Lonely Progressive Muslims: Trapped in the Crossfire Between Islamophobes and Intra-Muslim Hatred

Posted: 02/12/2013 5:31 pm
Nancy Graham Holm

There is a new but largely unrecognized phenomenon in Europe and North America, a nascent but steadily growing movement of Muslim feminists and progressives. Some are independent, solitary individuals. Others are organized. One of the leading organizations is headquartered in Los Angeles: Muslims for Progressive Values. Across the Atlantic in London is British Muslims for Secular Democracy and a little further north is MECO, the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford. Similar to other organizations found in France, Holland and Germany, these three campaign for an Islam for the 21st century and are wholly unrepentant about their enthusiasm for Western society.

These forward-thinking Muslims don't necessarily agree with one another on everything but what they have in common is their enduring love for Islam parallel to a rejection of conservative interpretations of the Qur'an and Sunnah as well -- as one might expect -- a categorical condemnation of Jihadism. The movement can be a lonely one, however, since they frequently have only themselves for company. There are three significant reasons for this.

First, the media seldom give progressive Muslims coverage because they are merely emerging and not yet considered mainstream enough to matter. Therefore, the very concept of Muslim feminism -- if mentioned at a dinner party -- sounds oxymoronic. Worse, the word shari'a evokes images of horrific medieval physical punishments instead of its true nature, i.e. a code of conduct for good behavior to build character. Without public recognition and a serious discussion of these ideas, progressive Islam gains no currency.

Secondly, Islamophobes are frequently ideological in their hatred of Muslims and they don't want to hear anything positive. For them, liberal Muslims are not liberal enough. If they were truly "liberal," they argue, they'd be atheist or at least agnostic. Why, Islamophobes ask, do they cling to their faith and identify as "believers." How, for example, can British Muslims for Secular Democracy still be religious? The problem here is that many Islamophobes conflate secular with atheism and fail to appreciate that it merely signifies a separation of church and state.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-graham-holm/lonely-progressive-muslim_b_2644575.html

http://mpvusa.org/

http://www.seculardemocracy.org/

http://www.meco.org.uk/

I think she is overstating their isolation.