deal of narrations attributed to Muhammad that command absolute obedience to a Muslim ruler, be he wicked or righteous, so long as he establishes prayers and does not profess open idolatry. In one such narration, Muhammad is said to have ordered obedience to rulers who may “have the hearts of devils and the bodies of men,” and who may “flog your backs and take your wealth.”
The Sheikh continued, “For what Allah has bestowed upon this blessed nation—wealth, security, and prosperity—is a result of our obedience to our leaders who command us to worship Allah alone. It is the promise of Allah in his book, as he has said, ‘Allah has promised to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds that He will, of a surety, grant them inheritance of power in the land, as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion – the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they lived, to one of security and peace: ‘They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. ‘If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked.’” (Qur’an 24:55)
This is how many in Saudi Arabia see their country, with the above verses and narrations weaving perfectly into the official narrative.
Considering the history of this young nation, it is not difficult to see how effortlessly such a narrative is maintained. Looking, for example, at the biography of its founder, the desert chieftain Ibn Saud, one can not help but notice how shockingly similar it is to the biography of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Ikhwan
Having been banished from the town of his forefathers, the charismatic leader rose to unify the unruly tribes of the Arabian Desert while upholding the revealed word of Allah. With an unwavering conviction that he was enacting the will of God, he employed a savvy combination of conquest, treaty and strategic marriage to vanquish his enemies and destroy all elements of pagan and superstitious practice, converting many a zealous warrior to his cause along the way. By the time of his death, he had triumphantly proclaimed himself ruler Arabia’s coasts and hinterlands and purifier of its holiest of cities.
In the span of single generation, he had transformed his homeland from a backward wasteland to a powerful player on the world stage.
Comparing the life of Ibn Saud to the life of the prophet Muhammad, history seemed to have repeated itself.
Unlike Muhammad, however, Ibn Saud’s many marriages produced a great number of offspring—45 males and potential heirs—ensuring that his realm remained firmly in control of his descendants after his death, avoiding the power struggle that ensued between the descendants and supporters of Muhammad.
Ibn Saud’s sons, with their immense oil wealth and monopoly over Islam’s holiest sites, portray themselves as the continued embodiment of Allah’s promise as fulfilled by their father. The state sponsored Islamic scholars who bolster the regime’s austere version of religion reinforce this view from the pulpits. The teachers and textbooks that educate generations of young Saudis emphasize it in the classrooms. And the clerical judges who interpret the Qur’an and ahadith into executable laws implement it in the nation’s courtrooms.
The gates of Makkah’s Sacred Mosque bear the names of Saudi Monarchs. The streets of the holy city of Madinah are labeled after the country’s countless emirs and princes. And in mosques across the vast desert nation, worshipers lower their heads in prayer onto carpets embroidered with the Saudi coat of arms.
Seamlessly, the idea is woven that the Wahhabi state—along with its kings, princes, and clerics—is the true custodian of Allah’s faith. To oppose the Saudi regime, then, is to oppose Allah himself.
This is part of the reason why the charge of apostasy is used against detractors of the state religion. In Saudi Arabia, Islam is more than an expression of personal faith; it is the single most effective tool by which the House of Saud clings to power. Like the caliphs and sultans of the days of old, their very legitimacy rests on the faith of their subjects.
Despite this, being a nation comprised of disparate conquered tribes and peoples, Saudi Arabia has never been a purely homogenous society.
In the EasternProvince bordering the Persian Gulf, Shia communities have long complained of discrimination at the hands of the Wahhabi regime.
In the Hijazi cities of Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah, citizens who have historically been used to a more diverse and liberal interpretation of Islam have resented the intolerance of many Saudi religious teachings and lamented the destruction of holy sites deemed idolatrous by the Wahhabis.
Meanwhile, for worse, in the heartland regions of Nejd and Qassim, the grandsons of the zealous raiders who rode alongside Ibn Saud have opposed the encroachment of modernization and the ties with Western nations encouraged by the Saudi state, resulting in incidents like the seizure of Makkah’s Sacred Mosque and the many acts of terrorism that have gripped the nation in recent decades. As the very extremism once promoted by the Wahhabis festered beyond control, the regime found itself once more reining in dissent through the use of religion.
In all of these instances, words like blasphemy, innovation, deviancy, and heresy have been thrown at anyone looking to challenge the official Saudi version of Islam. Religion is used to suppress opposition and silence detractors.
But by bolstering their political legitimacy through manipulation of the spiritual needs of their people, the authorities in Saudi Arabia will soon find themselves in a compromising position. A socially active and aware class, with access to alternative views from the internet, social media, and their experiences in other societies, is now emerging. Though they may try, the Saudi regime can not kill them all. Twitter is proving to be mightier than the sword.
While I don’t foresee a huge wave of apostasy sweeping across the desert nation any time soon, I do anticipate more instances of open opposition to Wahhabi interpretations. As they consider charging another one of their citizens, blogger Raif Badawi, with the capital offence of apostasy, it is due time for the monarchs to accept that in reality, they are not voice of Islam.
