“What Does It Mean to Be a ‘Secular Muslim’?”
Is It Compatible with the Islamic Shari’ah?
First, the article starts with a photograph of a beautiful young sister (a grand daughter to me) with a lovely smile, in a stylish yellow headscarf with a broad and heavy knot in front of the neck, a short tie hanging from it, with the European flag in her left hand posing for a photo. I, personally have no issue with this. However I do feel that the Imams and Sheikhs who advise this sort of head dress to Muslim sisters as Islamic will not approve of this sort of attitude; in the first place photos are not allowed; exposing to non-mehram is disapproved; smiling to them is strictly forbidden. So a damaging and far reaching contradiction (very common in our society) is obvious.
The term “secular Muslims” is unnecessarily provocative because it is a paradox. Most Muslims are allergic to the word “secular” treating it wrongly as “anti-religion”. I also feel it is risky and unwise to add a qualifying label to “Muslims” or “Islam”. It can lead to fragmentations into different “brands”. Instead, let us keep the words Islam and Muslims as such without any tag and dig into the sources of our Deen with logic and reasoning to define what Islam is and what does it prescribe for Muslims. The article also has this sub-heading: “In Italy, some want the category recognized by the government. Others say it’s totally meaningless.”
The article discusses at length some specific problems for Italy. I have ignored them. It tries to define “secular Muslims” at different places. My main purpose is to respond to them.
The article explains the meaning of “secular Muslims” by quoting the example of Jews: “Many are familiar with the concept of “secular Jews,” people who choose to identify as Jewish despite being non-practicing, agnostic, or even atheist, because they see Judaism as a culture or ethnicity and not just as a religion.” I am sure, this Jewish definition of “secular” instantly throws out a similar phrase for Muslims to whom Islam is primarily and definitely a religion. It is a complete code of life for us and ushers in and escorts us every step of the way. Yes we are free to choose our own path but have been given very definite and equally broad counsel and exhortation for the “Straight Path” if we are aiming at the Hereafter.
The author reports “Two Italian Somali women, the anthropologist and former politician Maryan Ismail and the engineer and immigrant rights activist Layla Yusuf, founded the Movement of Secular Muslims on April 5……….They want to pressure Italian and EU authorities to acknowledge that there is such a thing as “secular Islam”—and they want its representatives, “secular Muslims,” to get a seat at the table when Muslim associations meet with Italian authorities to discuss issues like the protection of religious minorities, the integration of Muslim immigrants, and funding to build mosques. The movement is planning an international conference on secular Islam, to be held this fall.” However, the author adds “But others are skeptical that the Movement of Secular Muslims will effect change as its leaders envision. Even if conservative Muslims are the minority, Branca argued, it’s hard to prevent them from having a larger say in mosques, where the more-observant minority tends to be more active, “because that’s what usually happens with religious associations.”
It appears that the term “secular Muslim” has been coined and a movement started for it for a political purpose and in the specific context of Italian situation. Good luck to our Italian brothers and sisters in their just struggle. Strictly from a religious point of view this approach is non-starter for most Muslims who will not and cannot digest the idea of “secular Muslims”.The lexicon defines secular as “Worldly rather than spiritual; non religious”. On the face of it therefore the term “secular Muslims” is ambiguous and contradictory. Islam covers the whole spectrum from purely spiritual to purely worldly and the spiritual cum worldly in between. A Muslim is very much a man of this world; this is his playing field. But he is guided by Divine injunctions. He lives, strives and enjoys this world but this is not his goal; he does all this to ensure a pleasant Hereafter. So a Muslim may be termed as worldly — secular — but his drive and objective is spiritual. Shari’ah directs and guides us all the way in our life; at times it is strict and demanding; most of the time it leaves the individual to decide his/her line of action within the general principles of Islam. So let us settle for plain and simple term “Muslim” as our identity; a Muslim who is “Secular under the Spell of the Spiritual”.
“To me, religion is something intimate and private,” says the engineer and immigrant rights activist Layla Yusuf. This is a very common argument in such discussions but totally misplaced. Every individual has a right to his/her own opinions: enjoy and follow it. But the right question in in the present discussion is: does Islamic Shari’ah allow each and every of its follower to treat the religion as “intimate and private”? Layla Yousuf and Maryan Ismail should answer this question. Islam is a complete code of Life encompassing the individual and collective life of the Community. The former is private and personal and the latter has to be communal.
Layla Yusuf wants “secular” Muslims and imams to “work together to fight this practice of using the Quran as a pretext to oppress women.” Answer is very simple.You do not need any “secular” help here. Correct interpretations of the Quran by many Islamic scholars regard the Holy Book as the strongest guardian of women and their rights.
“Maryan Ismail, who observes Ramadan and has gone on pilgrimage to Mecca, recognizes that her approach could be called “progressive” or “liberal” Islam, but said that she chose the term “secular” in order to stress the value of “separation between religion and state, which is now a priority.” I would like to respond that Islam is a Divine religion with a program of life for its followers; in certain issues mandatory and others optional. A practicing Muslim has to tap the sources of our Deen to find the dictates of our religion to the best of our knowledge. This will be the “optimum” solution. We do not have to aim at “liberal, progressive or secular”. Let us try to find the correct Islamic directive on any issue and as I said this will be optimum. Islam does not look out for any conflict with the State. What is a State? It is the collective will of the people — organized and functional. If the Muslims are in majority, Islamic values will be prominently visible in the State. As a minority and specially a tiny minority, Muslims should negotiate with the “state” for the best status we can have in the society. The footing that minorities enjoy in Muslim majority countries will be a major handle or drag in these negotiations. The values, culture, practice, feelings and passions of the majority have to be respected. This attitude will be more fruitful than displaying ourselves as “secular”. The majority command as much right as the minority, if not more to ultimately decide the majority-minority balance.
