Op zoek naar de profeet Mohammed – De overleveringen via Al-Zuhri

Posted on January 26th, 2012 by martijn.
Categories: Guest authors, Important Publications, Internal Debates, Religion Other.

Gastauteur: Nicolet Boekhoff – Van der Voort
We weten ogenschijnlijk heel veel over het leven van de stichter van de islam, de profeet Muhammad. Elk jaar verschijnt er weer een nieuwe biografie met gedetailleerde informatie over zijn militaire campagnes, zijn huwelijken en zijn dagelijkse bezigheden. Bijna al deze informatie is beschikbaar in de vorm van overleveringen of tradities, in het Arabisch ahadith, die door zijn volgelingen zijn doorgegeven. Deze overleveringen zijn vandaag de dag terug te vinden in verzamelingen die minstens 200 jaar na de dood van de profeet zijn samengesteld.

Enkele wetenschappers hebben de vraag gesteld of deze overleveringen daadwerkelijk de gebeurtenissen beschrijven of latere ontwikkelingen in de islam weergeven. Anders gezegd: gaan ze over de historische Muhammad of over het beeld dat zijn latere volgelingen van hem en de gebeurtenissen hebben, dus om een soort mythische Muhammad? Gaat het om geschiedenis of legende, of misschien iets ertussenin?
Wat kan helpen om deze vraag te beantwoorden zijn de overleveraarsketens (asanid) die meestal voor de beschrijving van de gebeurtenis staan. De keten zou het pad weergeven waarlangs de overlevering doorgegeven is, namelijk vanaf de samensteller van de verzameling waar de overlevering zich in bevindt, tot aan de ooggetuige van de gebeurtenis, dus bijvoorbeeld via welke personen de verzamelaar Ibn Hisham het verhaal van Ka’b heeft gehoord.

Een van de namen die regelmatig voorkomt in de keten van overleveringen over het leven van de profeet Muhammad, is die van Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, een beroemde geleerde uit Medina, de woonplaats van de profeet en de tweede heilige stad na Mekka. Al-Zuhri leefde vanaf het laatste kwart van de 7e eeuw tot halverwege de 8e eeuw, wat betekent dat hij zo’n 40 tot 50 jaar na de dood van de profeet Muhammad geboren is. Hij behoorde tot de generatie van de Opvolgers, degenen die geboren zijn na de dood van de profeet en dus zelf geen contact met hem hebben gehad, maar wel overleverden van Muhammad’s metgezellen. Hij had zelf bij een aantal gerenommeerde geleerden uit Mekka en Medina gestudeerd en werkte lange tijd tot aan zijn dood voor een aantal kaliefen van het Umayyadenhof, die het islamitische rijk regeerden van het islamitische jaar 41-132/ ofwel van 661-750 christelijke jaartelling.

Het plaatje dat ik op de voorkant van mijn proefschrift heb gezet is dus geen afbeelding van hoe al-Zuhri er waarschijnlijk uit zag, maar geeft weer hoe ik al-Zuhri voor me zag, voordat ik me had verdiept in de gegevens over zijn leven. Voor zijn werk voor de Omayyadenkaliefen werden zijn schulden betaald, kreeg hij een geregelde toelage en een landgoed, dus waarschijnlijk zal hij niet op de grond voor een muur hebben gezeten tijdens het overleveren.

Zoals ik al eerder zei is het de vraag of de overleveringen in de latere werken historische gebeurtenissen beschrijven of het beeld weergeven dat latere generaties van hun profeet hadden. Moslimse en niet-moslimse wetenschappers zijn het met elkaar eens dat het overleveringsmateriaal vervalsingen, fouten, tegenstrijdige informatie, verfraaiing van de informatie en dergelijke bevat. In hoeverre is het echter mogelijk om authentiek materiaal van vervalst of gedeeltelijk vervalst materiaal te onderscheiden?

Daarnaast hebben we ook nog te maken met de problematiek van het overleveren zelf. Een verhaal dat overgeleverd wordt van persoon op persoon, hetzij mondeling, hetzij schriftelijk of in combinatie: mondeling op basis van schriftelijke aantekeningen, zal veranderen als het van persoon op persoon wordt overgeleverd. Je kunt dat vergelijken met het doorgeven van een stuk klei. Bij mondelinge overlevering is de klei heel zacht en vervormd makkelijk. De kern blijft hetzelfde zijn, maar de vorm zal anders zijn, zoals andere woorden, andere volgorde van het verhaal. Bij mondelinge overlevering obv aantekeningen heb je te maken met zachte klei met harde stukken erin. De zachte stukken kunnen vervormen, maar de harde stukken, de notities, die opgeschreven woorden, blijven vaak hetzelfde tijdens het overleveren. Bij schriftelijke overlevering, wat hardere klei, zijn er weinig veranderingen, hoewel er een stuk vanaf gehaald kan zijn of er kleine vervormingen in de klei zijn. Bij schriftelijk moet u denken aan het dicteren van een tekst of het controleren van een tekst die een student voorlas aan zijn leraar.

Elke overleveraar zal vingerafdrukken op de klei achterlaten in de vorm van woordjes, stukken tekst, verhaalelementen die alleen bij die overleveraar (en zijn studenten) te vinden zijn. Om te kijken of de overleveringen in de latere werken die aan al-Zuhri zijn toegeschreven, ook echt van hem afkomstig waren, ben ik bij drie verhalenop zoek gegaan naar zijn overleveringsvingerafdrukken. Daarvoor heb ik zoveel mogelijk varianten van dat verhaal verzameld. Ik heb alle ketens van de teksten in een diagram bij elkaar gezet, wat het volgende plaatje oplevert. Ik heb de versies van al-Zuhri’s studenten met elkaar vergeleken. Elke versie had een of meerdere kenmerken die niet bij de andere studenten te vinden waren, van elke student heb ik een overleveringsvingeradruk terug kunnen vinden. De versies van de vier studenten hadden ook veel gemeenschappelijk, wat de gegevens uit de overleveraarsketens bevestigt, want ze zijn allemaal van al-Zuhri afkomstig.

Om te controleren of al-Zuhri zijn overlevering vervolgens ook van de persoon had die hij in de keten als zijn informant aangeeft (de vier namen uit het schema bleken van een en dezelfde persoon te zijn), heb ik al-Zuhri’s versie vergeleken met een of meerdere versies die volgens de overleveraarsketens niet van hem afkomstig waren. Het bleek dat alle drie de verhalen inderdaad van al-Zuhri afkomstig waren en dat alle versies van zijn studenten van elkaar verschilden en karakteristieke overleveringsvingerafdrukken bevatten. Dit betekent dat bewezen is dat al-Zuhri’s studenten het verhaal van hun leraar hadden gekregen en het weer verder overleverd hadden. De versies van de studenten lijken echter zo veel op elkaar dat al-Zuhri hen moet hebben onderwezen op basis van uitgewerkte notitieboeken.

De analyse heeft ook laten zien dat de versie van een student van al- Zuhri, Ma’mar b. Rashid, afweek van die van de andere studenten. De versies van de andere studenten waren meer uitgewerkt dan die van Ma’mar en leken in veel gevallen ook sterk op elkaar. Voorbeelden van uitwerkingen zijn locaties die in Ma’mar’s versie vaag aangeduid zijn, maar in de versies van de andere studenten benoemd. Namen van personen die in Ma’mar’s versie afgekort zijn, zijn bij de anderen volledig vermeld. Bepaalde verhaalelementen zijn wel aanwezig in Ma’mar’s versie, maar over het algemeen genomen niet bij de anderen en vice versa.

De Umayyadenkalief Hisham heeft al-Zuhri waarschijnlijk in zijn laatste decennium ertoe aangezet om een boekwerk voor het hof te maken. Later heeft al-Zuhri ook studenten buiten het hof van de kalief deze boeken laten overschrijven. Andere resultaten waren dat al-Zuhri’s drie overleveringen teruggingen op verhalen uit de tijd rond de eeuwwisseling of eerder en dat hij zijn materiaal bewerkt heeft tussen de tijd dat hij het ontving en de tijd waarin hij het aan zijn studenten ging overleveren, waarbij hij overstapte van aantekeningen voor persoonlijk gebruik tot meer of minder uitgewerkte notitieboeken. Bij hem is een trent waarneembaar om zijn bronnen beter te specificeren en een groeiende belangstelling voor het verband van verhalen over de profeet met Koranverzen en juridische zaken. Langzamerhand ontstaat er zo meer kennis over de ontwikkeling van de biografie van de profeet Muhammad in de tijd voor de grote verzamelingen.

Nicolet Boekhoff (Utrecht, 1970) studeerde Talen en culturen van het Midden-Oosten (specialisatie Islam) aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Ze was als junioronderzoeker tussen 2002 en 2008 werkzaam bij de afdeling Arabisch en islam van de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Momenteel is ze docent bij diezelfde afdeling. Dit onderzoek valt onder het programma van het Research Institute for Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies van de Radboud Universiteit. De tekst van dit stuk is uitgesproken tijdens het zogenaamde lekenpraatje aan het begin van de verdediging van het proefschrift. Afgelopen maandag vond de verdediging plaats. De titel van haar proefschrift is Between history and legend. The biography of the prophet Muhammad by Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri.

4 comments.

Manji, Dibi and S4H/S4B – Not the back of the bus

Posted on December 12th, 2011 by martijn.
Categories: Activism, Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Notes from the Field.

Introduction:

Source: Flickr / Irshad Manji

Irshad Manji is on tour to promote her new book Allah, Liberty and Love – The Courage to Reconcile Faith and Freedom. She was in the Netherlands this week and during a debate with Green Left MP Tofik Dibi in De Balie a group of about 20 Muslim activists entered the room and disturbed the debate. Here I will attempt to give a brief overview of what happened and what the reactions were whereby I will treat both Manji’s appearance and the action of Shariah4Belgium and Shariah4Holland in terms in activism. In particular with regard to the latter I will treat their mode of activism not just as a reaction to particular circumstances, but as a tactic of creating a spectacle that belongs to theatrical resistance that dramatizes their project of both refusing the Dutch state’s and Muslim’s endeavour to produce liberal Muslims and their aim to achieve justice (how they understand it). The drama is also designed to evoke a reaction of moral outrage that actually confirms their project.

What happened?

According to some they are ‘salafists‘, according to others ‘radicals‘ and according the national news they were Muslims. It appears that they are part of a Belgian, Flemish, organization called Shariah4Belgium. This organization affiliated with the British Islam4Uk and with a Dutch branch, Shariah4Holland, wants to imply Sharia law in their countries of residence. It is not entirely clear what they mean with this, but for now it seems to work mainly as a powerful slogan.

They came in and shouted at both Dibi and Manji but:
Muslim Reformers vs Extremists

The speakers refused to leave the stage. Their discussion on the modernisation of Islam resumed after the police arrested a number of the extremists. Stated Manji, “I never felt afraid. Not once. Neither did Tofik. In fact, all of us refused to leave, even when police asked. We wouldn’t play on Jihadi terms. Some things are simply more important than fear.”

Emphasized Dutch MP, Tofik Dibi, “the disruption shows that even in the Netherlands it is necessary to continue the debate on reforming Islam.”

In several reports it was mentioned that the activists shouted ‘Takfir!‘ which Manji interpreted as an execution order. She also claims that the protesters pledged to break her neck (we can hear the latter indeed in the videos). Based upon the available footage however I do not recognize the ‘takfir’ call. What they do shout is ‘takbir’. It is a phrase well known and usually when someone shouts ‘takbir’ the audience responds with ‘Allahu Akhbar’. Which is exactly what happened as you could have seen in the video above. But of course the videos may not cover all what has been said. Nevertheless it would be strange if they shouted ‘takfir’ because that word is never used as a slogan, public outcry or the like. The combination of using Arab and Dutch/English slogans is interesting. The Arab slogans, as my colleague CB (checking the slogans for me) also noted, were mainly standard general religious slogans often used in protests. The Dutch/English slogans and calls were more specific for this occasion.

The next video does clarify a few of the issues mentioned above. It is in Dutch and made by the activists themselves. It appears from the video that the action was initiated by Shariah4Holland and that they asked support from Shariah4Belgium. In the video you will see the leader of Shariah4Belgium and some of their footage of them disturbing the debate:

Both the leader and the activists explain that they reject people who they regard as ‘murtadeen’ (apostates) to talk about Islam. They (Manji and Dibi) have the right to speak but then S4H and S4B have the right to protest and to object (‘verbally not physical’).  They see the practices of Manji and Dibi as perverse among other things. According to Abu Imraan the mood in the debate room changed when his people entered and the speakers started to challenge them (Maybe he refers to Manji’s phrase: ‘the voices of sensationalism’?), which they responded to in a fierce manner.

