Maryland's first Muslim lawmaker Saqib Ali pens op-ed in support of marriage equality

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It feels like the nature of the fight for equality has changed. It has gone from being a rather niche liberal issue to perhaps the most pressing civil rights issue of this generation. And marriage equality throughout the land now feels like an eventual inevitability.

I expect some day people will look back at this fight for equality like we now look back on oddly antiquated anti-miscegenation laws. I'm proud that I'll have stood on the right side of history: In support of full marital rights for same-sex couples.

My stance on this issue isn't politically expedient. I am the first Muslim in the legislature. Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Islam. As such I have evinced much grief from my most conservative supporters.

But I recognize that I represent people of all faiths and no faith at all. If I tried to enforce religion by law — as in a theocracy — I would be doing a disservice to my both constituents and to my religion.

The next opportunity for Maryland to realize full marriage equality is in the 2010 annual legislative session.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/07312009/policol162635_32531.shtml

A politician who realizes he represents all people in his district. A rare bird these days.

:thumbsup:

Now, if we can get the rest of Congress to realize what their fucking jobs are, we may get our rights.

"My stance on this issue isn't politically expedient."

I love politicians when they do what's right just because it's right.

Anti-Muslim protestor

On August 12, 2006 Timothy James Truett of Montgomery Village made a "call to Ali's office in which he asked if Ali was a Muslim and made derogatory remarks about Islam to Ali's campaign manager." After that Truett drove to "the cul-de-sac outside Ali's Gaithersburg home, which doubles as his campaign office."<21> There he sat down in a lawn chair near the home "with a hand-lettered sign bearing a crude denunciation of Islam ." Truett "who wore a T-shirt reading 'This mind is an Allah-free zone'." Ali went out to look at the man and take pictures but did not speak to him, explaining "I knew he was there to bait me." Truett made an obscene gesture and told Ali "'You are a terrorist. ...You guys are violent extremists.'"<22> Ali recalled his feelings at the time "I felt like he was intimidating and trying to menace me and my family, similar to when people burned crosses in someone's front yard. I think it was the exact same message."<23> getting no response from Ali, Truett "appearing upset, stood and left." Ali followed him and got pictures of his license plate. Truett then phoned Ali's office again but was hung up on.

Both Ali and the Police agreed that nothing illegal had happened, as he "was in a common area and not on Ali's property. But police apparently notified the man later that he could be arrested if he did go onto the candidate's property in the next year."<22> Ali told reporters that he is "100 percent Muslim and 100 percent American...my faith is my faith...but that's incidental." He said "his candidacy is about such matters as 'roads, the schools' and not his religion." And that "the demonstration 'reminds me of the need to build bridges amongst people and among communities.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saqib_Ali