What is Progressive Islam? by Omid Safi The various understandings of Islam which fall under the rubric of `progressive’ are both continuations of, and radical departures from, the hundred and fifty year old tradition of liberal Islam. [1] Liberal advocates of Islam generally display an uncritical, almost devotional identification with modernity, and often (but do not always) by-pass discussions of colonialism and imperialism. Progressive advocates of Islam, on the other hand, are almost uniformly critical of colonialism, both of its nineteenth century manifestation and its current variety. Progressive Muslims espouse a critical and non-apologetic `multiple critique’ with respect to both Islam and modernity. They are undoubtedly postmodern in the sense of their critical approach to modernity. That double engagement with the varieties of Islam and modernity, plus an emphasis on concrete social action and transformation, is the defining characteristic of progressive Islam today. Progressive Islam encompasses a number of themes: striving to realize a just and pluralistic society through a critical engagement with Islam, a relentless pursuit of social justice, an emphasis on gender equality as a foundation of human rights, and a vision of religious and ethnic pluralism. Muslim libera(c)tion Progressive Muslims perceive themselves as the advocates of human beings all over the world who, through no fault of their own, live in situations of perpetual poverty, pollution, oppression, and marginalization. Their task is to give voice to the voiceless, power to the powerless, and confront the `powers that be’ who disregard the God-given human dignity of the mustad’afun all over this Earth. Muslim progressives draw on the strong tradition of social justice from within Islam from sources as diverse as the Qur’an and hadith to more recent authorities and spokespersons such as Shari’ati. Their methodological fluidity is apparent in their pluralistic epistemology, which freely and openly draws from sources outside of Islamic tradition which can serve as useful tools in the global pursuit of justice. These external sources include the liberation theology of Leonardo Boff, Gustavo Gutie’rrez, and Rebecca S. Chopp, as well as the secular humanism of Edward Said, Noam Chomsky, etc. Progressive Muslims are likely to combine a Qur’anic call for serving as `witnesses for God in justice’ (Qur’an 42:15), with an Edward Said-ian call to `speak truth to the powers.’ The question, asked by Peter Mandaville, [2] whether progressive Muslims reflect or initiate larger social processes of transformations, is a non-starter as it is premised on an initial dichotomy between intellectual pursuit and activism that progressives do not accept. Whereas many (though not all) of the previous generations of `liberal’ Muslims were at times defined by a purely academic approach that reflected their elite status, progressive Muslims fully realize that the social injustices around them are reflected in, connected to, and justified in terms of intellectual discourses. They are, in this respect, fully indebted to the majestic criticism of Edward Said. Progressive Muslims are concerned not simply with laying out a fantastic, beatific vision of social justice and peace, but also with transforming hearts and societies alike. A progressive commitment implies by necessity the willingness to remain engaged with the issues of social justice as they unfold on the ground level, in the lived realities of Muslim and non-Muslim communities. Progressive Muslims follow squarely in the footsteps of liberation theologians such as Leonardo Boff, who deemed a purely conceptual criticism of theology, devoid of any real commitment to the oppressed, as `radically irrelevant.’ [3] Boff recognized that liberação (liberation) links the concepts liber (free) and ação (action): [4] There is no liberation without action. In drawing on both Boff as well as Rebecca Chopp, I have before stated that: `Vision and activism are both necessary. Activism without vision is doomed from the start. Vision without activism quickly becomes irrelevant.’ [5] This informed social activism is visible in many progressive Muslim organizations and movements ranging from the work of Chandra Muzaffar with the International Movement for a Just World in Malaysia, [6] the efforts of Farid Esack with HIV-positive Muslims in South Africa, [7] to the work of the recent Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Shirin Ebadi [8] with groups such as the Iranian Children’s Rights Society. [9] It is thus not the case that only certain `superstars’ among progressive Muslims occupy themselves with activist approaches. One only need spend some time talking with the many individuals who are active in the various progressive Muslim organizations to witness the astonishing array of peace and social justice movements, grassroots organizations, human rights efforts, etc., that they are involved in. Progressive Islam as an Islamic humanism At the heart of a progressive Muslim interpretation is a simple yet radical idea: every human individual, female or male, Muslim or non-Muslim, rich or poor, northerner or southerner, has exactly the same intrinsic worth. The essential value of human life is God-given, and is in no way connected to culture, geography, or privilege. A progressive Muslim is one who is committed to the strangely controversial idea that the true measure of a human being’s worth is a person’s character, and not the oil under their soil or their particular flag. A progressive Muslim agenda is concerned with the ramifications of the premise that all members of the human race have this same intrinsic worth because each of us has the breath of God breathed into our being: wa nafakhtu fihi min ruhi. (Qur’an 15:29 and 38:72). This identification with the full humanity of all human beings amounts to nothing short of an Islamic Humanism. An increasing number of those who advocate such a humanistic framework within the context of Islam have self-labelled themselves progressive Muslims. `Progressive’ refers to a relentless striving towards a universal notion of justice in which no single community’s prosperity, righteousness, and dignity come at the expense of another’s. Adherents of progressive Islam conceive of a way of being Muslim that engages and affirms the humanity of all human beings, that actively holds all of us responsible for a fair and just distribution of our God-given natural resources, and that seeks to live in harmony with the natural world. Engaging tradition Progressive Muslims insist on a serious engagement with the full spectrum of Islamic thought and practices. There can be no progressive Muslim movement that does not engage the very `stuff’ (textual and material sources) of the Islamic tradition, even if some wish to debate what `stuff’ this should be and how it ought to be interpreted. Progressives generally maintain that it is imperative to work through the