Motives, means and objectives

For my Dutch readers here is the radio interview by Fouad Sidali with Abu Imraan, the leader of S4H:

According to him the hypocrites and apostates (Dibi and Manji) mock Islam and they wanted to make a statement that the mockery should be over. He says Dibi and Manji didn’t take them serious in the debate so they resorted to plan B: ‘a little takbir and a little takfir’. The interviewer ‘criticized’ the protesters also for spitting at Dibi and Manji but according to Abu Imraan they do not deserve respect. Abu Imraan declared Dibi an infidel but also claimed that this was no problem for him as long as they did not hurt him with his infidelity. He also refers to a debate on Tuesday 13 December where S4H might appear and says the police to be ready for them. They will defend Islam and not be afraid.

The next scene

The reactions in the media about the S4H/S4B action were very negative and often portrayed as a clash between Muslim reformers and extremists and on anti-Islam sites it is regarded as a demonstration of ‘true’ Islam whilst so-called moderates are only lying or indulging in some kind of fantasy islam and therefore, at least in the case of Dibi, the action was regarded as an ironic twist of fate. The more mainstream reactions however were more in line with the reformist vs. extremist or moderate vs. radical Islam/Muslims dichotomy. Some referred to S4H/S4B as barbarians or religious hooligans and praised Manji for being brave.

It appears that the dichotomy moderate vs. radical is used to not only alienate other Muslims from mainstream society but also used as a mobilizing frame. While S4H and S4B here use mobilizing frames such as ‘true Islam’ and ‘insults against Islam and the prophet’ people like Manji and Dibi use ‘moderate’, ‘liberal’ or ‘reformist’ Islam / Muslims as a way to call Muslims to stand up against intolerance and bigotry. The next part of the Dutch TV program Halve Maan which features Irshad Manji is not only very clear about the dichotomy but also about the attempt to mobilize people (the introduction is in Dutch, the interview in English begins after 30 seconds):

The problem according to Manji, and many others with her I think, is that too many ‘self-declared moderates’ do not stand up against these radicals. And if they don’t, or because they don’t, they are not only complicit to ‘this problem’ but she even challenges their self-definition of the moderates by saying ‘what is moderate about you when you are allowing these gangsters to define what Islam is’. She is therefore asking the moderates where their insistence and humility is to call upon the radicals to show their humility to God: “I want to hear your voices”. Such frames are used to inspire, mobilize and legitimate social movement activities and campaigns but ultimately always reduce the multi-dimensional realities. The dichotomies used by Manji but also by S4H and S4B do not cover, for example, the wide range of reactions among Muslims with regard to the actions of S4H and S4B. The same happens with people like Manji and Dibi of course. By some seen as collaborators (or traitors) with the infidels, by others seen as still too Muslim even though she tries to resist such reductionist views.

The reactions among Muslims I have seen so far are mixed but with a clear dominance of rejecting and disapproval. For my Dutch readers, watch here the debate at De Halve Maan, the girl you see on the videos vehemently opposing S4B/S4H is also in this debate:

I also have checked some of my informants and websites. Many see the attack as intimidating and agressive. Others think that the tactic goes against Islam; the tactic of intimidating but also throwing food (eggs) at Tofik Dibi. Several people think that an action such as this will only result in an increasing stigmatization of Muslims. Others however, although not approving the action, are a little more supportive since they see S4B as an organizations that ‘at least tries’ (without specifying what) with trial and error. And again others although some even disapproving the action say it is nevertheless necessary to support ‘the brothers’ against the infidels reagardless of what they do. And several support both the ideas and actions of S4H but also call for a ‘MuslimsAgainstShariah4Belgium‘. Several condemn the action, not because they agree with Dibi and Manji (on the contrary) but because it is against Islam, against tolerance and taints the image of Islam and Muslims. One calling them hooligans and a disgrace. Others condemn the action but also emphasize the need for reflection on the question if we do not have something of Abu Imraan as part of our self. Supporters of Manji define her insistence to remain on the stage during the protest as a ‘Rosa Parks‘ moment: “she didn’t move to the back of the bus”. Interestingly that is actually the statement of S4H and S4B as well: they dont want to be moved to the back of the bus (albeit with different tactics, aesthetics, frames and political identities).

Theater and Spectacle

It is not the first time S4B disrupts a meeting and I’ve written about it earlier as well. Every time the reactions among many Muslims are very negative even among those who do not necessarily object to the messages of S4B. The amount of support remains rather low in my impression. What is the use of tactics like these then? I guess we can look at it in terms of theatre and spectacle. What is happening here is that protestors orchestrate an event that breaks the usual order of things in debates and debating rooms. They do this in such a way, with dramatic acts of rupture, that dramatizes injustice experienced by the protesters and engages with media conventions in which the sensational is prioritized and whereby continuously social problems, enemies, leaders and followers are constructed, prioritized and pacified. So when, almost in a parade, they enter the debating room )with its highly formalized and stylized conventions for both speakers and audience), creating rwina (chaos, when things are not going the way they are supposed to go) they produce a stark contrast with what people expect and accept in such an environment. Violence is such a tactic, standing up and shouting in a debate is another one, spitting, threatening and so on are other tactics as well as using Arab slogans. And it works, immediately after the event the hunt for eye-witness accounts and video footage began.

The idea, also apparent among opponents of S4H, that no one is standing up for Muslims and against injustice, is significant. What S4H tries to do with this theatre and spectacle is to pursue visibility; both for their cause (injustice) as well as for themselves (as the true representatives of the oppressed). At the same time they try to render invisible any disagreement and weakness on their part or among Muslims in general. As such they use the media and how the media covers such an event is just as much part of the spectacle as the actions themselves as can be seen from Abu Imraan speech who turns the use of the label ‘radicals’ or ‘extremists’ against his opponents.

The media’s reaction confirms the S4B/S4H worldview and this theatrical resistance is meant to create that interplay because they know their message and performance will be interpreted through prevailing frames, concerns and norms. I wouldn’t be surprised therefore if they actually would agree with the Dutch intelligence service that fears a growing radicalization. I don’t. This is what we have seen before; a whole series of oppositional, provocative and militant disruptive spectacles that, taken together, can be seen as theatrical resistance. Using a video camera and Youtube shows they perfectly understand the power of theatre, spectacle and sensationalism in the age of social media.

At the same time however this spectacle is a site of contestation where different actors use the spectacle for their own agenda and interests; therefore the understandable fear among opponents that S4B/S4H only serves to legitimate islamophobia and to denounce all Muslims as freaks, barbarians and terrorist-in-disguise. Which is indeed what happens, showing that it is difficult to escape the islamophobic and anti-religious attitude whether one engages in such militant actions, responds to such militant actions, or not respond at all; actions designed to challenge the existing order may end up confirming them. Within this perspective, the insistence of Dibi and Manji to remain on the stage was by the way highly effective. Not only in the sense that the debate could go on but also in the sense of performance: by remaining steadfast within the ethic and aesthetic terms of the usual debate (not shouting, being supported by others) and by foregrounding themselves as defenders of free speech.

2 comments.

Creationisme in beweging: Harun Yahya op de Rotterdamse tram

Posted on October 24th, 2011 by martijn.
Categories: Activism, Internal Debates, Notes from the Field, Public Islam.

Foto via: saracoglu_burak / Flickr

Harun Yahya is het pseudoniem van Adnan Oktar, een Turkse voorvechter van een vorm van creationisme waarin wordt gesteld dat de evolutieleer niet klopt en dat de wereld is geschapen door God. Ik heb al eens eerder over hem geschreven:
Moslim Creationisme

Harun Yahya is, voor zover ik weet, een voorvechter van tafsir ilmi, de koranuitleg die spectaculaire natuurverschijnselen en vooral hypermoderne natuurwetenschappelijke kennis in de koran terugleest om vervolgens de goddelijke oorsprong van het heilige boek te bewijzen.
[…]
Yahya, zegt Riexinger, specialist in islamitisch creationisme, probeert vanuit een ultraconservatief standpunt en vooral op basis van Amerikaanse christelijk creationistische literatuur de feilen van de darwinistische leer aan te tonen. ‘Daarbij schildert hij de evolutietheorie af als summum van westers materialisme. Yayha staat bol van antiwesters, antidemocratisch en ook antisemitisch sentiment.’
Yahya’s boeken zijn gericht op (jonge) moslims in de westerse diaspora, zegt de Turks-Amerikaanse fysicus dr. Taner Edis (Truman State University, Kirksville Missouri). ‘Ze worden niet in het Arabisch, maar wel in vele westerse talen vertaald. Het is een verdediging tegen westers atheisme, vanuit een minderwaardigheidsgevoel tegenover de westerse wetenschap. De boodschap is: he, die evolutietheorie is een westerse dwaling, wij moslims weten beter. Dat biedt jonge moslims de kans om hun identiteit te versterken.’
Islamitisch creationisme is een bij uitstek modern verschijnsel, zegt godsdienstwetenschapper prof. dr. Abdelkader Tayob (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), dat opkomt in landen waar een sterk religieuze traditie in aanraking komt met moderne wetenschap. zoals in Turkije. ‘Men zoekt een houding tegenover die wetenschap terwijl men tegelijk wil vasthouden aan de eigen religieuze traditie.’
Opmerkelijk genoeg is evolutietheorie eigenlijk amper een thema binnen de islam, zeggen islamologen. Darwins ideeën hebben nooit meer dan een kleine seculiere bovenlaag bereikt. De consensus onder moslims is dan ook dat God de wereld en de mens geschapen heeft – iets wat 50 procent van de Amerikanen overigens ook denkt, hoewel deze ook nog precies weten wanneer: tienduizend jaar geleden – en zich in zijn schepping voortdurend laat gelden. Hoe dat gebeurt, eventueel via natuurwetten of evolutie, daarover zijn meerdere opvattingen, omdat de koran geen echt uitsluitsel biedt.
Volgens de islamoloog prof. dr. Sjoerd van Koningsveld (Universiteit Leiden) biedt de islam in theorie meer ruimte voor evolutie dan het christendom. ‘De goddelijke almacht en de scheppingsgedachte zijn weliswaar fundamenteel maar ook tamelijk abstract. De details uit Genesis, de zesdaagse schepping, Adam en Eva, de zondvloed, vind je in de minder belangrijke geschriften, niet in de koran. Zelfs de big bang-kosmologie kan probleemloos mee, met Allah als onbewogen beweger die de zaak aan het rollen brengt.’
Van Koningsveld meent echter dat expliciet moslim-creationisme vooral afkomstig is uit ideologisch gemotiveerde fundamentalistische kring.  ‘

UPDATE: Voor de helderheid, hiermee is niet gezegd dat Van Koningsveld stelt dat de islam de evolutieleer zou promoten. De Koran, en dat stelt hij ook, is zeer stellig in de opvatting dat de wereld geschapen is.

Destijds schreef ik dat naar aanleiding van het bericht dat Yahya zijn Atlas of the Creation verspreidde in Nederland. Zijn site heeft ook een Nederlands deel met daarop vertaalde teksten en filmpjes:

Momenteel loopt er een campagne in Nederland. Ik weet niet precies of de organisatie van Yahya daar achter zit of dat het een initiatief is van Nederlandse aanhangers. In de volgende video zien we de aankondiging:

En hier zien we de reactie van Harun Yahya op de Rotterdamse trams met daarop zijn gezicht en zijn boodschap: ‘De Moderne Wetenschap Bewijst: God bestaat’:

Waarschijnlijk hangt deze campagne samen met de Harun Yahya conferenties enkele weken geleden in België. Eerder dit jaar was er al een conferentie in Rotterdam en één in Amsterdam. Yahya is overigens onder moslims omstreden. Sommigen claimen dat zijn opvattingen niet stroken met islamitische doctrines en dat (salafi opvatting) de sufi opvatting zou hanteren dat God in ons allemaal huist. Anderen maken zich daarover veel minder druk en waarderen het werk dat hij zou doen in het aantonen van wat men ziet als de de waarheid van de islam. Deze tramcampagne vertoont wel wat gelijkenis met de Atheist Bus Campaign in onder andere Engeland die ook (op kleine schaal) navolging kreeg in Nederland. Maar ook voor Nederland zijn dergelijke campagnes niet nieuw. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan de campagnes van de Bond tegen het Vloeken en de campagnes van de stichting Stevan.

