Interesting press release. Should be cause for conversation.
PRESS RELEASE/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Secularists of Islamic Societies Gather for Unprecedented Summit
Leading Dissidents to Launch Movement for Reason, Pluralism, and Freedom of Conscience
New York, N.Y.(January 26, 2007)— From Pope Benedict XVI to the Harvard historian Bernard Lewis, people are asking, What went wrong? How did Middle Eastern cultures transform from the openness and intellectual ferment of the medieval period to the closed theocrat societies of today? Where are the secular voices of the Muslim world? Until now, they have been largely stifled and silenced. Now, bold critics of orthodoxy are calling for sweeping reforms from inside Muslim societies. With the intent of catalyzing a global movement for reason, humanist values, and freedom of conscience, delegates from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Bangladesh will assemble March 4-5 in St. Petersburg, Florida for an unprecedented Secular Islam Summit.
According the chair of the meeting, the rationalist critic of Islam and acclaimed author Ibn Warraq, “What we need now is an Age of Enlightenment in the Islamic world, of the Islamic mind-set or worldview. Without critical examination of Islam, it will remain unassailed in its dogmatic, fanatical, medieval fortress; ossified, totalitarian and intolerant. It will continue to stifle thought, human rights, individuality; originality and truth.”
Said one summit delegate, Irshad Manji, author of The Trouble with Islam Today, “This summit is proof positive that reform-minded Muslims are creating a movement. We no longer exist in isolation. Those who hate our message of free thought in Islam will keep trying to pick us off individually, but collectively we're not going anywhere except forward.”
The historic Summit, to be held at the Hilton St. Petersburg, will set in motion the generation of new practical strategies from the world’s leading thinkers and activists in an ongoing cross-cultural forum. At issue will be secularist interpretations of Islam, the importance of expanding Koranic criticism, the state of freedom of expression in Muslim societies, educational reform and the urgent need for a paradigm shift in Islamic philosophy. Speakers include Mona Abousenna, Magdi Allam, Shaker al-Nabulsi, Nonie Darwish, Afshin Ellian, Fatemolla, Tawfik Hamid, Shahriar Kabir, Nibras Kazimi, Irshad Manji, Walid Phares, Amir Taheri, Mourad Wahba, Ibn Warraq, and others.
To promote emerging solutions, the delegates will craft a statement of values and principles expressing the call for a new Enlightenment in Islamic culture. The statement will be released in English, Arabic, Farsi and Bengali to the world media at a press conference at 2 p.m. Monday, March 5, 2007 at the Summit, after which participants will take questions.
“The Secular Islam Summit hopes to encourage a new global movement for reason, science, and secular values within Islamic societies,” said Summit organizer Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi, an Iranian-American activist.
The Summit is sponsored by the Center for Inquiry-Transnational, a secularist think tank.
"Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators?
Or did they create the heavens and the earth?
Nay, they have no firm belief.”
[Holy Qur'an: 52:35-36]
Islam has not changed, people have changed and have twisted the reality of Islam for their own needs. As much as they would like to change it "for themselves" Islam itself won't be changed. If you change a religion, its no longer right.
*Without Allah, without Islam, life would be meaningless. If I've ever learned patience, it's because of this. Alhamdulillah...*
Islam has not changed, people have changed and have twisted the reality of Islam for their own needs. As much as they would like to change it "for themselves" Islam itself won't be changed. If you change a religion, its no longer right.
I agree. But the vaste majority today do not have an understanding of what islam was, and is. I'm not a muslim, but I understand the early message. And quite frankly, I see more that don't get it than do. The majority has got to start listening to the minority that is trying to get you to listen. Instead they are called enemies of islam, when in fact they are truly living by the original message.
I agree. But the vaste majority today do not have an understanding of what islam was, and is. I'm not a muslim, but I understand the early message. And quite frankly, I see more that don't get it than do. The majority has got to start listening to the minority that is trying to get you to listen. Instead they are called enemies of islam, when in fact they are truly living by the original message.
I agree, we do listen to the minority and that is the scholars of Islam.
Not kaffir, hyprocrites (that may have already or very close to being out of fold of Islam).
I agree, we do listen to the minority and that is the scholars of Islam.
Not kaffir, hyprocrites (that may have already or very close to being out of fold of Islam).
It is people like this that stifle the free thinking of others. People live in fear and are afraid to truly explore their religion and what it means to them. They are afraid of questioning anything and being labelled, ostracised, or harassed. You need to take back your religion from this kind of person that would make you afraid to speak or think.
It is people like this that stifle the free thinking of others. People live in fear and are afraid to truly explore their religion and what it means to them. They are afraid of questioning anything and being labelled, ostracised, or harassed. You need to take back your religion from this kind of person that would make you afraid to speak or think.