inherited traditions of thought and practice. In particular cases, they might conclude that certain pre-existing interpretations fail to offer us sufficient guidance today. However, they can only faithfully claim that position after–and not before–a serious engagement with the tradition. To move beyond problematic past and present interpretations of Islam, progressive Muslims have to pass critically through them and experience them first-hand. Justice lies at the heart of Islamic social ethics. Time and again the Qur’an talks about providing for the marginalized members of society: the poor, the orphaned, the downtrodden, the wayfaring, the hungry, etc. Progressive Muslims believe that it is time to `translate’ the social ideals in the Qur’an and Islamic teachings into a way of action that those committed to social justice today can relate to and understand. For all Muslims, there is the vibrant memory of the Prophet repeatedly talking about a real believer as one whose neighbour does not go to bed hungry. Progressives hold that in today’s global village it is time to consider all of humanity as our neighbor. The time has come for Muslims who wish to be true believers to be responsible for the well-being and dignity of all human beings. Progressive Muslims begin with a simple yet radical stance: that the Muslim community as a whole cannot achieve justice unless justice is guaranteed for Muslim women. In short, there can be no progressive interpretation of Islam without gender justice. Gender justice is crucial, indispensable, and essential. In the long run, any progressive Muslim interpretation will be judged based on the amount of change in gender equality it is able to produce in small and large communities. Gender equality is a measuring stick for the broader concerns of social justice and pluralism. As Shirin Ebadi has stated, it is imperative to conceive of women’s rights as human rights. Progressive Muslims strive for pluralism both inside and outside of the umma. They seek to open up a wider spectrum of interpretations and practices considered Muslim, and epistemologically follow a pluralistic approach to the pursuit of knowledge and truth. In their interactions with other religious and ethnic communities, they seek to transcend the arcane notions of `tolerance’, and instead strive for a profound engagement through both existing commonalities and differences. Is this an `Islamic Reformation’? Progressive Muslims are often asked whether their project constitutes an `Islamic reformation.’ The answer is both yes and no. It is undeniably true that there are serious economic, social, and political issues in the Muslim world that need urgent remedying. Much of the Muslim world is bound to a deeply disturbing economic structure in which it provides natural resources for the global market, while at the same time remaining dependent on Western labour, technological know-how, and staple goods. This deplorable economic situation is exacerbated in many parts of the modern Muslim world by atrocious human rights situations, crumbling educational systems, and worn-out economies. Most progressive Muslims would readily support the reform of all those institutions. However, the term `reformation’ carries considerably more baggage than that. In speaking of the `Islamic reformation’, many people have in mind the Protestant Reformation. It is this understanding that leaves many progressive Muslims feeling uneasy, for theirs is not a project of developing a `Protestant’ Islam distinct from a `Catholic’ Islam. Most insist that they are not looking to create a further split within the Muslim community so much as to heal this split and to urge it along. A global phenomenon or an American Islam? It would be a clear mistake to somehow reduce the emergence of progressive Islam to being a new `American Islam.’ Progressive Muslims are found everywhere in the global Muslim umma. When it comes to actually implementing a progressive understanding of Islam in Muslim communities, particular communities in Iran, Malaysia, and South Africa are leading, not following, the United States. Many American Muslim communities–and much of the leadership represented by groups such as the Islamic Circle of North America, [10] the Islamic Society of North America, [11] and the Council on American-Islamic Relations [12]– are far too uncritical of Salafi and Wahhabi tendencies that progressives oppose. Lastly, almost all progressive Muslims are profoundly skeptical of nationalism, whether American, Arab, Iranian, or otherwise. As such, they instinctively and deliberately reject the appropriation of this fluid global movement by those who espouse it in order to transform it into an `American Islam’ commodity to be exported all over the world. The progressives’ firm critique of neo-colonialism is also a way to avoid their appropriation by the United States’ administration, which has used the language of reforming Islam to justify its invasion of Muslim countries such as Iraq. Progressive Muslim Networks Perhaps the most exciting part of the new emerging global Muslim progressive identity is that progressives everywhere are seeking one another out, reading each other’s work, collaborating with one another’s organizations. This is a fruitful process of cross-pollination. One can point to the impact that Shari’ati has had on South African Muslims, or the impact the Palestinian struggle has had on South East Asian progressives. Much of this contact is taking place via e-mail. We are clearly in the initial stages of this formulation, and it is an exciting process which has the promise of ushering in a real paradigm shift in the relationship of Muslims to both Islam and modernity. Notes [1] See Charles Kurzman, Liberal Islam: A Sourcebook, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998). [2] See ISIM Newsletter 12 (June 2003), p .24-25 [3] Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology, (1987; reprint, Mary Knoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2001), p. 9. [4] Boff, p.10. [5] Omid Safi, `The Times They are a-Changin’: A Muslim Quest for Justice, Gender Equality, and Pluralism’, in Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism, edited by Omid Safi (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2003), p. 6-7. [6] http://www.just-international.org [7] http://www.positivemuslims.org.za, see also ISIM Newsletter 12 (June 2003), p.40-41 [8] http://www.muslimwakeup.com/mainarchive/000242.php [9] http://www.muslimwakeup.com/mainarchive/000242.php [10] http://www.icna.com [11] http://www.isna.net [12] http://www.cair-net.org Omid Safi is an assistant professor of Islamic Studies at Colgate University, in Hamilton, NY. He is the co-chair for the Study of Islam Section at the American Academy of Religion and the editor of the volume Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2003). This essay is humbly dedicated to Edward Said’s challenge to all of us. E-mail: omidsafi@hotmail.com

