The Alternative Muslim Identity

#1 by Saminasha on June 19, 2005 7:54am PT


Secondly, are you occupying the space of the political class in Iran so vividly discussed in Sara Suleri`s, Marjane Satrapi`s, and Azadeh Moaveni`s respective work?


Ok professor....we get it....you read a lot of books...

:)

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there`s no need to get all upset at the mention of idiot americans. . . there are idiots everywhere of all shapes, and sizes. hyphenated and defying labels.

what was the real point to this article?! most of it was telling us what was not up for discussion and that in itself is rather telling.

labels. and when we want to do away with those labels, we add more labels. and then more, and this labelling thing never ends. . . i can see where having an identity and making a home wherever one chooses to are important. and that being in this world, we have more than one identity. but do we have to box the hell out of ourselves in these identities? at some point, in this boxing in, and drawing lines as miriam says, we forget what it is to be human, and humble.

khair, i thought i had more to say, but my tummy`s rumbing and i realize looking at the time, that i haven`t eaten all day.

hasta la vista!

From the article:

[[Americans are far and by large, idiots.]]

Wow! How progressive!

So you have a good mixture of the East Coast Liberal`s sneer at the great unwashed masses and the believer`s sneer for the infidels. Thats what it means to be a `progressive` Muslim.

Well done. Islam is safe.

and i wonder why i dont get to hear about Christian-Feminists, Alternative-Catholic-Identity, Hindu-World, Hindu-Women, Buddhistwakeup.com...


why are muslims are so keen to thrust their Muslim thingy in public space as an ID.? Why cant there be Just Pakistanis, Iranis, Turkis etc.?

talking of oxymorons.. there is one more i had heard on this site: ``Muslim Feminist``.. my favorite oxymoron these days.. :-)

Directionless, pointless, senseless, confused, poorly written.

On someone’s recommendations on Chowk, I visited the Muslims wakeup site. I did not take me long to figure out that the whole idea is oxy moron. They are talking about the same things that “sleeping” Muslims talk and they are still pushing guidance from the Quran and Sunnah or Sharia or whatever. Their attempt is to put a new spin on the whole rotten idea of a united Muslim alliance or Ummah.

The first and the foremost thing to do for Muslims, is to drop the “guidance from Islam” idea on the current day political issues. The minute you begin to seek guidance from Islam on current century’s political issue, you invariably come up with solutions that, I am afraid, were not even practical during the golden years of Mecca and Medina and basically failed against the human nature.

One must admit the fact that the so called Islamic society in Medina/Mecca cannot be a model for the large multicultural, multiethnic, and multi-tiered Economic states that exist today. As long as Muslims, whether they are progressive or regressive, conservative or liberal continue to look to Islam for resolving political or economic issues they will remain delusional.

Islam has no mysterious powers to resolve issues that arise out of territorial, economic, or scientific disputes. One may find a quote here and a quote there and stretch it to apply to the recurring issues but that is really rolling the dice and hoping for the best.
Islam does not provide any comprehensive guideline in Political, economic and scientific and other fields or studies and disputes.
People may seek guidance on moral and social issues such as gays, marriage, and divorce but beyond that Islam or for that matter any religion has no role to play.

Zehra:

I understand where you are coming from. But the thing is, the minute we start using labels like “alternative” and “progressive” we are drawing lines in the sand. Those same ones mind you that we professed not to draw. Why not be a pluralist and not align yourself with any one? Group ideology and ``movements`` come with personal agendas and then we are back to the same old, same old.

I agree with scout on this one. Just be you. The “muslim-ness” will take care of itself :).

As a fan, can`t help making a small comment, only in the spirit of trying to be helpful.

Notice that comments 1-7 are from 7 different people who view the world in 7 different ways. Yet all have expressed reservations.

IMHO, the reason is that, for the first time, you have given up clarity. Faced with an understandably difficult situation, in this article, you opted for the comfort of fuzziness, self-created confusion in which people far lesser than you find refuge when they can`t face facts.

There are only two or three grown ups on chowk who will love this piece. And as a fan of yours, let me tell you, woh log aapki jootiyon ke barabar bhi nahi hain. :)

Zehra Rizvi ji

In all these years of reading your articles as a closet fan of yours, this is the first piece from you that left me disappointed.

It`s difficult to pinpoint why,.... and even the disappointing stuff from you is better than the best most other people come up with. So you have my thumbs up :)

zehra,

why the need to fit into a category, especially a category based upon something as subjective and subject to controversy as religion

why can`t you just be zehra, a woman with her own personal dynamic identity


i`m beginning to dislike this whole `progressive muslim` crap, it`s such an oxymoron

religion is regressive period

It does confirm as the whole world knows, Americans are far and by large, idiots. Idiot Americans, though a pleasant topic..............

And you wonder why Muslims are increasingly hated by `other` Americans?.And how are you going to `stay` in America when you disparage its` citizens?.You think the rest of the American population is going to welcome you after you publicly denounce them as `idiots`.You and your kind are doing more damage to the future of muslims in America than the in-bred hijackers/suicide bombers did.I was ``there`` 9/11 and i have scars to remind me for the rest of my life.I am an American and i resent you referring my fellow citizens as ``idiots``.IDIOT YOU.

Zehra, how can you admit to deciding not to be a believing Muslim anymore and then after 9/11 a political Muslim only (i.e. you don`t believe in the dogma--that is, aqidah) and then write about an alternative Muslim identity? Shouldn`t that then be left to Muslims to worry about?

Unless, of course, you still believe in Islam, after all!

Be America. (period).