I would strongly endorse this statement in the article “ But others, who understand the concept of secular Islam differently, question the underlying premise of the Movement of Secular Muslims. Olivier Roy, a French scholar of Islam teaching at the European University Institute in Florence, told me that Islam is a religion, not a culture, and thus the concept of secular Islam “doesn’t make any sense”—it would be as contradictory as funding “a non-religious religious community.”
Again we see a selection of adjectives for Islam when the article says “The movement’s fixation on the term “secular” will prove self-defeating, according to Roy; instead, “they should use the correct terminology and call themselves liberal,” the scholar said.” I would respond, there is a basic flaw in this logic. We all are “plain and simple” Muslims and we must try to find the real face and colour of Islam. Ours is a Divine religion presented to the camel trotting nomads of the desert of Arabia yet our adorable Deen is destined to remain relevant in the era of inter-planetary travel. So, by definition Islam has to be progressive and dynamic and so it is, in fact. It is the unfortunate and irrational self-infliction of the doctrine of Taqleed, the narrow minded Madrasah Curriculum and the uncritical conformity to the valuable hadith literature which has disfigured our pure religion. Get rid of these influences and you will discover that Islam has brought a living and breathing Doctrine and Ideology of life to guide mankind through the thick and thin of all times. It is a beautiful blend of the liberal, secular, logic and Faith.
This informative article discloses that in Italy Islam is not recognised as a religion and has no legal standing in the country. But negotiations for the recognition of Islam are underway. This identity debate has become particularly pressing for Italians—and that may help explain why it’s crystallizing into a movement in Italy specifically. Since the constitution mandates a strict regulation of religious groups it is a priority for secular Muslims to have a seat at the table in the negotiations for the recognition of Islam are. For example, Judaism received official recognition in 1987, but because only Orthodox Judaism was represented in negotiations at the time, Reform Jews have no official standing today; their marriages, say, are not recognized.
Lastly, the article brings in a very pertinent question in bold letters “Beneath the semantic debate lies a deeper question: Who gets to speak for a religion?” It goes on to explain, giving statistics: “Across Europe, there is a gap between Islamic associations and the Muslim population, according to Rolla Scolari, the editorial director of Oasis, an international foundation studying Christian-Muslim relations. According to the German Ministry of Interior, for instance, German Muslim associations, as listed by the authorities, represent just 20 percent of the local Muslim population of 4.3 million. What about the other 80 percent? In France, less than a third of Muslims are “practicing,” Roy said. According to a survey conducted in Lombardy, Italy the province with the largest Muslim population, only 12 percent of Muslims belong to some kind of Islamic association. Who gets to speak for a religion? The orthodox, because they are the most strictly observant and sometimes the most actively invested? The secular, even though they can be the most numerous are silent?”
I would like to emphasize that this topic in this article “Who gets to speak for a religion?” is far more relevant to us Muslims today than the debate over secularism. When I migrated to US, I thought that I will now be free from the popular and dominant colour of my Deen in Pakistan. As this is a very rational and intellectual society, Muslims also, I deluded would be analytical and discerning about their Faith. They will find out that the Holy Quran, time and again exerts it followers to Think and Ponder. Not true, I found out to my dismay. I find many of my brothers and sisters have an intellectual dichotomy. In the mundane, they exhibit super intellectual qualities rising to great heights bringing opulence and prosperity to themselves and their families. In matters religion they seem to have mortgaged their intellect and have opted for first,Taqleed i.e. blind following of the tenth century Fiqh, second, the Madrasah curriculum of fifteen percent Quran and third, uncritical conformity to the very valuable but equally corrupt and contradictory hadith literature. Hence they are willing to dip the fly that has fallen in their milk and drink it as per a hadith in Sahih Bokhari, they are ready and willing to execute the apostate, or one who desecrates the Quran or defames our Holy Prophet, torture and murder the homosexuals, glorify and push the headscarf, instead of prayers as the Muslim identity, stone to death an adulterer, refuse the God given human instincts of aesthetics and beauty and discard all fine arts like music and photography etc etc. So far no problem. They have a right for their views. But here is the issue which this article highlights. To their credit, many of these brothers and sisters are practicing Muslims and organize and lead our mosques and its valuable services. Rest of us, probably the majority tend to neglect our collective responsibilities. Hence, by default the views of the former group have attained the “official” status as Islamic. This is a challenge to those Muslims who regard our laudable Deen (from the teachings of the Quran and our Holy Prophet and the exalted Caliphs, the example of the sahaabaas and an intelligent study of the Hadith) as progressive and dynamic to remain live and relevant for ever. They should also try to propagate and disseminate their point of view with intelligence and reasoning in all the forums and sources at their command to preserve the true message of Islam.
May 13, 2017
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