Muslim Heretics Conference

By Mahvish Rukhsana Khan • November 10, 2008

Last Tuesday night, we the people, redeemed the notion that America is more than a great country, but also a raw and innate idealism—a dream—that thrives within us all. It expands beyond “the land of opportunity” and speaks to our innate sense of justice and equality; that men and women should only be judged on their merits, not their skin color or religious faith.

Yes, there is much mess of the past decade that needs an urgent clean-up: we have shameful institutions like Guantanamo Bay, secret prisons littered across the planet, codified torture and an economy in shambles. But in the moments following the election of the first African-American president, when millions of united Americans of all colors, ages, and religious beliefs cried and celebrated Barack Obama, the latent American idealism within us emerged reinvigorated, that despite our shortcomings—everything had become possible once again.
As a Muslim born and raised in America, Barack Obama’s election has allowed a renewed trust that the religious barriers and appalling vilification faced by America’s 8 million law-abiding and peaceful and Muslims will too subside.

With the divisive name-calling and hurtful anti-Islamic jeers, this election has been a tough one for Muslims. Sadly, the main stream media stood idle as heinous slurs linking Muslims with terrorism and anti-Americanism were flung.
No one batted an eye when the Republican supporters suggested that Obama secretly followed the teachings of the Qu’ran, as if it were an al-Qaeda training manual, or when he was sneeringly referred to as Barack Hussien Obama. How un-American to suggest that people like me are somehow not as patriotic or trustworthy as the Christian or Jewish friends I grew up with. Attacks on either of latter faiths would have been met with severe and appropriate reprisal.

The result was an outpouring of American Muslim support for Obama. The American Muslim Task Force on Civil Rights and Elections reported that of more than 600 Muslims polled from more than 10 states, a whopping 89 percent voted for Obama. Just 2 percent of American Muslims gave their vote to McCain.
And Last Tuesday night, when the votes were in and the results were announced, America was at its best again—brimming with hope and possibility; the very qualities that drove my Pashtun parents—and all American immigrants throughout history—to leave their homes in other countries and seek a new idealism and way of life in the United States; the very qualities that make me proud to be an American.

Mahvish Rukhsana Khan is an American lawyer and author of the critically acclaimed memoir, “My Guantanamo Diary”.

New hope in Obama | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Muslim- and Arab-Americans Poised to Make a Difference in Battleground States

By Delinda C. Hanley

Some of the 50 Muslim-American delegates and alternates at the Democratic National Convention (Staff photo D. Hanley).

THE DEMOCRATIC National Convention in Denver, Colorado opened with a huge interfaith gathering on Aug. 24, featuring remarks and readings by rabbis, imams, ministers and community leaders. This was the first time a celebration of this nature has been part of a Democratic National Convention, and it was symbolic of the party’s intentions to bring multiple communities together under its “big tent.”

Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, observed to a huge audience at the convention center’s interfaith event that when she has traveled abroad since the 9/11 attacks she frequently is asked, “How are Muslims doing in America?”

The professor, who teaches at the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, said her response is, “There are problems, but I will tell you this is the best place in the world to practice our faith.” That’s because, the Canadian-born Muslim convert explained, Americans defend religious diversity: “Christians and Jews have stood up for my community every day.”

According to the Muslim Americans in attendance, not a single Islamaphobic word was uttered at the DNC, from beginning to end. Time and again in Denver, Arab- and Muslim-Americans said they believed that Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama would be president for all Americans.

In the past, Muslim Americans—who, like Hispanic Americans, place great importance on strict family values—have tended to vote conservatively. In recent years, however, the hard-line stances many Republicans have taken on immigration, civil rights, health care, education, the economy, and foreign policy have driven many conservative Arab- and Muslim-Americans away from the party.

Among the variety of caucuses which met at the Democratic National Convention was, for the first time, the American Muslim Democratic Caucus, which sponsored an Aug. 25 luncheon to honor the more than 50 Muslim delegates from 20 states. Organizers emphasized the growing political influence of American Muslims and gave reporters a crash course in politics before the lunch even started. Dr. Inayat Lalani, communications director for the Caucus, spelled it out in no uncertain terms: “The media talk about the Latino vote and the black vote,” the retired surgeon said. “You analyze the women’s vote, and the blue-collar vote. Then there’s the senior citizen vote, and the under-30s vote. But you never mention the impact of the Muslim-American vote. That is politics of exclusion—and exclusion, my friends, is un-American.”