I am taking back my religion from them. I am learning from them about Islam.
This is the conclusion we have arrived with our free thinking mind.
p.s. SilentObserver Muslims on this forum are not stupid.
Inshallah they are not.
Last edited by Skillganon; 02-15-2007 at 05:15 AM.
I am taking back my religion from them. I am learning from them about Islam.
I am not quite understanding what you are saying here, could you rephrase it please?
format_quote Originally Posted by Skillganon
p.s. SilentObserver Muslims on this forum are not stupid.
Well to be fair, muslims on this forum have the typical intelligence range that you would find in any group of this size, from 'not so sharp' to 'quite brilliant'.
I am not quite understanding what you are saying here, could you rephrase it please?
I am sure you understood me first time, unless free thought had addled one's brain, but incase if you just simply not heard me rigth for some wierd reason, I will rephrase it again.
"I am taking the knowledge of Islam from those who posess it."
Well to be fair, muslims on this forum have the typical intelligence range that you would find in any group of this size, from 'not so sharp' to 'quite brilliant'.
I hope you are not insulting the intelligence of my muslim brothers and sisters.
Well let's say we got muslim who are young of age too quite old of age. Maybe it is there that lies your assessment.
"I am taking the knowledge of Islam from those who posess it."
How do you know who possesses the truth when there are conflicting statements made, both backed by the Quran?
format_quote Originally Posted by Skillganon
I hope you are not insulting the intelligence of my muslim brothers and sisters.
I am saying it is quite an average group, with a typical range of mental capacity. What was hard to understand about that?
format_quote Originally Posted by Skillganon
Well let's say we got muslim who are young of age too quite old of age. Maybe it is there that lies your assessment.
I took into account the wide range of ages that frequent the forum.
format_quote Originally Posted by Skillganon
I personally find them to be quite intelligent.
Some are brilliant in fact. Some are quite intelligent, while some are average, and there are some that are not so bright. All being said, quite an average group.
delegates from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Bangladesh will assemble March 4-5 in St. Petersburg, Florida for an unprecedented Secular Islam Summit.
I wonder why there are no representatives from Malaysia? ie. Marina Mahathir, Nori Abdullah, Kassim Ahmad, Astora Jabat, Zainah Anwar...
format_quote Originally Posted by SilentObserver
Speakers include Mona Abousenna, Magdi Allam, Shaker al-Nabulsi, Nonie Darwish, Afshin Ellian, Fatemolla, Tawfik Hamid, Shahriar Kabir, Nibras Kazimi, Irshad Manji, Walid Phares, Amir Taheri, Mourad Wahba, Ibn Warraq, and others.
* Ibn Warraq - he wrote books like "Why I am Not a Muslim", "Leaving Islam: Apostates Speak Out"...
* Nonie Darwish - ex-Muslim converted to Evangelical Christianity.
* Afshin Ellian - wikipedia says he's a former Muslim.
* Dr. Walid Phares - a Maronite Catholic Lebanese
At least 3 of the speakers are ex-Muslims, and one is a born-Christian ... what a summit.... Islam-bashing everyone?
I wonder why there are no representatives from Malaysia? ie. Marina Mahathir, Nori Abdullah, Kassim Ahmad, Astora Jabat, Zainah Anwar...
I imagine there is, they would not list the country of every delegate.
format_quote Originally Posted by north_malaysian
At least 3 of the speakers are ex-Muslims, and one is a born-Christian ... what a summit.... Islam-bashing everyone?
There are more muslims than anyone else to attend this summit. It is not an islam bashing summit. People from all over the world have been invited, it was an open invitation. It would not be wise to judge the summit from the people that have decided to attend.
The unbelievers constitute a single ummah. Just whenever they feel that Islam needs a little bit more bashing, the kaffirs will band together for this purpose.
I agree. But the vaste majority today do not have an understanding of what islam was, and is. I'm not a muslim, but I understand the early message. And quite frankly, I see more that don't get it than do.
I hope you understand the fact that we are getting closer to the Day of Judgment everyday. One of the sign of the Day of Judgment is that knowledge will decrease amongst the people. This knowledge reffers to knowledge of religion not mundane matters. That's why the vast majority of Muslims don't have the right understanding of Islam and they don't practice it as they should. (May Allah, The Most Exalted, save us from becoming like this). The guided scholars of Islam, may Allah,The Most Exalted have Mercy on them, are becoming the minorities. When I say scholars I don't mean those hypocrites in the summit and others similar to them. And I am a firm believer that a non-Muslim cannot be called a scholar of Islam.
I doubt that you have the right understand of the early message.
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This gives us a right laugh.
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