by M. Zuhdi Jasser and Raheel Raza et al
[Editor: The attempt of this group of Muslims to "modernize", or perhaps more accurately to "civilize", the practice of Islam deserves great respect. The problem is that even if millions of Muslims accept the principles of reform outlined below, there will still be millions, perhaps hundreds of millions of Muslims that not only do not accept the suggested reforms, but reject as infidels those Muslims who are proposing them. Muslim "orthodoxy" will survive. All of the behaviors that they seek to uproot from Islam were practiced and/or advocated by the Prophet, and therefore cannot be considered invalid, even in the 21st century. To accept the premise that the Prophet Muhammad's behavior is not worthy of emulation undermines the entire basis of Islam.]
- We reject interpretations of Islam that call for any violence, social injustice and politicized Islam. We invite our fellow Muslims and neighbors to join us.
- We reject bigotry, oppression and violence against all people based on any prejudice, including ethnicity, gender, language, belief, religion, sexual orientation and gender expression.
- We are for secular governance, democracy and liberty.
- Every individual has the right to publicly express criticism of Islam. Ideas do not have rights. Human beings have rights.
- We stand for peace, human rights and secular governance. Please stand with us!
Preamble
We are Muslims who live in the 21st century. We stand for a respectful, merciful and inclusive interpretation of Islam. We are in a battle for the soul of Islam, and an Islamic renewal must defeat the ideology of Islamism, or politicized Islam, which seeks to create Islamic states, as well as an Islamic caliphate. We seek to reclaim the progressive spirit with which Islam was born in the 7th century to fast forward it into the 21st century. We support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by United Nations member states in 1948.We reject interpretations of Islam that call for any violence, social injustice and politicized Islam. Facing the threat of terrorism, intolerance, and social injustice in the name of Islam, we have reflected on how we can transform our communities based on three principles: peace, human rights and secular governance. We are announcing today the formation of an international initiative: the Muslim Reform Movement.
We have courageous reformers from around the world who will outline our Declaration for Muslim Reform, a living document that we will continue to enhance as our journey continues. We invite our fellow Muslims and neighbors to join us.
DECLARATION
A. Peace: National Security, Counterterrorism and Foreign Policy1. We stand for universal peace, love and compassion. We reject violent jihad. We believe we must target the ideology of violent Islamist extremism in order to liberate individuals from the scourge of oppression and terrorism both in Muslim-majority societies and the West.
2. We stand for the protection of all people of all faiths and non-faith who seek freedom from dictatorships, theocracies and Islamist extremists.
3. We reject bigotry, oppression and violence against all people based on any prejudice, including ethnicity, gender, language, belief, religion, sexual orientation and gender expression.
B. Human Rights: Women's Rights and Minority Rights
1. We stand for human rights and justice. We support equal rights and dignity for all people, including minorities. We support the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
2. We reject tribalism, castes, monarchies and patriarchies and consider all people equal with no birth rights other than human rights. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Muslims don't have an exclusive right to "heaven."
3. We support equal rights for women, including equal rights to inheritance, witness, work, mobility, personal law, education, and employment. Men and women have equal rights in mosques, boards, leadership and all spheres of society. We reject sexism and misogyny.
C. Secular Governance: Freedom of Speech and Religion
1. We are for secular governance, democracy and liberty. We are against political movements in the name of religion. We separate mosque and state. We are loyal to the nations in which we live. We reject the idea of the Islamic state. There is no need for an Islamic caliphate. We oppose institutionalized sharia. Sharia is manmade.
2. We believe in life, joy, free speech and the beauty all around us. Every individual has the right to publicly express criticism of Islam. Ideas do not have rights. Human beings have rights. We reject blasphemy laws. They are a cover for the restriction of freedom of speech and religion. We affirm every individual's right to participate equally in ijtihad, or critical thinking, and we seek a revival of ijtihad.
3. We believe in freedom of religion and the right of all people to express and practice their faith, or non-faith, without threat of intimidation, persecution, discrimination or violence. Apostasy is not a crime. Our ummah--our community--is not just Muslims, but all of humanity.
We stand for peace, human rights and secular governance. Please stand with us!
Affirmed this Fourth Day of December, Two-Thousand and Fifteen By the founding authors who are signatories below
#MuslimReform
Twitter: @TheMuslimReform
Facebook: Muslim Reform Movement
Email: MuslimReformMovement@gmail.com Website: www.MuslimReformMovement.org
Please sign our declaration on Change.org!
Founding Signatories
Tahir Gora, Author, Journalist, Activist, Toronto, CanadaTawfik Hamid Islamic Thinker and Reformer, Oakton, VA, USA
Usama Hasan Imam, Quilliam Foundation, London, UK
Arif Humayun Senior Fellow, American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Portland, OR, USA
Farahnaz Ispahani Author, Former Member of Parliament, Pakistan, Washington, D.C., USA
M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D. President, American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Phoenix, AZ USA
Mohamad Jebara Imam, Cordova Center, Ottawa, Canada
Naser Khader Member, Danish Parliament, Muslim democracy activist
Copenhagen, Denmark
Courtney Lonergan Community Outreach Director, American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Professional facilitator
Hasan Mahmud Resident expert in sharia, Muslims Facing Tomorrow, Toronto, Canada
Asra Nomani Journalist, Author, Morgantown, WV, USA
Raheel Raza Founder, Muslims Facing Tomorrow, Toronto, Canada
Sohail Raza Vice President, Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations
Salma Siddiqui President, Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations, Toronto, Canada
M. Zuhdi Jasser and Raheel Raza et al
Source: http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7009/muslim-reform-movement
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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