Another organizer, Sarwat Husain, president of the Texas Democratic Caucus, told reporters that, as a result of conversions and immigration, Islam is the fastest growing religion in America today. Not only is Islam the second largest religion in the U.S., she added, but Muslims are a highly educated, affluent community. There are from 7 to 8 million Muslims living in the U.S., with close to 3 million registered voters—many of them concentrated in the six battleground states. “There are also thousands of Muslims serving in our Armed Forces, and our bodies are coming back in bags like other Americans,” Husain concluded. “Here’s a message for our leaders—don’t think you can ignore our vote. The Muslim vote counts.”

An Eloquent Congressman

Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) (Staff photo D. Hanley).

Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), who in 2006 became the first Muslim American elected to Congress, spoke passionately at the luncheon about the need for Muslims, as well as other minority groups, to increase their political involvement by voting, participating in local politics, and running for political office. “America, our great country, needs the Muslim community,” said Ellison, who was sworn into office using a Qur’an once owned by Thomas Jefferson—proving, as he said, that there is nothing un-American about Islam.

Warning Muslims that they cannot afford to be captured by any one political party, Ellison said that, instead, every political party, every candidate for office, should be coming to Muslims for their political support. Turning the discussion to civil liberties and justice for every religion and race, Congressman Ellison added, “When you are challenged, you can get bitter, or you can get better.”

By getting involved, minority groups challenge the government to make things better for all Americans, he pointed out. “Voting is critically important. It is the kindergarten of politics,” he noted. Without going to kindergarten you cannot move up. But you cannot finish kindergarten and say, ‘I’m done, I’m educated.’ We are just getting started when we vote.”

Ellison stressed the importance of local grassroots politics and encouraged both young and old alike to work in government, including on local school boards. He also called upon Muslims to improve their community from within, and to include more women at meetings. “Our faith is not sexist but some of our practitioners are,” Ellison said. “Men of all faiths are infected with sexism. Muslims don’t have a monopoly on the problem.

“Some day I’m going to walk out of a room if there are no sisters in it,” he warned.

Ellison introduced André Carson (D-IN), as another Muslim “who proves I’m no fluke.” Along with subsequent speakers, Carson, who won a House seat in a March 2008 special election, addressed charges that Senator Obama has purposely steered clear of Muslims. “We all hope that one day Barack Obama will step up to a microphone and say, ‘I’m a little rusty but Salaam Aleykum’ (Peace be with you),” Carson said. “Muslims have been in America since the beginning and we should be proud.”

Eddy Bernice Johnson (D-TX), who also is African American but is not a Muslim, said that when she introduced the first international Ramadan resolution three years ago, she couldn’t get it out of the rules committee. “Last year, it came to the floor with three major sponsors,” she said, to thunderous applause. “We all need to work together against racial profiling and celebrate diversity.“

Obama has been pressed to say he isn’t Muslim, Johnson noted, asking, “What difference would it make?” There will be much more dirt to come, she warned. “Every excuse will be played instead of admitting it’s just racism. I never thought I’d live to see the day when I had the opportunity to vote for an African-American president. It couldn’t have happened without a diverse America.”

Next to speak was Chicago lawyer Mazen Asbahi, whom the Obama campaign appointed volunteer national coordinator for Muslim-American affairs on July 26, but who voluntarily stepped down on Aug. 6, after a Wall Street Journal article quoted nonsense from an Internet publication tying him to a “fundamentalist” imam. He didn’t want to become another distraction for voters, Asbahi explained. Now, however, he admitted, there are three people liaisoning with the Jewish community and no one working with theirs. While the Obama campaign has had some hiccups in its outreach to Muslims, it’s moving past that, he added. “You will have a seat at the table in an Obama administration,” Asbahi said. “I’m still 110 percent behind Senator Obama. I hope you will be, too.”