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Hearing Allah: Why acknowledging the Qur’an’s influence upon violent extremism is an important part of combating it.
December 23, 2013
It was an eerily solemn and calm night in the illuminated city of Allah’s Messenger. The usually bustling streets of Madinah were quiet and the shops and stalls surrounding the magnificent Mosque of the Prophet were shuttered down for the night.
The vast marble piazza, usually alive with pilgrims from Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Nigeria, and beyond, was now empty as a hazy moon hung among the towering minarets. Apart from the somber trickle of devout worshippers making our way into the mosque for midnight observances, all was quiet.
The occasion was an impending lunar eclipse, and following the commands of the Prophet Muhammad—who was reported to have trembled in fear at such ominous occurrences for fear the wrath of God might be nigh—we gathered to spend its entire duration in prayer.
The mosque crier pierced through the silence not with the usual and soul-soothingly beautiful calls to prayer typically heard emanating from mosques the world over, but rather with a lesser heard terse announcement from the pages of prophetic tradition used historically to gather the faithful into the mosque for a pressing matters: “As-salaatu Jaamiah!”
As we entered through the majestic gateways and into the mosque’s ornate precincts, a man next to me glanced towards me and said, “This is the call that was used to summon the believers for jihad.”
As the cries echoed from the embellished ceilings and radiant pillars, I made my way to the front of the mosque and secured a spot in its most hallowed area. Here on these very grounds, the Messenger of Allah himself had walked and received revelations from the creator. Here the angels had descended and the words of God were revealed as a mercy for mankind.
Glancing over my shoulder to the elaborately decorated chambers that housed the very remains of the Prophet himself, I could feel the presence of God’s own tranquility descending upon the gathering. And as I lowered my face into the plush embroidered carpets and offered prayers of homage to the mosque, there was no doubt in my mind that I was speaking directly to the Lord of the Worlds. As the congregational prayer began and the beautifully recited words of the Qur’an began to flow, it was as though God himself was speaking back to me. I listened attentively to what he had to say.
It just so happened that the Imam that night had chosen to recite verses from Surah Al-Anfal, a chapter said to have been revealed to Muhammad from God in commemoration of his victory at the battle of Badr. Muslims know and celebrate this occasion during which Muhammad’s failed raid on an unarmed Makkan caravan resulted in a larger victory against the Makkan army by his small band of followers. The chapter is filled with allusions to war, promises of victory for the faithful, and injunctions to strive against the enemies of God.
Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): “I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them. That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposes Allah and His messenger, lo! Allah is severe in punishment…. And fight them until tumult is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do!…
Oh ye Prophet! Rouse the believers to fight!…
It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter, and Allah is Mighty, Wise.
~Surah Anfal
For many Muslims around the world, the Qur’an is not seen simply as a historical piece of literature upon which to loosely base one’s life philosophy; it is the active, eternal word of God to be taken as true and relevant at all times and places. This is the beauty of its appeal. In the way that God had revealed himself to Moses through the burning bush or became flesh through the body of Christ, he speaks unto all believers eternally through the Qur’an.
As I heard the above verses being proclaimed through the mosque, I could not help but feel as though the Almighty was summoning me to fight on his behalf. Sounding almost like a sermon delivered by Allah himself, the words touched my soul as though I was personally being beckoned to aid God’s cause. There is no doubt that had there been a battle unto which I could have been harkened in such a state of devotion, I would have readily attended.
I recount this story to illustrate the manner in which many verses of the Qur’an can be used to motivate young men and women to take part in dubious acts of “jihad” across the globe. While the scholars of the Qur’an may be able to debate things like historical context and legislative limitations, at face value, many verses of the Qur’an are easily interpreted as direct calls from the Creator to take up arms against the enemies of God.
As I listened, for example, to the sickening descriptions of how Woolwich murderer Michael Adebolajo attacked his victim by ensuring that he was “struck in the neck,” I couldn’t help but call to mind the origins of that very phrase. It appears in the Qur’an in the verses quoted above as well as in statements attributed to Muhammad. Often times do we read in Islamic literature of Muhammad’s fierce companion, Umar, regularly and nonchalantly asking for permission to “strike the necks” of suspected dissenters in the town.
Rousing exhortations to fight against God’s disbelieving adversaries and to support the “weakened men women and children” also appear scattered throughout the Qur’an:
Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fights in the cause of Allah,- whether he is slain or gets victory – Soon shall We give him a great reward. How should ye not fight for the cause of Allah and of the feeble among men and of the women and the children who are crying: Our Lord! Bring us forth from out this town of which the people are oppressors! Oh, give us from thy presence some protecting friend! Oh, give us from Thy presence some defender! Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith Fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.
~Surah An-Nisa
It is not difficult to see how easily these passages and the many more like them lend themselves towards jihadist propaganda.
Now, never do I suggest that all Muslims interpret the Qur’an in such violent and heinous ways. Nor do I think that such interpretations are necessarily the correct ones.
What I am advocating, however, is acknowledgement and open discussion of these easily misused passages.