0 comments.

Niet het laatste woord: debat de laatste fatwa in Argan

Posted on September 17th, 2011 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Multiculti Issues, Notes from the Field, Public Islam, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

Afgelopen vrijdag was er in jongerencentrum Argan in Amsterdam een debat over de ‘final fatwa’ van GroenLinks Tweede Kamerlid Tofik Dibi. Tijdens deze avond onder leiding van Nadia Bouras ging Tofik Dibi in debat met jongerenimam Yasin elForkani en met de zaal over de inhoud en vorm van Final Fatwa. Ik had de eer een inleiding te mogen geven. Hier de tekst van de inleiding en een korte impressie van de avond. (more…)

1 comment.

IslamOnline – Strike, Stream and Twitter Activism

Posted on March 16th, 2010 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, Internal Debates.

IslamOnline is on strike since today. Employees of the Arabic-English news website Islam Online are demanding their voices be heard by the new administration. The original plan was to have a short strike but after security forces were called in by the new Qatari administration an open-ended sit-in was announced.
According to Bikya Masr (well-informed):
Islam Online in crisis as administration threatens to fire journalists | Bikya Masr

According to Atef Abdel-Ghany, who runs the website’s development committee, said the new board has informed the employees that come March 31, “more than 250 of the journalists will be let go.” Islam Online currently employs more than 350 people.
[…]

Prominent Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawy, who is technically the owner of Islam Online, has been out of touch during the ordeal. Employees attempted to get in touch with him, but to no avail. HMLC said that the sheikh “had promised the workers all of their rights and the continuation of the Cairo branch or he would resign, but it seems the Qatari side has taken advantage of Qaradawy’s health and his trip to Saudi Arabia.”

The law center said this was an attempt to take advantage of the situation while he is away.

This left the Egyptian blogosphere up in arms over the development, which has been updating the situation constantly. According to reports, the new administration wants a more “conservative approach” to what has long been considered one of the few voices for moderate Islamic perspectives online in both English and Arabic. […]

The employees have said the new administration consists of conservative Salafist and Wahhabi – known for their conservative approach to Islam – Muslims who want to remove at least three sections from the website. They are the “Islamyoon,” “Madarik” and “Youth.”

The journalists argue this is an effort to push a new “conservative agenda” that runs counter to the traditional Islam Online effort of bring people together.

The move on the moderate Islam Online is likely to spur the already tense relationship between moderate Muslims and the conservatives, who have been attempting to buttress their support in Egypt for the past few years. Those from the Gulf have been pushing their agenda in Egypt for years, but only recently has their voice become stronger and supporters flocking to their ranks, says Gamal al-Banna, an elderly Islamic scholar and liberal thinker.

“We have for far too long allowed the conservatives to come into Egypt and have done nothing about it,” he began. “It is time to speak out for what Egyptians want.”

Except there is not much covering of this event as yet, with the exception of the site mentioned above and Al-Masry Al-Youm. Having said that, interestingly, the strike (or sit-in as it should be called by now) can followed live on Twitter. In particular Nadia el Awady (see also her blog) is twittering a lot about it and has reliable information (always a problem on Twitter). You can also follow employees: Mosab and Ghafari and the continuing tweets can be followed by using #IOL or #islamonline as hashtag. And the activists over there are using a live stream for a live coverage of their own activities at Ustream. You can follow that here: IOL on AIR.

As Nadia el Awady also remarked on Twitter, IOL has never been in the forefront of using new media, but now with this strike they have overcome that. The whole conflict seems to be related to a takeover of the board by conservative Muslims. IOL has always been relatively open to liberal and alternative lifestyle views and has been promoted by Yusuf Qardawi as a website for all Muslims. Bettina Gräf has written about IOL describing and explaining the history and operations of IslamOnline.net. The body behind IslamOnline (IOL) is the Al-Balagh Cultural Society in Qatar, which was established in 1997 on the initiative of Qatari IT specialist Maryam Hasan al-Hajari and Dr. Hamid al-Ansari, a scholar at the Sharica Faculty of the University of Qatar. In its early stages the project was supported by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the 1926-born, Azhar-educated Egyptian scholar. Yusuf al-Qaradawi defined the site’s mission this way: “This project is neither nationalistic nor one aiming at a grouping or a group of people; it is a project for the entire Islamic community. It is the jihad of our era.” Read Gräf’s paper (pdf) HERE or only the introduction at Arab Media & Society.

Who decides what to say about Islam (be it liberal, conservative or whatever other label) seems to be at stake it here as well as job security. By using Twitter and Ustream as resources for activism and mobilization series of employees voiced their grievances before the video feed. Many said they were fighting for their jobs but also the maintain the website’s tolerant outlook.

3 comments.

Vermijden van kerstmis…

Posted on December 21st, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Multiculti Issues.

Stem op het beste en slechtste!.

..dat is nog niet zo’n slecht idee, maar goed dat zegt dan ook een kerstmishater zoals ik. Het altijd goed geïnformeerde Allochtonen Weblog (wanneer verandert die naam nou eens?) komt met het volgende bericht:
Allochtonenweblog: Orthodoxe groepen roepen moslims op zich verre te houden van christelijke feestdagen

er [zijn] orthodoxe groeperingen die zich verzetten tegen het vieren door moslims van christelijke feestdagen. Zo heb ik dit jaar van verschillende afzenders een mail ontvangen waarin moslims wordt opgeroepen zich verre te houden van christelijke feestdagen. De brief bevat de volgende passage:

Wat houdt het vermijden van niet-islamitische feesten in de praktijk in?
1. Wegblijven van hun vieringen, dus het vermijden van plaatsen waar ze hun feestelijkheden houden en het vermijden dat je in hun feestelijkheden terecht komt, zoals bijvoorbeeld kerstmis en nieuwjaarsborrels, verjaardagsfeesten, st. maarten, sinterklaas, 1 aprilgrappen, allerlei jubilea, etc.
2. Vermijden om zelf zaken te doen, die te maken hebben met deze vieringen van de niet-moslims, zoals het in huis halen van een kerstboom, je kinderen mee laten doen met st. maarten of sinterklaas, verjaardagen vieren in je familiekring, vuurwerk afsteken op nieuwjaarsdag etc.
3. Vermijden om de niet-moslims te feliciteren met hun vieringen. Hoe kunnen we ze feliciteren met het feit dat ze ongehoorzaam zijn aan Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)? Uitingen zoals prettige verjaardag, gelukkige feestdagen, gelukkig nieuwjaar, zijn ongepast. Het enige geluk is immers te vinden in imaan, waar geloof! Een moslim mag dus iemand niet feliciteren met het begaan van zonden en ongehoorzaamheid aan Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)!
4. We moeten ook niet van onze eigen feesten imitaties maken van de feesten van de niet-moslims, dus dezelfde dingen doen die zij doen met hun feesten. Sowieso zullen veel van deze zaken verboden zijn.
Om onze identiteit en waardigheid te bewaren en om Allaah´s liefde en acceptatie te verdienen (en dit betekent vrede en geluk in dit leven en het uiteindelijke slagen in het Hiernamaals), laten we ons houden aan wat Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) genoegen doet. Hij heeft ons dit laten weten in Zijn Boek en middels Zijn Boodschapper. En bedenk dat feesten en vieringen hierop geen uitzondering vormen.

Het volledige stuk kan HIER gelezen worden. Daartegenover staat het bericht in Trouw (onder meer opgepikt door Nieuwwij):
Mohammed, Alia en Feruk vieren Kerst – Trouw

Islam en Kerst, gaat dat samen? Steeds meer mensen vinden van wel. Kerstmis is niet alleen een religieus feest, maar heeft ook aardse waarde, „vriendschap, liefde, warmte en gezelligheid. Daar kan een moslim niet tegen zijn”.

Dit is allemaal niet erg nieuw. Het stuk waar Allochtonen weblog naar verwijst circuleert (deels) al enkele jaren op internet, zie Marokko.nl en is inmiddels aangepast en gerecycled op Ansaar.nl en Afghan.nl Forum. Op Ansaar.nl staat te lezen dat het stuk afkomstig zou zijn van de projectgroep Islam en Dialoog; of dat ook klopt weet ik niet. Een en ander verwijst naar een breder debat onder moslims en een bredere vraag: hoe moslim te zijn in een niet-moslim samenleving én wie spreekt namens de islam? Het is dan ook geen debat dat alleen tot Nederland beperkt blijft zoals onder meer het volgende artikel uit de Britse Independent laat zien:
Can a Muslim say happy Christmas to his friends? – This Britain, UK – The Independent

As a 23-year-old professional who socialises widely, Mr Azam had never considered the possibility that someone in his community might frown upon him for going round to his neighbours at Christmas or partying during New Year. But his friend, who had become increasingly devout, was adamant that such behaviour was haram (forbidden).

“Personally I think he’s wrong,” explained Mr Azam. “But it’s difficult to argue against him because all the information he gets is taken from the internet and it makes him sound very knowledgeable.”

Such a debate between two young British Muslims would have been almost unthinkable two decades ago. But today it is frequently the internet that young Muslims turn to when looking for spiritual advice. And what they find in cyberspace is often shockingly intolerant. “Do not congratulate [the unbeliever] on their festivals in any way whatsoever,” warns one prominent site. “That implies approval of their festival and not denouncing them.”

The Independent verwijst ook naar die bredere debatten en haalt als casus daarvoor de strijd tussen Egyptische Al Azhar en Saudische geleerden aan:
Can a Muslim say happy Christmas to his friends? – This Britain, UK – The Independent

Armed with quotes from Saudi scholars living thousands of miles away, a small number of angry young British Muslims are forgoing the inclusive Islam their parents were once taught in favour of an interpretation that encourages them to cut themselves off from mainstream society and view all non-Muslims with contempt.

But now, as the Hajj gets under way in Mecca, one of the world’s oldest Islamic institutions has come to Britain to remind young Muslims who might be tempted by the Wahabi rhetoric that there is an alternative way to worship. Scholars from Al-Azhar in Cairo have been touring Britain’s mosques to launch a new online book of fatwas (Islamic judgements) which directly challenge the Saudi way of thinking.

Het stuk verwijst naar Al Azhar’s stuk The Response dat te vinden is op de website Fixyourdeen (repareer je religie):
Fix Your Deen

What can the present work add to the overcrowded and, it seems, increasingly stagnant debate on “how to live as a Muslim in the modern world”? This book’s importance lies in refocusing our attention on the flexibility and coherence of the works of Sunni Islam’s traditional legal authorities, a point that, while eloquently made in Professor Muhammad Ra’fat ‘Uthman’s introduction, informs the reasoning behind all the legal opinions (fatawa) contained here. Of course, the same kind of reasoning was exercised by the classical jurists, for whom “difference” (ikhtilaf) was perceived as a sign of God’s mercy (rahma). Sadly, the jurists’ initial courage – their respect for difference, even for ambiguity – is now often forgotten, as the search for a single, monolithic reading to solve all problems regularly results in discussions breaking down into mere polemic. In troubled times, the authors invite Muslims to exercise compassion and common sense in their dealings with each other. The advice given is not to judge harshly someone who fails to live up to your standards, or who prefers a different path, or who is ignorant of the law in a particular instance.

The Response is written primarily for Muslims who, in searching for guidance, have been given simplistic, problematic and often dangerous readings of the faith. Its hope – for Muslims to value patience, caution and mercy – should not be misread as a call for undue lenience. The lines separating Muslim behavior from that of non-Muslims are clearly delineated. One example will suffice: while certain commentators prohibit Muslims from congratulating non-Muslims on the latter’s festival days, The Response permits this (fatwa no. 15); yet, it also links this permission to the condition that Muslims do not, while interacting with non-Muslims, begin to emulate their thinking or behavior. Any act that endangers a Muslim’s commitment to his or her faith is strongly discouraged; what is most important in establishing ethical and legal culpability is the underlying intention (niyya). The classical jurists would have agreed.