Five University Groups Discuss How They Can Work Together to Improve Humanity’s Future

By Heba Abdel-Karim and Lolla Mohammed Nur, Engage Minnesota

“Imagine a world where people from different religious backgrounds come together to create understanding and respect by serving their communities.” – Interfaith Youth Core (www.ifyc.org)

On April 9, the Hillel Jewish Center, in union with the University of Minnesota’s Muslim Student Association, hosted and organized an interfaith discussion that brought together people of different faiths. The topic of the event was “humanity’s future,” and representatives of a number of different faiths spoke about how they see humanity progressing, and how our differences, as well as similarities, can better the community.

A little over a hundred people entered the room, determined to try something different: to go beyond their normal routine, talk to others of various faiths, and get to know them. Unsurprisingly, that’s what made the event—believed to be the first of its kind at the U—such a success. Attendees left politics aside and peacefully interacted with one another. In the end, they saw how similar, yet diverse and unique, we all were.

“I think that what group representatives, members, and the audience all liked the most was the atmosphere: nobody was on the defensive, nobody was being hostile, no group was being labeled with negative stereotypes,” comments EngageMN writer Lolla Mohammed Nur, pictured above to the left of Heba Abdel-Karim.

“The positive atmosphere was almost contagious!” says Mohammed Nur. “Some asked very insightful and sincere questions, and it was obvious that all audience members were there to genuinely learn about different faiths and beliefs. Everybody was there to help promote the message of religious tolerance and awareness.”

The panelists came from various campus organizations, such as Campus Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists (CASH), Baha’i Campus Association, Muslim Student Association (MSA), Hillel Jewish Center and the American Baptist Church.

“We are not here to prove that our religion is the correct belief, but we are here to acknowledge our differences, for it builds our identity,” said the American Baptist Church’s Jon Hartman in his introduction. “It’s important to recognize differences, so as to learn from them, but what’s more important is to recognize that we have common goals to better the community.”

A Baptist’s Peaceful Message

Hartman, the son of an American Baptist pastor, talked about the importance of religious pluralism in our society.

“Religious pluralism goes beyond mere tolerance for diversity and requires that we build positive relationships and work with one another. It is a state in which we respect one another’s religious identities, develop mutually enriching relationships with each other, and work together to make this world a better place.” Hartman quoted from the Bible, where it states that a “nation will not take up sword against sword…” (Micah 4:3) to reiterate his, and the panel’s, message of peace.