A huge disservice is done to the broader Muslim community and to the world at large by those talking heads who, once the cameras are rolling, assume the ostrich position and claim that the Qur’an is an entirely peaceful book. By suggesting that those who use such passages to justify their terrorism have no basis whatsoever, an opportunity to actually challenge that narrative and interpretation is missed.
Now, as an ex-Muslim, it is much easier for me to accept that the lord of humanity would not be so irresponsible as to leave such potentially explosive rhetoric littered throughout his final communication to mankind, especially as he must have known the negative consequences of such statements upon history. For those who believe the Qur’an to be God’s unadulterated word, however, it is time that you acknowledge those troubling parts of your scriptures and hold yourselves to account for them. Denying them in this age when access to them is readily available will not help, nor will simply resorting to calling out similarities in other scriptures.
For while political turmoil, economic dissatisfaction, and a lack of education may well be contributing factors, any discussion seriously aimed at curbing violent Islamic extremism must acknowledge the fact that those dissatisfied souls looking for guidance from the “eternal Word of God” will find therein that their God has said things like, “Slay (the disbelievers) wherever you find them!” and “Fight them! Allah will punish them through your hands.” And even if the general public is not reading and interpreting the Qur’an, those troubled minds who do read it for guidance will find therein—nestled between verses enjoining prayer, patience, and charity—fairly straightforward injunctions towards violence.
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A response to “Apostates and cuddly toys”
December 17, 2013
I’d like to take a moment to compile my thoughts regarding Da Masked Avenger’s piece, “Apostates and cuddly toys,” in which he presents his perspectives on the nature of apostasy from Islam and the behavior of some of those who have left the faith. This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive rebuttal nor do I feel compelled to provide one. I also will not, unfortunately, be touching on the merits of cuddly toys.
This is merely an attempt to capture and document my initial reactions as I read through his piece. As such, I’ll apologize in advance for the disorganization that tends to be characteristic of these sorts of unplanned works. I’ll also offer apologies for not spending as much time on this response as is perhaps warranted. In any event, here goes.
Firstly, though he states that his piece was not “a scholarly dissertation on the Islamic texts pertaining to apostasy” a great deal of his introduction appeared to me to be aimed at mitigating the damage to Islam’s reputation caused by its well known and often discussed punishment for apostasy. By framing Muhammad’s order to kill apostates as a judicial sentence worthy of traitors against a non-existent Islamic state, he posits it as some sort of defunct, non-executable sentence that exists only in the realm of Islamic history.
He also asserts this in a way that would lead us to believe that all Muslims are in agreement with this depiction. The fact of the matter, however, is that the statements of Muhammad upon which the death sentence for apostasy is based are troublingly direct. On the face of it, the most obvious interpretations of Muhammad’s words actually seem to promote some sort of vigilante-style meting out of the death sentence: “whoever changes his religion, kill him.” There is also a narration in which one of Muhammad’s companions refused to sit at a gathering until an apostate who was present had been killed. This did not take place in a court of law and was not executed by a state appointed judicial body. This being the case, it is difficult to argue that all Muslims are in agreement that the execution of capital punishment for apostasy is the “sole preserve of the Islamic state via a duly authorised judiciary and penal authority.” Even if this were the case, it would not make this sentence any less horrific.
Nonetheless, I’d agree with the idea that the threat of death for apostasy is less real in some states than in others, with little thanks due to Islam for this reality.
The second issue that I’d like to address has to do with his categorization of apostates based on their attitudes and actions regarding Islam. Paraphrasing his words, he essentially differentiates between apostates who leave the religion quietly, those who occasionally speak out against certain aspects and practices of the faith, and those who have embarked on a “crusade” against Islam as the manifestation of a sort of “personal vendetta.” The latter is the group with which he claims to have the biggest contention.
I’d suggest, however, that in his contention with this most vocal group, he may miss out on an extremely important distinction. While Muslims are a diverse set of individuals with rights protected under the law, Islam is a collection of ideas with no such protection against scrutiny and criticism.
Muslims, like any other group, are free to practice and behave as they will within the framework of our legal system as enshrined in our secular democracy. I will personally defend their rights to do so. This does not inhibit me in the least from speaking out against those aspects of Islam—or any other ideology for that matter—that are contrary to those rights and values. Indeed, in every example he brought forth of alleged “excoriation” of Islamic practices, the underlying theme has not been that these actions are opposed because they are done by Muslims, but because of their potential to infringe upon the rights of others.
As it relates to gender segregation at universities, for example, the issue is not whether Muslims have the right to sit where they like. In an open venue, this is already expected. If a group of Muslim women decided to all sit in the same general area, as groups of friends do in auditoriums and theaters across the world, I would have no desire to break them up and tell them they must sit next to strange men. The issue is forcibly mandating gender-specific areas and denying other people—men and women alike—of their right to sit where they like.
The issue of circumcision is another example. I am circumcised myself and I have heard many interested parties say that they find the general look of a circumcised member more aesthetically pleasing than its unadulterated alternative. But when the rights of all parties are considered, it is not beyond the realm of reason to suggest that unnecessary, superstitious procedures should have the consent of those upon whom they are performed. As such, the issue moves beyond the sphere of individual religious practice and into the realm of children’s rights. It is a debate that is worth having, regardless of what Islam prescribes.