Originally composed in Arabic, this work was translated into English with a sense of urgency: it needed to be done, and it needed to be done now. The Response joins a growing body of scholarship through which the early legal scholars of Islam are permitted once again to speak for themselves. In contrast to the idiosyncratic interpretations of certain contemporary Hanbali scholars, the books’ authors realize the need for some rulings to be adapted to modern settings; they strive to do so without sacrificing the fundamental principles upon which the original rulings were based (e.g. fatwa no. 75). Needless to say, not all the opinions recommended here will convince all readers. But, these authors would contend, that is not the main issue at stake. For, as they repeatedly emphasize throughout their work, so long as an issue produces ikhtilaf among the scholars of Islam, it may not be legally prohibited by Muslims (e.g. fatwa 48). Ultimately, then, the authors’ response to extremism is to leave Muslims, as intelligent readers, to make their own choices, and to live with the consequences of these.

Het gehele boek kan HIER gedownload worden.

Cover 'The Response'

Ik heb het zelf nog niet gelezen en kan er dus weinig over zeggen behalve dan dat het duidelijk geschreven is met Saudische geleerden in het achterhoofd aangezien ze na iedere vraag een Saudische fatwa citeren en dan hun eigen (naar eigen zeggen centristische) alternatief geven. Bijvoorbeeld met betrekking tot het feliciteren van niet-moslims met hun religieuze festivals:

Question: A question was asked about whether or not Muslims should congratulate non- Muslims during the latter’s festivals (a‘ayad).
Fatwa in Brief: It is illegal to congratulate non-Muslims during their religious festivals. In so doing one shares in sin, and [their] corruption.
The Permanent Committee, 313/3
See Shaykh Sa‘id ‘Abd al-‘Azim, www.alsalafway.com

Response:
There is no harm in congratulating non-Muslims with whom you have a family relationship, or that are neighbours of yours. Regarding their festivals, however, do not participate in the rituals (tuqus) of Christians, or those in a similar religious category [i.e. non-Muslims].
Commentary:
In two verses from the Holy Qur’an the nature of relationships between Muslims and others are laid down (Q. 60:8-9). These verses apply directly to the polytheists and idol-worshippers (mushrikin wa’l-wathaniyyin)
“Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just”.

“Allah only forbids you with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong”.
These two verses distinguish between, on the one hand, the peaceful (musalamin) and, on the other hand, the warriors (muharibin). Regarding the peaceful [non-Muslims], the law recommends behaving justly with them, this, in turn leads to charitable and kind dealings. On the other hand, the second verse forbids loyalty to the warriors. This is because they have taken Muslims as enemies, have fought with them and have driven them out of their homes.
The two Shaykhs [i.e. Bukhari and Muslim] report a hadith in which Asma’ (r.a.) the daughter of Abu Bakr, came to the Prophet (upon him be peace) and said: “O Messenger of God, my mother has come to me, and she is a polytheist (mushrika), and she wants to remain in contact with me, should I stay in touch with her?” The Prophet (upon him be peace) replied, yes, stay in touch with your mother. This hadith is agreed upon.
[We note that] This is the Prophet’s attitude towards a polytheist (mushrika); however, Islam’s approach to the People of the Book [i.e. to Jews and Christians] is known to be more lenient. Indeed, the Qur’an permits Muslims to be the dinner companions of Jews and Christians, and [even] to marry them. Obviously, in the latter case, an affectionate relationship is required. Further [as mentioned already], motherhood privileges a woman in her role over her children. The children [of a non-Muslim mother] will congratulate her on her festival days, and behave well towards her. The generous Prophet (upon him be peace) advises us “to treat people kindly” [lit: “with strong ethics”). He said “treat people”, and not just Muslims with kindness.21
Hence, if someone congratulates a Muslim during one of their feast, we are to respond to his greeting with a better, or at least an equal greeting. For God Almighty says:
“When ye are greeted with a greeting, [you should] return [this] with a better, or at least an equal greeting”. (Q. 4:86.)
Another motive to respond to the non-Muslim’s greeting is that, if Muslims want to call them [the non-Muslims] to Islam – which is an obligation upon all Muslims – one’s relationship with them should obviously be cordial. While in Mecca, the Prophet (upon him be peace) was well-mannered, and polite to the polytheists of the Quraysh. He behaved like this despite the fact that they wished to hurt him, and were plotting against him and his Companions. Indeed, he was so polite and decent with them that they trusted him with their valuables (wada‘i’). So, there should be nothing to prevent a Muslim from congratulating them verbally, or through letters that do not involve religious words or symbols. [This should not be difficult as] The greetings used to congratulate on such occasions do not normally pertain to religion; instead, they involve well-known complimentary messages. Likewise, there is also nothing to prevent a Muslim from accepting a present from non-Muslims, and [even] rewarding them for it. The Prophet (upon him be peace) accepted presents from non-Muslims. Hence, he accepted a gift from (among others) al-Muqawqas, the greatest of the Copts in Egypt. Likewise, we may accept presents on the condition that they are not forbidden by God, such as alcohol and pork.22 Regarding days set aside for national and social festivals, such as Independence Day, Children’s Day, Mother’s Day, and so on, a Muslim is free to congratulate non-Muslims at these times. If he is a citizen in this country, he is even free to participate in them, as long as he avoids the illegal acts that may occur during these occasions.
Dr. Yassir ‘Abd al-‘Azim

The response, p. 52-54, zie ook de uitspraken onder supervisie van Qaradawi
The Response is te zien als een poging van Al Azhar om hun positie als leidend islamitisch instituut te herstellen, zo stelt Gauvain in The Independent en de nuance en ambiguïteit terug te brengen in de islam die al zo lang het kenmerk zijn van de islamitische tradities. De vraag is echter of dit wel zal aanslaan. Al Azhar heeft veel van haar positie verloren en voor velen is het juist de nuance en ambiguïteit in de islamitische tradities die een probleem zijn omdat het daardoor zou lijken alsof de islamitische boodschap is aangepast en dus verwaterd. De Al Azhar sheikhs worden ook wel gezien als ‘paleisgeleerden’ of ‘paleissheikhs’ omdat ze aan de leiband zouden lopen van de Egyptische overheid (en bezwaar dat sommigen overigens ook tegen enkele Saoedische sheikhs inbrengen). Het gebrek aan controle en reikwijdte van Azhar, maar tegelijkertijd ook de grote invloed die men niettemin toch heeft, was goed te zien bij de recente case over Sheikh Tantawi van de Al Azhar die de niqab verbood op scholen. Er zijn vrouwen (met en zonder niqab) die Tantawi’s actie afkeuren en die vast blijven houden aan wat zij zien als het voorbeeld van de vrouwen van de profeet. In het Midden-Oosten gaat het daarbij ook om een strijd tussen de seculiere elite en de conservatieve en progressieve massa die voor spiritualiteit maar ook voor een politiek alternatief het antwoord in de islam vinden. Een soortgelijke strijd is ook in Europa te vinden waar de laatste jaren in toenemende mate de Europese overheden ook menen iets te moeten vinden over de islam en de geloofsbeleving van mensen, in naam van integratie en radicalisering (daar ga ik binnenkort nog op in) en in beide gevallen ook de controle over het lichaam van de vrouw willen hebben.

Het aanhalen van teksten zoals die gepubliceerd is op allochtonen-weblog bemoeilijkt zowel de pogingen van de Europese overheden als die van in het Midden-Oosten en van Al Azhar om greep te krijgen op jongeren. Internet maakt het mogelijk voor deze jongeren om zich op eigen houtje in een alternatieve islamitische traditie te voegen, juist buiten de controle van allerlei (seculiere en religieuze) gezaghebbende instanties om.

Stem op het beste en slechtste!.

2 comments.

Mohammed el Fizazi en de open brief aan moslims: Duitsland is geen slagveld

Posted on November 1st, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Murder on theo Van Gogh and related issues, Religious and Political Radicalization.

Enkele jaren gelden werd Muhammad el Fizazi, de spirituele leider van de Salafia Jihadia in Marokko, veroordeeld tot 30 jaar cel. Hij ontving zijn religieuze training in Saoedi Arabië en na zijn terugkeer naar Marokko begon hij eind jaren negentig openlijk Osama Bin Laden te steunen met (vermeende?) uitspraken waarin hij naar Bin Laden verwezen zou hebben als ‘metgezel van de profeet’ en dat ‘de kelen van christenen en joden doorgesneden zouden moeten worden’. In 1999 werd Fizazi de imam van de Al Quds moskee in Hamburg, waar de Hamburg cel die de aanslagen van 9/11 uitvoerde regelmatig gekomen zou zijn, en keerde kort voor 9/11 terug naar Marokko. Fizazi had ook banden met de aanslagen in Madrid (Hasan el Haski, Jamal Zougham en Abdelaziz Benyaich) en de Salafia Jihadia was (samen met Assirat al Moustakin) betrokken bij de aanslagen in Casablanca in 2003. Die aanslagen vormden de aanleiding voor zijn veroordeling in 2003 voor het verspreiden van radicaal gedachtegoed en banden met de plegers van de aanslagen in 2003. In 2007 nam hij nog deel aan een hongerstaking van meer dan 20 dagen. Ook Nederlandse jihadisten zouden door hem beïnvloed zijn.

In juli 2009 zou El Fizazi een brief naar zijn dochter in Hamburg hebben gestuurd waarin hij zich distantieert van terreuraanslagen op doelen in het Westen. Dat mag opmerkelijk genoemd worden want daarmee distantieert hij zich volgens mij ook van Al Qaeda. Voor de goede orde, hij wijst gewapende strijd niet af, maar het gaat om een heroriëntering op de doelen van dat geweld. Moslims in Duitsland zouden zich volgens hem moeten richten op vreedzame demonstraties, stakingen en protesten in plaats van niets en niemand ontziende aanslagen en het doden van onschuldige burgers alleen omdat ze ongelovig zouden zijn. Eén van de argumenten die hij geeft, is dat wanneer moslims naar Duitsland immigreren contracten ondertekenen ze geen geweld kunnen gebruiken tegen hun gastheren omdat dit contractbreuk zou zijn en verraad. El Fizazi is niet de eerste die zijn ideeen herziet; in Egypte is bijvoorbeeld de leiding van de Gamaat Islamiyya hem voorgegaan en in Saoedi Arabië Salman al Awda. Niettemin geloof niet iedereen in de authenticiteit van de brief en/of weigert men van koers te veranderen. Zie voor de achtergronden het artikel in Der Spiegel en de discussies op Jihadica HIER en HIER.

Der Spiegel heeft ook de brief geplaatst en ik zal hem hieronder integraal (in Engelse vertaling) weergeven:
Mohammed El Fazazi’s Letter: ‘Germany Is No Battle Zone’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

My daughter has put to me a few questions with the aim of finding answers about the situation of Muslim immigrants in Germany and their relationship with the German state. I consider myself truly happy that she has raised these topics with me because it provides me with the opportunity to express my thoughts and opinions about these issues and provide answers to those who seek them.

I would like to declare firstly that I, Muhammad bin Muhammad El Fazazi, the writer of these lines, has not been forced to put these down. I am under no pressure to write this, because I am in prison or have been put under pressure to do so or because I want to pretend about something — and, as a proof of this, shall serve the logical arguments and the arguments of the sharia that I will put forward here.

In addition, my situation in a Moroccan prison is very unusual, given the rights that I enjoy here and the respect that I am met with. I am not lacking anything apart from my freedom, and I have appealed to the almighty Allah that it is given back to me as soon as possible. This is because everybody knows, including the Moroccan government, that the accusations against me, because of the attacks in Casablanca, are not true. They represent a big mistake on the part of the Moroccan secret service. This error must be corrected.

‘I Am a Muslim and Nothing More’

In terms of the questions about what my thoughts and religious points of reference where before I moved to the German city of Hamburg, here’s what I think:

I am a person whose personality is put together from different sources and maybe it is possible to say as a summary that I do not trust so much the way that certain people think as much as I rely on the arguments that these men bring forward. (…) I have no particular sheik whom I follow apart from the Koran and the sunna of the prophet. Apart from this I am a modern person. For 32 years I was a teacher of French and mathematics, and I have also for more than 30 years served Da’wa (editors’s note: mission) and I have devoted myself to preaching under the auspices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Morocco. In other words: I am a Muslim and nothing more. I am not a Salafist jihadist and I am not a traditional Salafi. I am not a Muslim Brother or anything else. I am a Muslim and nothing more. (…)

As for my books and my speeches or talks — which partly contained thoughts that were terrible towards my opponents — one must put them into context in terms of the time and location and one must not more interpret more into them than they actually contained. I say here publicly that I was the object of vicious attacks by leftist circles in Morocco. I was insulted, coerced, I was wrongly quoted in newspapers and forums. And a lot of what I said in books was a reply to these attacks and an act of self-defense. And I admit that I went too far and overshot the target in my attempt to counter what I had to hear about myself by my leftist opponents and other forces. (…) So that’s the context in which my books and my articles must be understood. (…)

‘I Have Moved Away from Some of My Beliefs’

Without a doubt, the long years that I had to spend behind bars in prison have given me an opportunity to contemplate and soberly reflect. I am not ashamed that I have once again reflected on my world of thoughts and have moved away from some of my beliefs. This is a laudable thing and not to be lamented. (…)

As for the questions regarding Muslim immigrants and the German state or Western states in general: The first ones who should answer those questions are the learned people who have emigrated themselves, because they know more about the details and more about those particular relations, they are living the everyday life and they experience the behavior of state institutions and they have contact with the population.