Joshua Dubois, national director of religious affairs for the Obama campaign, began his remarks by saying, “Peace be upon you.” Obama’s faith grounds him, Dubois said, and the senator believes all faiths should engage in the public square. Assuring listeners that Obama recognizes the contributions of Muslims, Dubois went on to address Muslims’ gripes about perceived slights. On the July 15 “Larry King Show,” he pointed out, Obama once and for all debunked rumors that he was Muslim and discussed the offensive New Yorker magazine cover, remarking that it is not a smear to be called a Muslim.

“You know, this is actually an insult against Muslim Americans,” Obama said, “something that we don’t spend a lot of time talking about. And sometimes I’ve been derelict in pointing that out. You know, there are wonderful Muslim Americans all across the country who are doing wonderful things. And for this to be used as sort of an insult or to raise suspicions about me I think is unfortunate. And it’s not what America is all about.”

In June two Muslim women from Detroit wearing hijab were told by Obama campaign workers that they could not sit behind Obama and in the line of TV cameras. Obama personally called to apologize, Dubois reminded listeners, but people are purposefully distorting that incident and saying Obama is not engaging with Muslims. In fact, one of those women in hijab is now a top field organizer in Michigan, Dubois said.

Next to address the Muslim Democratic Caucus was Justin Rockefeller, 29, youngest son of Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), and co-founder of the non-partisan GenerationEngage, which aims to draw young voters into the political process. “Democracy should be a dialogue, not a monologue,” Rockefeller said, adding that young Muslim Americans have much to do. He told a story about catching a cab soon after 9/11 and noticing the cabbie’s sign which said, “I’m a Sikh, not a Muslim. Please don’t hurt me.” Rockefeller had to pause a moment to contain his emotions, then concluded with great feeling: “America is better than that.”

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, the first African American to hold that office, and the third black governor in U.S. history, said that Obama’s is the most diverse campaign in history. “We are a stronger party and nation when we make room for the talents of every community. This is a once-in-a-generation nominee. Barack Obama can help us find our way back to each other.”

Dr. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), which has advocated civic and political empowerment of Americans of Arab descent since 1985, also spoke. “At 3 a.m. when the phone rings, I want the smart guy who understands the complexities in the world to answer the phone,” Zogby quipped. “John McCain the tough guy should stay asleep.

“We have to put Obama over the top,” he urged listeners. “When he wins we all win. We’ve suffered as a country for eight years,” Zogby concluded. “He’s not just the lesser of two evils. We’ve never had as good a candidate since I can remember.”

Washington Report staff did not attend the Republican National Convention (although the magazine was distributed in both Denver and Minneapolis). While we cannot, therefore, provide a first-hand report on Muslim- and Arab-American discussions (or arrests) on the other side of the aisle, we are proud to report that there were superb AAI and American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) events hosted at both conventions, just as there have been for years.

This publication has long understood that Muslim- and Arab-American voters are a key demographic in several battleground states, including Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida. Their votes and views matter. It’s past time for America’s politicians and mainstream media to take them seriously as voters and pay close attention to their concerns.

Muslim- and Arab-Americans Poised to Make a Difference in Battleground States

By Zakariya Dehlawi
November 13, 2008

Given that Islam prides itself on sticking to authenticated traditions and texts, change isn’t really a sought after ideal. We believe the central beliefs and values of Islam have been unaltered for almost a millennia and a half.

Naturally, the understanding and implementation of certain Islamic laws have been applied differently, depending on context and culture, but this flexibility has been inherent since the earliest inception of Islam. Depending on who you ask, there either has been too much flexibility, or not enough.

The discussion of change, specifically reform, is a contentious issue. I offer you my humble untrained opinion and apologize for any mistakes, which are mine, while any benefit is by God’s mercy.

In order to understand Islamic progression, we need to understand the roots of Islamic jurisprudence. Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him, received verses from God which were memorized and recorded as the Quran. The Quran is considered the complete and unalterable holy book for Muslims. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was an exemplary human being, who received divine inspiration and guidance. His actions and sayings were recorded and transmitted and came to be known as hadith. The Quran and hadith form the basis of Islamic belief, as well as Islamic law.

