Adherence to a religious faith and to be secular at the same time are two conflicting subject. Islamic faith is very clear in this matter. If I don't subscribe to some integral tenets of Islam, more precisely, blindly, I am not a Muslim. The question of 'murtaad' comes from there. There are many views and various explanations of this issue of murtaad but the last word is again very clear. To claim myself a Muslim I am obliged to follow and adhere to some fundamental dogmas. This is the reason why the notion of secularism in Islam could make much inroad into Islam. This immovable factor is the main reason behind intolerance in the Muslim world. The angel of enlightenment, goodness, toleration and magnanimity always ponders how to make peace with this seemingly impregnable barrier? Philosophically we will embrace and sit with that notion which accepts and nurses the principle of individual freedom. That freedom, which makes peace with divergent views, finds unity in diversity and above all promotes universal understanding and respect. Many Muslims view secularism as basically anti Islam or a tendency to negate Islam. This is where a liberal person clashes with Islam.
The culture of intolerance in Islam has taken a global shape now. It has become so barbaric that a recalcitrant is liable to be beheaded. This is a medieval mind set trying to establish a reign of terror in this age of enlightenment and wisdom. It's surprising that the meaning of freedom is so limited and so narrow to a sizeable number of Muslims. This abhorrence for equality and mutual fraternity is a dangerous trend which challenges the very basic foundation of the human civilization. There are many apologists among the Muslims who maintain a deafening silence on these important issues. This silence is tantamount to agreeing with the extremists.
An epoch has come when all the institutionalized religions must walk along with the needs of time. If there will be any religion that will be Religion of Man. We all who believe in the equality of man and his right to freedom of thinking are the secularists. We recognize freedom as the most basic right of any man. During the French Revolution of 1789 the guillotine was used to behead the anti revolutionaries. The spirit of revolution gradually brought the sense of civility and toleration and the extreme measures like the use of guillotine to silence the opposition gradually discarded. Our strength is in our resolve for a just cause which is so dear to so many. We have regenerated the spirit of freedom in a regimented community and helped open the door of openness. In this momentous effort if we have helped a single person to see reason and free his caged soul we are successful. The people who makes fun of us by calling us a tiny group of so called liberal Muslims will realize soon that so much owed by so many to so few. Despite our small size we have proved that we shall only leave when the pub closes. We shall continue to drink the juices of truth even if it's poison to our blunt headed opponents. We will not stop till we ensure a total and unmitigated defeat of the reactionaries. Those voices of opposition are weak and scared because they come from those who are locked in the closet of their own follies. They will never know how sweet the taste of freedom is. This may be a war of the unknown but the battle ground is vivid and wide. They know the weight of our arms. We say to them, you make a living by what you get but we make a life by what we give.
Akbar Hussain
__._,_.___
*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
*****************************************
MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
*****************************************
Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___