But if I were to say something personally about it, as someone who has on only two occasions spent two weeks in Germany — not even enough time to allow me to really get to know the people and the country or even the Muslim community there — then I would say that a Muslim immigrant, no matter where he comes from, has generally come to Germany because he wants to learn something there or he wants to work, seek medical treatment or any number of things. Germany accepted him under certain conditions.

‘Germany Is Not a Battle Zone’

In order for these conditions to be formulated, certain forms have been filled out and certain contracts have been concluded. In these cases we are talking about real contracts that have to be adhered to. In reality this is what you would call an Ahd Amam, a security contract for both sides and Allah says in his beloved book: “You who have given security, keep the contracts.”

So it follows that anything that breaks these contracts — e.g. by declaring theft to be halal (editor’s note: something which is permitted under Islam) (…) or by allowing the killing of the population in the name of jihad (…) or by trying to build cells who put people into a state of fear and horror and so on (…) — in my eyes constitutes a breach of contract and betrayal in regard to what one has signed in the embassy, in the consulate or in the immigration office.

Germany is not a battle zone. Germany is a field for work, a school for learning, workshops for investments, hospitals for treatment and a market for the sale of goods. Put in another way, Germany is a place for peaceful coexistence and a good life — not least of which because German judges and police (…) protect foreigners and take care of them. (…)

Muslims Seen as ‘Group of Backward-Looking Idiots’

Of course there are people, and these are not learned people, who say that Germany is a NATO member state and that Germany is part of those states that fight against Muslims in Afghanistan and support the state of Israel (…) I say that this is right. An injustice is always an injustice and every one must stand up against injustice, including the German people. I know that (the German people) are against war and occupation and that they have more than once publicly expressed their rejection of the war in general.

It is the job of immigrants to debate and engage with such people. (This should be done) by means of peaceful demonstrations, strikes and protests that are far removed from indiscriminate attacks, the killing of innocent people with the argument of killing kuffar, or non-believers.

The rejection of German or other foreign policy must be organized through civilian, peaceful methods of resistance.

The strength of the argument lies not in a rifle bullet, in violence or in explosive belts. Those won’t bring about change. They will only reinforce the backwardness of Muslims and their image as a group of backward-looking idiots whose place is in the caves and not in the streets of Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin or wherever. That’s what this is about. (…)

‘I Advise all to Live Together Peacefully’

I also want to add, in clear Arabic, that Hamburg (because the question addressed to me was about Hamburg) is a city in which there is a plurality of religious sects, ideologies and political directions. Apart from that, Islamic religious communities — for the reasons that I already mentioned and other generally accepted reasons — have been established there. The mosques are open, there are many of them and they are protected. There is real freedom of religion which does not exist in many Muslim states. The things that educated people and preachers can say there cannot be said in some Muslim countries.

There are many ways and possibilities of expressing oneself, and they are open to everyone. That, again, is hardly the case in the Muslim world. There is no prohibition on the peaceful promotion of Islam. Within the scope of legal possibilities and general relations between host and guest, one can express his opinion and represent his faith. (…)

I do not believe even that the rulers there (Germany) would close there office doors or their ears to the requests of the Muslim community. This is why I advise all to live togther peacefully. The wide world of Allah is open to anyone who cannot. And those who don’t want anything but killing, blood, robbery and theft have nothing to do with the religion of Allah the Exalted — neither in Germany nor anywhere else.

‘The Bite of Food that He Earned Himself Is Tasteful and Sweet’

When it comes to earning a living, work and unemployment, I do not think that it is permitted to rely on the German state and to avoid working to make a living, and instead claim unemployment benefits or similar. It is true that there are some lines of employment that are inappropriate for Muslims (…) but it is also true that there are many, many other possibilities for working that, from an Islamic perspective, are halal and thus permitted. (…) It is better the he (the Muslim) live from the work of his hands and the sweat of his brow because the mouthful is flavorsome and sweet. (…)

As for those in the streets of Hamburg who think about jihad in the path of God, they should think about life, because this is the true jihad in the path of God. The mere fact that there are 46 prayer rooms in Hamburg is in and of itself evidence of the tolerance showed by the German state towards Muslims. There is no comparably large number of churches in a city in any Islamic country. I know quite a bit about the fragmentations between the founders of those mosques and even within particular mosque communities. It has gone so far that this fragmentation has become one of the outstanding characteristics of the Muslims. This sorrowful state weakens the Muslim’s power. (…) Even when they want to engage in dialogue with the German state over certain issues, they confuse the state with all these conflicts.

‘The German Chancellor Is Great’

It is only just that I say that the other side — and with that I mean the German government — without any doubt does not guaranty all rights to immigrants. And I hope that they will stand up and see to it that their demands are met and that their suffering is eased and that they are better protected from attacks by xenophobes. Money must be invested in order to improve living conditions for immigrants as well as their level of education, their health care and their housing.

It is rude to demonize and insult the German government or Chancellor Merkel (…) is an immorality. The principle of biting the hand that feeds you doesn’t fit with Allah’s saying: “Don’t insult those who call upon another God than Allah.” (…)

What is the use of insulting the chancellor and describing her as a Taghut (or despot)? That’s nonsense. It doesn’t lead anywhere. The German chancellor is great. Germany has its religion and you have yours. The chancellor has her work and you have yours. (…) Germany has opened its doors to you and you have received something from its treasury, while you at the same time have not received anything from your own people. (…)

‘I Want to Guide My Brothers’

Finally, I say these are some of my answers that I have given. (…) I have not said any of this in order to achieve something. I want to guide my brothers in Islam and to point their attention to what is useful for them, especially since I am suffering in prison and have been misunderstood.

It has already been six years now since I was unjustly jailed.

I also say this, because many of you hold me in high esteem and trust my opinion. This is my opinion and that is my view.

I promise my daughter that I will answer all her questions in order to serve justice in the first and the last instance. May Allah grant success.

This has been written by Muhammad bin Muhammad El Fazazi who is been kept as a prisoner in the Tangier city prison unjustly, July 21, 2009.”

Editor’s note: This text is based on a German translation of Fazazi’s original Arabic letter that was commissioned by German security authorities. SPIEGEL ONLINE does not possess a copy of the Arabic original. About one-third of the original document has been removed in this abridged version because the passages were either difficult to understand or redundant.

Het is mij nog niet geheel duidelijk wat ik ervan moet denken. De herziening die El Fizazi doet past dus wel in een breder patroon van mensen die (oprecht zo lijkt het toch) deels afstand hebben gedaan van hun oude ideeen. In El Fizazi’s geval dan vooral voor wat betreft het gebruik van geweld in Westerse landen. Strijden tegen wat hij ziet als onrecht blijft wel belangrijk en hij wijst (in de brief althans) geweld niet in alle gevallen af. Aan de andere kant het gegeven dat deze brief (zoals die in Der Spiegel) via de veiligheidsdienst naar buiten is gekomen, zal het vertrouwen in de authenticiteit niet bepaald vergroten. De weigering van sommigen om het te geloven of, wanneer ze het wel geloven, kan er ook op wijzen dat de radicalisering wat dieper zit dan menigeen denkt en dat men niet blind zomaar wat geleerden navolgt zoals ook al eerder duidelijk werd in de zaak van Al Maqdisi. In ieder geval wijst El Fizazi’s brief op belangrijke vragen die leven en die betrekking hebben op één centrale vraag: wat zijn de grenzen van gewelddadige Jihad?

1 comment.

Protected: ‘Innovators en Zondaars’: kritiek en repliek

Posted on September 15th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

Enter your password to view comments.

Protected: 'Innovators en Zondaars': kritiek en repliek

Posted on September 15th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

Enter your password to view comments.

Het kan bekeren – jonge bekeerlingen

Posted on June 22nd, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, Islam in the Netherlands, Multiculti Issues, Ritual and Religious Experience, Young Muslims.

In Nederland zijn er, naar schatting, ongeveer 12.000 autochtone bekeerlingen tot de islam. Er zijn natuurlijk ook nog andere etnische groepen waar mensen zich bekeren tot de islam, maar voorzover ik weet zijn daar geen cijfers van. Bekeren betekent in dit geval het overstappen van de ene levensbeschouwelijke traditie naar een andere religieuze traditie (je kunt immers ook bekeren binnen een bepaalde levensbeschouwelijke traditie).

Er is in Nederland niet zo heel veel onderzoek verricht naar bekeerlingen. Karin van Nieuwkerk heeft het nodige gedaan met betrekking tot onderzoek naar bekeerde vrouwen en er zijn de nodige afstudeeronderzoeken gedaan, maar bij mijn weten is het dat wel hoewel er wellicht nog wel het een en ander aan komt over bekeerde vrouwen in Amsterdam. Er zijn verschillende motieven voor het bekeren. Een nadeel van veel verklaringen met betrekking tot motivatie waar allerlei deskundigen mee komen (verbondenheid, religie partner, helder van de islam) is dat het religieus-spirituele aspect in veel van de bekeringstrajecten uit het oog verloren wordt. Niet helemaal onbegrijpelijk omdat veel sociaal-wetenschappers vaak niets kunnen met de waarheidsclaims of het emotionele aspect van bekering. Terwijl die in de verhalen vaak overduidelijk aanwezig zijn: zoeken naar rust/vrede, zoeken naar ‘verlichting’, zoeken naar de waarheid over waarom dingen gebeuren. Al die zaken hebben wel te maken met verbondenheid, de omgeving, de doctrine van de islam, maar zijn er niet toe te reduceren.

Op moslima.nl vind je tal van verhalen die het nodige inzicht kunnen geven. Ook een programma van NMO en de reacties daarop zijn de moeite waard om te lezen. NOS Headlines heeft afgelopen zaterdag een item geplaats ‘Gelukkig bekeerd‘ waarin verschillende bekeerlingen aan bod komen (niet alleen bekeerlingen tot islam).

De consequenties van het bekeren vallen niet altijd mee. Allereerst is er de mogelijkheid dat men in het eigen oude vertrouwde netwerk geisoleerd raakt: bekeerlingen overschrijden de symbolische grens tussen Nederlanders en moslims en kunnen zeker negatieve en soms ronduit vijandige en agressieve reacties krijgen. Niet voor niets dat er plannen waren voor een opvanghuis voor bekeerde moslima’s, hoewel ik eigenlijk niet weet of dat nu gerealiseerd is. Ten tweede kunnen ook de reacties onder andere moslims soms getuigen van wantrouwen. Mijn indruk uit mijn eigen onderzoek is dat potentiële bekeerlingen vrij veel steun en hulp ondervinden van andere moslims, maar dat zodra men de getuigenis heeft afgelegd (de formele bekering) een groot deel van die steun wegvalt. Het recent opgerichte Landelijke Platform Nieuwe Moslims zou daar wellicht verandering in kunnen brengen bijvoorbeeld via een kennismakingsavond die binnenkort georganiseerd wordt. Verder zijn er ook diverse lokale netwerken, bijvoorbeeld in Amsterdam, voor ondersteuning van bekeerlingen en natuurlijk niet te vergeten Al Nisa.

Sommige bekeerlingen spelen een prominente rol onder moslims zoals Abdul-Jabbar van de Ven en/of in dialoog met niet-moslims zoals Abdulwahid van Bommel. De meeste bekeerlingen lijken echter publiekelijk nauwelijks een rol te spelen, maar wie weet gaat dit veranderen met een groep jonge bekeerlingen (dames en heren) die goed opgeleid is, niet op hun mondje gevallen zijn en weten hoe ze de zaken moeten over brengen. We zullen het zien.

UPDATE

Natuurlijk, hoe kan ik het vergeten. Ook Egbert Harmsen heeft een onderzoek gedaan naar ‘nieuwe moslims’, zoals Steven Lenos van Nuansa opmerkte bij Allochtonen weblog. Een artikel van de hand van Harmsen is HIER te downloaden.