And so on: the issue of halal slaughter is not merely one of personal dining preference but also one of the ethical treatment of animals and our responsibility as a society towards the sentient beings we raise for consumption. The discussion of the face veil (which I am personally against banning) also includes the protection of the rights of women and girls who may be forced to wear it.
When we as ex-Muslims take up these causes and speak out against certain practices, it is not an attack upon Muslims but a form of advocacy for human rights and values. Democracy involves the balancing of individual rights against the welfare of the society and the greater good. Actions that run contrary to this can not be excused through the invocation of religious freedom.
This concept also remains pertinent when the conversation moves beyond the criticism of particular practices and on to scrutiny of the Qur’an, the Ahadith, and the many troubling ideas and doctrines that have emerged from Islamic literature. While Da Masked Avenger did not overtly suggest this in his piece, the case is often asserted that criticism of Islamic texts is somehow rooted in “Islamophobia” and indicative of an intrinsic hatred towards Muslims on the part of the criticizer. Again, Muslims have rights as all people have rights; books and ideas do not. I too advocate a very public debate of Islamic beliefs and doctrines as I am comfortable that such scrutiny will expose the untenable nature of many Islamic claims. Those who wish to silence us are not those who engage with us, but those who seek to stifle all conversation under the guise of preserving “religious freedom.”
Islam exists in the public sphere. Through its followers, it is asserted in many different forms and manifestations, ranging from the only religion acceptable to be practiced openly to one of many spiritual paths to discovering the divine. None of these manifestations can claim immunity from scrutiny, criticism, debate, satire, humor, disdain, or opposition. We ex-Muslims have just as much right to Islam, to do with as we will publically, as do those who still believe it to be true.
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The No True Muslim Fallacy
November 27, 2013
Last week, I received a series of tweets from Adam Deen, founder and director of the Deen Institute.
Now, I know nothing about Mr. Deen. I have no clue where he was born or what his nationality might be. I don’t know if he was raised a Muslim or if he converted to the faith later in life. I don’t know what particular version of Islam he subscribes to or what Islamic sources he considers to be most reliable.
In short, I don’t know Adam Deen from, well, Adam.
I was a bit taken aback, then, when Mr. Deen launched a series of personal accusations against me as though he and I had once been close acquaintances.
“Try actually reading the Qur’an,” he told me, “it might help you understand it.”
Strange. When did I tell him I hadn’t read the Qur’an?
“You are very confused,” he said, insinuating that disbelief in Islam was indicative of a “tainted mind” and that reasons for apostasy were “mostly psychological.” “What it amounts to,” he said regarding people who know Islam then reject it, “is a case of being mistreated by Muslims and having their views warped.”
Mr. Deen went on to demonstrate his full expertise in the field of my life and times by telling me that I had only engaged in rote memorization of the Qur’an and had not fully comprehended it.
Wow. This guy is amazing. He can evaluate my entire psychological condition and comment on my life-long spiritual journey after reading a 140 character tweet.
As strange as his behavior may seem, however, his responses were not uncommon. In a surprisingly honest and well written essay detailing the flaws of the “Qur’anic scientific miracles” claims, internet Muslim apologist Hamza Tzortzis—famed for tweaking Christian apologist William Lane Craig’s writings into an Islamic framework—had this to say about the nature of apostasy:
“I do believe that apostasy is not entirely an intellectual decision but rather a spiritual and psychological problem. This can include a lack of spiritual connection with God and disheartenment with Islam due to unfortunate negative experiences with Muslims and the Muslim community.”
It seems Mr. Deen and Mr. Tzortzis share textbooks.
We ex-Muslims are used to these attempts to silence and dismiss us. We are used to being told that we must not have fully understood Islam if we conclude that it is not true, even after we’ve spent years reading, researching, and studying the issues that give us pause.
We’re used to being accused of overly emotional and irrational behavior, even as we calmly bring page after page of supporting evidence that contradicts the narratives found in the Qur’an and ahadith.
We’re used to the gaslighting techniques, the bullying, and the insults aimed at questioning our mental stability as we passionately defend our right to believe whatever we logically conclude to be true.
We’re used to hearing the “No True Muslim” fallacy that tells us that we must never have been sincere in our faith to begin with and that we must have been looking for an escape all along, even though we may have wholeheartedly fasted, prayed, and propagated, losing our faith only after much kicking and screaming in a process that involved lots of soul searching.
These tactics are all designed to shift the focus from the faults of Islam –and there are many—and instead move it onto the alleged faults of the person who doubts. In order to maintain the shaky foundation that Islam is God’s flawless formula for all mankind and for all times, all criticism of the faith must be deflected and those raising the questions must be dismissed. The apostate has to be depicted as ignorant, confused, hurt, malicious, or just plain evil. Discrediting the views of those who suffered abuse or mistreatment during their time as Muslims is an example of this, so is the accusation of ignorance against those ex-Muslims who did not formally study the religion.
