I
have been following discussions about the Secular Islam Summit before it took
place as well as afterward. The Summit was attended mostly by non-Muslims,
ex-Muslims and only 2-3 avowed Muslims who appeared to have no
connection with the mainstream Muslim community. There was a public declaration
when the Summit ended. The mainstream Muslim community ignored the Summit for
the most part, considering it an Islam-bashing propaganda sand-castled on
Islamophobia. Some mainstream Muslim communities and organizations that condemned or
dismissed this Summit as irrelevant or even malicious. I also read the exchange
between Mr. Robert Spencer,
one of the patrons of the Summit who needs little introduction, and Mr. Mike
Ghouse, an American Muslim committed to engage the Muslim community in
upholding and promoting the ideals of pluralism, justice and peace.
Regardless
of the way mainstream Muslims may view this Summit and might even dismiss it
some serious underlying issues and problems might be glossed over, which is the
focus of this write-up. Relevant also is that it seeks a common-ground, to
identify the points of tangency and convergence and collectively build consensus
toward common good.
First,
it is important to identify and acknowledge non-Muslims as stakeholders in a
broader sense in issues pertaining to Islam. All stakeholders may not formulate
or implement a decision or agenda, but an entity should consider their concerns
because of both moral and self-interest factors. Muslims often contend Islam is
purely an internal matter; they are willing to listen to only insiders or who
are uncritical of Islam, let alone Islam-bashers, Islamophobes or abusers
of Islam and the Prophet. It is a common tendency to think worst of those
who are critical. However, while effective reforms are internally-driven,
critics may offer pertinent input that many devotees may not. Indeed this
reality is often ignored.
Stakeholding
goes beyond traditional notion of shareholding. Why should non-Muslims be
regarded as stakeholders in Islamic discourse? The general principle should be
that if something affects me, I am a stakeholder and my opinion ought to be
considered. Therefore, if there are issues and challenges that affect
non-Muslims, they do have reason to be concerned. Indeed, some Islamic laws
dealing with non-Muslims contradict essential principles and pristine values of
Islam. [Qiyas
(Analogical Reasoning) and Some Problematic Issues in Islamic law, see the
segment on Treaties with Non-Muslims].
Second, the
situation has become more complicated and compelling for at least two reasons.
(a) Some Muslims, albeit on the fringes, believe their ideology justifies it to
target both innocent and combatants. Let alone the events of 9/11, what is
unfolding in Iraq - thanks to GW Bush and the neocons - is evidence that a sense
of proportion is lost. To thwart foreign power
(viewed as invader as
well as former bedmate, patron and
cohort of the late butcher of Baghdad), the Iraqi
insurgency makes no distinction when
taking lives, as long as they feel it contributes to
undermining/thwarting invader's
plan and ambitions. (b) There are individuals claiming to be apostates or
ex-Muslims. Of course, most of these ex-Muslims exit Islam with deep antipathy
toward Islam and some of them want to agitate others with their anti-Islamic
stance. By evidence Muslims have a legal issue with
apostasy. In reality there is no Islamic punishment
for it. Yet the traditional or orthodox Islam can't move past this unislamic
position. [see Apostasy.
Freedom and Dawah: Full Disclosure in a Business-like Manner]. In several
well-publicized cases, fatwas
have been issued with bounty on the head of some of these ex-Muslims. As
unfortunate as it is, Muslims must take responsibility for unislamicity of the
orthodox position about apostasy. Of course, these ex-Muslims and their new
found anti-Islamic patrons are of no help, as many of them have joined hands to
provoke/agitate the street-level sentiments of Muslims to kill many birds with
one stone. Quite interestingly, many writers have attempted to provoke (and, if
unsuccessful, concoct) fatwa to earn fast notoriety toward birthing
a best-seller. [see The
Warped Economics of Fatwa: Demand Creates Its OWN Supply]
Regardless,
any legal punishment for apostasy, sanctioned in orthodox Islamic law, is not
just unislamic, but also counter-productive. As Kazi
Nazrul Islam [d.1975], a unique voice and beacon of Global-belonging
and popularly known as the Rebel Poet of Bengal enlightened us in a poem
"Don't Be Afraid, O Human Soul":
"Don't be
hard on those who, in ignorance, go astray!
They might return to the truth, if you show love, and pray."
Unfortunately,
Muslims routinely yield to provocateurs; they have to take responsibility for
getting provoked. Even on the Day of Judgment we won't be able to get away with
any misdeeds by claiming that the Satan caused us to deviate. [14:22] Insults
from the provocateurs, as exemplified in the Danish-cartoons, are painful and
agonizing. Yet, Muslims don't seem to understand the rules of the game and are
suckered in, quite predictably. The provocateurs might not realize that fanning
the flame or touching raw nerves of believers is counter-productive but, if
Muslims don't substantively and decisively deal with issues such as apostasy,
non-Muslims, and particularly ex-Muslims, have reasons to be concerned and call
for reform.