2 comments.

Lezing dr Abou el Fadl – De paradoxen van de islamitische uitdaging en de toekomst van de wereld

Posted on June 19th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, Internal Debates.

MSV Nijmegen – Lezing door Prof Khaled Abou El Fadl
Lezing door Prof Khaled Abou El Fadl

Op vrijdag 19 juni organiseert MSV Nijmegen een speciale gastlezing door Professor Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl van de UCLA uit de Verenigde Staten, met als onderwerp:

‘De paradoxen van de islamitische uitdaging en de toekomst van de wereld‘ (‘The Paradoxes of the Islamic Challenge and the Future of the World‘)

Dr. Abou El Fadl bekleedt de stoel van ‘Islam and Citizenship’ (Islam en Burgerschap) aan de Universiteit Tilburg. Zijn bezoeken aan Nederland, waar hij masterclasses geeft, zijn kort. Daarom zijn we geeerd dat hij een dag met ons doorbrengt in Nijmegen. Doordat zijn terugreis naar de Verenigde Staten nadert, is dit de grote kans om zijn vernieuwde lezing bij te wonen!

Het programma zal er als volgt uitzien:
15:30 Inloop
16:00 Lezing: ‘The Paradoxes of the Islamic Challenge and the Future of the World’
18:00 Afsluiting

Plaats: Erasmusgebouw Radboud Universiteit, Erasmusplein 1, lokaal 2.56

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is een van de meest toonaangevende autoriteiten in de wereld in Islamwetten en Islam en een prominente geleerde op het gebied van mensenrechten. Hij staat bekend om zijn academische benadering van de Islam vanuit een moreel standpunt. Dr. Abou El Fadl is een Alfi onderscheiden professor in wet aan de UCLA wetschool, waar hij onderwijs geeft in Internationale Mensenrechten, Islamitsche Jurisprudentie, Nationale Veiligheidswet, Wet en Terrorisme, Islam en Mensenrechten, Politiek Asiel en Politieke Misdaden en Legale Systemen.

Naast de vele onderscheidingen heeft hij ook de volgende prijzen in ontvangst mogen nemen: Universiteit van Oslo Human Rights Award, de Leo and Lisl Eitinger prijs in 2007 en is hij tot Carnegie Scholar in Islamic Law (pedagogisch leraar in Islamwetten) benoemd in 2005. Hij is als enige moslim aangewezen voor de Commissie voor Internationale Religieuze Vrijheid door president George W. Bush. Daarnaast was hij ook een onderdeel van de Board of Directors van de Human Rights Watch.

Dr. Abou El Fadl heeft 14 boeken (vijf andere worden verwacht) en heeft meer dan 50 artikelen over Islamwetten en Islam geschreven. Zijn boeken zijn vertaald in verschillende talen, waaronder Arabisch, Perzisch, Frans, Ethiopisch, Russisch en Japans. In 2007 is zijn boek ‘Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists’ benoemd tot de top 100 boeken door ‘Canada’s Globe and Mail’. Zijn boek, ‘Search for Beauty in Islam: A Conference of the Books’ wordt beschouwd als een mijlpaal van Islamitisch literatuur van deze tijd.

Voor meer informatie bezoek: www.scholarofthehouse.org
Entree is gratis, maar de mogelijkheid bestaat om te doneren aan het fonds van de professor.

0 comments.

“Looking at the world as if women matter” – Feminism and Islam

Posted on June 10th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues, Internal Debates, Public Islam, Ritual and Religious Experience.

The Mosque in Morgantown has several interesting articles on the topic Feminism and Islam which includes women led prayer, interpreting the Quran, women’s rights, pluralism, social change, female authority, and so on.

The Global Islamic Feminist Movement

by Yvonne Haddad

Islamic feminism has been applied to the work of a group of scholars in the American academy who seek to address the role of women from within the heritage of Islam. They include Amina Wadud, Riffat Hasan, Amira Sonbol, Asma Barlas and Nimat Hafez Barzangi. They also include the first woman to translate the Qur’an into English, Laleh Bakhtiar. Their efforts fall in contrast to the activism and advocacy of other Muslim women who seek change through recourse to secular ideas as well as those who attack the faith as misogynist at its core. Asra Nomani and Irshad Manji are seen by some as representatives of the former category, Ayan Hirsi Ali and Wafa Sultan as examples of the latter. Instead, the Islamic feminists have sought to reconcile the religion with feminism. They do not question the validity of the Qur’anic text as eternally valid guidance for all humanity, but have reservations about the patriarchal interpretations characteristic of traditional societies.

Their discourse requires a re-examination of the Qur’anic text, which had been the private domain of male scholars. They have scoured the narratives of the life of the Prophet Muhammad for parallels to be promoted as models of liberation. They have challenged Islamic jurisprudence derived from patriarchal readings of the Qur’an, examining legal precedents and court decisions in order to reconstruct history. Some have focused on reinterpreting Qur’anic verses used by traditional scholars to formulate laws that discriminate against women, especially in a marriage context. Their revised interpretations affirm the grounding of women’s rights in the immutable Qur’an, rendering it a divine mandate for humanity, impervious to misogynist attacks. They have dubbed their efforts a “gender jihad.”

Looking at the World As If Women Matter

by Tayyibah Taylor

“Looking at the world as if women matter” is just one of the many ways feminism is explained. Some definitions are more academic and others are less generous, but searching through the philosophical pile of feminist theory and movements, one will discover first-wave and second-wave feminism, post colonial feminism, Western feminism, Black feminism, radical feminism, Islamic feminism and more, all with varying solutions to the issues women face.
[…]
Islam is more than a religion and it’s more than a way of life; Islam is a state of being. When we truly live our lives in the state of Islam, that is in a state of wholeness, serenity and in alignment with the laws of the universe, every second of existence, and every fiber of self is centered on connecting to the Divine. In that state, the flame misogyny has no oxygen. In that state, a world is created where women, and all humanity, matter.

Real Indicators of Female Empowerment: Women’s Space and Status in American Mosques

by Hadia Mubarak

[…]
Refusing to accept the status quo, I and five of my friends registered as members and attended the general body elections. We sat in the main prayer hall, which had been partitioned into two sections that day, a large section for the men and a smaller one for the women. Citing the mosque’s Constitution and religious textual sources, we demanded the right to vote like everyone. Our demands incited a heated and emotionally charged debate. Although it was clear that the majority of the men were on our side, the small minority of men who were against us, including the chair of the elections committee, dominated the debate. Exploiting his position, the elections committee chair took up a motion that put in his own hands the power decide whether or not women should vote — without subjecting the motion to a general vote.

I and my five friends left the mosque that day without voting for the men who would manage our mosque, make decisions on our behalf and represent us within the larger community. We left feeling disgusted, isolated and enraged. But we never for a second questioned the status that Islam accorded women or our God-given right to elect the leaders of our community. We knew that Islam was on our side and that ignorance was on theirs.

[…]
As a woman, I feel empowered by God’s laws — laws that I know with absolute certainty are for my own spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. At the same time, I refuse to rely on the interpretations of men to understand the laws of God. Women must engage the Islamic tradition themselves in order to restore rights that they were granted as early as the seventh century. When armed with knowledge of our God-given rights, then no human being can stand between us and our prerogative to exercise those rights.

The Real Feminist Leaders

by Kari Ansari

Islam teaches that men and women are equally capable of attaining the highest level of spirituality, and that both will be judged on equal terms by God. The teachings of Islam protect and defend the rights of a woman; she has the right to demand dignified treatment by all people — men included. She has the right to voice her opinion, and the value of that opinion is judged upon the same merits and criteria afforded to men.

[…]
The above-mentioned women are examples of leadership displayed all across the country by Muslim women of every ethnicity, age, and socio-economic background; we just don’t see them on television, or the New York Times Bestseller List. They are women who are changing the status quo at American mosques; they are working behind the scenes to establish domestic violence support services for immigrant women, they are running food pantries in the inner cities, they are teachers in Islamic schools–teaching tolerance and love for their neighbor. These Muslim women are homemakers and engineers, they are doctors and lawyers, and they are bankers and nurses. These women do not seek notoriety or fame; instead they are integrating into a society that often misunderstands them, and even sometimes pities them unnecessarily. Still, Muslim American women persevere, having faith in God and faith in the future of the American Muslim society as it matures and grows.

Useful links mentioned in the articles:
Sisters in Islam – Home

Women Living Under Muslim Laws

WLUML: Publications –

Warning Signs of Fundamentalisms
Edited by Ayesha Imam, Jenny Morgan & Nira Yuval-Davis (Published: December 2004)

The papers relate to a variety of contexts and global issues: Afghanistan, Algeria, Austria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Gambia, India, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Palestine, Rwanda, South Africa, USA, Yugoslavia, Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender identities, multiculturalism, the Internet, as well as fundamentalisms in Catholic, Hindu and Jewish contexts.

Fundamentalist movements are political movements with religious, ethnic, and/or nationalist imperatives. They construct a single version of a collective identity as the only true, authentic and valid one, and use it to impose their power and authority. They usually claim to be the representatives of authentic tradition, and they speak against the corrupting influence of modernity and ‘the West’. However, fundamentalists are far from pre-modern. To promote their project, they use all modern technological means available, from the media to weaponry. Furthermore, the vision they conjure up is a constructed and selective vision, rather than a revival of something in the past. Since 2000 the popular appeal of fundamentalisms has been growing across the world and different communities.

Feminists have particular concerns when it comes to fundamentalist movements. Although many women take part in fundamentalist movements, overall fundamentalist politics tend to constitute a threat to women’s freedom and autonomy and often their lives. Gender relations in general, and women in particular, are often used to symbolize the collectivity, its ‘culture and tradition’, its boundaries and its future reproduction.

Includes:
WSF: Preface (Jenny Morgan)
WSF: Introduction (Ayesha Imam and Nira Yuval-Davis)
WSF: The lesson from Iran: How the ‘warning signs of fundamentalism’ were ignored (Ziba Mir-Hosseini)
WSF: The rise of fundamentalism and the role of the ‘state’ in the specific political context of Palestine (Nahda Younis Shehada)
WSF: Attacks against lesbian, gay and bisexual people: Warning signs of fundamentalism? (Anisa de Jong)
WSF: Education in Afghanistan: A gendered ideological terrain (Niloufar Pourzand)
WSF: Jewish fundamentalisms and women (Nira Yuval-Davis)
WSF: America’s mission of saving the world from Satan: Christian fundamentalism in the USA (Elfriede Harth)
WSF: Catholic fundamentalism, right wing politics and the construction of womanhood: The case of Austria (Michaela R Told)
WSF: Two cheers for multiculturalism (Gita Sahgal)
WSF: Hindu fundamentalism in India: Ideology, strategies, and the experience of Gujarat (Chayanika Shah)
WSF: Islamisation and its impact on laws and the law making process in Malaysia (Zainah Anwar)
WSF: Fundamentalist groups and the Nigerian legal system: Some reflections (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi)
WSF: ‘Apostates’, Ahmadis and advocates: Use and abuse of offences against religion in Bangladesh (Sara Hossain)
WSF: The rise of the religious right in Bangladesh: Taslima Nasrin and the media (Tazeen Murshid)
WSF: The media and signs of fundamentalism: A case in the Gambia (Amie Bojang Sissoho)
WSF: Revelation and religion: Representations of gender and Islam (Gabeba Baderoon)
WSF: Women’s struggle against Muslim fundamentalism in Algeria: Strategies or a lesson for survival? (Louisa Ait-Hamou)
WSF: Fighting the political (ab)use of religion in Nigeria: BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, allies and others (Ayesha Imam)
WSF: The Model Parliament for family law reform: A signi?cant step towards linking women’s issues with national concerns (Nahda Younis Shehada)
WSF: Sisters in Islam: Advocacy for change within the religious framework (Nora Murat)
WSF: Secular women’s activism in contemporary Egypt (Nadje Al-Ali)
WSF: Religious fundamentalisms and repression of reproductive and sexual rights (Stasa Zajovic)
WSF: The far right and the religious right on the world wide web: Some snapshots and notes (Harsh Kapoor)
WSF: Biographies of conference participants and contributors

III International Congress on Islamic Feminism

Junta Islámica » ¿Quiénes somos?