But the fact of the matter is that every year, plenty of normal, rational, well-informed people leave Islam after having been devoted to it. As Mr. Deen and Mr. Tzortzis were not there with us during our journeys through the religion of Islam, it is disingenuous of them to comment or pass judgment on us from such a state of ignorance.
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By Any Means Necessary? Is Islam a means to human rights?
November 23, 2013
When I was in elementary school, I participated in a play put on by my local mosque about the life of Malcolm X as part of our annual Eid celebrations. The audience, full of believers from around the Muslim world, watched on as my peers and I reenacted the life of America’s most influential black Muslim convert and civil rights leader.
We kids, the children of immigrants and the children of converts, served as a good representation of the diversity of our Muslim community. A handful of African American Muslim kids played the roles of Malcolm’s earliest Nation of Islam followers. Lighter skinned Arab kids with Syrian and Algerian backgrounds played the roles of the “white” Muslims who Malcolm so famously met on his pilgrimage to Makkah. Sudanese kids played the roles of Malcolm’s assassins. I played Malcolm.
In my oversized black suit and polyester tie, I peered over the podium and confidently broadcasted my barely-pubescent voice throughout the crowded auditorium, passionately repeating the racially charged, fiery speeches I had spent weeks memorizing. Leaning closer into the microphone for more effect, I remember my fervent pitch and rising intonation as I lamented 400 years of oppression and demanded civil rights for blacks “by any means necessary.”
Civil rights and Black Nationalism, however, were never the intended messages of the play. Indeed, it was understood that the racist overtones of Malcolm’s earlier speeches were to be despised and detested, as were the racist attitudes of the whites Malcolm sought to combat. After walking around a cardboard representation of the Kaa’bah and sharing a fake meal with my “white” Syrian fiend, the play culminated with me proclaiming a collection of Malcolm’s final works in which he announced that he was no longer a racist or a black supremacist, but was instead a true follower of Sunni Islam. His pilgrimage to Makkah had shown him that Islam’s teachings of human equality were the solution to America’s own racial troubles.
“America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem…. I have been blessed to visit the Holy City of Mecca. I have made my seven circuits around the Kaa’ba… There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans….I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color…. If I can die having brought any light, having exposed any meaningful truth that will help to destroy the racist cancer that is malignant in the body of America, then all of the credit is due to Allah. Only the mistakes have been mine.”
Malcolm Praying
In many ways, I interpreted our diverse Muslim community as a manifestation of Malcolm’s own vision: a community in which race did not matter and believers saw themselves as brothers in faith first, regardless of ethnicity.
Indeed, as I made my own seven circuits around the Kaa’bah on my first pilgrimage to Makkah many years later, I remember taking a moment to reflect on the diversity I saw around me and the vision of the man whose character I had portrayed as a young boy.
But this was only a romanticized interpretation. In reality, the teachings of Islam have incredibly troublesome implications for issues of race, gender, and inter-faith coexistence.
This is because Islam does not actually solve the racial problem; it replaces racial identity with an equally divisive religious identity. Once this new religious identity is adopted, the believer aligns himself with fellow believers, often at the expense of other communities and causes with which he may have been affiliated previously. As it relates, for example, to the experience of African American converts attracted to Islam through the civil rights movement, this trade means that all non-Muslim blacks, once seen as partners in a common struggle, are now seen as reprehensible “disbelievers.” In the Qur’an, even worse attitudes are propagated against disbelievers than were held by most racist whites against blacks.
“And the disbelievers are the (real) wrongdoers.” (Qur’an 2:254)
“And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment.” (Qur’an 58:5)
“Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.” (Qur’an 98:6)
(Disbelievers) are like livestock! Nay, they are even more astray! (7:179)
And there are many, many more examples.
It’s hard to imagine how any meaningful struggle for human rights could be hijacked and morphed into such polarizing views. The same bigotry is retained, reciprocated and instead directed towards a different demographic. A black disbeliever becomes just as bad as any other disbeliever and any progress made towards real advancement is lost.
To illustrate, suppose a doctrine existed in which the word “disbelievers” were supplanted with the word “negroes” in all of the above verses. The bigotry would be evident and it would be hard to imagine how any sense of harmony could be forged from such rhetoric.
“And the (Negroes) are the (real) wrongdoers.”
“And for the (Negroes) there is a painful torment.”
“Indeed, the (the Negroes) among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.”
(Negroes) are like livestock! Nay, they are even more astray!
Ironically, this new religious identity necessarily borrows heavily from another racial identity, Arab identity, so much so that wherever one travels in the Muslim world (and indeed, even in Muslim communities in the non-Muslim world) one will find influences of Arabian culture and language that assert themselves both within the requirements of the faith and without. To be a Muslim is to adopt aspects of being an Arab, while to be an Arab is to have those aspects naturally. It creates a superior-inferior relationship amongst Arab and Non-Arab Muslims, with Arabs having the clear advantage. Arabic speakers, by right of God himself using their language to communicate with humanity, will always play an integral role in the Islamic experience in ways that other Muslims can not.