The Quran and hadith aren’t cookbooks. There isn’t any explicit recipe on what it takes to be a Muslim; rather, the ingredients are sprinkled liberally throughout (This cooking analogy is making me glad Thanksgiving is soon). The point being, the Quran and hadith rarely issue explicit commandments. Instead, they offer a basis that is often open to interpretation. Throughout the centuries scholars have primarily performed this interpretation. Via scholarly debates and discourse a diverse legal literature emerged. But despite this diversity, every argument is still based on Quranic or hadith principles.

The scholars and their discourse continue to this day, drawing upon the writings of earlier scholars, as well as forming their own opinions. The discourse has adapted as science has progressed and Islam has spread all over the world. The issues discussed range from the mundane, like whether kangaroos are permissible to eat, to the serious, like what is the role of DNA evidence in a Muslim judicial system.

Some people and groups perpetuate an idea that Islam needs to undergo a reformation, often alluding to Martin Luther’s reformation of Christianity.

Writers such as Irshad Manji, or organizations like Muslims Against Sharia, cite that female inequality and violence found in Muslim societies today is inherent to current day Islam and can only be solved by changing it.

They fail to recognize that the societal ills that plague Muslim communities are, for the most part, socioeconomic problems or inappropriate cultural applications and understanding of Islam.

Islam doesn’t require a broad reformation because the framework for Islam creates a space for discussing practices. This framework grants legitimacy to contrary views and allows them to be evaluated against strict scholarly standards.

The tenets of Islam are unchanging, but its relevance in everyday practice is constantly reassessed.

Reach columnist Zakariya Dehlawi at opinion@dailyuw.com.

What would you change about your religion?: Islam - The Daily of the University of Washington

DHAKA (AFP) — Rashed Ahmed paints the fiery eyes of a python on to a giant piece of white cloth in the grounds of Dhaka University, as a huge crowd of painters, actors and writers cheer the fine arts student on.

Each of those gathered then has a tilt at drawing their own symbols, leaving a personal mark indicative of the Bangladeshi cultural heritage they say hardline Muslims are determined to destroy.

“The python is the symbol of radical Islamists,” says Ahmed. “It has started devouring our rich culture. Unless we can collectively stop it, the survival of our arts, sculptures, writings and dramas will be at stake.”

Large groups of Bangladeshi artists — including film-makers, singers and writers — began daily protests last month after authorities removed two newly commissioned sculptures of local folk singers erected outside Dhaka’s airport.

A group of Muslim hardliners calling themselves the Anti-Statues Resistance Committee complained that the sculptures were idols, which are strictly forbidden in Islam, and threatened to attack the artwork with power tools.

Buoyed by their removal, hardline Islamists are now demanding that the government erect a minaret honouring Muslim pilgrims at the same airport site.

One of the group’s leaders Mufti Fazlul Haq Amini, a former MP, says that he will “demolish all statues” if his party wins the December 18 parliamentary elections.

This is not the first time extremists have targeted people in the arts in Muslim-majority but officially secular Bangladesh. In 1994, feminist writer Taslima Nasreen fled the country after she was accused of blasphemy.

Another respected writer, Humayun Azad, died in 2004 after he was attacked with machetes at a book fair by suspected Islamists.

According to leading intellectual and English literature professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, the removal of the sculptures capped the state’s growing acquiescence with extremist groups.

Last year, a satirical magazine published by the country’s largest media group was closed down and its editor apologised after it printed a cartoon of prophet Mohammed.

The military-backed government also backed down from a policy to ensure equal property rights to women amid angry protests by Muslim clerics that the move would override Islamic law.

“Bangladeshi people are religious but they have always been tolerant,” he said, referring to the country’s rich heritage in the arts and music.

“Islam has in past few years increasingly been used as a political tool here.”

He said cultural activists had no choice but to launch protests as “successive governments have become indifferent to radical Islamists’ attacks on arts, culture and writers.”

The artist whose work is at the centre of the airport row, Mrinal Haq, says the commission had turned into one of his most dangerous jobs, with some of the hardliners trying to “cut them down with grinders and pull them down with ropes.”

“They became so hostile that it became increasingly dangerous and risky to work there. I’ve done a lot of works, including the city’s largest sculpture,” said Haq, one of the country’s best-known sculptors.

“But never have I faced such bigotry.”

AFP: Bangladeshi artists under attack from Muslim hardliners