ILDC – Women’s Involvement

MSA National – Home

Faculty Profile of Ingrid Mattson

Director of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Director of Islamic Chaplaincy Program, Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations

Edina Lekovic: Communications Director – MPAC Staff & Board

As MPAC’s Communications Director, Edina acts as a spokeswoman for the American Muslim community to media outlets, government officials, interfaith leaders, academic institutions, and community groups.

0 comments.

Dar al ‘Ilm – Het nationale Islam Congres

Posted on April 29th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research.

UPDATE: Het congres is inmiddels geweest. Ik zal op mijn blog een impressie plaatsen inclusief mijn presentatie. Dit zal op zondag of maandag gebeuren. Wil je daarvan op de hoogte zijn, klik dan op de volgende link: Subscribe to C L O S E R by Email

UPDATE: lees HIER mijn verslag

Het Instituut voor Islam Studies Dar al ‘Ilm (Huis van de Kennis) organiseert op 16 mei in Amsterdam het Nationale Islam Congres. Een volgens mij vrij unieke aangelegenheid waarbij moslims-met-de-pet, academici en islamitische geleerden en predikers van verschillende ‘gezindten’ uit binnen- en buitenland bij elkaar komen op één congres. Onderdeel hiervan is ondermeer het Academisch Congres over salafisme. Daarbij zal het onder meer gaan over de historische achtergronden van salafisme, kenmerken van het salafisme, opkomst van salafisme in Engeland en Nederland, debatten over salafisme, rol van internet en over salafisme in relatie tot Marokkaans-Nederlandse jongeren.

Interessant en uniek denk ik is de mix van sprekers. Zowel mensen als Khalid Yassin, Bilal Phillips, Haitham al-Haddad als Maurits Berger, Henk Vroom en ondergetekende zullen aanwezig zijn evenals Nederlandse moslims binnen en buiten de salafisten beweging.

Nationaal Islam Congres – Dar al-‘ilm!

Op 16 mei 2009 vindt het Nationaal Islam Congres plaats in de Apollohal te Amsterdam. In maar liefst 3 congresruimtes zullen er doorlopend verschillende lezingen, paneldiscussies, workshops en vragensessies plaatsvinden. Daarnaast zal er in één van de congresruimtes het “Academisch Congres over Salafisme” plaatsvinden. Dit zal een bijzonder onderdeel zijn over een onderwerp die de laatste tijden nogal veel losmaakt.

Tijdens het Nationaal Islam Congres zullen gerenommeerde en enerverende nationale en internationale sprekers de podia bestijgen en ons voorzien van inspirerende lezingen. Het is voor de eerste keer in Nederland dat er zoveel prominente sprekers op één congres samenkomen!

Naast de leerrijke ervaring die dit congres zal bieden, zult u ook kunnen ontspannen en nieuwe contacten opdoen. Er zullen diverse stands zijn waar u onder andere islamitische boeken, cd’s, digitale Korans, kleding, geurtjes en snuisterijen kunt aanschaffen. Er zijn informatiestands over onder andere bedevaartreizen, islamstudies, huwelijk, scheiding, testamenten en nog meer!

Onderwerpen als de rol van de islamitische organisaties, de jongere generaties, leiderschap, islam in de media en de publieke ruimte, rol van de shari’a raden en shari’a in Nederland, islamitische comedy, gemeenschapsvorming, islamitisch bankieren, da’wah (missie) en dialoog, moslimvrouwen en activisme, zullen aan bod komen. Op zich zijn al deze onderwerpen niet echt nieuw, maar de combinatie met de mix van sprekers maakt het wel bijzonder denk ik en het werd ook wel tijd dat zoiets zou plaats vinden.
Bekijk hier de trailer:
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkSaF7rvB1I /]

3 comments.

Dar al 'Ilm – Het nationale Islam Congres

Posted on April 29th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research.

UPDATE: Het congres is inmiddels geweest. Ik zal op mijn blog een impressie plaatsen inclusief mijn presentatie. Dit zal op zondag of maandag gebeuren. Wil je daarvan op de hoogte zijn, klik dan op de volgende link: Subscribe to C L O S E R by Email

UPDATE: lees HIER mijn verslag

Het Instituut voor Islam Studies Dar al ‘Ilm (Huis van de Kennis) organiseert op 16 mei in Amsterdam het Nationale Islam Congres. Een volgens mij vrij unieke aangelegenheid waarbij moslims-met-de-pet, academici en islamitische geleerden en predikers van verschillende ‘gezindten’ uit binnen- en buitenland bij elkaar komen op één congres. Onderdeel hiervan is ondermeer het Academisch Congres over salafisme. Daarbij zal het onder meer gaan over de historische achtergronden van salafisme, kenmerken van het salafisme, opkomst van salafisme in Engeland en Nederland, debatten over salafisme, rol van internet en over salafisme in relatie tot Marokkaans-Nederlandse jongeren.

Interessant en uniek denk ik is de mix van sprekers. Zowel mensen als Khalid Yassin, Bilal Phillips, Haitham al-Haddad als Maurits Berger, Henk Vroom en ondergetekende zullen aanwezig zijn evenals Nederlandse moslims binnen en buiten de salafisten beweging.

Nationaal Islam Congres – Dar al-‘ilm!

Op 16 mei 2009 vindt het Nationaal Islam Congres plaats in de Apollohal te Amsterdam. In maar liefst 3 congresruimtes zullen er doorlopend verschillende lezingen, paneldiscussies, workshops en vragensessies plaatsvinden. Daarnaast zal er in één van de congresruimtes het “Academisch Congres over Salafisme” plaatsvinden. Dit zal een bijzonder onderdeel zijn over een onderwerp die de laatste tijden nogal veel losmaakt.

Tijdens het Nationaal Islam Congres zullen gerenommeerde en enerverende nationale en internationale sprekers de podia bestijgen en ons voorzien van inspirerende lezingen. Het is voor de eerste keer in Nederland dat er zoveel prominente sprekers op één congres samenkomen!

Naast de leerrijke ervaring die dit congres zal bieden, zult u ook kunnen ontspannen en nieuwe contacten opdoen. Er zullen diverse stands zijn waar u onder andere islamitische boeken, cd’s, digitale Korans, kleding, geurtjes en snuisterijen kunt aanschaffen. Er zijn informatiestands over onder andere bedevaartreizen, islamstudies, huwelijk, scheiding, testamenten en nog meer!

Onderwerpen als de rol van de islamitische organisaties, de jongere generaties, leiderschap, islam in de media en de publieke ruimte, rol van de shari’a raden en shari’a in Nederland, islamitische comedy, gemeenschapsvorming, islamitisch bankieren, da’wah (missie) en dialoog, moslimvrouwen en activisme, zullen aan bod komen. Op zich zijn al deze onderwerpen niet echt nieuw, maar de combinatie met de mix van sprekers maakt het wel bijzonder denk ik en het werd ook wel tijd dat zoiets zou plaats vinden.
Bekijk hier de trailer:
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkSaF7rvB1I /]

3 comments.

Ramadan vs. Gay Krant

Posted on March 23rd, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues, Internal Debates, Public Islam.

Tariq Ramadan is a guest professor in Rotterdam. I met him once, an intelligent, eloquent man. He has been accused numerous times and since ages, probably since he was born as the grand child of Hassan al Banna, of being insincere. On the one hand showing a ‘moderate’ and ‘liberal’ face towards non-Muslims while secretly having radical views and expressing these in a closed circle of Muslims. The latter face then would be his real, true face, the other just a mask. In the Netherlands this debate has resurfaced again after a gay magazine announced to ‘expose’ him.

GK.nl

In the texts on the cassettetapes Tariq Ramadan without hesitation says that ‘homosexual behaviour is a sign of an affection, a disorder and an unpoisedness.’ Many of his statements are written in the book Frère Tariq of Caroline Fourest. Ramadan denounces Fourest as a feminist lesbienne who cannot be taken serious. Al his tatements however can be found on cassettetapes meant for the Islamic constituency of the professor. Gay Krant listened to these tapes, wrote down the literal texts, and talked about it with former policitian Frits Bolkestein and writer Caroline Fourest.

The translation is mine, and also the links included in the quote.
The Gay Krant shows the controversial quotes:
GK.nl

On cassette QA 38 (timer 33:10) Ramadam says: “Dieu a voulu un norme et ce norme est “l’homme pour la femme et la femme pour l’homme” (timer 33:32) “Le message de l’islam de ce point de vue là est clair. ça n’est pas permis, ça c’est pas quelque chose qui entre dans la conception générale de l’homme.” En een paar secondes later : “L’homosexualité n’est pas quelque chose qu’on considère admis en islam”. And: “Ce comportement révèle une perturbation, un dysfunctionnement, un déséquilibre.”

On cassette QA 37 (timer 15:05) Ramadan says about women: “….dans la rue, mesure veut dire, on doit toujours avoir les yeux collés au béton.”

And on cassette QA 5 (timer 41:36) “Il y a un principe devant dieu. Si tu cherches á attirer le regard par les formes, ou par le parfum, ou par l’apparence, ou par les gestes, tu n’es pas dans le cheminement de la spiritualité.”

Ramadan gave the following reaction in a press statement:
AD mobiel – 24 uur per dag actueel nieuws

Over twenty years as an expert in Islam, I am involved in discussions and debates about women and gays in Islam. I have always defended the rights of women and I have never judged about gays regardless of my audience (Muslims, non-Muslims) and regardless the language (English, French, Arabic), or the location. The article consists of quotes that have been cut, twisted or are simply not correct. This is not to be taken seriously and is unacceptable.

Ramadan recommends everyone to read his views on his websites www.tariqramadan.com and www.vert-islam.com. The conservative liberals of VVD Rotterdam are fed up with him now (but felt that way already). The municipality of Rotterdam (that funds his chair at Erasmus University) has announced an inquiry.

Bolkestein was probably consulted because of a debate he had with Ramadan earlier. Bolkestein then referred to Fourests book but, as Ramadan at the time rightly argued, without reading the actual book. Story will continue probably. One thing I would like to know, what is the exact context of the statements, according to Gay Krant, made by Ramadan? What is the full text of his speech, when did he deliver the speech and where?

2 comments.

Nederlandse Islamitische Omroep – Budak over verkrachting

Posted on May 29th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates.

Nederlandse Islamitische Omroep » Archief » Budak over verkrachting
Onlangs verscheen op deze site een vraag van een islamitische vrouw die vertelde door haar neef verkracht te zijn en zij vroeg wat zij met de situatie aanmoest. Imam Bahauddin Budak gaf hierop een antwoord dat bij veel mensen in het verkeerde keelgat schoot. Zij meenden dat de imam de schuld grotendeels bij de vrouw leek te leggen.

Imam Budak heeft naar aanleiding van de ophef die is ontstaan over zijn artikel bij de rubriek Vraag en Antwoord (thema: verkrachting) het volgende laten weten.

Hij staat nog steeds achter het door hem gegeven antwoord. Echter, omdat hij vele van de reacties “buiten proportie” vond, heeft hij de NIO verzocht het betreffende artikel te verwijderen. De NIO heeft hem laten weten dat dit journalistiek gezien geen optie is. Hierop heeft dhr. Budak gereageerd door te stellen niet meer met de NIO te willen samenwerken. Dit betekent dat zowel het genoemde artikel, als alle voorgaande artikelen van zijn hand, worden verwijderd. Toekomstige samenwerking met dhr. Budak zal vanaf heden niet meer aan de orde zijn.

De NIO is niet aansprakelijk voor uitlatingen gedaan door dhr. Budak.

Dit is het gewraakte stuk van imam Budak: (more…)

1 comment.

The Word of Muhammad :: ZemZem

Posted on December 26th, 2007 by .
Categories: Important Publications, Internal Debates.

The Word of Muhammad :: ZemZem :: ZemZem
The Word of Mohammad

Interview
Reformer Abdolkarim Soroush on the Koran

Michel Hoebink

Muhammad is the creator of the Koran. That is what well-known Iranian reformer Abdolkarim Soroush says in his book The Expansion of the Prophetic Experience that will be published early next year. With this view, Soroush goes further than some of the most radical Muslim reformers. In an interview with Zemzem by Michel Hoebink, he gives a foretaste of his book. Michel Hoebink works for the Arabic department of Radio Netherlands World. The Expansion of the Prophetic Experience will be published early 2008 by Brill. Leiden.

Since the coming to power of president Ahmadinejad, it has become increasingly difficult for Abdolkarim Soroush to work in Iran. For that reason, he has accepted invitations to teach at western universities such as Harvard and Princeton in the USA and the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin. In the past academic year he was a guest lecturer at the Free University in Amsterdam and the Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) in Leiden, the Netherlands.