Running parallel to the fight for racial equality is the fight for gender equality. Amongst many Muslim apologists, the narrative is that Islam champions women’s rights and promotes a sense of reverence and female dignity far removed from the sexism and objectification of the west. From my perspective, though, the views propagated by Islamic sources regarding women are just as troubling as views propagated about disbelievers and would be unacceptable if applied towards any other demographic.
Consider again our earlier exercise. Take verses of the Qur’an that discuss the relationship between men and women and replace the words “men” and “women” with the words “whites” and “negroes.” A disturbing picture begins to emerge even if you hadn’t noticed it already.
(Whites) are in charge of (Negroes) by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous (Negroes) are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the white man’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those (Negroes) from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand. (Modified from Qur’an 4:34)
And bring to witness two witnesses from among your (white) folk. And if there are not two (whites) available, then a (white) and two (Negroes) from those whom you accept as witnesses – so that if one of the (Negroes) errs, then the other can remind (him). (Modified from Qur’an 2:282)
For the (white) shall be the portion of two (Negroes) (Modified from Qur’an 4:11)
And so on. When put into the context of race—an issue in which the world has made great advancements—the Qur’an’s teachings about women seem like they emanated from the pages of Apartheid South Africa or the plantation days of the American south. How can we as people make justifications when half of humanity is spoken about in these terms?
Rather than liberating us from past injustices, the teachings of Islam only shift and perpetuate many of the human rights challenges we have sought to overcome as a society. By splitting us into camps of believers and disbelievers, Sunnis and Shias, salafists and modernists, or superior men and inferior women, Islam creates new divisions for inequality, discrimination, and hostility to fester within. If the ideal of human rights is our ultimate goal, then we can not adopt a means that opposes the rights of one group or favors another, be those groups based on race, gender, or religion.
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What is in a word?
November 8, 2013
Words are curious little things. They’ve always fascinated me with their ability to preserve thoughts, convey ideas, and spark emotions. It is wondrous, really, the way that through so many different perceptions and possible interpretations, we still manage to generally agree on what words mean.
This is why I find it remarkable the way that Islamic sources manage to get away with using words so inappropriately. This week, the CEMB forum released an article titled Is it “moderate” to hate gays and women? in which the homophobic views of a popular, Saudi-taught Muslim preacher were exposed. Now, the word “moderate” means something. It means something that most people understand without having to refer to a dictionary or thesaurus. Whatever your personal feelings about the matter may be, you must agree that considering gays to be “filthy” and “worse than animals” is simply not a moderate position. Call it what you will, but it is not moderate.
And this is only one example of Islamic sources laying claim to a word or phrase that they simply do not deserve to use.
Let’s look at another example. Muslims often boast that the Qur’an is “unchanged” and “free from contradiction.” Again, these words mean something. I don’t have to explain to you what they mean. Yet, when we study the history of Qur’anic revelations, we find that there are documented instances of changes, erasures, and amendments to the book. There were verses that were recited at the time of Muhammad that are no longer recited, like the verse of stoning, and there are many more verses whose rulings have been superseded by later verses through a process known as naskh, or abrogation. I don’t argue that Islamic literature does not give in-depth and understandable reasons for these instances of abrogation, but none of them can make the words “unchanged” and “free from contradiction” hold true for the Qur’an. Those words mean something, and what they mean simply can not be used to describe the Qur’an.
Another often misused word in Islamic sources is the word “equality” as it relates to all human beings. This one is particularly curious to me because the Qur’an never claims that human beings are equal. Instead, the Qur’an is quite clear in its assertion that women are subordinate to men. Here is verse 34 of chapter 4. Read it for yourself. Does it describe a relationship of equality?
“Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.”
What is more, the Qur’an actively recognizes the institution of slavery, making comparisons between the master-slave relationship and the relationship of God and his creation. Here is verse verse 28 of Surah 30:
“He does propound to you a similitude from your own (experience): do ye have partners among those (slaves) whom your right hands possess, to share as equals in the wealth We have bestowed on you? Do ye fear them as ye fear each other? Thus do we explain the Signs in detail to a people that understand.”
Again, call these descriptions what you will, but they simply do not promote the idea of human equality. Unless we change the meaning of the word equality, we don’t get to use it here. Sorry.
But perhaps the most preposterous example of misused words in Islamic literature has to do with the nature of Allah himself. Allah is referred to as Ar-Rahman, or The Most Merciful. Often times, Muslims supplicate unto him using the grand title “The Most Merciful of Those Who Show Mercy.” The superlatives and capital letters matter here, as the Arabic title describes a being that is exceedingly and almost unnecessarily overflowing with mercy to the point that mercy can define his entire existence. Again, I don’t have to explain to you what it means to be merciful. Any conjuring of the qualities of mercy must, however, exclude the infliction of pain through torture upon inferior, sentient beings. Yet, the Qur’an is quite literally filled with descriptions of how Allah will subject unbelievers and sinners to the most grotesque scenes of torment in hell. Call it what you will, but this is simply not merciful. No amount of rhetoric can ever make it so.
