Progressive Muslim Union Launches in New York
By Sarah Eltantawi, Hussein Ibish, Ahmed Nassef, and Omid Safi
The Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, is a time for spiritual rejuvenation
and solidarity with the marginalized. At the close of Ramadan this year, we
come together to launch a new organization, the Progressive Muslim Union
(PMU).
The vast constituency of Muslims who are committed to progressive social
stances have not yet developed sufficient platforms from which to advocate
their views. All too often, they have found themselves spoken for and
defined by others. PMU has been formed in recognition of the urgent need for
greater and more coordinated articulation of the pluralistic and
compassionate
sentiments of vast sections of the community.
PMU seeks to expand the range of spiritual, social, intellectual, and
political choices for North American Muslims, and to challenge the narrow
set of "normative" Muslim ideas and behavior expected of all of us
both
within and beyond the North American Muslim community.
We stand for the idea that to be a Muslim is not simply to follow an
unquestioned corpus of laws, or to subscribe to a narrow reading of the
faith, but rather is an act of self-identification with a great spiritual,
philosophical and civilizational tradition. We embrace the simple
proposition that you are a Muslim if you say you are a Muslim -- for
whatever reason or set of reasons -- and that no one is entitled to question
or undermine this identity.
We embrace the vast diversity of expressions of Islamic devotion as integral
to the traditions of the faith, which historically has been among the most
pluralistic of the major religions.
A respectful but serious and self-critical interrogation of sources and
interpretations within Islamic traditions is a key aspect of our agenda.
Pursuing a progressive North American Muslim agenda on many issues, such as
gender equality, means examining the ways Islam has functioned as a social
text in order to distinguish the universal and egalitarian values of the
faith from oppressive or dysfunctional cultural practices with which, both
inside and outside of our community, it is all too often confused.
PMU also recognizes that some people identify themselves as Muslims because
of social commitments, but whose religious sentiments may be limited. By
embracing such people as part our constituency, PMU is recognizing that a
commitment to humanist values does not make anyone less a part of the
community or less an heir to the rich legacy of Islamic civilization and
cultures.
The aim here is not to create some sort of "new Islam" or
"American Islam"
as some will no doubt charge. Rather, we seek to join
the work already
underway by so many others to bolster the sense of pluralism, commitment to
justice, and diversity within Islamic discourses which has been undermined
by the spread of literalist and dogmatic interpretations of the faith in
recent decades.
Our goal is to celebrate Islamic traditions that encourage free inquiry and
multiple, competing and mutually respectful readings of the faith, which
valorize free choice rather than an atmosphere of compulsion in religion,
and which maximize the range of options for the faithful.
Our critique will be multiple: we seek to speak truth to all powers, Muslim
and non-Muslim, and hold all of us accountable and responsible. PMU will
challenge reactionary voices within our community that try to limit choices
for North American Muslims, or which preach a chauvinistic and paranoid
worldview. We will not accept or leave unchallenged racism, ethnic hatred,
gender discrimination, homophobia, or religious intolerance either emanating
from or directed towards the North American Muslim community.
PMU will defend the Muslim community from the calumnies of those who seek to
insult and degrade Islam and/or the Muslim community, in particular the
relentless campaign of defamation from some evangelical preachers, like
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, or from supporters of the extreme right in
PMU will defend civil rights here at home, and human rights abroad. We will
not hesitate to critique Muslim societies, including for the deplorable
human rights standards in many Middle Eastern states, most often exemplified
by the status of women, and for atrocities such as
the disaster in
other extremist voices in our own country that urge the
as an imperial predator.
PMU will never turn its back to the long-suffering Palestinian people, and
rejects completely the idea that a progressive agenda for the Muslim
community requires accepting or remaining silent about the abuse of the
Palestinians. Rather, we seek to be a partner for all those who seek peace
rooted in justice.
Our first major event is a conference at
and 20th, 2005. It will be an opportunity to bring together the various
Muslim groups and individuals who share these common ideals.
The Qur'an teaches us that God does not change the condition of a people
until they change what is in their hearts. Here is our proclamation that we
are examining our own hearts, our own lives, and our own communities to
conform to the highest Islamic ideals of justice and compassion.
Posted on November
15, 2004 07:29 AM