Abdolkarim Soroush is regarded as the intellectual leader of the Iranian reform movement. Initially, he was a supporter of Khomeini. He held several official positions in the young Islamic republic, among which that of Khomeini’s adviser on cultural and educational reform. But when the spiritual leader soon turned out to be a tyrant, Soroush withdrew in disappointment. Since the early 90s, he is part of a group of ‘republican’ intellectuals who started out discussing the concept of an ‘Islamic democracy’ but gradually moved away from the entire idea of an Islamic state.

Soroush’s basic argument is simple: all human understanding of religion is historical and fallible. With this idea he undermines the Iranian theocracy, because if all human understanding of religion is fallible, no-one can claim to apply the shari’a in God’s name, not even the Iranian clergy.

In The Expansion of the Prophetic Experience Soroush makes clear that his view on the fallibility of religious knowledge to a certain degree also applies to the Koran. With thinkers such as Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd and Mohammed Arkoun, Soroush belongs to a small group of radical reformers who advocate a historical approach to the Koran. In his new book, however, he goes one step further than many of his radical colleagues. He claims that the Koran is not only the product of the historical circumstances in which it emerged, but also of the mind of the Prophet Mohammed with all his human limitations. This idea, says Soroush, is not an innovation, as several medieval thinkers already hinted at it.

You can read the interview: (more…)

2 comments.

Comment is free: Beyond Islamic enlightenment

Posted on October 11th, 2007 by .
Categories: Internal Debates.

Comment is free: Beyond Islamic enlightenment

Ali Eteraz

It means that Islamic rationalism – the act of a Muslim using his (or her) individual reason to access the Quran and Islamic tradition – has triumphed so emphatically that both Muslim liberals (Wadud) and illiberals (Qutb), rely upon it. It means that the whole time people have been talking in terms of civilisations, we should have been talking in terms of individuals, because reason is an individual act.

In fact, some of the most unsavoury characters of 20th century Islam have essentially confirmed that there won’t be any turning back from Islam’s individualist revolution.

0 comments.

MEMRI: Saudi Cleric Salman Al-Odeh Slams Brother Osama bin Laden, Warns Him Hell Be Responsible for Deaths of Millions, Reminds Him He Must Face Allah

Posted on September 19th, 2007 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, International Terrorism.

MEMRI: Saudi Cleric Salman Al-Odeh Slams Brother Osama bin Laden, Warns Him Hell Be Responsible for Deaths of Millions, Reminds Him He Must Face Allah

The following are excerpts from a religious show featuring Saudi cleric Salman Al-Odeh, which aired on MBC TV on September 14, 2007.

“How Much Blood Has Been Shed, And How Many… Have Been Killed… In The Name Of Al-Qaeda?”

Salman Al-Odeh: “I say to my brother Osama [bin Laden]: How much blood has been shed, and how many innocent people, children, elderly, and women have been killed, displaced, or banished in the name of Al-Qaeda? Would you be pleased to meet Allah while you bear responsibility for hundreds or even millions of people?”

[…]

“The Prophet Muhammad said that anyone who killed even a bird unjustly would meet Allah on Judgment Day, and the bird would say to Allah: Ask so-and-do why he killed me unjustly. This religion protects the sanctity of the blood of even birds and animals. The Prophet Muhammad said about a prophet who burned an anthill: Just because one ant bit you, you burned an entire colony of ants that were praising Allah? This is all the more true when it comes to human beings.”

[…]

“My brother Osama bin Laden, the image of Islam is not at its best today. People all over the world say that Islam kills anyone who is not of this religion, and that Salafism kills any Muslim who does not believe in it – whereas the Prophet Muhammad refrained from killing even the hypocrites, about whom Allah said they would dwell in the lowest level of hell. The Prophet Muhammad said that the reason was so that people would not say that Muhammad kills his friends.”

“Is The Difference Not Clear Between One Who Kills And One Who Gives Life?”

“My brother Osama, what happened on 9/11 was the killing of several thousands, maybe less than 3,000, who died aboard the planes and in those towers, whereas there are unknown preachers, through whom Allah has guided hundreds of thousands of people, who have been enlightened by the light of Islam, and whose hearts have been filled with the love of Allah. Is the difference not clear between one who kills and one who gives life?”

[…]

“My brother Osama, the annihilation of an entire people, like what is happening in Afghanistan, through destruction and through hunger… This people has lost its entire infrastructure… Or the destruction of another people, like what is happening in Iraq… There are more than three million refugees in Jordan and Syria alone, apart from those who went to other countries in the East or West. The specter of civil war, which hovers over Afghanistan and Iraq, is not something about which Muslims are happy. The Prophet Muhammad heard about a man called Harb “war” and changed his name, because he loathed war. Our God said: Fighting is ordained for you, even though you hate it. This is a hateful thing to which people resort only when it is necessary, and when there is no other choice.

“Are [You] Determined to Come to Power, Even If it is Over the Bodies of Thousands and Hundreds of Thousands[?]”

“Who benefits from the attempts to change countries like Morocco, Algeria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, or any other country into countries governed by fear, where people feel unsafe? Should coming to power be the goal? Is it the solution? Are [you] determined to come to power, even if it is over the bodies of thousands and hundreds of thousands of policemen, soldiers, ordinary Muslims, or innocent people who are sometimes killed – and then you say that they will be resurrected according to their intentions. Indeed they will, but the question is how we shall be resurrected, and how we shall appear when we meet our God, when so much blood has been shed under our patronage, whether we like it or not.”

0 comments.

Europe: New Groups Unite Those Who Renounce Islam – RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY

Posted on September 11th, 2007 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, Islam in the Netherlands, Multiculti Issues.

Europe: New Groups Unite Those Who Renounce Islam – RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY
Europe: New Groups Unite Those Who Renounce Islam
September 11, 2007 (RFE/RL) — Some call them apostates, but they prefer the term ex-Muslims.

Today marked the official launch of the Dutch Ex-Muslim Committee, the latest such group to emerge in Europe. The groups say they want to make it easier for people to renounce Islam — and draw attention to places where leaving the faith is punishable by death.

The new group is headed by Ehsan Jami, a 22-year-old Dutch politician of Iranian origin. (more…)

0 comments.

de Volkskrant – ‘Ik wil gaan léven!’

Posted on September 3rd, 2007 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, Multiculti Issues.

de Volkskrant – ‘Ik wil gaan léven!’
‘Ik wil gaan léven!’

de Volkskrant, Intermezzo, 11 augustus 2007 (pagina I10)
Janny Groen Annieke Kranenberg

Ze voeren een strijd in stilte, de Marokkaanse jongeren die vaak wel geloven, maar ook een wijntje drinken en soms een grap maken over Allah. De ‘zwarte schapen’ helpen elkaar. ‘Hé Fatima, wil je ook meer rust in je hoofd?’ Door Janny Groen en Annieke Kranenberg

‘We weten dat we hypocriet bezig zijn, maar het kan nu even niet anders’

(more…)

0 comments.

Manji shutting down her website

Posted on September 2nd, 2007 by .
Categories: Internal Debates.

The official website of Irshad Manji, author of The Trouble with Islam Today and creator of Project Ijtihad.

Posted August 26, 2007

This will be my final update on muslim-refusenik.com. I’m about to launch my new site, which will stand for Muslim reform and moral courage rather than merely against all that troubles Islam today. I’ll also be blogging, posting more free-of-charge translations to defy the censors, and making it easier to use and distribute my content wherever you are in this world.

The one thing that won’t change is my passion to reconcile religion with reason. In that spirit, enjoy my exchange below with a reform-minded Muslim. You see? I’m not alone. Neither are you!

Leading to the following statements by Ali Eteraz:

Well, it appears that true reform (the Khaled abu el Fadl variety) is winning. It has subsumed Irshad Manji. That’s a victory for all those who stuck with reform instead of contrarianism. (By the way, a lot of people accuse reformists of being contrarians just for the hell of it, but that is just the last thing people who don’t know how to rebut reformists say).

So as this realignment happens, we have to ask again. What is Islamic Reform? Well, for sure, it isn’t “reformation.”

In order to understand this, you have to read his first statement:

In one of my previous altmuslim pieces about state of Islamic Reform in the West, I made a (surprisingly for me) smart observation: “Consider, then, the irony: reformers which did not alienate the Muslim community were alienated by the media; reformers which did alienate the Muslim community were embraced by the media.” I went onto say: “The current situation leaves Western Muslim reformers in a difficult bind. Does she lean towards Ramadan and el Fadl, sacrificing exposure to the non-Muslim world while doing the hard work of reform in relative isolation? Or does she lean towards Manji and Nomani, sacrifice influence in the Muslim community but make a positive impression about Islam to the non-Muslim world?”

0 comments.

Protected: Trouw, deVerdieping| religie_filosofie – De Nederlandstalige luisterkoran komt eraan

Posted on August 24th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates.

Enter your password to view comments.

Protected: Trouw, deVerdieping| religie_filosofie – De Nederlandstalige luisterkoran komt eraan

Posted on August 24th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates.

Enter your password to view comments.

Newsvine – Ave, Muhammad: a plea for reason in the debate about Islam

Posted on August 18th, 2007 by .
Categories: Internal Debates, Islam in the Netherlands, Murder on theo Van Gogh and related issues, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

This essay, written by Timor & Ramy El-Dardiry, was published on the front page of NRC Handelsblad, a Dutch national newspaper, under the title “‘We invented our own Islam'” [“‘We verzonnen onze eigen islam'”]. The full article in Dutch can be found here and here. They translated it and submitted it to Newsvine: Ave, Muhammad: a plea for reason in the debate about Islam.

Everybody loses in a discussion monopolised by fundamentalists and critics, who all cite exclusively from the Quran to prove that they are right. The average Dutch person perceives a frightening black-and-white version of Islam. Moderate and liberal Muslims become estranged, and retreat from the discussions. Only the terrorist is happy, because he is taken at face value when he claims that he is only carrying out the will of Allah as stipulated in the Quran. Nonetheless, he also freely interprets the Quran: after all, we live in a modern society. If we continue to treat Islam as a colorless monolith, we are giving terrorists free reign.

Both Muslims and concerned Western intellectuals should start to de-sacralize the role of texts in the debate, so that we can arrive at a truly constructive dialogue. It is about time that we recognize and encourage different colors in religion. This also requires a less forced attitude towards religion in public spaces.

Muslims should guard against their religion becoming the victim of a uniforming type of globalization. It is already depressing that we can now eat the same tasteless hamburgers around the world. To sacrifice religion in the same fashion to a fundamentalist movement financed by petrodollars is not only sad, but also dangerous. Muslims, cherish the diversity in your religion! Critics in their turn should point out the differences within Islam to radicals, instead of always stressing the so-called “unbridgeable” differences between Islam and the West.

If God exists, He is probably not waiting for people to criticize or obey Him exclusively on the basis of His very own texts. He created people with a slightly more creative spirit, after all. The texts will always have a different meaning for each individual. That is why we could market our Roman-Islamic faith so successfully. Our religious beliefs may have been curious, but they were just as authentic as those of Muslims in Jakarta, Washington or Amsterdam. They were just as genuine as those of radical, orthodox or liberal Muslims. Not a single text has meaning in a vacuum. If Muslims only experience and defend their religion through its text, they atr lost; if critics only attack religions based on their texts, nothing will change.

Timor El-Dardiry (1983) studied International Economics and International Relations in Maastricht and in Washington, DC respectively. He lives and works in the Dutch city of Maastricht.

Ramy El-Dardiry (1985) is a master student in Applied Physics at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. He completed several months at the Jaringan Liberal Islam in Jakarta as part of his study. He is completing his graduate work in Amsterdam.

As I wrote in the Dutch reaction on this artile, their essay smells like a ‘copy-paste islam’ but one that is neither inherently radical or the result of a-historical bricolage. It’s about the struggle over the definition of what Islam is and should be; a struggle in which people have to negotiate with others, Muslims and non-Muslims, and themselves. The essay clarifies how the social network and developments on a local, national and global level influence those negotiations. Nothing new here, but what makes Islam special is that more then any other religion, it’s a topic of heated public debates. The writers point to an interesting Dutch paradox. While in the Netherlands from the 1990s onwards religion is increasingly seen as a private matter, at the same time Islam has become the topic of public debate, thereby preventing that Islam indeed does become a private issue.

0 comments.

Older » Next Page »