Some have argued that such a sentence is a just punishment for the criminals of the world. Implementing justice and showing mercy, however, often stand in mutual exclusion. You don’t get to claim both.
Further, when we consider that shirk, or worshiping other than Allah, and kufr, or disbelieving in Allah, are the biggest “crimes” for which most human beings will be banished eternally to scorching flames and raging fires, we find that they are not crimes at all. There really is no victim. The Qur’an repeatedly asserts that Allah does not need our worship and that he is not harmed by our disbelief. Therefore, and according to Islamic literature itself, Allah will torture people for actions in which no harm at all had been inflicted upon anyone. This is neither just nor merciful. Given that Allah will have the option to not torture these people, but will instead choose to torture them eternally, he is disqualified from holding the title of Most Merciful.
It is understandable why Islamic sources would want to use positive descriptors and pleasant words to illustrate the religion. Words like “mercy,” “peace,” “equality,” and “moderation,” all sound nice and imply an ideology that can exist in harmony with other views and creeds. But torture by any other name is still torture. Bigotry and discrimination glossed over with terms like “moderation” and “morality” are still bigotry and discrimination. Sexism and misogyny hiding behind words like “equality” and “modesty” are still sexism and misogyny.
It is time that Islam moves beyond the mere use of nice words and towards the implementation of the values these words actually carry.
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As a Matter of Doubt
October 23, 2013
If you are a believing Muslim, you probably won’t agree with much that I have to say. You will likely have your own explanations and rationalizations for many of the contentions that I have with the religion of Islam. You’ll disagree with my interpretations of its particular version of God. You’ll be upset by my characterizations of its self-proclaimed prophet. And you’ll dismiss, through one means or another, the flaws that I find in its holy instruction manual.
You will likely argue that I am taking things out of context or that I am failing to understand matters correctly.
Or you may claim that some scholar somewhere else, who just happens to know more than the both of us and everyone else put together, has suitable answers to the issues I raise, even if you yourself don’t.
Or perhaps you’ll just tell me that “Allah knows best” and that I’ll see the truth on the “Day of Judgment.”
All of that is fine, really. I don’t expect much more. If you are content with your faith, then I have absolutely no desire to ruin it for you. Be happy. Really.
But if you are one of the many who have begun to grow suspicious of Islam’s claims of private and exclusive rights to The Truth, then I’d like to show you why you are well within your right, and well within the realms of reason, to doubt.
Your doubt is not evil. Your doubt is not a fault. Your doubt is neither the product of devilish whispers nor the result of sinful behaviors.
Your doubt is justified.
You are the jury. It is your duty to be skeptical. Put all claims to trail, weigh all of the evidence, hear all of the sides, and reach your own conclusions. Ask all of the questions that your doubt stirs up inside of you. Seek their answers. Be wary of anyone who would tell you to believe without asking. Be wary of anyone who would threaten you with threats or bribe you with bribes because of the questions you ask or the conclusions you reach.
For if Islam is really as true and clear as is claimed, and if eternal torture in hell is really as becoming of those who are skeptical as the Qur’an asserts, then there can be no room for reasonable doubt. If you find yourself becoming more content with the answers you find elsewhere, then have no fear. No just judge can ever chastise the jury for reaching its verdict.
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World’s first Anti Shia Alliance convention results in calls for violence and sectarian purging The anti-Shia declaration The alliance is a preaching forum to promote virtues and prevent abominable acts. The alliance will take any necessary measures to maximize the prevention of the proliferation of heretical teachings by Shia followers. The alliance will forge good relations with other preaching organizations. The alliance will demand that the government immediately ban Shia and revoke all licenses for foundations, organizations and institutions owned by Shiites. http://www.commdiginews.com/world-news/worlds-first-anti-shia-alliance-convention-results-in-calls-for-violence-and-sectarian-purging-16020/#4s5kbfIWw5c8EiUw.16
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Losing my religion: Clergy who no longer believe gather online http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/losing-my-religion-clergy-who-no-longer-believe-gather-online/2014/04/24/401e07d8-cbcf-11e3-b81a-6fff56bc591e_story.html
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Catherine Dunphy came to seminary in her mid-20s, full of passion to work in the service of the Catholic Church. By the time she left, for many...