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Third, there are some genuine issues related to the Muslim world in
general with which the non-Muslim world is intertwined. Since the period of
colonialism the devastating and uncivilized role that colonial
powers played ravaging and dismembering the Muslim world, and later placing
subservient autocrats in many Muslim-majority countries, have inextricably
linked the West to contemporary maladies, tensions and conflicts. Call
for reform, both from within and outside, has
merit. However, the way some Western powers and their interests are entangled in
the Muslim world also must be disentangled.
Yet,
the real challenges to which Muslims must rise up are primarily internal. Was
there Islam-bashing at the Secular Islam Summit? Well, there are avowed
"professional
Islam bashers" like Ibn Warraq, and people like him were visibly
present at the Summit. Do these people really care about reforms in
the Muslim world? Maybe or maybe not. However, these questions are not really
pertinent. Muslim societies are in a dysfunctional state due to both internal
AND external factors. However, if we can't take charge of the internal aspects
while paving the way for changes consistent with the Qur'anic vision and the
Prophetic legacy, then we have very little chance to affect the external factors.
Some anti-Islamic personalities at the Summit concluded that no reform is
possible because the problem is not with Muslims, but with Islam. People are
entitled to their opinions. Just like any agenda of reform should not be merely
in reaction to what others "demand" [as in the Public Declaration of
the Summit], Muslims don't need to be disheartened by such position that Islam
is unreformable. Indeed, Islam does not need reform. However, Muslims need to
come to grips with the reality that their understanding and practices do need
reform. It is an Islamic imperative.
Therefore,
to be effective and principled, my call is primarily to my fellow Muslims.
First, regardless of what others do or say, let us be self-critical in an
Islamic spirit. For instance, let us clear up any confusion that apostasy from
the Islamic viewpoint is not subject to any worldly punishment. [See link above
about my essay on Apostasy] Let us go further. (a) Let us galvanize the base
among Muslims to establish this position on a clear and firm Islamic footing.
(b) Let us take a public and concerted position against any such fatwa of
apostasy. (c) Even when we are offended, insulted and agonized by the
Islam-bashing of the ex-Muslims, let us stand for the pristine Islamic principle
of freedom of faith and expression and defend the right of those who engage in
such vile ways. This would not be
defending them, but defending the principle and
freedom, even if the beneficiary of such defense would be people whose conduct
we dislike, or even despise.
Second,
let us not summarily dismiss and discredit the Summit. This is what they
think they can do best. Imbued with Islamic spirit and principles, let us
proactively identify and address those issues to which even non-Muslims are also
taken into consideration as stakeholders, and let us do so in a
common-ground-seeking manner. This is important because Islam fundamentally has
a humanity-orientation. [see Freedom
and Choice: The First-Order Condition of Islam]
It
bothers me a great deal to notice the flash of insensitivities by some
ex-Muslims and anti-Islam personalities. Yet, the principle of freedom of faith
and expression is a fundamental human and Islamic right, and therefore to
me as a Muslim, hurling of fatwas to persecute apostates is indeed painful and
unacceptable. The issue of
apostasy and a few other issues should not be approached with a sentiment
affected by the Secular Islam Summit. Rather, the approach should be
self-critical and proactive. We can begin with the issue of apostasy and
gradually address other issues. Muslims need to understand that they are
supposed to be engaged in a constant process of Islah [effort to bring
about positive change]. Regardless of who makes the call for reform or their
motivation/background/agenda, Islah is an internally driven and inspired
effort that is a must from the Islamic viewpoint. I do believe that if we
begin focusing on those common principles that are precious to all regarding the
life, honor and property of ALL people, we can move past the baggage of mutual
bashing and grievances and forge a strong foundation for a better future.
Self-critical
approach entails that we allocate a bigger portion of our criticism onto
ourselves. It is in that spirit that others have to find their own points of
convergence from a common-ground-seeking, principled, self-critical perspective.
In an Islamic self-critical perspective may I remind my fellow Muslims that they
must uphold that Islamic humanity-orientation, rising up to which should mean
safety for the People/Mankind, not just the believers?
A person asked, O Prophet of God (p), whose Islam is excellent or the
best (afdal)? He replied: "From whose tongue and hands the
people/mankind (an-nas: irrespective of Muslims or non-Muslims) are
safe." [Musnad-i-Ahmad, #6762]
The author is a faculty
at Upper Iowa University. He maintains a personal website,
archiving his writing on many pertinent issues (shariah, hadith, Islamic law,
apostasy, slavery, gender-relationship, etc). email: farooqm@globalwebpost.com 