“Peace will restore in the future,” Hartman optimistically stated in his part of the discussion, “and everyone will have a place in the world.”

An Atheist’s View

Andrew Buttler, co-chair of CASH, gave a view of how atheists envision humanity’s future. “It’s impossible for me to represent all atheists,” he started out. “Many resist any label for their beliefs at all.”

Buttler then explained the main aspects of atheism as he saw them. Empiricism was an important one: Atheists believe that everything they know about the world comes from observations. “Through empiricism, it is viewed that ethical values are derived from human need as tested by experience.”

Buttler also acknowledged, as did Hartman, that working to benefit society maximizes happiness. “Do good work for your society and you feel happy. The two are almost always associated with each other.”

The Baha’i Faith: Working to Eliminate Prejudice

The Baha’i Faith also spreads the belief of the unity of mankind (as well as religions), and aims to eliminate all forms of prejudice.

Ben Grimes, treasurer of the Baha’i Campus Association, described the faith by stating, “It is the newest of the world’s major religions and is founded upon the principle of unity in diversity, embracing the cultural and religious diversity of the world and striving to show how such diversity adds beauty and color to the world of humanity. We must search for ways to bring humanity together.”

Muslim Student Association: Islam a Progressive Way to Define Humanity

Members of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), James Faghmous and Malik Harfi, spoke about how Islam envisions humanity’s future compared to the other faiths. Harfi began: “Our realities begin with one true God, the all-knower, the all-knowledgeable who created all of humanity. When he created existence, he also created the laws by which everything runs. But humans have the choice of which path we take. We are all born, we all die, and we all take a path. To follow this path harmoniously to God,” he continued, “is Islam.”

Faghmous added that Islam was sent to all humanity, not to a specific tribe or group. “It came as a progressive way to define humanity.” For instance, Faghmous explained that Muslims must pay zakat (charity) to the poor and needy, for it is one of the five pillars of Islam. This zakat must comprise 2.5 percent of one’s annual savings.

For the same reason that Muslims pay zakat to the needy, they also wish for a better world. “We are held accountable for everything because it is essentially not ours; we believe that it is all owned by Allah and to him everything shall return,” Faghmous said. Muslims believe that money, for instance, is granted by God, and that He knows how much we own.

In the same manner, we care for the world because it is was created and is owned by God. For this reason along with others, “We need to create harmonious existence, and be sensitive to everyone’s religious differences.”

The Story of Rabbi Hillel

Eve Shapiro and Brad Serber, representatives of the Hillel Jewish Student Center, began their discussion with the story of Rabbi Hillel, one of the most important figures in Jewish history.

The story begins with a non-Jewish man who wanted to become a follower of Judaism. While standing on one foot, the man asked different rabbis to teach him the Torah. Each rabbi declined, saying that Judaism was too complex to understand.

However, when the man asked Rabbi Hillel to teach him, Hillel agreed by replying with the following quote: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation [commentary]; go and learn.” Although there are other renditions of the story, all have the same message: love your neighbor as you love yourself. This powerful message of loving one another was the embodiment of the interfaith panel discussion, and all present could relate to it.

The Jewish panelists also explained the concept of Sadakah in Judaism, which is the act of paying ten percent of one’s annual income to ensure that people are helping each other. The simple fact that the same word for charity is used in both Islam and Judaism illustrates the similarities shared in diverse religions when it comes to supporting the humanitarian cause.

As Eve Shapiro said, “We are all people–humans. We all deserve rights to a fulfilling life.”

What Next?

Unfortunately, for many participants, the panel discussion ended too soon. All present-–whether they were Atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Baha’i–-seemed to have enjoyed themselves. After the panel discussion, audience members held informal conversations, walking around and introducing themselves to one another. It was wonderful to see believers of various or no faiths to come together, and to start on the path of understanding each other.

The event was such a success that “the Interfaith Youth Core wants to work with the organizations that participated in the panel on doing future activities such as the interfaith discussion,” says Kafiya Ahmed, MSA advertising coordinator. “They hope to continue a tradition of interfaith dialogue at the University of Minnesota.”

The Interfaith Panel Discussion was a huge step forward, and although communication is just the beginning, the panel left everyone with the message that open dialogue is the basis of teaching tolerance and understanding one another.

Heba Abdel-Karim currently resides in Fridley, Minn. and is a student at the University of Minnesota. Lolla Mohammed Nur is a freshman and an international student from Saudi Arabia. She is currently a biology major at the University of Minnesota but is exploring her newfound interest in poetry and cultural diversity.