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'I have to help the people of Bangladesh' Asif Mohiuddin is one of Bangladesh's most famous bloggers. As an open atheist in a mainly Islamic country, he has been attacked and thrown in jail for his beliefs. DW caught up with him after his recent move to Germany. http://www.dw.de/i-have-to-help-the-people-of-bangladesh/a-17581354
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One killed as Moroccan leftists, Islamists clash http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99812/World/Region/One-killed-as-Moroccan-leftists,-Islamists-clash.aspx
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One,killed,as,Moroccan,leftists,,Islamists,clash,-,Region,-,World
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Jesus & Mo on their partners
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Islamists kill second Somali lawmaker, threaten more attacks Islamist rebels shot dead a Somali lawmaker on Tuesday, a day after blowing up one of his colleagues, and vowed to keep killing politicians and wreck efforts to secure the country. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/04/22/Islamists-kill-second-Somali-lawmaker-threaten-more-attacks.html
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7 Ways Westerners Can Help Ex-Muslims http://www.patheos.com/blogs/camelswithhammers/2014/04/7-ways-westerners-can-help-ex-muslims/
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Secular Thought of the Day My people are going to learn the principles of democracy the dictates of truth and the teachings of science. Superstition must go. Let them worship as they will, every man can follow his own conscience provided it does not interfere with sane reason or bid him act against the liberty of his fellow men.” ― Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938)
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Pakistan’s Islamists Returning with a vengeance Seven years after the Red Mosque affair, a renowned extremist re-emerges http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21601047-seven-years-after-red-mosque-affair-renowned-extremist-re-emerges-returning-vengeance
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Scripture of the Day Quran 7:50 And the companions of the Fire will call to the companions of Paradise, "Pour upon us some water or from whatever Allah has provided you." They will say, "Indeed, Allah has forbidden them both to the disbelievers." Quran 47:15 shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)? Admin's Note: More torture from Allah - on how either the unbelievers will have boiling water poured down their throats or suffer from dehydration
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How to go to Brazil , check out the world cup and not spend a dime of your own money - praise be to the invisible guy in the sky http://www.gofundme.com/dawahtrip
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Salamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabaraktu ***DAWAH TIME** **DAWAH TIME*** **DAWAH TIME** Backgroud: My name is Jabir Mohamed, and I am currently...
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Neil deGrasse Tyson Said Earth Is 4.5 Billion Years Old on TV: Creationists' Heads Explode It did not take long for the creationists to take issue with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and the latest episode of Cosmos on Fox. Why you ask? Well, because Tyson dared to declare the age of the earth to be 4.5 billion years old. http://www.alternet.org/belief/neil-degrasse-tyson-says-planet-45-billion-years-old-national-tv-creationists-heads-explode
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The evolutionary tree of myth & religion
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#ExMuslim Meetups this weekend - email us for more info 25th April - Chicago, IL - chicago@exmna.org 26th April - New York, NY - newyork@exmna.org 26th April - Washington, DC - washingtondc@exmna.org 26th April - Houston, TX - houston@exmna.org
Jesus & Mo on Muslims not being a monolith http://www.jesusandmo.net/2014/04/23/group/
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Muslim drivers at Cleveland airport refuse to drive cabs with Gay Games advertising Roughly 25 Muslim drivers dispatched to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport are refusing to drive cabs adorned with advertising for the region’s upcoming Gay Games, citing religious reasons. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/18/muslim-drivers-at-cleveland-airport-refuse-to-drive-cabs-with-gay-games/
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Disclaimer: All statements in this article reflect the author's position and opinions. They in no way represent the Army's views, concepts, or regulatory guidance. Someone once asked me how many Humanists there are in the Army. I answered,
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When Muslims renounce their faith Fearing ostracism by their family, or even death, many former Muslims keep their disbelief secret. A German organization offers support to people who leave Islam for another religion, or for none. http://www.dw.de/when-muslims-renounce-their-faith/a-17574172
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Empowering? Really? http://wp.me/p40KmF-1o
When I asked this question as a little girl, here is the answer I was given: “Women are just created by Allah in such a way that the responsibility lies with them. With great beauty comes great responsibility.” Hahaha, what the fuck, honestly.…
Even Stephen: Islam vs Christianity Old but awesome segment from The Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_tc2H6SbJY
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Colbert and Carell debate which religion is best. Segment from Jon Stewart Show.
Colbert and Carell debate which religion is best. Segment from Jon Stewart Show.
QATAR: 'MY SLEEP IS MY BREAK': EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS IN QATAR More than half of all women migrant workers in Qatar are employed in private homes. Qatar’s laws do not limit the number of hours a day or the number of days a week that domestic workers can be asked to work. At its worst extreme, the abuse of domestic workers can involve physical and sexual abuse. In some cases, their treatment can amount to forced labour and human trafficking. This Amnesty International report examines the way in which domestic workers are failed by serious flaws in Qatar’s laws and policies. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE22/004/2014/en
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More than half of all women migrant workers in Qatar are employed in private homes.
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Happy Earth Day!! Be kind to your Earth. It's the only home we have https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=923jxZY2NPI
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Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/thesaganseries Twitter - http://twitter.com/reidgower G+ - http://bit.ly/VpHzQh The Sagan Series is an...
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/thesaganseries Twitter - http://twitter.com/reidgower G+ - http://bit.ly/VpHzQh The Sagan Series is an...
ables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fantasies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing. The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain and perhaps tragedy can he be in after years relieved of them. - Hypatia of Alexandria (350-415 AD)
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The 'Halal Version' Of The 'Happy British Muslims' Video Gets Rid Of All The Women https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0c9DWVuOHI
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Alternative version of the Happy Muslims video by The Honesty Policy. Simply trying to find a middle ground to express ourselves without using...
Alternative version of the Happy Muslims video by The Honesty Policy. Simply trying to find a middle ground to express ourselves without using...
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